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1960 tail lights, snowflakes/semaphores/50/50's?

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hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954636
Ok so i've got a 1960 bug, and i'm planning to get snowflake tail lights. However, it occoured to me that with snowflakes, i would have no rear indicators (from what i can see the car has no semaphores... unless they were bogged).

I was under the impression that the 1960 beetle had snowflakes.

If this is the case, did the 1960 snowflake taillight beetle originally have semaphores? If no semaphores, how did they indicate or was it like US which flashed red... what year did they have flashing snowflakes in USA?

When exactly did the 50/50's kick in??

Can the chassis number help me identify correct parts (1960 is a very confusing year indeed!)

If anyone can shed some light on this would be greatly appreciated.

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#954644
if the car had Oval Taillights ( snowflakes ) then it had Semaphores
I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#954649
Early 1960 had 'snowflakes' and semaphores. Around July, 1960 there were a few changes, including 50/50 tail lights and front [clear] blinkers. The paint was changed from lacquer to baked enamel as well.

I like your "shed some light on this" one, by the way.😁
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954654
Pun was not intended haha.

Thx for the good info!

Does anyone know much about the USA flashing snowflakes?

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#954656
Australian VWs were different in numerous ways from their US/Euro cousins, so sometimes you have to take info on US/UK websites with a grain of salt.

We have tried to document the Australian model changes here:

http://www.clubvw.org.au/austvw001

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#954658
Best to check with local authorities, before buying flashing RED rear indicators.....they may need to be orange.
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!

MISS VDUB Administrator Mrs KOMBIBOB

2,565 posts · joined Sep 2005 ·

#954673
I installed Harley Indicators on my bumper as i fitted Snowflakes to my 60's bug, it should have had 50/50's.



1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954743
MISS VDUB wrote:I installed Harley Indicators on my bumper as i fitted Snowflakes to my 60's bug, it should have had 50/50's.


Miss Vee dub! That's one sweet ride!!!! The harley lights are another possibility 🙂 I remember a few years back there were small diamond shaped harley lights that i quite liked, but havent seen them in aaaages.

Just out of curiosity, do you know the chassis number on you car... just for comparison sake.

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954746
Ok so i checked the Chassis Number, and the number i have is 3,122,127 which leads me to believe it is a May1960 bug (or not?)

Definitely Australian built.

The body number is painted over, so cant tell you that one (yet), but i can see that the fuel tank is the big upright type... which leads me to believe that it is supposed to have semaphores... or not???

What month did the 50/50s kick in?

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954756
Can someone please confirm if the following information is accurate (taken from the following old topic... http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=89773)

Member: volumex
"They (semaphores) were deleted on 1 Aug 1960, chassis number 3 192 507.
The start of the 1961 year model was 1 Oct 1960, chassis number 3 335 848."

MISS VDUB Administrator Mrs KOMBIBOB

2,565 posts · joined Sep 2005 ·

#954762
Unfortunately Dom I don't have "Gladys" anymore but I can almost guarantee you that your beetle should have 50/50's
1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"

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

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#954793
hrastovica wrote:Pun was not intended haha.

Thx for the good info!

Does anyone know much about the USA flashing snowflakes?
It was legal in the USA back in the 60s and maybe 70s that the stop lamp would flash for the blinker...
[1956 FE holdens had them too]
so You had one bright stop/brake lamp and the other one would flash... so only one tail/stop lamp was needed..

In Australia You need a flashing AMBER blinker lamp at the rear.. seperate from the RED tail / stop lamp..

The RED tail/stop lamp cannot flash... as a blinker..

You will find many VWs in Australia that have the USA RED tail lamps.. ALL red.. the AMBER section is RED too..
so they are illegal..

LED snowflake lights are legal as NON Flashing tail/stop lamps.

they are made to flash for the USA regulations.. as above..

If Your Beetle does NOT have trafficators on the sides
[semaphores in the USA] then it would have had the 50/50 tail lamps which are very hard and $$$$$ to find..
They were only used in late 60 and 1961 models in Australia and Italy. the lamps were made by Hella in Germany..

cheers

LEE

Miss VeeDub... One excellent Beetle there... great job.. Lee





cheers

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

Camo Custom Title Time!

1,936 posts · joined Oct 2007 ·

#954800
68AutoBug wrote:If Your Beetle does NOT have trafficators on the sides [semaphores in the USA] then it would have had the 50/50 tail lamps which are very hard and $$$$$ to find..
Lee,

you mean like my little stash 😂😂😂



Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!

Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954803
MISS VDUB wrote:Unfortunately Dom I don't have "Gladys" anymore but I can almost guarantee you that your beetle should have 50/50's
I so hope you are wrong, I have this fetish for snowflakes (god they're hot!) on the other hand i want to stay original (and the 50/50s are cool in a ugly but cute kinda way) so i have a real moral dilemma going on.

What i wanna know now is how you know my name is Dom?? 🙂

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954804
Camo wrote:
68AutoBug wrote:If Your Beetle does NOT have trafficators on the sides [semaphores in the USA] then it would have had the 50/50 tail lamps which are very hard and $$$$$ to find..
Lee,

you mean like my little stash 😂😂😂

Kev
Thats quite a bank roll you got goin on there! 🙂 You selling?

