TheSamba.com :: View topic - Late 57 Euro model with big back window and oval dash?

Sun Nov 28, 2004 10:52 am

Hi everybody. First off I know intros are always appreciated so here goes. I have been into VW for over 15 years. I have a 66 bug (I know its not as early as you guys have) and a Manx I. I am located in central Arkansas, hold the jokes please lol.

I have the opportunity to pick up a 1957 Beetle. I have not seen it yet but I am told it is a late 57 with an oval dash but a later rear window (non oval). It is a Euro model with semi's. I have read that owners would cut the rear windows to get the newer look but this car was looked at by a friend of mine and no cuts have been made. This is an all original car. I am planning on getting it anyway, but I wanted to ask some people 'in the know' what this thing might be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jason

Sun Nov 28, 2004 11:02 am

Hi Jason,
Only by checking the chassi # and seeing where it lands in the listed chassi numbers will tell you what month/year it was built and thusly what model year it is. We have a bug that was sold to us as a 1955 and it is actually an early 1956 model. Since AUG 55 VW has changed from one model year to the next model year somewhere about AUG 01. So say if your bug was manufactured in OCT 57 it really is a 1958 bug.
Eric&Barb

Sun Nov 28, 2004 12:57 pm

Jason, your friend is not the expert you think he is. There is no such thing as an oval dash square window car. Either the rear window was cut in, or the oval dash was added to a later car.
Pick one or the other.
The VIN numbers will tell the story.

Sun Nov 28, 2004 4:58 pm

Quote: Bruce Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 11:57 am Post subject:

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Jason, your friend is not the expert you think he is.

Not sure I quoted my friend as an expert. Anyway I know I am no expert but I have seen a few VW in my years. I just have never heard of something like this. I am not debating the year, I could not care less, I am just seeing if anyone has seen such a car.

Thanks for the input Bruce.

Sun Nov 28, 2004 5:03 pm

Here's Bill's car with a Oval window and Oval dash. The car is a 68 and unless you strip the paint off, you can't see where the welds are.

If the guy is good, it's hard to tell.

Here's Chris' 63 Split.

Sun Nov 28, 2004 6:57 pm

grumpy, vw never made a beetle w/ an oval dash and big window. find the vin # to find out when it was made. if it is indeed an oval dash/big window, i would pass on it if i were you.

glenn, the dead giveaway on the blue car is the decklid and script and the tail-light mounting positions. and on the red car it's the rear apron, tail-light mounts, vent windows.....and thats just after a quick glance. :wink:

Sun Nov 28, 2004 9:19 pm

Glenn wrote: Here's Bill's car with a Oval window and Oval dash. The car is a 68 and unless you strip the paint off, you can't see where the welds are.

until you see the aquarium side windows.
why didnt he put a W decklid on it?

Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:59 am

Skim wrote: until you see the aquarium side windows.
why didnt he put a W decklid on it?

Bill's kina doing his own thing.

Mon Nov 29, 2004 7:49 am

Beautiful engine. That gets me thinking, Imagine what wonders that guy could do with a real oval. Definitely a clean freak with an eye for detail.

Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:19 am

sweet car, but I often wonder why put so much effort into a fake oval when a real one is so easy to find?

Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:21 am

Skim wrote: Beautiful engine. That gets me thinking, Imagine what wonders that guy could do with a real oval. Definitely a clean freak with an eye for detail.

He recently acquired a 54 one owner car that spent it's entire life on Long Island.

Stay tuned :wink:

jamestwo wrote: sweet car, but I often wonder why put so much effort into a fake oval when a real one is so easy to find?

Real Ovals are not that common in the North East. And he already had the 68 and the roof was crushed.

BTW... he got the oval dash and roof clips from someone who already cut them out. He added the vents to the decklid.

Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:24 am

Here's an interior shot.

Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:49 am

There was a guy at BOR not the last on but the one about 4 months ago in Sac. he claimed to have a 57 square window oval dash. I saw it and it looked ok but it had no pan and i did not look at it that hard so i could not tell you anything about it, i think he was asking 1800.00. There was an ok 55 oval down the row for 1200 so you know how that went.

Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:38 am

I bought a RHD dash and pedal assembly from a guy in australia who said his bug was a 57 with big back window but also had the 58 dash style but RHD

could just be a Title error from the DMV

Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:22 pm

Our late 57's were big window cars, but not with oval dash's. I reckon that would look quite out of place. I'd pass on it and either get an oval, or an early big winda....

N!

Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:29 pm

Same for all German cars. Those made after Aug 57 had the new dash and a square window. We call them 58s. Tell us the chassis number of one of your "late 57s", it will be within the range of what we call a 58.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:39 pm

"I have read that owners would cut the rear windows to get the newer look"

Jason, such a conversion was easy to do with a split-window, to make it into an oval. An older German friend of mine did one in the early '60's using a kit. The engine cooling vents did not need to be touched.

Remember that with the "square" back window of 8/57 and on, the engine vents below the window were much shorter. It was most likely beyond the scope of most DIYers to install not only the larger rear window, but to make room for it, the later vents as well.

Weren't Beetles already being made in Mexico in 1957? Could they have had such a combination for a short time? You know they (and later, Brazil) had many strange combinations of window size, body panels, etc. that did not match the German Beetle production of the same year.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:29 pm

i think you should jump on the deal. there is a chance you have a rare car on your hand.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:35 pm

Rome, I think Beetles were made in Mexico in the early 50s, but definitely from all German parts. Slowly they built up the local content, and were completely made in Mex sometime in the mid 60s. Then in the mid 70s they were supplying Germany with parts for German production. The original decklid on my 75 Emden made Beetle was made in Mexico.
Beetles were also made in Brazil in the 50s, but the opposite thing happened. Oval windows were made until 59!!!!! They got the bigger window a little after the ROW.

The 57 square window car is of no historical value since its either a 58, or been modified.

Where are the chassis numbers????????

Thu Dec 02, 2004 3:23 pm

Say, aren't we getting an international education here! :) Thanks for the details, Bruce.