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VW Dictionary
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0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

B-pillar The roof support metal between the front door window and the rear side window.  Also see A-pillar, C-pillar, and D-pillar

Baby Dells Nickname for the 34mm version of the Dellorto carburetor.

Baby Webers Nickname for the smaller version of the Weber carburetor.

Baby Window Hawaiian nickname for Oval-Window Beetle.

Badge Term to describe a variety of chrome, metal, enamel or other type badges applied to the body of a VW.  Some examples are Auto Club related, dealer badges, scripts, or mileage awards.

Bagged Slang term to indicate that a VW is equipped with a custom air suspension consisting of "air--bags".

Baja A Beetle sedan, typically with fiberglass fenders and a hood, that has been modified for off-road usage.  Front and rear aprons are usually cut to accommodate the replacement front end and to increase engine access in the rear.
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Baja Champion For the USA, Volkswagen decided to use their first special edition to capitalize on recent victories in Baja, though it was a Super Beetle, so the Weltmeister was named Baja Champion. Same paint; same wheels, but a Baja Champion was a US spec car.  Also see Weltmeister

Bakelite Plastic-like material used for various items in early VWs such as dashboard faces and turn signal relay housings.  An item cam be checked if it is Bakelite by using a Q-tip with 409.  The Q-tip will turn yellow.

Ball joint Flexible coupling in a vehicle's suspension that connects the control arm to the steering knuckle. A ball joint is so named because of its ball-and-socket construction. Some are designed to never require grease while others should be lubed every six months. As the joint wears, it becomes loose. The result is suspension noise and wheel misalignment.

Bamboo Tray See Parcel Tray.

Banana Pressing The outward stamp on the back of 36hp fan shrouds, shaped like a banana.

Barndoor Any Bus produced through the end of February, 1955. The term Barndoor is credited to Jeff Walters and is in reference to the large decklid found on those vehicles. Barndoor Type 2's can also be recognized by the lack of an overhead fresh air vent over the windshield, 16 inch rims, the lack of full dash on non-deluxe models, non-opening rear window hatch (a few exceptions); not to mention miscellaneous switches, latches, seats and body panels that are unique to the Barndoor Bus and no other.  The term is often mistakenly used to refer to the 2 cargo doors on the side of a Bus.


October 1974 Volkswagen Greats article with term "Barn Door" mentioned. 

Barn find Strictly:
Vehicle parked in a barn for many years, often 20 or more. Typically describes a car that is unaltered - a nice original car that is covered in dust and needs a clean up and not a restoration.
Often:
Description to refer to any car that is found in a barn, garage, or other storage and has not been used in many years.  Condition and originality may vary.

Basic Bug
(1975 Model 110)
Please see this thread in the Forums for more details.

Door panels

Engine compartment details:
Lack of insulation and no pointed tabs
that would hold insulation to the firewall.
Fuel injection.
Taillight wire connector hangs out in space.

Rear kick panel - painted black

Trunk liner
Cardboard, with no cutout for air box

Plugs for air box and black washer nozzle
 

Rear interior shows cloth houndstooth upholstery, black painted fiberboard on back of seat. Interior panel with 2 clips showing, and seat latch. No headliner below the center of the top, and no holes for air to exit. Felt over a thin layer of tarpaper covers the wheel wells. The only insulation in the whole car lies under the rear shelf liner, which is made of the same cardboard as the trunk liner. The fuel injection computer gets a cardboard cover.

1975 dash, with brake warning light in the grill. Center defroster vent was retained. No air vent knobs, and no holes for knobs. (radio was installed later)

Behind the rear side windows, the vent indentation was retained. The black "chrome" strips have faded to a kind of dark aluminum.

Comparing center caps from (left to right) modern Mexican Bug, 1975 Basic Bug (clips on from the outside), and Rabbit.
 
 

Bastard Engine Redesigned 36 hp engine used for a short period in the VW Bus before the more formal 40 hp engine was used.  Please see this thread in the Forums for more details.

Battery Tray Area of the floor pan underneath the battery.  Often rusted out due to battery acid damage, this area is the most common needing welding or rust repair on a Volkswagen.

Batwing The steering wheel used in the Deluxe Beetles from very late 1949 until 1955.

Bay Window Bus All buses produced after July, 1967 (1968 model year) to 1979.  Also know as the T2. The name refers to its large, curved, one-piece windshield, differing from the first generation split screens. Also see Bread-Loaf
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Bead Blast Alternate name for Media Blast, specifically when glass beads or grit are used.