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#954820
hrastovica wrote:
MISS VDUB wrote:Unfortunately Dom I don't have "Gladys" anymore but I can almost guarantee you that your beetle should have 50/50's
I so hope you are wrong, I have this fetish for snowflakes (god they're hot!) on the other hand i want to stay original (and the 50/50s are cool in a ugly but cute kinda way) so i have a real moral dilemma going on.

What i wanna know now is how you know my name is Dom?? 🙂


Hi Dom Dedic, it's in your profile......


😂
I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

empi Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,131 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#954824
Do u have the OG rear guards on the car?
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you." - Anonymous 🥷

Canni. Wolfsburg Wizard

471 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#954827
My bug was sold in May can't remember when it was built but it has semaphores - check your pillars with a magnet, mine were bogged over and had a small piece of metal welded over the top! The original owner had it done after she had an accident which she thought was due to the semaphores, so I had late amber fat indicators on the front and 60s ones on the back. I guess they also thought it made it look more modern as it seems a pretty common modification 🙂

I chose to have the semaphores restored and put 50/50s on as well... since I use my bug daily at the moment and its 6v I want to make it as obvious as possible that I'm turning. I like the 50/50s too I think they're quirky, I bought my set from Italy.
Heidi - 1960 White Beetle
'65 Kiwi Ghia

MISS VDUB Administrator Mrs KOMBIBOB

2,565 posts · joined Sep 2005 ·

#954830
Us moderators know everything... plus, yeah... your name is in your profile! 😉
1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"

reub VWRX is gone...

2,054 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#954834
bastard... 😂
Camo wrote:
68AutoBug wrote:If Your Beetle does NOT have trafficators on the sides [semaphores in the USA] then it would have had the 50/50 tail lamps which are very hard and $$$$$ to find..
Lee,

you mean like my little stash 😂😂😂



Kev
Reub

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954865
donn wrote:
hrastovica wrote:
MISS VDUB wrote:Unfortunately Dom I don't have "Gladys" anymore but I can almost guarantee you that your beetle should have 50/50's
I so hope you are wrong, I have this fetish for snowflakes (god they're hot!) on the other hand i want to stay original (and the 50/50s are cool in a ugly but cute kinda way) so i have a real moral dilemma going on.

What i wanna know now is how you know my name is Dom?? 🙂


Hi Dom Dedic, it's in your profile......


😂
😊 Man i thought i had the gestapo onto me hahahaha

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954869
empi wrote:Do u have the OG rear guards on the car?
Its lots a bitsa this and bitsa that out the back... must've been in a prang and one stage.

The decklid is 64, the taillights are also from a later model, so to be honest i dont trust a thing the back says.

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954870
Canni. wrote:My bug was sold in May can't remember when it was built but it has semaphores - check your pillars with a magnet, mine were bogged over and had a small piece of metal welded over the top! The original owner had it done after she had an accident which she thought was due to the semaphores, so I had late amber fat indicators on the front and 60s ones on the back. I guess they also thought it made it look more modern as it seems a pretty common modification 🙂

I chose to have the semaphores restored and put 50/50s on as well... since I use my bug daily at the moment and its 6v I want to make it as obvious as possible that I'm turning. I like the 50/50s too I think they're quirky, I bought my set from Italy.
I have real feeling the same happened here. The car was obviously in a prang at one stage with all the wrong guards and lights out back. This possibly encouraged the owner to install the 3 point seat belts bolted into the pillar (which are also on their way out), and im hoping i find semaphores were there once upon a time also.

If it is the case, then i will definitely be going the snowflakes, otherwise im going to have to make some tough decisions about tail lights... do what i want or do i do what is correct.

Quirky they are indeed.

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954871
😊
MISS VDUB wrote:Us moderators know everything... plus, yeah... your name is in your profile! 😉
HAHAHA

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954872
vw54 wrote:I have some 4 sale if your after 50/50s
Hey thx for that. Let me do a little more investigation, and if it turn out to be a 50/50 model I may contact you... like i said earlier i've got a moral dilemma of snowflakes (which i love) or 50/50s (which are correct).

Lets see what i find out about this car.

Camo Custom Title Time!

1,936 posts · joined Oct 2007 ·

#954878
When it comes down to it, put on the lights you prefer unless you are going for a concourse trophy.

Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!

Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#954892
Camo wrote:When it comes down to it, put on the lights you prefer unless you are going for a concourse trophy.

Kev
That's provided that all the ones the you prefer aren't tucked away under someone's bed.😂
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!

LUFTMEISTER Veteran Volks Folk

2,041 posts · joined Jul 2005 ·

#954928
My factory manual states that factory option M32 (50/50) tailights ended at chassis # 4010994 it does not list a start date. My Hella catalogue states late 59 to 61 for 50/50 lights. so approx chassis number 3 000 000 to 4 010 994 (aust & italy) would cover them. hope this helps.
Customer service is not dead in Australia.

Always after HAZET & MATRA & VW factory tools

hrastovica Officially Full-On Dubber

361 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#954957
LUFTMEISTER wrote:My factory manual states that factory option M32 (50/50) tailights ended at chassis # 4010994 it does not list a start date. My Hella catalogue states late 59 to 61 for 50/50 lights. so approx chassis number 3 000 000 to 4 010 994 (aust & italy) would cover them. hope this helps.
Thats very valuable info, thanks!