Awesome! Thanks!

The dulux colour codes don't seem to come up in the dulux search, but should be able to match something.

Logic would suggest that mine would be Panama Beige.
However quite a few that come up in images seem to be quite light.
Yet there are others that seem to be darker in that collection too.

And then there is the next year, Savanna Beige. Though unlikely for mine, again images come up with two variants both light and dark.

The year before, 1965, is Safari Beige and seems to have a slight green tinge to it. So I assume that one is out.

Something to start investigating anyway.

Will a paint shop be able to bring up those colours using the four digit codes?

I've just done a bit more googling and I've come across this:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=483096&view=previous 

It has these colour code chips in it.






I think mine is too light to be the Sea Sand.

It does look a lot like the Panama in this image





It likely would have been a base model as had standard brown trims.
I've still got the door trims inside and they are in really good nick last time I looked, so should save some money there.


I guess when it comes time to paint it I might have to get a pot mixed up to see how it compares.

What do people paint theirs in anyway? Normal enamel or 2 pack?

2 pack is enamel. You can do a solid colour in 2 pack, or Clear Over Base. COB means you lay down a base colour, be it a solid, metallic or pearl colour, and then put clear on top. Personally I would do a solid colour in 2 pack.

Interesting. I always just assumed 2 pack was with the clear coat, and enamel was just paint from 1919....
Don't most new cars have clear coat?

Which I think means you can't cut it back...?

Polyurethane enamel 2K. Not the same as 1919 air dry enamel.

If your glovebox or fuely flap has the original colour inside, that is the best part to remove and have the colour made and matched to.

Yeah it's too early to have a fuel cap, but indeed the glovebox lid should be pretty close.
I can't remember if it's still attached or is in a box, but it would have been out of the sun either way.

Will have a squiz tomorrow and maybe try and relate it to the above colour chips or something.

Maybe the colour codes in the list are old colour codes, so someone should still have a book or at least be aware of it.

Yeah on the club VW site it has Sea Sand under Imported. However many of the other colours are the same.

I'm pretty confident mine is Panama Beige. The outside has yellowed a bit as you can see in the pictures. It's not my favorite colour, but can look really good if done right. And I reckon I want to keep it as original as possible. Would love to have pop out rear windows, but wont be driving the car enough to really warrant them anyway. So better to keep it stock.

Sea Sand is too dark IMO. And the Safari Beige has a green tinge to it.
Savannah beige is nice, but a later year model according to Club VW.

Dug around today, the glovebox lid is off and will be buried in a box somewhere. Under the steeringwheel gives a clear indication of the paint, but I'm too early for that anyway.

I've really got to find someone down this way who can work on it, and get a few clearer quotes.

-----

So basically I'm looking at the following:

- Rebuild the box
- Rebuild the stock 1300 and improve power as much as possible without making the bore walls too thin. Keeping it as stock as possible visually. I'll think on this some more. Extractors but keep twin exhaust if possible.
- Possible adding of IRS
- Nominal lowering maybe.
- Clear and repaint chassis - Anti Chip in appropriate areas..
- Repaint Shell
- Investigate wide 5 stud disks. Likely keep drums though.
- Install towbar
- Possible new perforated roof lining. It was ok, but it's been 15 years and I might have mangled it as a kid.
- Reupholster seating. Door trims and rear sides should be ok.
- New floor and boot carpets. Embroidered Mats
- New rubbers all round. New windows where needed.
- New chrome where required.
- Steely wide rims. White walls likely.
- Chrome hubcaps.
- 12 Volt conversion... ??
- Timber roof rack. - Maybe rear rack too.

I think that is about it.

The paint colours and codes on the Club VW site came from a variety of old Balm / Dulux paint catalogues and sample cards of the time. The Australian factory often used older parts and supplies to the following year. Older colours could often be found being used into the next year as the stock was used up, especially for the less common colours. The list is our best guess at what happened in Australia in those years, but don't worry about going a year either side.

'Imported' means VWs that were NOT made here - most particularly the Karmann Ghia. The Beetles, as Dave said, used Aussie Dulux colours and these are not listed on The Samba. In fact, from 1968-onwards, many of the colours used by VW in Melbourne were actually Nissan and Volvo colours. You won't find them on the Samba either.

The 1300 engine was introduced in March 1966, so your car is a 1966, not a 1965. The '65 still had a 1200 engine. The '66 also had improved brakes and transmission. Our trims and interior materials were also nothing like that US brochure; they were much simpler and more like the earlier models. '66 was the first year that Aussie VWs got the perforated roof lining - before that it was still the lined 'vynex' upholstery.

We've tried to document many of the Australian changes here:

http://www.clubvw.org.au/austvw001 

Beetles raced at Bathurst (and won their class in 1963) with swing axles and drum brakes. The earlier Redex, Ampol and Mobilgas Trial Beetles that were driven flat out around Australia (on roads far worse than today) were also swing-axle and drum. For a mildly worked street 1300, they will be fine (if in good restored condition).

Thanks! All great info.

Yeah if the Chassis numbers on the Samba are to be believed, mine would likely be an April 1966

784 012 I believe are the last 6 digits of mine. But I can't confirm until I clean it all out, and that won't be happening in the next few weeks I don't think.
Engine number is F 0421172 which would put it's build date as December 1965.

But as Samba points out, everything after August was counted as the year after. So if that is correct, it would mean the Dec 1965 engine would be classed as the 1966 1300 as you suggest.
And given it went in a car that is likely dated April, this all seems to align with what you are saying.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/bugchassisdating.php 


There are a few steep roads around me but nothing I'd tow a boat over. However as long as it can power up Powers Hill over the Strzelecki to Port Albert should I feel like a Sunday drive, I'd be more than happy. If I ever get my Chris Craft, Sunday Fish and Chips at Port Albert or similar will be a must.


