TheSamba.com :: View topic - Baja bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Body ID

Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:29 pm

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

Baja bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Body ID

Scenario: You are dragged kicking and screaming to the old family farm for the holidays. Wacky weird old Uncle Zeb runs this farm. You sensibly bail on hanging around with your batty old aunts and boring old uncles and explore the grounds. You stroll behind the barn and...

You find yourself in Volkswagen Heaven. Uncle Zeb says “Take anything, take everything. Got the titles all right here in the safe.”

You decide to start with a VW beetle body. You may think one is as good as another. You may think all Volkswagens look alike. You are mistaken.

Split Window 1938 – 1952:

If you find yourself looking at:

a mirror mounted on the door hinge pin
round bumpers
a small windshield and windows
a split oval window in the back

You are looking at a Split Window

Hacking up a split window is like hacking up a winning lottery ticket.

Oval window 1953 - 1957:

If you find yourself looking at:

a mirror mounted on the door hinge pin
round bumpers
a small windshield and windows
an oval window in the back.

You are looking at an Oval Window.

1954:

1957:

If you hack up a split window or an oval window cockroaches will hold orgies in your mouth while you sleep.

1958 – 1964:

If you find yourself looking at:

a mirror mounted on the door hinge pin
round bumpers
a small windshield and windows
a rectangular window in the back

You are looking at a 1958 through 1964 body.

64

64 DOOR

1965 – 1967:

If you find yourself looking at:

a mirror mounted on the door hinge pin
round bumpers
a windshield that looks like a receding hairline and bigger side windows and a thinner window frame
a rectangular window in the back

you are looking at a 1965 - 1967

66

67 front

67 rear

Cutting up a 1958 through 1967 beetle for a baja will not trainwreck your carma, but you will experience a severe carmic fender bender.

1968:

1968 was the first year for:

the flat bumper
the gas cap flap on the right
ball joint front suspension

and the last year for the swingaxle. It is the least desireable year for a Baja bug.

68

1969 – 1979:

In my far from humble opinion, these are the ideal years to hack up into a Baja.

70 rear angle

70 front angle

71 Right Side First year for the crescent moon behind the rear side window

71 Behind

71 Front

Dimensions:

Quote: Flyertim wrote:

Body measurements for the vw beetle...useful for replacing sheet metal.

i've added larger letters with arrows pointing to the original letters which can be difficult to see.

i've also translated the text into english the best i could:

a) width of the front apron measured in the area of the first fender weldnuts (600mm)

b) width of the fuel tank well between the side members (693mm)

c) width of the fuel tank well along the longitudinal direction of vehicle (368mm)

d) distance between the first and last front fender weldnuts
-left side (1118mm)

e) -right side (1120mm)

f) distance from the lower weld seam of the hinge pillar to the…

g) …upper corner of the rear roof rail (1394mm)

h) distance between the hinge pillar and the rear pillar
-left side (935mm)

i) -right side (937mm)

k) distance between the hinge pillar and the rear pillar
-left side (924mm)

l) -right side (923mm)

m) distance between the roof rail and the heater channel at the rear pillar
-left side (1049mm)

n) -right side (1049mm)

o) width of the interior between the spot-welded flanges of the side window openings around the seat belt fasteners (1203mm)

p) width of the luggage deck between the wheel wells over the spot-welded seams between the front corner of the bottom rail/transverse wall and the rear corner at the bottom rail/side/wheel well (939mm)

q) left front – right rear (1989mm)

r) right front - left rear (1985mm)

Final exam: What is wrong with this picture?

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:39 pm

This looks good too.... Except 66 was the first year for ball joints up front, not 68. Also, keep in mind that 68 Autostick cars had IRS from the factory.

Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:29 pm

That door window is not big enough for a fat chick. There are other issues but that is the biggest.

My 1968 has IRS and no auto stick...so maybe a mid year change....unless I read the vin wrong...

Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:39 am

Another thing you could have talked about as the differences in tail lights. Thats a big way to tell what "generation" the bug is.

Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:53 pm

Quote: Final exam: What is wrong with this picture?

Trick question. Nothing is wrong with that picture except it is parked and not moving. The owner made the car what HE wanted.

Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:31 am

He has a pre 64 door on a 65 or later car.

I'm pissed that I sold the split window Baja I built when I was in high school but I am looking for another split window to build another Baja.

Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:59 pm

not to be A butt,, but the pinkish red car you have listed as A 71 is A 73 standard :wink:
71 had the gas door release inside the car, 69 was the first year 72 was the last year. 71 only had 2 sets of vents in deck lid that car has 4 so its 72 and newer. the tail lights were the same shape for 68-72 the size changed and reflectors were added between 70-71, the big round lights came in 73. and the seats 68-72 the headrest wasn't as wide and the seats had A sholder to them, 73 didn't have that sholder the seat was just round on top. 73 was the last year of that bumper/brackets.
hope that helps..

Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:09 pm

im sure the sand tires dont feal real good on pavement

Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:51 pm

I'm just glad I found this thread, I've been looking the past two weeks for a solid dementions diagram so I can pull the body off my 72, thanks for doing this.