Beauty Ring Ring of metal, typically made of aluminum, that mounts near the tire in order to enhance the appearance of a vehicle.  Polished to a chrome-like appearance.  Standard on Deluxe Buses as well as some other early VWs, such as Ghias, before the introduction of trim rings.
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Beetle Nick name for the Volkswagen (people's car) - due to the striking similarity between the VW Beetle's bodywork and the appearance of the insect "beetle" the name has been adopted throughout the world with Beetle in the USA and UK, Kafer in Germany and Coccinelle in France, etc..  The Bug was produced in various forms in Germany from 1939 until 1977. By the time German production ceased in Wolfsburg (the car continued to be built by Volkswagen de México for some time, and in limited production by Volkswagen do Brasil) over nineteen million cars had been delivered, making it far and away the single best-selling automobile model of all time. Designed by the Porsche Büro under Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, it was to become the world's first truly universal car since the Ford Model-T, which it eventually outsold.
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Beetle Bags 2 or 3 piece luggage sets that are contoured to fit in the trunk (on top of the gas tank) and package area (behind the rear seat) of 1960 - 1966 beetles.  They were a dealer option made by Cascade Plastic in Spokane, WA.

Behr scoop Barndoor Bus accessory fresh air intake / Ambulance Fan

Brochure - Technical Bulletin Z1 - Fresh Air Regulator for VW Transporter

Bench seat Commonly refers to the full length front seat of a Bus.  Seats 3 people.

BeKoWa German manufacturer of roof racks and other accessories.
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Belly Pans Reinforcement used on sunroof buses (21/23-window or buses with an optional sunroof) and double door buses to add additional frame rigidity. 

Beltline The horizontal line defined by the lower edges of a vehicles windscreen, rear and side windows and pillars.

Bermuda Triangle The triangular area inside the lower front A-pillar of a Beetle.

Bias ply Original type of tire used on VWs through the mid 1960s.  The tire construction utilized plies that run diagonally from one bead to the other. One ply is set on a bias in one direction, and succeeding plies are set alternately in opposing directions crossing each other. Also know as a cross-ply tire.  Replaced by radial tires. 

Big Button Glovebox Slang term for the larger glove box button used on 1961-early 1963 Notchback and Squarebacks.
A locking version was used on Type 34s, for all years

Big M Radio produced by Motorola beginning in the late 1950s, characterized by a large "M" on the face plate.  Available as a radio option through US dealers.  Often seen as an "original" radio in Oval-Window Beetles.

Big Nut See Large Nut

Big Top Style of Westfalia tent.  Usually refers to the 1966-67 Split-screen Bus tent without a floor.  1968 and later tents have a floor.

Big Window Often refers to the larger back window used in 1965-1967 Beetles.
Also see Small Window

Small vs. Big Window example

Billet A solid chunk of metal, for use in machining or fabricating a part.  Billet parts are often used in demanding applications such as racing or military vehicles and are desirable to customizers, who don't really need the strength and durability of billet parts but who like the appearance. Billet parts were frequently used in the creation of the Cal-Look.
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Binz Binz & Co. is a custom coachbuilder, located in the small town of Lorch, some 30 km east of Stuttgart. The company produced special bodies for a number of automobile manufacturers, including a series of cabriolets for Mercedes Benz, ambulances on various chassis, and of course the doppelkabine pritschenwagen. It is estimated that about 250 Binz trucks were built, and the location of very few of these are currently known.  This makes the Binz Double Cabs among the very rarest of the production Volkswagens.  For the Type 2, Binz made Double Cabs by taking a Single Cab pick-up and modifying it with an enlarged cab and a rear 3rd door.  A rear seat was optional.  The earliest Binz Double Cab is thought to be a 1953 model.  VW started producing Double Cabs in its own right in late 1958, although Binz continued one-off Double Cab production into early 1959.
binz.jpg (88020 bytes) binz2.jpg (83131 bytes) 

Birth Certificate Document available from the Volkswagen Museum in Germany that can provide you with production information on your vehicle such as original VIN or Chassis #, Engine #, original paint and upholstery colors, and any options that were factory-ordered.  Also known as a Factory Letter.
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Bjalla Icelandic: Bjalla. In Iceland, a common nickname for the Beetle sedan and convertible. Bjalla means beetle in Icelandic.

Blades Slang for wiper blades.

Blaupunkt OEM Radio manufacturer for VW.  The most popular model seems to be the Frankfurt.
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Block-Off Plate Metal plate used to cover hole in dash if radio is not installed.

Boble Norwegian: Bubble. In Norway, a common nickname for the Beetle Volkswagen sedan and convertible. The term "Bubble" for the Beetle is common throughout Scandinavia.

Bocho Spanish slang name for the Beetle

Body Dropped Lowering process that involves the separation of the body from the frame.  The body is "dropped" lower on the frame and then both of them are welded back together.  See also lowered, slammed, and dumped
bodydropped.jpg (174790 bytes)

Body Man Person who performs bodywork.