The car has the chrome 1300 badge on the rear bonnet, and was the pointy lid with no vents. So presume it was one of the first 1300s in that case.

EDIT: My interior is the standard poo brown of the time, with the creme inserts. The seats are one colour, and as you suggest, no bling. Just vinyl. I've got the door trims in side too and will put up a photo when I can. They were in top nick last i looked. However my phone camera is now playing funny buggers ATM...

A reset got it going...

The drivers one is likely the one in the poorest condition. But that is to be expected.

They are a bit milduey it seems, so I'm going to have to give them a dust off and a maybe a gentle soap up.

A couple of the clips were out of place on the drivers one, but I've put them back into place. Gunna have to buy some of that magic sponge..




It would be nice to get them all done nice brand new too, but they are in pretty great nick when you consider that they were built 50 years ago...

I dunno if I can post this link, but I just found a car which is pretty close to what I want mine to turn out like on facebook. A little bit worn, but pretty much exactly what I'm thinking, and on the mark when it comes to model, colour, and interior etc.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1681261172147289&set=pcb.11191867...

There are about 9 pics in total with a good write up.

Ah ok.
Would have to be there abouts anyway.
I used to think that mine was a 67, but the rego sticker say 66. Again, will confirm the chassis # when I clean out everyrthing.

If there is local info on chassis and engine numbers correlated somewhere, let me know and I'll take a look. TIA

Sadly all that specific Australian production data was lost many years ago. The factory closed full production in 1968, when there was a major upheaval and restucture, and a change of ownership (from Volkswagen Australiasia Ltd to Motor Producers Ltd (owned by VW Germany)), while the VW distribution, sales and service was taken over by LNC Industries in Sydney (who started a new division called VW Australia). In 1976 the factory was sold to Nissan. VW assembly under their control ended after 12 months and all VW stuff was cleared out. LNC lost the VW franchise in 1987, and we had a series of 'third-party' distributors - Ateco, TKM and Inchcape - controlling the VW business. In 2001 today's VW Group Australia was started.

I have documented the Australian VW history on the Club VW website, and I can tell you that just researching the year-to-year sales figures was difficult enough. To say nowadays, what engine was fitted to what exact car, is just impossible. You can use the chassis number tables and engine code tables on the Club site to get a good general idea, but that's the best we can do. Several of our members have actually been to Wolfsburg and accessed their archives to look for any Australian production data (the late Bill Moore especially), but there isn't any. That's why some Aussies have been disappointed with the results of applying for the 'birth certificate' of mid-60s Australian VWs - Wolfsburg has no records of '19ynnnnn' chassis numbers that were used here.

Your chassis number should start '19' - that means an Australian-manufactured Beetle. German/US/UK models were of course '11'. Then the THIRD digit is the year - yours should have a '6'. Then the 784102 number that you've already mentioned. A 1967 Aussie will start 197. In 1968 we went back to German CKD assembly (and full imports for the semi-auto), so it's 118 from then.

If you're interested in the whole Australia story, start here!

http://www.clubvw.org.au/history 

Thanks again.

So I dug into it just now. Seems I was well off. But the car is indeed a 66.



19 6 330130

As was suggested, Club VW doesn't break it down to months, only year.
http://www.clubvw.org.au/vwchassis 

I can be happy with that.
I don't need a birth certificate as such, am more concerned with the year.

It does beg the question though whether my bug was built out of two. I know the previous owners had another one, of which I received spare parts and panels from.
So I otherwise wouldn't know where the 6 digit code on the rego sticker would have come from.

Will try and hunt them down when I get a chance to to ask.

As I said before, 'month' data for Australian chassis numbers doesn't exist, so we can't give that data. The Samba is for German-built vehicles, so Wolfsburg DOES have that data. Doesn't apply to Australian-made cars.

That chassis tells you all you need to know - Australian 1966 model. The 330130 is the individual number of the vehicle within that year.

The only way to get an idea of when it was actually assembled is to look for date stamps. Look at the back of the speedo. Look at the wheel centres, in between the wheel bolts. Look at the underside of the chrome front blinker covers.

In 1966 sales were dropping and unsold cars were starting to clog the wholesale yards and dealer lots. The car was probably sold many months after it was assembled, even if you can locate the (approximate) assembly date by the stamps.

I've inspected my door trims more closely and one mark on the drivers door one is actually a slight nick. I was quite shattered.

Does anyone know a good place that re does Beetle trims verbatim?
I'll have to get the seats redone anyway, so I might consider getting the door trims done at the same time if they can be replicated using the same material, on the assumption it's available...?? The poo brown colour with the vinyl melted lines..

So I've spoken to the chap who used to own my bug. He was just a young fella at the time, and was going to do it up for himself but never got to. It just sat in the shed.
It was his uncles and he had it for about 20 years. Which would have been from about 75.

As far as he knows the body or motor was never swapped or changed, and the other one they had was cooked, and the shell ended up at the tip near me.
So thus far good news.

The legend goes that his uncle never changed the oil in it over the 20 years, only ever topped it up. And when push come to shove he was too scared to change it as was worried
that the the motor would blow if he did!

Turns out the car was driven up into the shed where it stayed. And I only ended up with it as they had to sell the house and had no where to store it.
They tried to get it going on the day, but the battery went flat so they just towed it up here...

Apparently it's already had the 12V conversion sans the alternator or something. Dunno how that would work but I'll have to check it out.