TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:17 pm

Ok, I'm bringing Ben's thread back to life as I have a similar question about my 62. Could someone who has a copy of progressive refinements verify the first VIN# for 1962. According to the Samba, the last car produced in July of 61 (which I think should be the last 1961 model beetle) was #4 020 589.

The luvbug site above says the 62's started at 4 010 995. So there appears to be an overlap between these two sources.

I firmly believe my car is a 62. When I acquired it 10 years ago, it had the 62-67 taillights, gas gauge (with no sign of a hole for a reverse lever in the front firewall) and the oval heater outlets in the kickpanels.

My VIN on both the pan and spare tire tag is 4018024. According to the vin chart on the Samba, this would be a 61? I'm just curious to see what PR says.

Thanks
Eric

Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:13 pm

4010995 was manufactured on 7/31/61

This number also began the 62 model year

Your car was probably built on this day, the first day of the new model year.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:24 pm

My vote is day 2- perhaps 7000 cars in the first day of 62 production is a stretch. Very cool VIN- gonna go check mine now...

Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:12 pm

According to this thread - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=254305 - the 62-67 style tail lights were introduced late in the 61 model year in Germany. It also indicates that some older cars were retrofitted with the 62-67 tail lights as countries passed laws requiring better tail lights.

Regarding the other differences you've noted, it isn't uncommon for VW to continue to use parts until they ran out. For example, the 4-tab hood carried on half way through the 61 model year. So wouldn't the opposite be possible? What if they ran out of parts before the end of the model year? This could explain the lack of a hole for the fuel tap lever in your firewall. Fuel gauges were an option before 62, so I wouldn't use that as an indicator of what model year your car is. Even if they weren't, it's easy enough to change the gas tank and add a fuel gauge to the dash.

This may not help you determine the model year of your car, but it could explain it being a 61 with 62 features.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:16 am

Thanks for the verification Dave! That is so cool it is so early within the first few days.

I'm gonna have to find a copy of PR one of these days. And Mannaxman, I completely understand what you are saying about parts overlapping years (such as the wolfsburg crest hood going just a little into the 63 model year), but I gotta trust PR and keep on with it being a true 62.

Thanks for the info guys!

Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:53 am

hitest wrote: My vote is day 2- perhaps 7000 cars in the first day of 62 production is a stretch. Very cool VIN- gonna go check mine now...

The records show that last car produced in July 1961 was #4 020 589 that would make the first car produced On August 1, 1961 (the 2nd day of 1962 production) # 4 020 590. They produced 9,594 cars on that day. That doesn't include if they made any 61's very early in the AM finishing up the 61 run! No one knows for sure.

His number is # 4 018 024 thus produced on the 31st.
He actually has one of the very few #'s I've ever seen that you can pin the production date down by simply using the month end lists and other readily available information.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:50 pm

Thanks for digging deeper than I DJ- very cool news verification indeed!

Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:33 pm

My turn to ride this wagen.

I have a 58/59 Euro 151 vert destined for Essen Germany. im trying to figure out the true color/interior and the correct year.
The B/C states it was L264 Rock Grey, but supposedly that a one year only 60' color.

any help?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4412263#4412263

Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:31 pm

djkeev wrote: hitest wrote: My vote is day 2- perhaps 7000 cars in the first day of 62 production is a stretch. Very cool VIN- gonna go check mine now...

The records show that last car produced in July 1961 was #4 020 589 that would make the first car produced On August 1, 1961 (the 2nd day of 1962 production) # 4 020 590. They produced 9,594 cars on that day. That doesn't include if they made any 61's very early in the AM finishing up the 61 run! No one knows for sure.

His number is # 4 018 024 thus produced on the 31st.
He actually has one of the very few #'s I've ever seen that you can pin the production date down by simply using the month end lists and other readily available information.

Well, to throw a wrench into this whole thing, I finally got off my lazy bum and ordered a birth certificate. Received it today and it lists my build date as 8 July 1961. I know there have been errors on birth certificates before, but it's off from the PR records by 3 weeks :shock:. Oh well, it's right about to turn 50, just wish I knew which day to celebrate it on. :lol: