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Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:02 pm

This is my second beetle - kinda new to the samba, been pouring over all the info. Lotsa old heads w/ wisdom on this site. Picked her up in Toledo a few weeks ago. Any body recognize this ride from a PO that may have been a samba member?

Adjustable front beam, stock 1500sp. sweet.

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Have some pre 68 euro blades on the way, also have a set of original empi sprintstars getting hpc coated silver/chrome at a local powder coater. After that some mirrors that work, original pea shooter muffler, and I am set......

Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:51 am

I like it. What's with the exhaust on it now?

Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:23 am

Looks nice a nice clean car and once you put all the "extra's" on it .............it will really be sweet 8)

Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:02 pm

Exhaust looks like a ghia muffler - single outlet. I think anyways. Works well, sounds okay. just looks kinda strange. colors in person are kind of like the old porsche speedster silver and silver/blue. was painted with old school polyeurethane - over existing paint. looks good from 10 feet, but as you get up close you can see the texture......kinda like a REAL piece of art!

interior

.......Love this angle

First beetle i owned was a 72 super baja. good shape, but not the best platform to play with. plus my eyes and ideas were bigger than my willing ness to work hard enough to make it happen. This go around i want to just enjoy it, drive it as is and add/modify a little at a time. Each new piece its own little journey. Also an opportunity to build a network of good VW fabricators/finishers/friends!

Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:19 pm

Well, Euro bumpers arrived.

Compared to the T-bars, it looks much better IMO.

Pretty easy to install with conversion brackets, however I think I need bumper guards of some sort.

Anybody make just plugs to fill the bumper guard hole? Thanks Samba for a great site. I am really enjoying this thing!

Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:57 pm

Is it a 1969? The front and rear apron are 68+ but the dash throws me off. It looks like a 67 dash since there is no pad and the left and right side windshield vents and dash pad mounting holes are either welded up or?

Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:31 pm

It's titled as a 1968, however the VIN is 118498769. I heard some of the 1968 era beetles came without dash padding. Or it was removed. I dunno much about the history of this car as the po is in a long line of previous owners, all mixing it up. loike a boax choaklates......

Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:38 pm

That vin definitely makes it a 68 but many people remove the pad and fill the extra holes. Quite possibly the case since they took the time to add some other earlier era body parts ie: bumpers, wide mouldings to your car. 8)

Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:17 pm

Folks, can anyone explain to a newbie exactly what is the difference in body metal (fenders,windows,etc) before 67 and after? I can see they look different, much cooler, but specifics? fender width/curvature?glass size? i've got the bumpers figured out....

Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:25 pm

Can't tell you actual dimensions/curves on pre-67's but this Samba read was quite good. Always read that 67 was a year of it's own, but didn't have a clue on how many differences the 67 actually carried.
Very interesting!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=187814

Good luck :wink:

Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:28 pm

Looks much better with the bumpers. :)

Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:27 pm

....newly powder coated sprintstars are almost done - will be selling wheels and tires posted in the pics above. 205/70r14 firestone rears, 175/65r14 firestone fronts, brand new tread. also figured out a way to mount the pre '67 hinge pin mirrors on the existing baby turbo mirror bases. Hinges in the doors work fine, so why go through the head ache of pounding out the hinges if I don't have to? I'll be posting pics of the mirror mounting job soon. If anyone is interested in the wheels/tires currently on the grey ghost, pm me and we can figure out a price.

Len

Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:35 pm

Mirrors installed - tried to respray the bases with a "chrome" paint. Wet sand, then shine up - ended up kindy silvery - grey.

no worries, its less obnoxious than black.

sooner or later i will make another trip to the powder coater for bits and pieces.....

I snuck down into the garage last night and click-clicked the little string to the light bulb. just stood there admiring the grey ghost.

kind of a perverse obsession........ :P

anybody in pittsburgh? i wanna stare at some more local bugs!

Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:46 pm

amazing how much of a visual impact those old style mirrors have on the grey ghost versus the jive ass baby turbos...

Sat Aug 19, 2006 8:10 pm

It looks good. The bumpers and the mirrors are a big improvement. Try pulling the eyebrows off the headlights and see what you think.

Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:19 am

Eyebrows off. Whaddya think?

Sun Aug 27, 2006 1:29 pm

Thats a nice looking car i like the changes you doing to it. The baby turbo mirrors and mini truck rims were crapming its style. The sprint stars will give it a beter look . A nother rim i could see on it is some repo black Gas Burners 8) . Id lose the big crome exhaust tip also .
Brian

Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:18 pm

thanks man, the exhaust is getting replaced after the wheels get back from the powder coater.

Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:08 am

Looks good. Slick idea with the mirror mounts; kind of surprised nobody makes a chrome adaper block simlar to yours or a round mirror that bolts right into the late model stock hole. Those round clamp-type mirrors people mount to the top of their doors would be cool on a fitting that bolts into the stock hole. Oh well, guess I'll keep dreaming. Where did you get those bumber adapter brackets? There is actually quite a bit to your questions about fender and window differences. Basically the fenders will interchange between all years. There are some slight differences in metal guage and lip profile depending upon where and when they were made. Some people will argue this point. I am not the expert, but I have seen some differences. (Similar variances apply to the light configurations; European cars used the small front turn signals until about 77). The 67 and down front fenders don't have bumper bracket holes; the front bumpers mount through the front apron. 68-73 use the large bumper brackets like the ones you have now. 74 and up use the round, shock-absorber type. 65 and up fronts use the sealed beam headlamps, the earlier ones are the sloping glass cover type. 68-70 fronts use the smaller signal light like yours; 71 and up fronts use the huge signal light. 68-70 and 71-72 rear fenders use the tombstone style tail lights-the 71-72 are slightly larger and incorporate the side reflectors. 73 and up rear fenders are stamped for the elephant foot style tail lights, 74 and later have the round bumper shock bracket holes. 71 was the first year for the Super Beetle. the front fenders are peculiar to the Supers-they roll under the front. 71 and 72 supers use the flat windshield; curved windshield on 73 and up. Window glass 65-77 is the same, except 73 and up have a larger rear window. There are defrost versions for both sizes. There are even more differences among the early model years, but here again I am not the expert-I'm a late-model standard guy. I hope this helps rather than confuses. In your pictures, the taillights and deck lid are not 68 originals. The two vent decklid is 70-71 hardtop item; it was also installed on 68-71 convertibles. 72 and on had the four vent deck lid. The two vent lid is the most cherished of the late-model versions, especially if it still has the rain pain inside.

Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:22 pm

Well all,

just got my newly hpc powder coated, original Lemmerz 4 lug 5.5 Sprintstars back, tires mounted and put em on the car. Off set is wrong. Backs are kinda close, but the front 5.5's are stickin way out! no tuck. damn. Can't believe I made that bone head mistake! Damn!

Got em for sale if any body is interested. wheels only. just gonna go with hubcap-less chromies. to hell with fancy. i'll be posting pics shortly.

Lenny K