Just sold my square to get another beetle. It's a one-family car, very late '67. Had the flash kit fitted by the dealer, Pearl White and Tuxedo Black according to the warranty card. It also says it was May 1968 before it was first registered, so it must have been one of the last ones sold.

The white was painted over externally about 12 years ago, still white inside. Very original, still 6V and original engine. Pretty well rust free, little at bottom of doors and engine lid. Has had a very small dingle on front left, nothing major.

Last photo is the dingle it got from the transport company, I've roughly banged it out in the other photo as there is still a lot of finger-pointing going on over getting it fixed.

After several years off the road, I changed the oil, spark plugs, points still OK and new master cylinder and she drives quite nicely.

Chassis No 197827234
Engine No F1098043

Wheels are dated 10/67, one gauge is 11/67, the other 12/67. All appear original, I think they were using up whatever was left in the parts bin by the time this one was made. I'm an early '67 model myself, so it was appealing having a car the same age!

lovely looking car mate, cant beleve they bent the bonnet that bad, its like they drove it with no brakes to stop it!

nice car dude!!! love it, no chance u wanna sell the flash kit?? jokes, and yeah i cant believe how bad the bonnet is, must have been a decent hit.... as long as they compensate u for the repair i guess....

cheers adam

Very nice car. I think the red contrasts very nicely with the black and suits the car.

You did a good job on the bonnet. At least the lights and wings weren't damaged as well. By the looks of it it was close!

It was very close to doing more damage, you can see in the dent photo that both headlight glasses are pushed in, but not broken. All the retaining springs went flying everywhere and one of the plastic reflector 'buckets' was smashed. The drivers side headlight rim got a small ding which I just beat out. Simon (volumex) had the necessary fiddly bits for the headlights to put them back together again - thanks again! He only lives 10 mins away so all in all it hasn't been too much hassle. Getting closer on some restitution, but haven't seen anything yet.

On principle I don't like getting lawyers involved, they are usually the only ones who win anything. It's not enough money to make it worthwhile even if I was that way inclined.

Polak, one of the reasons apart from being a '67 for getting it was the flash kit. As a once-only offer you can have it for $10k .

It looks a bit better in the photos, but quite decent from 20 feet. I like the red and black also, but it was white with black originally, which matches my '63 ghias original colours (white with black roof), so when it comes time to give it a birthday I'm not sure which way I'll go.

Angus

Very cool car...probably one of the last ones built here, when they wanted 85%plus local content.
Can you get underneath and tell us the gearbox number?
It should be stamped in a flat angled face on the lower rhs of the tranny case.
Thanks,
Dave.

Awwww, thats a lovely looking car there

Im probably in the minority, but i love stock looking / non-lowered cars. (**runs for cover!***)

djnee

Not complete minority - I can see the future, where there is an entire industry devoted to raising car heights and widening the front beams back to normal. As with most trends, they start to look different but eventually they all look 'different' and people drift back to stock because it works better! (Now have you got room for two under your cover)

Dave

I'll crawl under and see if I can find that number underneath all the crud. Gearbox will be the original as well from what little history I have.

Angus

Thanks Angus, that would be great.

I like stock cars as well, despite being preocupied by high performance modifications.
There is something special about a stock beetle I reckon.
Although I think radial tyres are one modification that is a must these days.

nice score angus..
pity the truckwits cant look after anything when they get their grubby mitts on anything.. grrr
hope its sorted soon
paul

Thanks Paul, assume you'll be at Action Day this weekend.

Dave, haven't had a chance to crawl underneath yet. Out o interest, what is the number going to tell you? I've only ever particularly looked at chassis and engine numbers before.

By the way, don't get me wrong I'm not against people doing whatever they like to their car, but after owning VWs for about 25 years now I've seen a lot of trends which just look bloody awful 10 years later. Bit like fashion really.......

Angus

Hi Angus,
most Australian made beetles, right up till the end of 1967 had 4.375 crownwheel amd pinion,
and the australian factory was actually making the gearboxes too.

The interesting thing was that the machine that made the crownwheel and pinion was an OERLIKON machine,
unlike the other countries' GLEASON and KLINGELNBERG machines.

The important part about the number is that sometime before they stopped production,
and began importing whole cars from Germany for the 1968 model,
they changed the ratio from 4.375 and went up to 4.125.
In theory this should just have been for the type 3 model,
but my guess is that some beetles got these too.

The OERLIKON 4.125 ratio is an extremely strong gear set,
and I am trying to identify what gearbox numbers used them.

I have one here with the number beginning 124****,
but one with a 4.375 having a number 491*** which for german cars is pre 65 but in Australia was 66-67 as far as I can tell.
It has a straight clutch cable arm and a bung in the nose cone for a reverse light swithch
and also a seal in the nose cone where the shift rod comes out.

Yours being one of the latest 1967 Australian cars will help me place the gearbox numbers with the cars of that era.
Since I dont work on actual cars, only their boxes,
it is good to match the car with the number,
instead of the number with what is inside gears-wise.

The other little note about the number was the Australian numbers were stamped in a very neat row,
where as the German numbers were hand stamped in a higgledepigledy way (I think).

Dave

OK I crawled underneath and found the number. I've also decided that I should get a gerni and give everything a good blast under there!

The number was 9958351, and taking note of your post above the numbers were stamped quite neatly. Hope that tells you something, I'll be interested in the outcome.

Angus