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Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:25 pm

So about a month ago we were coming home from a parade and there was a house that we had passed many times before but this time the door on a old garage was open and inside a saw the back end of a yellow bug i got a quick glance of it and it almost looked like an oval but wasn't sure. So today we got over there again and pulled in the drive way and sure enought it has a oval rear window but has a later decklid like the style from a 1965 bug and had the 1968-1972 taillights but they were a different color from the car. So im wondering if a later decklid will fit with the oval apron or not? I am wondering if maybe someone grafted the oval clip in or if someone just put a different decklid and taillights? By the way no one was home so i looked there phone number up and im going to call tomorrow to see if its for sale. So what do you think is it most likely a graft jobor just has later bug parts swaped on it?

Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:22 pm

Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:24 am

rustfree1967bug wrote: So about a month ago we were coming home from a parade and there was a house that we had passed many times before but this time the door on a old garage was open and inside a saw the back end of a yellow bug i got a quick glance of it and it almost looked like an oval but wasn't sure. So today we got over there again and pulled in the drive way and sure enought it has a oval rear window but has a later decklid like the style from a 1965 bug and had the 1968-1972 taillights but they were a different color from the car. So im wondering if a later decklid will fit with the oval apron or not? I am wondering if maybe someone grafted the oval clip in or if someone just put a different decklid and taillights? By the way no one was home so i looked there phone number up and im going to call tomorrow to see if its for sale. So what do you think is it most likely a graft jobor just has later bug parts swaped on it?

I would say if you get a chance to look at it, take a look at the front window size, front apron, dash, lower heater channels and if you can, get a look and write down the VIN/Body #'s from the front plate.

Lemme dig up some pics for ya to print out and take with you...

Front Window

Front Apron

Heater Outlet type/placement on '57

VIN/Body # Plate - You want the # in the upper right box and the stamped # underneath the plate

Good luck!

Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:20 am

I just called but there was just a anwsering machine. It sounds like they also own a campground right across the road from there house so there probably busy running that. I'll try back later and let you guys know.

Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:30 am

Pre '57 W decklids will fit all Beetle years up to 1966. So it is possible that the decklid was replaced sometime in the last 40+ years. Only way to tell is to inspect the body for some evidence it is infact a 1953-57 Beetle. The dash would be a huge tell-tale sign, but in no way be a definitive source. You just have to do some research on the particular car

Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:33 am

Well thats sounding to me like theres a good chance its a oval. I just wish someone would answer the phone. When we were at the house know body was around and there was two big dogs barking at us so i didn't want to get out. Otherwise i could have left a note on there door.

Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:17 am

What part of the car is yellow?

Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:19 am

I could just see the back end and part of the side but it looks like the whole car is yellow.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:00 am

If you can see the side of the car, look at the door handles. An oval window has pull handles that only attach to the door on one end and they are pretty thin. The newer one were a solid handle with a push button toward the back side of the door. A 66 deck lid will fit on a 55 though not near as nice as the correct one. I know this cause I had one on my 56 for a short time while it was outside. If you're not familiar with the oval dash just look at some pics in the classifieds or gallery on this site. They are very different from the 60's and there's a very good chance that it's a real oval if it has an oval dash cause most people aren't willing to go that far for an oval clone. If ya wanna get a look at it just go buy some big steaks, throw em in the freezer and then toss em to the dogs. It's gotta take em a while to eat a frozen steak. At least long enough to get a look and maybe a pic or two. Wear lots of layers just in case though. Good luck!!

Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:38 pm

56bugdan wrote: If you can see the side of the car, look at the door handles. An oval window has pull handles that only attach to the door on one end and they are pretty thin. The newer one were a solid handle with a push button toward the back side of the door. A 66 deck lid will fit on a 55 though not near as nice as the correct one. I know this cause I had one on my 56 for a short time while it was outside. If you're not familiar with the oval dash just look at some pics in the classifieds or gallery on this site. They are very different from the 60's and there's a very good chance that it's a real oval if it has an oval dash cause most people aren't willing to go that far for an oval clone. If ya wanna get a look at it just go buy some big steaks, throw em in the freezer and then toss em to the dogs. It's gotta take em a while to eat a frozen steak. At least long enough to get a look and maybe a pic or two. Wear lots of layers just in case though. Good luck!!

However, the doors could have been updated to 56-59 doors to use the pull lever type door handle.
Stick w/ the dash, front window size and if possible the VIN.
Any luck in getting a hold of the owner?

Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:11 pm

No luck in contacting the owner. I called twice last night and i just called about 5 minutes ago tonoght but still no answer. i also called the campground they own and no one answered there either.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:23 pm

try try again.....someone's got to feed the dog wait outside until you see someone :roll:

Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:59 pm

Well i don't live that close to the place.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:13 pm

Go camping for a week!

rustfree1967bug wrote: Well i don't live that close to the place.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:15 pm

Yeah, that would probably work. i might just call back and leave a message.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:36 pm

I just left a message so i'll see what happens in the next few days.

Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:47 pm

as everyone is saying keep at it... it might take a long time but it's could well be worth it + it's fun.
there was one guy i spend 3+ years working on before he would sell me anything.., it has been 9+ years and i still haven't even gotten a complete car from him only parts. even so it has been worth the effort. added to this he is a really interesting guy and i've enjoyed talking to him over the years.

Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:32 pm

Well my dad stopped by there tonight and no one was home so he went over to the campground across the road and found the owners. He said the old guy said he isn't going to sell it as long as he's alive, and even if he did i probably couldn't afford it. The guy said its a '54 with the semaphores and has a super beetle engine in it. and he says they only made 300 of them. He also told my dad that he has more vw's and parts in the barn. And the last time we stopped there was a vw rearend sitting in the grass. And tonight my dad said there was a couple of fiberglass fendrs sitting there. The lady said she drove vw's for a long time and totalled one a few years ago. the guy took our number and said if they ever decide to sell them he will call us first. So i guess i'll just have to keep a eye on the place and see what happens. My dad said the guy looked to be around 60-70 years old so maybe in another 10 years i can buy them. Unless he decides to sell them before then. Atleast i finally know its a real oval. Now i just wonder what treasures are in the barn, who knows there could be a split in there or other rare parts. If anything ever happens i'll let you guys know.

Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:40 pm

well if he says there were only 300 made then i'm pretty sure his mind wanders....

It probably is a super beetle

Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:49 pm

But they say it has the little flip out turn signals. And if it was a super beetle the 1965 bug decklid wouldn't fit. i believe it probably really is a oval. Maybe he just got the wrong information about how many were made. He said he tryed selling it to his brother who also has a few volkswagens but he wasn't interested. So when this guy passes away i might be the first one in line to buy them. It would be nice to buy the whole lot of vws he has (whatever they are)