I, too, have a '59 euro-spec sunroof bug.  There are no floor tarboards on 
it from the factory, but the tunnel has a layer .   This is correct for this 
year.
  I can't recommend using a material that will hold moisture against the 
body, as you describe.  It'll rust your precious treasure from the inside 
out.  I've seen the carpet padding, foam, carpet and expanding foam cause 
totsal rust-through where it sat wet against the body for years.  Also the 
sewn-fabric, stuffed triangular pillows behind the rear side windows and the 
firewall area that were used to prevent noise and heat from coming into the 
car from the engine compartment are correct, but not good in that respect. 
In later years VW used the expanding foam in that area, and caused many bugs 
to rot out in this spot.
  If you do add tarboards on the floor, don't glue them down.  This way they 
can be easily removed for cleaning and drying out the floors underneath 
them.  The inside of the doors and the rear interior panels had a square of 
tarboard glued-on for sound deadening at the factory, also.  The sedan roof 
had a fibrous material glued above the headliner, also.  The trunk cowl 
panel had a tar-impregnated fibrous matting glued-on from the instrument 
panel area to the gas tank.  The rear luggage area and firewall had an 
extra-thick layer of the fibrous matting below the carpet.  The areas around 
the rear and side windows had a layer of fibrous mat and stuffing to fill 
out the headliner nicely.

HTH,

Mike B.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Harding" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Floor tar boards.



Hello,
I have a '59 Beetle (US specs) that I bought off the original owner 35 years 
ago. It was like new then but is really ratted out now, but still mostly 
original in all respects that I know of.

The only tar boards that you describe (or very similar material) that I have 
seen are: over the tunnel hump under the rear seat and under the carboard 
mat in the trunk. The rubber floor mats and carpet were original for a long 
time and I never saw 'tar boards' under them.

In my restoration I will probably use, as needed, a similar material used in 
house roofing in the States called "180 pound felt". This is very 
inexpensive for the small quantities needed and will most likely outlast the 
car.

For sound deadening elsewhere in the car I will use a thick outdoor carpet 
padding that is wool-like and similar to the insoles used in cold weather 
hunting boots. Outdoor heavy weight foam rubber carpet padding might work 
also. I would use outdoor carpet padding as it will be mildew resistant.

I mostly use black silicon caulk as an all around general adhesive on my 
bug. It will fill in for rubber in lots of cases (windshield and windows 
gaskets mounting) and never seems to come loose if the surfaces are cleaned 
with soap and water and then rubbing alcohol.  Firewall carpet that I 
installed 30 years ago is still hanging strong. The pure silicon caulk is 
best but smells the worst and leans up only with mineral spirits or maybe 
alcohol . The latex-silicon blend is ok and cleans up with hot soapy water 
and a course dish cloth. The clear caulk is maybe more invisible where 
needed to be.

Just some general thoughts....your mileage may vary.

Good luck and hope this helps,
Robert in Albuquerque, New Mexico
59+BUG


> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected]> Date: Sat, 15 
> Dec 2007 12:56:25 -0600> Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Floor tar boards.> > Hi, 
> Asad,> > If you're wanting to replace the factory-original tar boards, 
> there are good> reproductions available. But the technology of 
> sound-damping has supposedly> improved over the past 40 years or so, so 
> some of the aftermarket materials> probably do a better job of stopping 
> unwanted resonating and vibration.> There are various mystery mixes of 
> sluggish polymers, closed-cell foams and> silicone goo that go a good job, 
> or so they advertise. Tarpaper roofing> material, widely used here in 
> North America, also works. I bought a fairly> expensive roll of a 
> self-adhesive polymer material from Mid-America> Motorworks but can't 
> discern any improvement over old-fashioned> oil-impregnated fibreboards.> 
>  > I'm sure somebody else on the list can send you patterns and dimensions 
> for> cutting your own. The proper adhesive is pretty important also, 
> especially> if your floor pans are painted.> > Bert> > -----Original 
> Message-----> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of asad ishaque> Sent: 
> Saturday, December 15, 2007 11:06 AM> To: vw list> Subject: [vintagvw] 
> Floor tar boards.> > > > Guys!> > A few days ago I sourced a set of four 
> tar boards. They are supposed to> go into the footwell areas. Claimed to 
> be NOS, certainly looked old. Seller> had some odd pieces left and I 
> collected four of them to make a set. > > Now I remember I should have 
> taken a couple more to cover the centre> tunnel also.> > Can anyone tell 
> me how to recognise an NOS set? Interesting thing is I> havent seen any 
> tarboards on the floor of any restored car on the www. Never> saw any for 
> sale on ebay or thesamba. So were these supposed to be in the> footwells 
> to start with?> > Can anyone tell me the dimensions of the centre tunnel 
> boards so I can> rummage thru the last remaining ones to pick some up?> > 
> Anyone knows the number and locations of all tar boards in the cabin??> 
> There should be one each in the doors and quarter panels but possibly of> 
> lesser thickness.> > Best regards.> > Asad> 68 bug Trusty> 68 bug Sonja> 
> 59 ragtop bug Raggie> Karachi,> Pakistan. 
> _________________________________________________________________> Get the 
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