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Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:29 pm

Built June 8 1955
Any special infor you can think of, this is my second bus
1. Is my ashtray chrome? The guy who sold it to me thought I should paint it? What color?
2. My shift lever has a sharp bend about an inch out if the swivel and then bend back up, like to clear the bench seat, is this normal, it is still og paint?
3. No engine numbers on the Wolfsburg Museum build sheet, and ideas?
4. Anyone have a scrap of the midle door panel material I can use, borrow, trade, buy to match the color/pattern?
5. What is the 55 only rear hatch? Is this because I have only one prop rod height on the bus? (I may have asked this before, sorry)
6. Any source for the gass door ruber? I read Drews add for a 55 kombi that had gass door ruber for a 55 only?
7. Any unique items you can think of would be well received!
Thanks!!!

Wed Jan 01, 2003 10:19 pm

Hi Gabe- Here's some answers for you.
1. Chrome Ashtray, no question, all Deluxes had them.
2. Never seen a shifter like you are talking about. Sounds like homemade or something. All '55-'59 shifters I've ever seen are perfectly straight.
3. ?
4. Ask Mark Merz, he might have something as I know he has several early Deluxes. Doug Denlinger of Transporter Restorations also has some very nice interior materials.
5. You are right about the '55 only hatch. It props only in the high position, not two heights like all other Buses through 1963.
6. That is right, there is a rubber seal around the gas door, on the body, of all 1955 Type IIs. I had a early '57 Standard that had the same piece, factory, wierd. I have no idea where you could find one. Probably would have to find a NOS one (good luck, of course) or would have to fab something?
7. There are several other differences that are 1955 only. It was a intermediate Bus between Barndoor and post Barndoor. They still had the "tubular" tranmission mount, Barndoor armrests, Barndoor "long rib" front bumpers, bakelight domelights, 3 piece doglegs, large logo SEKURIT glass, 6 leg middle seat thru mid 1956, and more things I'm sure I'm not recalling right now. They also featured the single position rear hatch, "lipless" air intake vent with the big mesh screen on the windshield "eyebrow", the rubber gasket on the gas door, a different stamping in the backside of the decklid where there are two small openings as if a support rib were removed that would span from one side to the other (hard to explain), rear seat bottom has a very sharp point on the bottom of the middle leg, supposedly there is a '55 only speedo with a greenish face as well, I know there's more, got one on the garage! Good luck!

Wed Jan 01, 2003 10:54 pm

Thank you! I did not know the rear seat was different also, I am missing that. I cannot see any reason I can't wait to find the gas door ruber can you? Everything seems to work right.
The deck lid has what people have called a 4 piece inner structure I am guessing that is what you refer to. I have been told the arm rests are the same as used in a pre 55 bug. Is this true? Are they the same color as the middle interior color? Last but not least how different is a 56-57 middle seat, do you just have to add two legs or do you have to move other legs also?
I hope to bring my bus to the classic this year if all goes well. Hope to meet some of you guys then.

Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:23 am

Hello again Gabe- I don't think anything will change without the rubber gasket on the gas door. '56-'67 don't have one. I have heard that the pre'55 Bug armrests will work too but I know that the Barndoor Bus ones don't have finger cutouts in the top part like I have seen on some early Bug ones. The Bus ones are all completely flat on the top part. They are the tan color for Deluxes, not the dark brown like the seat piping. I have heard of people adding two legs to a later middle seat, not sure if the measurements of locations is any different or not. Good luck, will be a cool Bus to see for sure.

Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:29 am

You have to move at least 1 leg and weld 2 in:
6-leg:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/55kombi/10082002/6_leg_middle_seat.jpg
4-leg:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/55kombi/orig/56middleseat.jpg

Thu Jan 02, 2003 1:19 pm

whats with having two legs side by side like that? Were the frames made as a 2/3 seat with a 1/3 extension added on?

Fri Jan 03, 2003 7:05 pm

Home Depot carries screen door rubber similar to the gas door seal.

Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:36 pm

You wouldn't have a picture of the original? I have never seen one and have no idea how it fits or looks. Thanks

Sun Jan 05, 2003 3:16 am

Hi Gabe- I'll get you a pic of one tomorrow and email it to you. Too late and dark to do it now.

Sun Jan 05, 2003 1:42 pm

Hi Gabe- Here you go. It's like a piece of "C" channel rubber, very thin and just surronds the outer lip of the gas door. Hardly even noticeable from the outside of the Bus.

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/61246.jpg

Sun Jan 05, 2003 1:44 pm

Can hardly even see it from the outside...

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/61244.jpg

Sun Jan 05, 2003 6:38 pm

Thanks Brenden (sp), that is not what I thought it would look like. I am glad you sent a pic, it looks like that would be possible to find a substitute. Can you imagine me at the show with my gas door open!!!!!!! Ha ha

Wed Jan 08, 2003 6:48 pm

Actually, I have what was sold to me as a new old stock seal, Its a "D" shape.