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Anyone notice the STAINLESS STEEL bumper at the Nationals?

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68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333632
The stainless steel bumpers were used on the 'Custom 1300' Beetles around 1965...
after the poorly accepted "standard" beetle with No chrome and painted bumpers & hubcaps and a black painted strip instead of the chrome strips along the sides...

The Custom 1300 also had NO glovebox lid, no fuel gauge and very little chrome... headliner only on roof... no interior lamp...
although it did have Stainless steel blade bumpers.
No over riders were used - as chrome & stainless steel aren't the same colour etc...
I do believe they used chromed hub caps...
and they had the chromed CUSTOM 1300 badge on the engine lid....
I noticed one such front bumper at the nationals... so checked out the dash to see No glovebox lid....
I forgot to take a pic or even note what colour etc...
it was in good condition though....

Maybe the only one left in that condition....
A VERY Rare Australia ONLY made Beetle.....

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Kombi_Rescue Wolfsburg Wizard

440 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#333648
lee,to my knowledge 1967s where the only year stainless b/bars were used,both 1300deluxe and custom used these b/bars..it appeared that vw choose the s/steel as a cost factor ,but did you also realize it cost vw more money to produce the standard and custom than that of the deluxe ..hard to believe but true...you are right ozzy built are rare world wide along with the kangaroo stamps ..something i am as sure pround to have in my lockup, dont forget the s/steel 1/4 vents body moulds wiper arms....all the guys os love this stuff as they all had the crappy alloy stuff...so if you wreck a ozzy build be sure to keep the s/steel bits they will be worth something NOW cheers DSK member

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333663
Yes, it was only only a guess, as the standards were around 1964-65.... approx...
Terrible looking cars even when New...
I didn't know they used the stainless steel on the deluxes too....
I just noticed the colour of the stainless bumper at the nationals.... and realised it was stainless steel....

Why didn't they use stainless steel in Brazil ????

I have seen the 1/4 windows with stainless steel & alloy -
the latter scratches very easily where as the stainless is hard as a rock...
I did see at the Nationals a few years ago - a 1968 Beetle with all paperwork including the sales slip etc....
It was bought in Sydney New in 1968... it was a mixture of old & new parts [like the 1966-67 German 1200 Beetles]
The 1/4 windows, VW badge, wiper blades, front blinker covers were all painted white, same colour as the Car....
It was a two owner car... and was for sale...
If I had the money, I would have bought it....
A Very Rare made in Germany Beetle... that somehow made it to Australia... I think the story was, it was going to New Zealand, but the sale was cancelled so it was sold in Sydney.
Here are some Photos...
Lee

Lee Noonan --
http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333665
Here is the rear view...
Was swing axle too as were all 1200 Beetles made for the German & UK Market....

Lee

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333667
Here is the front view -
shame about the bonnet bib....

Lee

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Kombi_Rescue Wolfsburg Wizard

440 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#333672
Lee the standard and custom are my pick any day..i remember seeing that cars a few years back...i ended up with a 71 1200 standard german build...very different in many ways..it was used for a loan car in the family bus for years until the tin worm arrived...it was stolen and crashed ...caught fire finally its now lhd and painted as it is being used in films..so the life cycle starts once again..cheers dsk member

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333687
I was just reading last night that the last Beetle that came off the production line at Emden in 1978...
was a 1200 standard base model beetle with black bumpers no chrome trim & swing rear axles....
in 1968 VW sold 61,880 1200 base model Beetles in germany

They updated them a bit in Aug 1973 when the Europa bumpers were added, although painted black...
the tail lamps went from the 60s straight to the elephants foot tail lamps... omitting the tombstone type altogether...
and in 1974 the hubcaps were omitted...
In the handbook for the last beetles made in germany, there was still reference to the fuel cutoff lever.....
So, a fuel gauge was still an extra !!

Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body

7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#333701
We did a respray on a 1300 'custom' badged standard at our work. The young guy got it from his grandad who bought it new in 1967. It is exactly as Lee described, and the coulour was a light beige ummm Sahara Beige I think. The bumpers were stainless and when the guy sent them away to the bumper place to get reconditioned they said they had never seen them before in stainless.
EJ22 into Bay Microbus - Finished project build thread- click on this spot here for info

Kombi_Rescue Wolfsburg Wizard

440 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#333711
lee the 71 1200 has a fuel guage but i have a late face kmh speedo that has no fuel guage now thats weird for the 1970s, by the way there is a pressing in the 71 where the rear exhaust vent would be behind the side window..the front bonnet has no vent intake therefore no vent system other than painted 1/4 vent or heaters..its the sound of all that mechanical noise which makes me feel right at home...sound insulation whats that? the steering wheel is also different ..its fun being a train spotter...option to sit in front of the box ...train spotting more fun cheers dsk member

Menangler Custom Title Time!

1,991 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#333733
I had a '67 Custom Beetle, bought new in Feb '68,
I bought it off the original owner, had 58,000 miles from new and this one had a glovebox lid. no chrome up the side on the dash or in the windows, chrome hub caps, stainless bumpers, and only the 1/2 headliner in the top of the roof.
FAHRVERGNUGEN;
Description of a pleasurable sensation,
Experienced when a car and it's driver are in mutual harmony, A unique driving experience, Pleasure, Satisfaction,
A feeling experienced by Volkswagen Drivers.

Flying VW Wolfsburg Wizard

680 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#334255
I'm getting a 67 Deluxe to wreck next week, I will have to have a Close look at it. I know that it has good Bumpers and over riders.
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