Cup holders??!!

Does anyone have a source for decent cup holders for my '88 Jetta? I keep spilling my f#$%*@!g coffee all over the floor under the passenger seat and losing my bottles of water.

I could purchase some cheap dangly thing that hooks to the window, but I'd be willing to bet I'd knock it off within the 1st hour. Any suggestions, including modifications of newer model cup holders, would be really appreciated.

Thanks, Mad Maxine

I bought a cup holder at Canadian tire that was designed to clip to the vent (yeah right that's gonna hold a large coffee) but I actually screwed it to the dash beneath the drivers side vent. Not something to be removed as it will butcher the dash with some nasty holes. Bonus, in the winter the heater will keep your coffee warm alot longer. height was good, no loss of visibility, and easy to get to, just watch the height so it doesn't get in the way of the window crank.

Hi Mad Maxine, My solution isn't elegant, there just isn't much place to hook/hang a cup holder in my '90 Golf. I also bought one of those grey hook type cup holders from Canadian Tire. I cut off all the the hook part so I only had the cup holder left. Then I bought about 30 cm of small diameter elastic bungee cord from Mountain Equipment Coop. My '90 is a standard shift so there is room in front of the shift lever to place the cup holder. In front of the shift lever, there are some slots to hold coins. I lifted the plastic cover with the coin slots, threaded the elastic cord through through the bottom of the cup holder then through the coin slots and tied off under the console. I essentially tied the cup holder down to the coin holders. It works great, haven't lost a drink yet and the holder takes cans, those big diam. Thermos insulated plastic cups, cameras, and assorted stuff (one at a time of course). The elastic means there is some give if the cup holder gets hit and I can move it a bit to access the storage compartment ahead of the cup holder.A really cheap solution and no damage to the car.

On my wife's '85 automatic Golf however there is just no place to put a cup holder. When I forget which car I have and arrive back at the '85 with a mug of coffee or an ice cream treat for my wife (yoo hoo, wife, are you reading this?). I jam the treat partway into the storage bin, but invariably the coffee or treat ends up on the floor. What a mess.

-Tony

Mad Max> Does anyone have a source for decent cup holders for my '88 Jetta? I

Tried many variations of cup holders in my 88 Fox, nothing seems to work without butchering the car interior. Don't hold the open top cup of hot coffee between your legs in bumpy terrain. Its a real eye-opener.

Something that you might try...

The B4 (I think... circa 1995) Passats had cupholders that were mounted along the transmission hump inside the passenger footwell. They hold

2 pretty big drinks, and attach to the plastic trim with just two screws. They fold pretty flat when not in use. I've heard of using these to add cupholders to Audis, and I think various other cars.

Unfortunately, I don't have the part number anymore, but I'm sure you can still get them.

The story behind them is that the European version of the Passat didn't have any cupholders, so these were added for the US, (so I heard) and so they're really made to be an add-on.

Everybody,

Ehanks for the great ideas. I'll look into those and let you know how it goes. Keep 'em coming.

Cheers!

TREE wrote:

Perhaps the solution is a small and deep indentation for small cups inside a larger and deeper indentation for big cups. Naw, that make too much sense. Can't believe inventors haven't done this yet, much less, implemented and marketed. Or a cone-shape to receive all such cups with significant depth. Naw, that make too much sense even more so. Plastic costs so much money (not). As does a die to pour the plastic in (not).

My conclusion is the idiot marketing of current cupholders are idiots in the second highest echelon of idiocy. Above (below) that are those creating the product for profit.

Mad Maxine wrote: : Does anyone have a source for decent cup holders for my '88 Jetta? I : keep spilling my f#$%*@!g coffee all over the floor under the passenger : seat and losing my bottles of water.

: I could purchase some cheap dangly thing that hooks to the window, but : I'd be willing to bet I'd knock it off within the 1st hour. Any : suggestions, including modifications of newer model cup holders, would : be really appreciated.

I'm not sure how your interior compares to my 86 GTI, but I have had success with a plastic cup holder I got years back from K-Mart. It has 2 cup holders on the top with a long plastic part (about 8 to 12 inches long). I wedge that between the passenger seat and emergency brake handle and it says nicely. (Does require passenger seat to be empty because it gets in the way of the seatbelt connector)

I just fitted this one to my GTI:

can't beat the price :)

I mounted it sort of like the aforementioned B4 Passat cupholder. I screwed it to the side of the center console (sort of near where the passenger's lower legs would be). Yeah if it's unfolded and you slide the seat forward you might risk shearing it off (but the same would happen with anything else down there too I guess). The adjustable arms allow it to hold my travel mug nicely. Just remember to fold it up when not in use so you don't break it or a passenger doesn't kick it or whatever.

These are exactly the ones I have installed in my 96 Jetta. (bought them off of ebay) I did have to go though the center console with the small screws, but that was a better option than spilling something on my carpet / mats. I don't fully trust it with a full Big Gulp (tm), but I have not had it fail me yet.

Terry

Hi Maxine, Another thought, check out your local boating or marine stores. I recall seeing some cup holders for boating applications at marine shops. Boaters have the same issues with keeping cups upright. The shops may also have some holders for other gadgets that would serve to hold cups, pop cans, and the like.

My son's booster seat in the back has two flip out cup holders so that serves anyone sitting in the back!

-Tony