My 1960 Euro bug

[VM]

Okay just want a little more info on it. I have a 1960 euro bug with semaphores. All the other 60 euro bugs I've seen have semaphores and the turn signals on the fenders but mine doesn't. Curious to why?
Thanks
Veronica

[jhicken]

Somebody put fender turnsignals on the other cars. It was pretty common because nobody can really see semiphores very well.

-jeffrey
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Der Kleiner Kampfwagens

[gt1953]

I have reason to believe it was a requirement when coming into the country to have the turn signals.
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Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[shortride]

It was part of the early US import requirements to have fender mounted turn signals as of 1955. Flashing turn signals were mounted low on front fenders.
Front turn signals moved to top of fenders in 1958. It sounds as though your 1960 was imported to the US by an individual owner.
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Pearl White 1966 Sedan

Retired US Army - 21 years 11B40, 173rd Airborne Brig. - Vietnam Combat Veteran

[gitchesum]

It pretty much runs the value down to nothing without those signals on the fenders....I'll take it off your hands, if'n your interested
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57 SC
61 rag w/356B brakes
61 356B
Honda XLR 250, 69 Z50, Yamaha 100 Enduro...and others.
GMC SLT 4x4 Dmax
Kubota L3710, not enuf attachments.
And various VW's that come and go...

[ZENVWDRIVER]

Generally, when a non-USA car came into the USA it was federalized by placing front directional on the fenders at the port. A car with semiphores got a different style of front directional...instead of the peanut style, they got the "puff" style....if you see a puff, usually, you'll see semiphores on b posts where semiphores once were.

Since your car has just semiphores, meant puffs were not installed because it was brought into the USA in an alternate way...maybe by a service member. i have seen both.

Here's a "puff" on my '60.

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5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
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1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[jhicken]

[73sedan]

From what I've heard these cars were converted at their port of entry. Don't know who supplied the parts or if the cars had the conversion parts already with them. Lights, turn signals, windshield glass. I also heard some had their semaphores welded shut upon entry. Blasphemy.

[60ragtop]

[73sedan]

Hey, it's what I've read here somewhere. Personally, ours still has working semaphores, no indicators but the windshield is not original and the lights were changed to US type. Fenders seem to have had drillings for the turn signals but were filled in. They may not even be the original fenders, tho.
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Miami Palmtto Bugs

[60ragtop]

[73sedan]

Whatever. You have fun looking it up. Makes no diff to me.
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Miami Palmtto Bugs

[73sedan]

"Entered U.S. as gray market so bumper over riders were installed and semaphores were leaded closed. "

Its in the sticky "official 60-61 registry.

Do I have to have a disclaimer every time I post something I read elsewhere? I get my lawyer to write one up and stick it on my signature box.
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Miami Palmtto Bugs

[60ragtop]

[73sedan]

The info may be incorrect. It's just what I've read here.

Also read this: "Don't be too sure. The first thing they did to the euros, when they came off the boat was weld the semaphores shut. They were not D.O.T. legal. They also swapped out the headlights, speedo, and possibly the windshield for a laminated one. "

Read that in the thread "tell me everything about a 60 Euro Bug"

Apparently that's coming from several different sources. If its a rumor it's a dandy.
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Miami Palmtto Bugs

[60ragtop]

[jhicken]

In the early years, new cars were sold both through official dealerships and other authorized resellers. Cars officially sold new in the US through a VW dealer or reseller needed to be up to a certain federal standard. That makes sense. To meet need, cars were probably sourced through different channels as well. That's why some, non-export models may have made their way into the US. These were the cars that got retrofitted with DOT turn signals, headlights, bumpers, etc. I would also think it would be possible that if a dealership or reseller didn't have exact parts he would put what he had available that was up to the DOT standards [like the "puff" turnsignals].

Folks could even go to the Wolfsburg and pick up a new car from the factory, drive it around Europe on vacation and then ship it back to the US. These however were outfitted with the US requirements but if someone bought one used, or maybe new from a different country and shipped it back to the US, it would bypass some of these Federal regulations. I'm sure even some of those were probably retrofitted with the US parts over the years due to necessity or maybe as an upgrade [semaphores are a bitch to see when you are not used to looking for them].

One thing I don't believe in is that semaphores were ever "leaded in" in the official retrofit. That would be to much work. It would make no sense to do the extra bodywork to cover them up. If you ever come across a car that has had them covered, most likely they were done when the car was resprayed years later.

-jeffrey
_________________
Der Kleiner Kampfwagens

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[gitchesum]

[1960 euro crusty 1]

I have a 60 euro with working semaphores and also has the factory puffs on the fenders ..that nobody has ever seen before ..they say hella on the front of the puff