11G Project

[roymartian]

Here's the wood spacer I was referring too, seems authentic but can't explain;

[roymartian]

Anyone know when horn covers were introduced, i got one with my car not sure if it should be fitted or not;

[splitjunkie]

The horn cover would be correct for your car. They are usually missing so it's good that you have one.
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Chris

You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld

[beetlekey]

[roymartian]

[Stetoppingphoto]

Yea id agree with it being home made! it looks very rough
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stetoppingphoto

[KAMAX]

Hello guys. I'm also restoring a pastel green 1950 ragtop. Mine is from October.
Very nice restoration coolparts, but i'm wondering for some details.
On my car, the fuel tank and his cap were originaly both painted the car color.
Also the front hood mechanism was black color and the glove boxe were very dark grey almost black.
What month is your car from ? are you sure about those details ?
thanks
alex

[coolparts]

Kamax, my car was made august 2 1950.
I also have one made october 1950 .
both cars Tanks are black . Caps should be zinc plated . That's on both 1950'S I have. Glove boxes on one car is black the other car is gray.

[vintage fiberglass]

I had 2 splits. The pastel green April 1950 the gas tank was painted the light green the same color as the car. the same on the 1950 December L51 burgundy red the tank was the same color as the car.

glove boxes are both a dark gray,

[vintage fiberglass]

Also note that 1950 tanks are different than 1952 in case your was changed or swapped. The 1950 tank is flat all the way around the spout of the gas tank. The 1952 had a like indent there for fuel drainage??

[KAMAX]

Vintage fiberglass is right. Tanks from 1950 is shaped diferently from 52. and looking back this afternoon at some pictures i took from untouched/unrestored cars i had the oppurtunity to photo shoot, the tank AND his cap are definitly the car color in 1950 and the glove boxe very dark grey.
I'm not trying to be bad... but helpfull. I don't mean to critisize the wonderfull work done, but this are details that can be fixed any time. Maybe you want or not to do it. If it was my car i would be happy someone point it out to me. I hope you don't take it bad.
Regards
Alex

[KAMAX]

[coolparts]

Kamax, this constructive criticism.
If the tanks where painted the same color as the car @ the factory when the car was being painted. Then shouldnt it been painted top and bottom the car color ?

[vintage fiberglass]

My April 1950 gas tank was painted black on top of the original color light green. You can see in this picture. So I am sure it was light green first.

[KAMAX]

[coolparts]

so who knows for sure what the correct gas tank color is on 1950 bug ?
whats correct ?

[johnshenry]

Personally I think black is correct.

There are lot of examples, and data supporting, that the larger dealerships in the early 50's "dressed up" some of the newly delivered Beetles in order to get them to sell better against the American cars. One well known operation involved painting in between the letters on the "beer can" emblem up on the hood in front of the windshield. This made the emblem look like a cast part, rather then some thing pressed out of aluminum sheet.

Another theory is that often they would paint semaphore arms to match the body color. Remember, with only one part number for sems, the factory could not have supplied them in every color for a given (range of) years. I heard an old dealer worker say once that it was common for dealers that had body shop capability to spray a dozen or so sem arms with the "service" paint VW supplied, and keep those in stick to dress up the incoming cars. They would do whatever they could to make the Beetle more competitive against the American models that had now begun to sprout chrome and garnishings like a fungus.

So it would not be entirely out of the question for a dealer to mask up an installed tank under the hood, and just color match shoot the upper half to make the whole trunk area look more "finished", especially when most people probably saw a huge black tank protruding into what should be luggage space. Remember that American cars of that era also had rear trunks that a family of 4 could live in.

Who knows for sure though......
_________________
John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[KAMAX]

john, i'm not talking about vw sold in USA. mine and many other i had in exemple are coming from europe.
arash alex D

[coolparts]

Kmax, shouldn't the rag top match the body color also ?
Sometimes it makes sense to do what looks best huh?

[KAMAX]

Here is an original october 1950 tank :

and here is an original jully 1952 tank :