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Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:28 pm

I have a quick question on my 55bug in the spare tire well under the brake fluid resivor & under the vin plate in the center there is a hole and I can see through to the ground is there a plate that goes there? if so does someone have a pic of the one I need or have one I can buy from you? I have searched the classifieds but I am unclear to what the one I need looks like.

Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:15 pm

Big round hole, about 4.5" in dia? Yes, there is supposed to be an inspection cover plate there. I think I have a stack of them if you can't find one.....drop me a PM/e-mail if needed...

Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:09 pm

I think hes talking about this hole:

from this thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=257616&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
and this one: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=318838&highlight=

Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:53 pm

BLLMETRIC .... Yes thats the hole I am Referrring to. Is that suppose to have a cover over it?

Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:59 pm

Couple of them seen in this pic:

Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:14 pm

Well, according to our research in the above thread links it seems that the lower hole cover did not exist prior to Aug. '55 for the '56 model year, if your spare tire well has the headlight wiring tabs cut out and bent over with holes behind them, no cover on the shift rod hole, if you have a "late '55" ('56 model year) with dual pea shooters late door latches etc then you would have had a cover over the lower hole, the lower hole covers are very common if you need one, all standard (non superbeetles) had the same hole cover from '56-'77 :

Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:07 pm

Ok that makes sense then I have a May 1955 car single tip exquast so I recon that my car did not come with a cover then it just looks odd without one ya know what I mean. Thank you very much guys!

Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:57 pm

Not to hijack the thread, but I wonder if anyone has any data on these types and when the change was. Anyone with a REALLY original Oval or split have this "later" one?

I say later because the one on the right is an obvious design improvement over the the more rare one on the left. I assume it was later. When was this change made? Maybe with the redesign of the tire well sheetmetal when the wire retaining tabs were welded on and not punched out of the panel (leaving holes, see Billmetric's pic above).

Zwitter?

I might post this over at the split forum too.

Anyone, anyone?? Pics from manuals?

RH: the one on the right is on its way to you......

Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:25 am

well, I can say that my June '52 has the "new" style and I'm sure they are original to the car, must be an early split change, at least before June '52, I have also noticed that the shape and size of the indented circle in the middle of the cover changed over the years too, the later ovals up to the 1960 front clip stamping change with the "D" shaped covers had smaller circles stamped into the covers, the early ovals and splits had much larger circles stamped into the upper covers, will post some pics of the variation tonight, see below:

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:37 am

I think that early one migh tbe from my '51, I can see some grey paint in it.

I never compared the pressing profile between the two, will look later tonight....

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:47 am

Ooops, hold on. The covers in the pics above are the steering box access hole covers (there are 2 on each car) not the smaller cover down below (that is for removal access of shift rod).

RH: the cover I have that I said I could sent you is the bigger steering box one. Not what you need after all apparently?

Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:58 am

John, Don't worry about it if my car did not come with one I will leave it that way. John thanks for everything and the thought your Awesome.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:06 am

I'm struggling to remember if I have ever seen one on a split anyway. ???

There is not a big hole in the apron to get the rod out (like the later cars) so what is the point? Have to go look at my cars tonight....

Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:20 am

a little late but heres two variations of upper covers, I was mistaken above and had the years switched (fixed) but the right one is from my June '52 split and the one with the smaller almost oval circle is from a late oval to 1960, I have another ratty one from a '54 that is almost like halfway between the two and has a larger circle like the split one but the stamping is much sharper than the one off my split, I dont have any of the ones like John posted with the spot welded tab which has to be early split only

Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:37 am

thanks for tha tBill. What do you mean by "smaller almost oval circle"?

You mean the side profile of the pressing?

So split and early oval have the big dimple, later is smaller. And it look like your later one has a little notch on its edge....

Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:01 pm

yeah John, just the center dimple is much smaller on the later ones, I went and measured the one in the picture and its almost a whole 1/4'' off from being a true circle, the dimple is wider than it is tall as installed in the car, I'm not sure what the deal is with the notch in the side but I have a matched pair of them like that both with identical notches in the same position, weird

Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:00 pm

Well I just looked at my '51's nose, what I am fairly sure are the original steering box inspection covers are still there, and they have the "notch tab", not the extra piece of metal ones. So who knows how old that other one I have is....

Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

I just checked my stack of them, and indeed out of about 10, 3 had a prominently ovalled pressing.

More neat "detail" stuff..............