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nlorntson
Crazy VW Lady
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 3783
Location: Twin Cities, MN
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 Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:43 pm Post subject: Ivory Speedometer pods |
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I notice in the want ads there are a bunch of ads for speedo pods but they all appear to be brown ones painted white. One vendor has an all white bakeolite one and is calling it a 1949 one.
I have one in my parts stash and it does have the cloth covered wires, but I have not heard of these all ivory ones being for a particular year.
Is there a particular point in time they stopped making the all ivory speedometer pods?
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EverettB 
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Joined: April 11, 2000
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Location: Phoenix Metro
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usariemen
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2004
Posts: 1745
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:12 am Post subject: |
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Your bus one looks painted.
But in 1949 the first deluxe models had them colored all white trough the bakelite material. In late 1949 or maybe very early 1950 that was changed to black ones wich where painted white.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4463674&highlight=#4463674
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EverettB
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johnshenry
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001
Posts: 9364
Location: Northwood, NH USA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:09 am Post subject: |
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I agree. I think they came out with the first deluxes in '49, and it was quickly discovered that the ivory bakelight cracked very easily. They are very rare, especially if uncracked. Nancy is you '49 a deluxe? If so, I'd use it even if it has spider cracks....
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John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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nlorntson
Crazy VW Lady
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 3783
Location: Twin Cities, MN
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| johnshenry wrote: |
| [I agree. I think they came out with the first deluxes in '49, and it was quickly discovered that the ivory bakelight cracked very easily. They are very rare, especially if uncracked. Nancy is you '49 a deluxe? If so, I'd use it even if it has spider cracks.... |
It is a deluxe. I already have my restored speedo pod ready to go in next to my Becker Monza 
How repairable are these things, particularly the speedo mounting area? The only real defects are that area and the broken area around the one indicator light. I have this pod and two others (brown) I was going to sell but I might hang on to this one if it is repairable for a reasonable price. I can always swap it out later. |
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johnshenry
Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001
Posts: 9364
Location: Northwood, NH USA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| nlorntson wrote: |
| johnshenry wrote: |
| [I agree. I think they came out with the first deluxes in '49, and it was quickly discovered that the ivory bakelight cracked very easily. They are very rare, especially if uncracked. Nancy is you '49 a deluxe? If so, I'd use it even if it has spider cracks.... |
It is a deluxe. I already have my restored speedo pod ready to go in next to my Becker Monza
How repairable are these things, particularly the speedo mounting area? The only real defects are that area and the broken area around the one indicator light. I have this pod and two others (brown) I was going to sell but I might hang on to this one if it is repairable for a reasonable price. I can always swap it out later. |
I repaired a couple indicator light "towers" on the '46 pod for Mark Merrill, some pics are at:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...;start=180
Using donor pieces. Finding donor white bakelite pods would be easy since there are lots of broken ones around. I know Jim Bremer has some. You could use a clear epoxy also and it might look OK.
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John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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KAMAX
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2003
Posts: 232
Location: Chartres - FRANCE
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:53 am Post subject: white dash pod |
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My October 1950 has originaly, an all white bakelite pod.
Those white pod were used from late 49 (first deluxe models) until late 50. But there are 2 types of them. The early ones, used in the late 49 and maybe early 50 (don't know the exact date change) : Those don't have the same indicator lights dispatching. The blue and green indicator light were switched, and so, the connection on the back of the pod are also switched...
There are both type hard to find in unbroken condition. I may have some spares.
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nlorntson
Crazy VW Lady
Joined: March 13, 2004
Posts: 3783
Location: Twin Cities, MN
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| johnshenry wrote: |
| Finding donor white bakelite pods would be easy since there are lots of broken ones around. |
Anyone have one to donate? I need one with at least one speedometer mounting point and one indicator light cone. Please PM me if you do. |
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Brezelwerks
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Joined: March 17, 2003
Posts: 1421
Location: Tyngsboro, MA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| johnshenry wrote: |
I agree. I think they came out with the first deluxes in '49, and it was quickly discovered that the ivory bakelight cracked very easily. |
If you can prove that as fact rather than conjecture I'm willing to accept that statement.
Ivory bakelite may have been prone to cracking for one reason or another over time, but generally thats a condition more apt to surface well after the expected useful life of the overall vehicle. Same as what happens to steering wheels over time.
From a factory production/stocking strategy, it actually makes no sense to actually stock two different colored pods for deluxes and standards, that just adds alot more cost, introduces supply risk, and eliminates any supply flexibility should it be needed on the factory floor. Makes much more sense to "spray as you go", and it eliminates just one more risk to shutting down the factory deluxe production line.
Its more believable to me such a supply problem arose as deluxes became increasingly popular, so someone wrote up an Engineering Change Order to "rework standard pods sprayed ivory to meet factory demand for deluxe vehicles". Conjecture yes, fact I don't know, but more of a plausible argument in my opinion. |
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usariemen
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2004
Posts: 1745
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:07 am Post subject: |
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Probably just an economic decision.
It was 1949. Raw materials where rare here and it maybe was much more expensive to produce the all white ones, compared to make black ones and give them a paint cover.
The cracking wil not have started during the first months, so that I would not see that as the reason.
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drscope
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Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 15273
Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:20 am Post subject: |
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Is anyone making a decent repop of the pods?
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sambaguy
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Joined: February 05, 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: |
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On the last detailed picture of the ivory pod it is possible to see that it is made in april 1950.
On the earth connection there is a stamp 4.50.
Sambaguy |
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johnshenry
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Joined: September 21, 2001
Posts: 9364
Location: Northwood, NH USA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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So, digging up an old thread.....
In the pic below, notice that the ground fork/high beam indicator socket is on the right side, and although you may not be able to see it, it has a date stamp of 12.49. This is the second 12.49 ivory pod that I have had. It goes against the post above that the high beam indicator light moved to the left side (as viewed from the FRONT of the the pod) in Jan 1950.
But more curious, is the ivory pod on the left in the pic which you can see is reversed. Although the ground fork is missing, it is clear to see by the indicator bulb contacts that the high beam indicator/ground fork would have been on the right as viewed from the front (like the late 40s pods). What year was this from? I did not get this pod with a date coded ground fork, but it must have been before 12.49, right? When did the very first ivory pod come out? When was the very first ivory pod deluxe Beetle made????
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John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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sambaguy
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:13 am Post subject: |
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I have to check in my documents, but I think it was in november 1949 they change the setup for the lamps.
I also have one pod stamped 12/49 which have the later style. Maybe 11/49 was the first one with the later type.
The White plastic pod were probably introduced in June -49 when the production started of the export version. |
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