Body Number On Buses, a number stamped behind the passenger front seat before the usage of the M-Code plate.  This number was used for tracking the body during the production process but has no useful meaning or direct relationship to the Chassis Number

Body Work To perform dent repair on your vehicle.  May also include the repair of rust and other damage involving welding or panel replacement.  See also Body Man

Bogár The most common name for the Type 1 in Hungary. Means insect, bug or beetle in English.

Boks In the Philippines, a deliberate mispronunciation of "Volks". The Tagalog language lacks the "V" sound; the closest value is "b". Philippine VW enthusiasts often intentionally use this misspelling as it is common slang.

Bondo Polyester body filler used to smooth out bodywork or used to repair dents or dings in metal.  Bondo has a negative connotation as it is often associated with poor body work or the over usage of the Bondo product, i.e. "That Beetle has 1/2" of Bondo on every fender!".
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Boneyard Slang for junkyard.

Bonnet See Hood

Bosch OEM supplier to VW.  Commonly associated with electrical parts such as spark plugs, coils, points, fog lights, and generators.
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Bottom end Refers to the bottom portion of an engine including the crankshaft, connecting rods and bearings, cam, and other components that deliver power to the transmission and rear wheels.  Also see top end

Bowden tube Flexible tube for the clutch cable that travels from the hard tube in the floorpan to a mount on the transmission.  Allows the clutch cable to flex up and down when the transmission shifts position due to driving forces.  The tube should have enough of a bend in it so that the 2 ends of the tube stay in place when the transmission movement is at it's maximum.  This is referred to as the "sag" and prevents clutch "chatter" by keeping the distance between the clutch pedal and the transmission constant through its range of movement.

Bows Another term for Hoops, used to support the canvas bed cover, or Tilt, available for Single and Double Cab trucks.

Brasilia Volkswagen do Brasil designed, developed, and produced a number of interesting vehicles for domestic usage and limited export, such as the Saõ Paulo SP-1 and SP-2, and others.  Among these is the Brasília, which strongly resembles the Variant or Squareback Sedan but which is actually a re-bodied Beetle.
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Breadbox Slang for tumbler cover for Westfalia SO-23s.

Bread Loaf A nickname for the 1968 - 1979 Transporter. It is a reference to its resemblance to a loaf of bread. See Bay Window.

Breather Kit Reduces crankcase pressure, eliminate blow-by (often piston blow-by) and oil loss. Often high revving modified engines require more crankcase ventilation than the stock breather set up can supply.

Brezelfenster German slang for describing an early split window beetle, brezel = pretzel to denote the similarity to the window's shape to a german pretzel, and fenster = window.

BRMs Type of rim characterized by: flat spokes, often painted black.  5-lug design.  These were originally made with magnesium and were therefore very light.  Currently being reproduced.  Originals have become very valuable to collectors.
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Brown and Brown Paint scheme consisting of brown beige on top and light beige on bottom. Only found on the Barndoor Bus Standard model.

Brubaker Box VW Beetle chassis-based kit constructed of 13 inner and outer fiberglass panels and using parts from several other vehicles at the times to produce a "box".  Originally debuted in 1972 but very few originals were made.  It had a single sliding door for entry and rigidity.

Buba Croatian: Bubble. A common nickname for the Beetle sedan and convertible in Croatia and throughout the former Yugoslavia.

Bubbla Swedish: Bubble. In Sweden, a common nickname for the Beetle sedan and convertible.

Bubble Taillights Style used on buses 1954 - 1957.
bubbletaillights.jpg (18192 bytes)

Bubbling Refers to an imperfection where the paint bubbles, often caused by heat or rust underneath.
 

Bud Vase A bud vase, or the more common "blumenvasen", is an accessory for early German cars including VWs and Porsche and were usually mounted on the dashboard. They were used to hold cut flowers or "buds" and were usually made of glass or porcelain. Original examples are quite hard to find and very collectable, even though reproductions are currently available.

Bug See Beetle

Bulkhead Area of the Volkswagen Beetle directly in front of the dashboard.  On Buses, the panel of metal directly behind the front seat.
bulkhead1.jpg (94140 bytes)

Bullets Indicative of the pointed turn signals used on VW Buses from 1955-1961 in the USA marketplace as well as the pointed turn signals used on early Oval Beetles, Ghias, and Type 3s.
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Bulli Or Bully. Nickname for the VW Bus in Germany. Originally the VW Bus was to be named the VW Bulli but Heinrich Lanz, producer of the Lanz Bulldog farm tractor, objected. The nickname caught on anyway. Also see Bus

BuM Manufacturer of locking/latching assemblies. Examples: Bus door handles, cargo door handles/latches, and rear hatches.

Bus General term describing the VW Transporter series of vehicles - Panelvans, Kombis, Standards/Microbuses, and Deluxes.
bus.jpg (145309 bytes)

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