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Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:55 pm

So, I just found out in another thread that the steering wheel and speedo in my 71 super are from a 72. The speedo doesn't bother me much, but I would like to change to correct steering wheel as I like that style better.

This is my interior:

What all would I have to do to get this style steering wheel to fit (right now it hits the wiper switch arm):

I have the steering wheel and it fits on the splines of the steering column but is changing the turn signal / wiper arm switch enough?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:57 pm

Maybe someone swapped the entire steering column.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:01 pm

Yep, that's what it looks like from your picture, the whole column was changed.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:04 pm

superwoodrow wrote: Yep, that's what it looks like from your picture, the whole column was changed.

Thanks for the info. How can you tell? I never thought about it, but I guess I thought they were the same columns from 71 to 72.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:04 pm

Swap the column from a 68 or 69.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:06 pm

I can see swapping the steering column. But the speedo too? That doesn't make sense. Nor does replacing the whole dash to get rid of the HOLE that would be there where the '71' wiper switch would have been.

May I suggest that while you have a 71 (as proved by your VIN) when was it manufactured? The label on your driver's door jamb should say. If it was very late in the production run, you may have early 72 components from the factory on a 71 car. This was a not uncommon occurrence at model year and half year breaks. A very early 72 might 'use up' parts from a previous model year.

Oddly, I do note that you have retractable belts, which were not added to the 72 until 01-72 at the 'half year' point. Does the VIN under the rear seat match the one on the dash? On either side of your rear window, do you have vents in pairs of three, or a pair of larger one piece vents?

There are several items here that don't quite add up.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:13 pm

^agree -- it would seem like lot of work to change out the wiper stalks and to replace the dashboard. On my car above you can see that the wiper switch is on the dash not on the stalk.

BN

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:43 pm

webwalker wrote: On either side of your rear window, do you have vents in pairs of three, or a pair of larger one piece vents?
.

The vents look like this:

There is no sticker on the door jam and I looked and didn't find a number on the tunnel under the rear seat. I'm not suprised about the sticker on the door, the car was painted a couple of times before it got to me. The car had been through a lot before it found me and has been hit at least once. It is very possible that someone along the way did some sort of body / pan cross swap. It's registered and titled under the VIN on the body and always has been as far as I can tell.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:05 pm

The car is almost CERTAINLY a 72 of some form. The vents you have at the rear are original and were added for the 1972 model year, replacing the large pair that ran the full height of the rear window.

The way that I know that these vents are original is because of how excellent your picture is!

The reproduced vents (which I have in my 72) are just snap in units with two struts. Yours are the same BUT they include tiny flaps in them that close when the cab is not pressurized. These were only on the original run, and the reproduced units have never bothered with the flaps; too complicated.

You really should double check for that VIN just to the front of the shift coupler access hatch.

Here's mine:

you can just make out the VIN stamped numbers below (in the picture) the hatch, just to the right of the battery.

Also, check your VIN against this chart: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/bugchassisdating.php