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Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:16 am

I bought a 74 Beetle that is gold in color has the factory sunroof The Steel Sport wheels but dose not say sunbug anywhere on it whats left of the interior matches what a Sun Bug would have had..Its been repainted but the paint under looks more of the Beige color..How can I tell for sure..The shifter knob is just a regular knob.....can anyone help here?
Thanks!!!!

Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:24 am

Sounds like you don't have a real one.

I don't think the VIN will tell you.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:10 pm

If it was repainted and that stuff was taken off.....which could happen
your reply was just nothing but empty and somewhat rude

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:13 pm

not rude at all. it was concise and to-the-point.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:16 pm

here's the identifiers:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/a/saarij/sunbug/main.html

if the interior colours are right, and it has the woodgrain dash, then it is likely a sunbug.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:19 pm

here's a list of all of the other "special edition' models available-

http://www.sebeetles.com/contents.htm

is the seat upholstery all vinyl or is there a cloth insert?

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:42 pm

DHUFFMAN wrote: If it was repainted and that stuff was taken off.....which could happen
your reply was just nothing but empty and somewhat rude

Rude... you gotta be kidding me.

You say it's been repainted and the paint under is more Beige. Why would someone remove the shift knob?

Here's a real one...

Unless you send the VIN in and get the "Birth Certificate", you'll never know for sure.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 12:58 pm

Looks just like the one I have...Less the Dash..Mine is a standard beetle

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:11 pm

DHUFFMAN wrote: Looks just like the one I have...Less the Dash..Mine is a standard beetle

They came in Standards also.

The one in the picture is a original 30,000 miles Super that a friend owns. I was contacted by a women a year ago in my own town that's the original owner of a 74 Standard.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:18 pm

and your saying the standard Beetle has the wood grain dash?

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:41 pm

This car is not in to best condition has been in a field for the past 6 years..you asked why would some one take the shifter knob????
Why do you think anyone would take any part from an old car? Maybe it could be a Sun Bug and someone knew what it was and took it perhaps?
Look, I didnt even know there was such a car until yesterday I saw a picture and it looked just liked mine..dont know much about VW Bugs and never claimed to..And wanted to paint it a different color..But If in fact I have a Sun Bug... I respect the car for what it is and wanted to keep it the way it should be... I have restored Many American cars and kept them original Thats all I am trying to say and do..and thought this forum would be the place to ask....

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:22 pm

You seem a little... tense.

I don't think anyone here is knocking you, just giving you answers. Relax and learn.

I see a lot of people claiming to have a Sunbug just because it is gold and has a sunroof. The easiest way to tell is by the brown corduroy inserts in the seats. From what I've learned, the shift knob, glove box emblem and decklid emblem were installed at the dealer. The normal shift knob and Volkswagen script were on the car when it was delivered to the dealer. It's possible that the dealer never installed the items on the car.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:25 pm

DHUFFMAN wrote: and your saying the standard Beetle has the wood grain dash?

Standard had the normal black padded dash.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:51 pm

[quote="Glenn"] DHUFFMAN wrote: Looks just like the one I have...Less the Dash..Mine is a standard beetle

They came in Standards also.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:55 pm

Glen
You Quoted my saying about the dash...if you look at your above post you said it came in standard also...thats what is confussing and I guess comes off as being tence....... you know your stuff with these cars...But to a novice like myself you dont mean what you say it looks like

Tue Jun 21, 2005 3:15 pm

DHUFFMAN wrote: Glen
You Quoted my saying about the dash...if you look at your above post you said it came in standard also...thats what is confussing and I guess comes off as being tence....... you know your stuff with these cars...But to a novice like myself you dont mean what you say it looks like

I mean what I say.

I was just reinforcing what you said.

You need to get a thicker skin if you think i'm insulting... just a suggestion.

Or if you rather me not reply to your questions.. let me know.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:35 pm

Speaking of rude, Mr. Huffman, I asked you a question about eleventy-seven posts back- you know, in one of the posts where i showed you how to find the info yourself- that you haven't answered yet. is the seat upholstery all vinyl or is there a cloth insert? the answer to this question may answer yours.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:53 pm

I have also heard that they didn't have tar boards under the carpet. Any truth to that glenn?
The 74 standard sunbug I have WAS gold (repainted a different color) has the sport steering wheel , and the sport wheels, the sunroof, but the shifter knob has been replaced,the seats have been reupholstered, no tar boards anywhere, and there is no sunbug decklid emblem. But from that website it states some didn't have that special sunbug emblem as they were installed at the dealerships.
So is it real? Who knows. I don't intend on restoring it to original anyways and will let my first born learn how to drive in it. If there's anything left to it when he's done somene else can restore it. :wink:

Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:58 pm

They should have tar boards.

The SUNBUG deckllid badge was dealer installed.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:02 pm

On a side note, I used to work on a 74 luv bug that a local woman had since new and had she not told me I wouldn't have known different. She had it repainted a couple of times over the years and the stripes and luv bug stickers were long gone. The only give away ws the sport wheels, and the black trim, but that was a fad around here in the 80's so I had assumed she had that done as well, but found out later I was wrong about that assumption.