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airkooler66
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2011
Posts: 59
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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:44 pm Post subject: La Grande But that's not a super beetle? |
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Hey guys...I just ended up with a La Grande Bug that's not a super beetle. Any info on if it's a real thing? The dash plaque on the glove box door looks authentic. And it's definitely in original green metallic paint. Thanks all!
-Ron Ellis III
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy |
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BUGGED11111
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2006
Posts: 1819
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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Not much detail but nice pics, Basically it's just a special detail/paint package Super. Pretty sure they were only supers
http://sebeetles.com/lagrandebug.htm |
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hitest
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Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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I was raised since the age of 7 to believe those (like most metallic SE beetles) were available in both Super and Regular Beetle form. I'm betting it's the real deal. The dash plaque is worth the crush value on any super beetle.
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| EverettB wrote: |
I wonder what the nut looks like.
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'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181
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glutamodo 
The Android
Joined: July 13, 2004
Posts: 26310
Location: Douglas, WY
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Looking at the notes in the Garwood COTC book, The VW factory did not use the term La Grande Bug - that was something that VWoA came up with. VWoA distributed decals (and I'm going to guess badges as well) to dealers separately from the cars and it was up to the dealers whether to install them or not. The factory initially made two runs of S736 Supers for model year 1975, then demand was high enough that they made a third final 1975 run after the model year 76 was in production. The first run was called by the factory, the Luxury Beetle, and the final two runs, the Sun Beetle - again, it was VWoA that marketed them as La Grandes. |
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airkooler66
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Joined: February 15, 2011
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:44 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info. I gave $300 for this one. With title! It's complete and not very rusty. It's a 1977 Mexican standard in The metallic green.
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1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
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airkooler66
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Joined: February 15, 2011
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 10:47 am Post subject: |
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Here's a couple quick pics.
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Mudpump
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Joined: May 11, 2007
Posts: 750
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 11:23 am Post subject: |
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I doubt that's a factory sticker.
Looks more like La Grande Burrito from Taco Bell |
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airkooler66
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Joined: February 15, 2011
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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It's actually not a sticker. It's a metal plaque. And the color is correct for one of the 3 colors available for the La Grande bug.
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy |
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Antonio Trejo
VW Parts Dealer
Joined: December 17, 2003
Posts: 937
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Sedan 1977: Volkswagen of Mexico sales brochure (from 10/1976)
- Turn lights on bumpers since 1976
- No shocks absorbers on bumpers
- Volkswagen of Mexico never launched a La Grande edition
| Mudpump wrote: |
I doubt that's a factory sticker.
Looks more like La Grande Burrito from Taco Bell |
Looks more like a La Grande enchilada verde con frijolitos
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glutamodo
The Android
Joined: July 13, 2004
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Location: Douglas, WY
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| airkooler66 wrote: |
| It's actually not a sticker. It's a metal plaque. And the color is correct for one of the 3 colors available for the La Grande bug. |
But I see no listings showing that VW painted any non-Supers in that color in 1975. There was the normal L61A Rallye Green. Even the VWoA sales brochure says the La Grande Colors were reserved for only that line.
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airkooler66
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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I never said it was a Mexican model. It's a Mexican built US spec beetle as all of the late 1970s cars were. So the Mexican market ad isn't really that relevant to a car sold in the US.
I think it resembles a La Grande Chimichanga...since it's fried lol. 
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1966 13 window DeLuxe
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airkooler66
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Joined: February 15, 2011
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah I noticed that about the color too...but the paint is definitely original. It even has the sticker in the trunk with code L98B lime green metallic.
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1952 Zwitter
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1966 13 window DeLuxe
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airkooler66
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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The car was also originally fuel injected...
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy |
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airkooler66
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Joined: February 15, 2011
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I wonder if this car is possibly some type of special order car by someone who worked for VW or something? I know cars like those were all hyped up in recent years like the COPO Camaros and all. (Not the gas monkey garage ones.) but they were actually out there. I wonder if it would pay to get a birth certificate for the car? It also has no sunroof...?
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1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy |
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glutamodo
The Android
Joined: July 13, 2004
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Location: Douglas, WY
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| airkooler66 wrote: |
| I never said it was a Mexican model. It's a Mexican built US spec beetle as all of the late 1970s cars were. |
Incorrect. VW of Mexico didn't make any USA spec bugs. All USA spec bugs came from Germany. (well, until the New Beetles came around that is)
| airkooler66 wrote: |
| The car was also originally fuel injected... |
Fuel Injection didn't come to Mexican bugs until the early 90s and that was Digifant, not L-Jet.
Not sure how this car ended up with that paint on it, but you know what they say, there's an exception to every rule. However, La Grande was as described in the ad above, pretty bling-ed up and with a sunroof. Maybe a dealer pulled this off somehow.
-Andy |
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Joel
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Location: NSW Australia
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| glutamodo wrote: |
Not sure how this car ended up with that paint on it, but you know what they say, there's an exception to every rule. However, La Grande was as described in the ad above, pretty bling-ed up and with a sunroof. Maybe a dealer pulled this off somehow.
-Andy |
I've seen several 77 standards on here in that colour, it's not that uncommon, that and the metallic blue they came in seem to be the only colour you see 77s in.
Someone has just slapped that badge on the glove box, probably in the hope they may pick up more $$ selling it to someone who doesn't know better.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle |
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birddog1
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Joined: March 11, 2006
Posts: 952
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Joel wrote: |
| glutamodo wrote: |
Not sure how this car ended up with that paint on it, but you know what they say, there's an exception to every rule. However, La Grande was as described in the ad above, pretty bling-ed up and with a sunroof. Maybe a dealer pulled this off somehow.
-Andy |
I've seen several 77 standards on here in that colour, it's not that uncommon, that and the metallic blue they came in seem to be the only colour you see 77s in.
Someone has just slapped that badge on the glove box, probably in the hope they may pick up more $$ selling it to someone who doesn't know better. |
X2 That's not a LaGrande. They were Supers (only) |
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pb_foots
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Location: Ben Lomond, CA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| IIRC, La Grande bugs were 1975 only. Didn't VW stop selling super beetles after 1975 or 76? So why would it be weird that a regular beetle was in that green in 77? |
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Joel
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Posts: 11099
Location: NSW Australia
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 12:20 am Post subject: |
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Airkooler, not sure who's fed you the dud info but 70s bugs for the US market were never made in Mexico, the 77 like yours was actually the last year of the German made hardtop like Andy said.
| pb_foots wrote: |
| So why would it be weird that a regular beetle was in that green in 77? |
Nothing weird about it, Lime green metallic (totally different colour to La grande bugs viper green) was one of only 3 colours available on 77 hard tops.
like I said garden variety 77 standard someone has just slapped a dash plaque on.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
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glutamodo
The Android
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:00 am Post subject: |
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Since the OP didn't state in the first post or thread title that it was a 1977, I assumed he meant it was a 75. I often gloss over long signature lines so missed that it was a 77. My comments were in thinking this was a 75!
That changes everything. What Joel said was spot-on. This is NOT a La Grande by any means. The COTC book mentions that some of the very last ones made during model year 1976 used 76 paint, and some were painted L96N instead of the normal L98B version of Lime Green Met. |
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