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Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:16 pm

Here are two shots of the speedometer in my '66 Beetle. Doesn't seem to be a '66 speedo -- I assume that's because the previous owner converted the car to 12-volt. Can anyone help ID it?

On the back I can read two stampings: up near the top is "11 70" and down near the bottom right is "31/27/11." (There's another stamping over on the left that I can't quite make out.) Any ideas? Thanks.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:29 pm

cricketseed wrote: Here are two shots of the speedometer in my '66 Beetle. Doesn't seem to be a '66 speedo -- I assume that's because the previous owner converted the car to 12-volt. Can anyone help ID it?

On the back I can read two stampings: up near the top is "11 70" and down near the bottom right is "31/27/11." (There's another stamping over on the left that I can't quite make out.) Any ideas? Thanks.

That's a bus speedometer! I'm unsure of the year bus it belongs to, but depending on the condition they can fetch a pretty penny. For example check out this classified.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1851741

Your speedo looks to be in really nice shape. There should be some definitive markings on the back housing that will give you a year.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:39 pm

This is what a year 66 speedometer looks like. If you want to go the period correct route. I personally think those old bus speedometers have more charm to them, but it's your call. Not sure why the previous owner installed that one, but shouldn't have had anything to do with the 12v upgrade. Just the instrument bulbs themselves would have had to be upgraded to a 12v standard. Of course your MPH only goes up to 80 currently so that will be a little bit of a problem, but I don't even know anybody who can get there bugs up to 90MPH so you should be ok haha.
As long as everything is in working order like the speedo cable and lights.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:44 pm

In addition to the 80mph limit, the red shift points are also low for a Bug.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 6:06 pm

Yes, that is a Bus speedometer.
You can tell because the cable connection on the back comes straight out, in addition to the face design.

I am not sure why it's dated 11/70 though as it's a Split Bus speedo.
Maybe a later dealer replacement part.

It should have a 211 part # on the back - post that if you can.

It is probably worth more than a Beetle speedometer but the ad mentioned above is super high for the condition shown in the ad, in my opinion.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 6:14 pm

EverettB wrote: Yes, that is a Bus speedometer.
You can tell because the cable connection on the back comes straight out, in addition to the face design.

I am not sure why it's dated 11/70 though as it's a Split Bus speedo.
Maybe a later dealer replacement.

It should have a 211 part # on the back - post that if you can.

It is probably worth more than a Beetle speedometer but the ad mentioned above is super high for the condition shown in the ad, in my opinion.

yeah I caught that too, 11/70 build date but an early Bus type only 80 mph top speed. funny speedo, early type but late date. maybe Brazilian as did they not keep the split window in production into the 70's in Brazil but isn't Brazil using kilometers??? (I don't know) then again maybe it is built as a replacement part for American split busses (mph calibration))

it is not "correct' for your car. might be worth trading it for the correct one and you can pocket some extra change???

the 6 to 12 volt change wont matter on these speedos (the later ones with built in gas gage ARE voltage sensitive, as far as I know they were all 12 volts for the built in gas gage style)

the only thing you need to change in the older speedos when converting 6 to 12 volts are the light bulbs, nothing else.

Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:44 pm

I don't know Buses very well, but under this light now it all makes sense :lol: ...

...80 MPH with the blue low beam indicator at the bottom while the turn signal arrows are at the top! :D

Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:26 pm

Thanks for all the info, folks. I'll see if I can get a closer look at the part numbers. But everything on this speedo seems to work, so I may just leave it as is.

Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:58 am

Had another look. Without removing it from the car, the only other marks I can see on it are what looks like "W08" stamped on the left side and "Made in Germany" inked on it in a couple of places.

Tue Aug 23, 2016 7:34 am

Dealer replacement spare part stock for split bus.

VDO made and VW packed these way past the buses last manufacture date.

Also W0.77 gearing for bus were made post 64 if it was ordered. There were some NOS for sale late 64 with W0.77 gearing.

Also, your bezel is a brushed metal, which coincides with a 1970 spare part stock that came in a VW box.

The part number for your speedo is 211 957 023D.
The stamping on the left which you can't make out probably is W0.80; which is the gearing of the speedometer.

Earlier speedos had gearing W0.77, and their part numbers were
211 957 023C for the 80mph speedos
211 957023A for the 70mph speedos

For KMH speedos, their numbers ended with 021D and 021F, gearing W0.48 and W0.496 respectively.

With you using a bus speedo, your speed may not show true.

My mate ran a bus speedo on his bug for a few hundred kms, then took it out because the speedo wasn't showing the right speeds. He swapped back to the stock bug speedo.

The bus speedos do go for a pretty penny, and should get you a bug speedo of the right year and a good hunk of change.

One puzzling thing is the extra stamping of the 31/27/11 or whatever that is on the speedo. Never seen that on bus speedos.

And normally the part number is stamped on the top, gearing on bottom left and date on bottom right. There is generally no other markings except the ink stamp of the date which I believe may be the inspection stamp.

When I mean normally, it means most often, I do have 1 sample where the part number is stamped on the left, date on top and gearing on right.

I'll look through my speedos and let you know if I find anything that has similar markings to yours.

Hope this helps.