TheSamba.com :: View topic - Original tail light mystery? Uk/Aussie experts

Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:14 am

Hey fellas. Would like to know what the original tail lights would have been on my 61 beetle. When I bought it, 50/50 tail lights were installed. Up to now I was under the impression that these were the original lights. Recently I got a birth certificate for my car and it is actually a british imported car. It arrived in Ramsgate, England in June 1961, which means someone privately imported it to Australia doesn't it? Also, I thought 50/50 tail lights were only fitted to Australian cars so would these have been put on the car at a later date by somebody here in Australia? Would like to get to the bottom of this as 50/50 tail lights are hard to find in good order but am willing to do so if they are supposed to be on my car. Chassis number is 3 928 966 if that helps. Cheers everyone!

Tue May 05, 2015 4:25 am

Hi,

If it's any help, the 50/50 tail lights were also available in the Italian market as well as ours.

For the UK, I suspect it may have been similar to our Oval tail lights?

Tue May 05, 2015 5:53 am

I'm guessing the 50/50s you have aren't in great condition? Quite often they pop up for sale but they aren't cheap.

Are you 100% the birth certificate is correct? Are there any other documents for the car? 50/50s would be correct if its aussie, or could have even been installed later as they were an option available from the dealer to install for people who had semaphore cars). I think they look pretty cool and ended up installing them to my 60 which is one of the last of the semaphore cars.

Thu May 07, 2015 7:36 am

If it's true that it was UK delivered, then no 50-50 tail lights. As has been said, only Italy and Australia. A plausible story is that on importation, the owner liked the modern (safer?) look of the combination indicator/stop lights."Sir, you have the old housings? Well a simpler and cheaper conversion job would be to put in the 50/50s on you car..." That's a plausible conversation with an Australian parts manager in the period when those lenses were still in stock.

The methods of eliminating semaphores in the early 60s are many, varied, and often odd. Almost as odd as all those ex-semaphore Morris Minors with VW tail lights!

Sun May 24, 2015 5:04 am

Yes, sadly the 50/50 tail lights I have are not in great condition. The birth certificate would be correct as I purchased it directly from VW. There was a UK dealer book in the glove box when I purchased the car but I just assumed that it had been but in there at some point.
If that is so, as cool and exclusive as they are, I may scrap the idea of using 50/50 tail lights. Someone most probably swapped them over once the car arrived here in Australia.
Thanks for your input everyone,
Sam.

Sun May 24, 2015 3:19 pm

Sam
I would be checking other things and not the birth certificate?
The reason is VW Germany do not have any records of Australian made VW's.

I sent over for one for a kombi that was defiantly made in Australia and the cretificate they sent me was for one 4 years later and said it was deliverd to the U K?
You can check things on your car, some times a Kagaroo logo can be seen on some parts, the colour, as the factory in Victoria used differant shades of paint.

Check this

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=105930

Mon May 25, 2015 4:30 am

Yes birth certificates are often wrong for Aussie cars. I would think the 50/50s are more correct as wasn't mid '60 the last of the semaphore cars? So on importation it would have had later housings so it makes less sense for them to add 50/50s? Unless it was accident damage or something like that? Mine had the common semaphores welded over and later indicators added.

Does it have the kangaroo stamping on any of the gauges on the back? Is the headliner a stripey vinyl (though these details could have been changed)?

Mon May 25, 2015 5:40 am

Just checked my gauges and there isn't a kangaroo stamp on the back. The head liner was the silver beige soft material. Was not vinyl. It's annoying that even records from Vw are not 100% accurate. I doubt I will ever get to the bottom of this. I will most probably have to choose one light or the other. I would love to use 50/50 tail lights, I just can't find a set up to standard.