TheSamba.com :: View topic - Over-riders on a '54

Wed Apr 17, 2002 2:04 pm

Has anyone ever seen over-rider bumpers on a '54 hardtop before? My bug left the factory in September 1954, and was delivered to Craig-Stanton, Casablanca. This car has overrider holes cut in the front apron. It very well looks like they are original. They are the exact same size and location as a 56 I measured them against.

I know that the American cars didn't have overriders until 55, but this looks original. I have a copy of Consumer Reports from November of 1954. On the cover is a beetle with overrider bumpers, so I know it's not out of the question in '54. This car also has cloth interior, which is primarily found on Europeans. Could all this just be a custom package? Thanks for any help.

Wed Apr 17, 2002 4:09 pm

That is a questionable subject. It is kind of like US cars with semaphores. I always thought that in the US it was in mid 1955 when they were added to US cars I think the semaphores were taken of US models around this time too. The reason VW did this was because US regulations forced them to. Maybe such laws were in place in 1954 where your car was delievered. Does you car show signs of having the aprons replaced? I also think that some non-European cars intended for colder climates had cloth interiors.

Thu Apr 18, 2002 12:53 am

A consumer report from Oct. of 1954 would have been a 55 car not a 54. Remember the cars change model year in August not at the end of the year. Alot of Dealerships made the mistake of Registering cars as the wrong year because they werent paying attentions to the paperwork being filled out at the time. Your car built in Sept. 1954 is actually a 1955. The fact that is has overrider holes although stainge for an early 1955 isnt that rare. lve seen some strainge 1955 beetles. Grooved doors without semaphores, batwing stearing wheels with big spring decklid but no grooved doors but with semaphores. So it wouldnt suprise me to see alot of different things on a 55. At any rate... Cool car!

Thu Apr 18, 2002 8:23 am

VW did not go to changing them model year to August until August of 1955. An August '55 manufactured car would actually be a '56, therefore, '55s were only made for seven months. If your car was made in 1954 then it is a '54.
That's interesting to hear of a '54 with overriders. Does it have them in the back as well? I have a November '54 beetle that has the euro bumpers. My Mid May '55 had euro bumpers as well, '55 bubble taillights, and ribbed doors as well as
no cutouts on the rear apron. A strange combination but that was a month of a lot of changes. There are going to be people that tell you that it just is not possible, so when you are showing the car keep that article handy!;)

Thu Apr 18, 2002 9:44 am

I'm not sure about the back end. The fenders that are on there currently are not originals, so it's no help. If I do stick with the over-riders, does anyone have ideas on taillights?

I'm afraid with the taller bumpers, it's going to be hard to see the heart taillights. Remember that the hearts are mounted lower on the bumper. I can't tell from that photo I have if it has heart or convex taillights. Has anyone seen a '54 with convex taillights?

Thu Apr 18, 2002 9:57 am

Also, does anyone know what Craig-Stanton, Casablaca is? I've seen this on other certificates as well. Is this the name of a dealership? It's a strange format. Most of the other certificates I have seen have U.S.A or another country listed. My certificate can be viewed at:

http://oregonovals.dyndns.org/history.htm

Thanks for any help.

Thu Apr 18, 2002 1:31 pm

If your car is a '54 then you should have heart taillights. You are correct. You won't be able to see them. This was probably on of the reasons that VW
moved the taillights up higher on the fender when it went to a larger taillight and bumpers with overriders in August of '56.
I would put euro bumpers all around with hearts in the back. You can place a seal in the bracket holes on the front apron or weld them up.

Thu Apr 18, 2002 9:10 pm

My first car was a 54 hardtop built Sept 7 of 1954 cloth interior brought from Germany to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma by an airman. It had what Im positive are factory overider holes in the apron and on the original heart rear fenders. Why? I still dont know because the overiders block the lenses. I now own an early 55 sunroof that has overider holes in the original front apron as well. Who knows, Ive heard so many vw Folk tales. Its like when they said the straightest cars were painted black during production. I have met people who swear a true 54 comes with the bubble lenses where I still say all 54's came with hearts. I had a lat "American"55 bug. This car had ribbed doors, no exhaust cut outs, wide spring W decklin but had bullets, no semaphores and original overider bumpers. This was a sweet original paint car but I hated that it had no semaphores. Who knows... P.S. Gotta love early ovals!!!

Wed Jun 22, 2005 11:50 pm

my 54 was built in early december 54 and has bubble taillights and overriders. original aprons and paint (mostly). it has vinyl interior red with black piping, oatmeal/tan carpet and tan cloth headliner with red vinyl posts. so i thing k they are out there

Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:10 am

Trayle D. the real oggfk wrote: A consumer report from Oct. of 1954 would have been a 55 car not a 54. Remember the cars change model year in August not at the end of the year. Alot of Dealerships made the mistake of Registering cars as the wrong year because they werent paying attentions to the paperwork being filled out at the time. Your car built in Sept. 1954 is actually a 1955. The fact that is has overrider holes although stainge for an early 1955 isnt that rare. lve seen some strainge 1955 beetles. Grooved doors without semaphores, batwing stearing wheels with big spring decklid but no grooved doors but with semaphores. So it wouldnt suprise me to see alot of different things on a 55. At any rate... Cool car!

Get the birth certificate from Germany. If the car has "Ram Protection" in the list of option codes, then it originally had overriders. I do recall some 54's having overriders, but get the certificate. Kind of like bullet fenders and snowflake taillights. Even though they didn't become standard until May 55, you could have gotten them as an option earlier.

Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:11 am

john7 wrote: my 54 was built in early december 54 and has bubble taillights and overriders. original aprons and paint (mostly). it has vinyl interior red with black piping, oatmeal/tan carpet and tan cloth headliner with red vinyl posts. so i thing k they are out there

Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:18 am

c5442@calinet.com wrote: If your car is a '54 then you should have heart taillights. You are correct. You won't be able to see them. This was probably on of the reasons that VW
moved the taillights up higher on the fender when it went to a larger taillight and bumpers with overriders in August of '56.
I would put euro bumpers all around with hearts in the back. You can place a seal in the bracket holes on the front apron or weld them up.

The taillights were moved up in 55, not 56. Snowflakes were standard on US cars in May and a month or two later, the taillights were moved up.

Heart taillights were changed in October 1954 - therefore since the model year in 54 ended in December, late 54's could have eggs.

Sat Jun 25, 2005 7:01 pm

I got my 54s birth certificate built August of 54 and it lists ram protection as an option and my apron has overider holes :wink: