1949 tail lights

Monsterbeetle · Samba Member Joined: May 09, 2004 Posts: 270

Are 1950 tail lights (housings, lens etc.) the same as the 1949 ones?

drscope · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:59 am Post subject:

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think the 49's had the chrome bezel around the lens. 50's have no bezel.

I always found this a little ironic that the tail lights got less fancy with that change while a lot of other things on the car were getting more fancy.
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

usariemen · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:10 am Post subject:

Until early may 1949 they had a big chromed ( and sometimes painted) bezel around the glas. The housing was differend from the later ones and the glas with the bezel was a unit that was held by a spring and you had to pop it out of the housing to change the bulb.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Up from mid may 1949 there was a thin aluminium bezel around the glas.
The alu framed glas was pressed into the housing and is not removable.
Hard to restore and work on.
That style lasted up to spring of 1950. March, April?

Up from then the "usual" split taillight was in use. With the round glas, held in the housing by a spring and without any bezel.

_________________
Master of my domain!

kilgore · Samba Member Joined: October 18, 2005 Posts: 16

thanks for that, really useful info Very Happy

tisius · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:23 pm Post subject:

Are the glass lenses of thin-bezel tail lights the same diameter as the non-bezel glass lenses? So is the glass the same piece on both?
Or does the thin-bezel tail light use a different size glass lens piece than the later non-bezel tail light?
(in other words: is the glass part interchangeable?)
And if so, then the glass maybe even interchangeable with the thick bezel tail light lens glass?

Wondering, since these type split bug tail lights are too rare for me to compare (I only have the late style non-bezel tail lights), but the glass lens piece looks pretty similar?
_________________
drive it like you just robbed the bank
you don't have to be crazy to be into VW's, but it sure helps!!
.... if it ain't dutch, it ain't much!

johnshenry · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:17 pm Post subject:

nlorntson · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 7:47 pm Post subject:

The glass in the late 49/very early 50 taillights like these:

Is pressed into the aluminum bezel and into the steel housing as one solid unit. You can see that below:

They do not come apart like the later 1950's style seen here where the lens is held in by a retaining wire and can be replaced.:

usariemen · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:58 pm Post subject:

tisius · Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:42 am Post subject:

aha, thanks guys!
_________________
drive it like you just robbed the bank
you don't have to be crazy to be into VW's, but it sure helps!!
.... if it ain't dutch, it ain't much!


Hello! Log in or Register \| Help \| Donate \| Buy Shirts	See all banner ads \| Advertise on TheSamba.com

Forum Index -> Beetle - Split-Window/1938-53 VWs		Share:
		Print View

	Forum Index -> Beetle - Split-Window/1938-53 VWs	All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1