TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:47 am

In some threads I read that 58/59 european Beetles have (green) plastic sunvisors and that the padded vinyl ones came in 1960.
On the other hand, I see people advertizing with the padded ones, stating 1958-1964.
My Nov. 1958 Beetle has padded ones.
What is original to 58/59 Beetles?

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:01 am

1959 was the last year for plastic. Here's the owner's manual from mid-year 1959 - A similar view in the 1960 manual shows it padded.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:08 am

So the vinyl padded ones couldn't have been an accesory/option in 58/59?
Maybe the plastic ones in my car were broken and replaced later by the newer vinyl ones....

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:35 am

I'd guess they were replaced by a previous owner. What texture of vinyl is on yours?

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:39 am

glutamodo wrote: I'd guess they were replaced by a previous owner. What texture of vinyl is on yours? '

Uhm, are there different textures on sun visors with the same shape?
I can take a picture of it on Saturday.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:57 am

Yeah, I've seen a few types actually. Many original ones were a smooth deerskin/leatherette type vinyl, like the center sections of the door panels. In 1964 and on aftermarket visors, they have a rougher, grainier texture. I've also seen them with a ribbed texture as well, and I'm not if those are original or not. I seem to recall something about the ribbed ones being from 1960.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:06 am

1960 only padded visor has lines going length wise real close together. 1958/1959 only plastic visors are shaped different than 57 and older to clear the bigger inside mirror.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:12 am

Well, I found some pictures that I've made earlier.
It seems to be very smooth vinyl.
What year would it be from then?

Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:22 am

I'd say 1961-1963.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:29 am

I've got the plastic ones; numbers here show manufactured in Dec '58. The passenger side was an option.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:22 pm

Hi,

Standard (stripped down basic car) didn't have sun visors, only the deluxe and the cabriolet had the option.

Visors were introduced in June 1949 and were only on the drivers side and were made of a green transparent plastic.
The passenger visor was an option.

In June 1954 the convertible came with two sun visors as standard.
The Deluxe continued with the driver's visor standard and the passenger side as an option until July 1959.

In sedans the padded visors were installed in August 1959 and the passenger visor became standard equipment.

Padded visors were installed in convertibles a tad earlier, in January 1959 at chassis # 2 252 685

August 1960 the visor was changed, I haven't any details of the change though others might lend some insight. It may not be a change at all for this is the date the standard model now started having the sunvisor installed as standard equipment, it was padded.

August 1964 the visors were changed again, they were bigger, the shape was changed because of the glass change and mirror chane, they also changed mounting points and now swiveled from fittings on the window frame rather than being mounted on the interior mirror.

M code is M1

Dave

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:17 pm

my59 wrote: I've got the plastic ones; numbers here show manufactured in Dec '58. The passenger side was an option.

My 58 came with the optional passenger visor, now all that is left is the frame :(

Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:25 pm

I have often wondered about the whens and wheres of the tinted visors.
I also read the visors were green tinted.
I have never seen them in that color.
My original '59 had red visors, and all the repops I have seen are red.
Someone told me a long time ago, that blue ones were also made?
Does anyone know any history on plastic visors?

Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:33 am

I have an og 58 and the visors are green tinted plastic... I to have the passenger side visor.. they are both green.. Never seen any red ones.. If i hold up to the light and look.. they are a tint of green turned brown from age

Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:34 pm

green66 wrote: I have an og 58 and the visors are green tinted plastic... I to have the passenger side visor.. they are both green.. Never seen any red ones.. If i hold up to the light and look.. they are a tint of green turned brown from age

I was under the impression that mine were green tint, but after trying to clean it up, it remains black? I don't know if being in the desert for 24 years had anything to do with the coloring, but it sure warped it :?

Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:35 am

My '59 has a drivers side only black one, too, unless it's a VERY dark green...

Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:36 am

both pass and driver on mine look black and they to are slightly warped.. But if i put them to light they take a brown ish green tint.. That im sure was more green than brown 50 years ago

Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:43 am

green66 wrote: both pass and driver on mine look black and they to are slightly warped.. But if i put them to light they take a brownish green tint.

I put mine up to the light as well, no tint at all? So were these "black" to begin with??

Thu Oct 16, 2008 3:37 pm

59 model (Aug 58 to Jul 59) should be a dark red/brown colour.

58 model (Aug 57 to Jul 58) should be dark green.

Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:50 pm

My 58 has dark green almost black plastic. They look black unless you hold them up to the light, then they have a greenish tinge to them. I found a set of NOS ones and they are the same way.