identifying your VW\'s year/month and info

I've done a bit of a search on here and The Samba, obviously the info found on The Samba isn't really relevent to aussie VW's, or German made Aussie imports.

I'm curious to know how you indetify your VW's exact month and year of manufacture just to make sure you know what you've got? Are there some obvious identifiers with bodywork, accessories and fittings or even numbers that make it a particular year/month and how do you find out if the body/engine etc numbers are matching?

This very well may have been covered, probably a few times, so any info or someone pointing me in the direction of previous threads, that would be great.

Thanks

[ Edited on 22-2-2007 by dvs_vw ]

Hi,
I have not seen any list of Aussie made VW serial numbers etc...
I have seen the metal tag with a number on it on late model beetles but don't know what it actually means.

Who knows what happened in Australia..?

I only recently read where a shipment of Beetles arrived in Australia in late 1968...
then the CKD [completly knocked down] beetles were asembled in Australia.
and there were still stocks of 1967 Aussie made beetles sold in 1968...
these may have been sold with 1967 chassis numbers ??

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

The main reason I ask is on The Samba they talk about 55s being an odd model with lots of change over parts, and I'm curious what distinguishes a 54, early 55, late 55, and 56 apart. I think going from The Sambas guide for Vin numbers for month/year mine is a march/april 55 I think. But I'm just curious which bits go with which models of bug.

Hearts
Snowflakes
steering wheel type
ribbed doors
single exhaust with no cutouts
twin pea shooters with twin cutouts
big mouth tank with big tank lid
big fat square tank instead of smaller, taller rectangle tank
bumper differences
etc etc etc

any help or info that anyone can give or point in the direction of?

The major change was in August 1955 the major differnt parts were Floor pan, fuel tank, seats , steering wheel, taillights, doors etc etc


What is it exactly you need to know

I'm just trying to learn a bit more about the early bugs and what not just so I'm a little more clued up. I've sent a request to the museum in germany for info on obtaining birth certificates for both my 55 and 59 bugs, but in the meantime I'm just trying work out when it may have been built. Going by the doors, tailights, fuel tank and steering wheel, I'm guessing its a pretty early 55 model.

What was different with the pan?
Seats I'm guessing are the obvious difference when I look at my 59s, they are different in recline, shape and trim style?

[ Edited on 23-2-2007 by dvs_vw ]

if i've got any of this wrong please correct me

Hearts - yes, we didn't get the egg? (US 55 only) tail lights.

steering wheel type - batwing

ribbed doors - yes, changed with the introduction of the 56 model

single exhaust with no cutouts - i think so but could be wrong. i've seen a very early 55 (aug or sept from memory 54 built by the speedo) that had no cut outs

big mouth tank with big tank lid - the lid and tank changes were made at the same time.

big fat square tank instead of smaller, taller rectangle tank - don't know this one, 54's had the big (100mm?) cap on a square tank and 56's had the later tank (with 2 horizontal ribs not 3 vertical pressings)

bumper differences (i didn't know there were any in post split, pre hoop/towelrail. please educate me)(we had the euro spec bumpers till mid 62 when they changed to us spec hoops, though hoops were a factory option prior to then)

orange or yellow lense semaphores... ??? 54's had orange and 56's had yellow but don't know when they changed.

? - 55 seats had the H pattern covers, never had a good look at the frames and mounts

with the 55 and earlier floor pans the shifter was mounted further back and the gearstick was straight. the heater knob was in a different position and the handbrake was connected to a rod running down the center of the tunnel which was adjusted at the framehead (by taking off the inspection cover between the top and bottom bars of the front beam)(ie no adjusting nuts etc on the handle itself). no idea if the pan pressings were different, i've never looked at an early and late side by side.

i hope this helps.

again if i've made a mistake please correct me.

henry.

[ Edited on 24-2-2007 by whatnow ]

the floor pan has different seat runners the handbrake is off set the heater knob is rear of the hand brake and the battery area has a different fold in the metal to the later model