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| S Model |
1964-65 "S"uper aka "Deluxe" model Type 3 that
introduced the dual carbureted, high compression 1500cc engine, although
with a number of other cosmetic and mechanical improvements. See also N-model.
 |
| Safari | Model of the named Type 181 aka the Thing |
| Safari Bars |
See cow catchers. |
| Safari Windows |
Optional opening front windshield for
the pre-1968 Split-screen Bus. Often standard issue in the more humid
climates, such as South America and Australia. |
| Sakbayan |
This is a Type I box type Volkswagen, the design of which copied from the
Country Buggy of Australia, although the entire body was built and
hancrafted in the Philippines. This was introduced in the 70's. The workd
"Sakbayan" came from two Filipino words; "Sasakyan" means "vehicle" in
English and "Bayan" means "Country" in Filipino. Hence, the term "Sakbayan". |
| Salagubang | Nickname for the Beetle in the Philippines |
| Salvaged | Indicates that a vehicle has been involved in a total loss such as theft or a wreck where the insurance company paid out the market value of the vehicle to the registered owner. A vehicle with a salvaged title is worth less on the open market and in the eyes of an insurance company. |
| Samba | Nickname for the 23-Window Deluxe Microbus in Europe. |
| Sand Blast | To strip paint off of a car using sand applied at high pressure. See also media blast. |
| Sandrail |
VW-based off-road vehicle, often consisting of a
tubular frame and 1-4 seats for sand usage. |
| Sano | The term "Sano" comes from the late Grey Baskerville. He died in 2002 after working for nearly every car magazine (maybe even VW trends) back to the late 50s and early 60s. He also pioneered terms like "Reet". The term has no background; "sano" isn't short for sanitary or insane. It is a Grey original. Sano refers to a clean vehicle, e.g. "That Bug is super sano!" |
| São Paulo | Volkswagen do
Brasil coupe, produced from June, 1972 until December, 1975. Both
versions, the SP-1 and the SP-2, were based on a modified Type III chassis and were equipped with pancake engines produced in
Brazil.  |
| Sapphire Radio | Original equipment radio manufacturer for VW.
Sapphire radios were sold through USA dealerships and came in various AM
and AM/FM models. |
| Sassafras | Slang for safari windows. |
| Saxomat | A Saxomat was a factory retro-fit kit for an
ordinary 4-speed transmission, offered upon special request from around 1959
until 1967, made by Fichtel & Sachs AG. The Saxomat was developed in
the 1950s as a type of automatic clutch available as an option on Saab 93,
Volkswagen Beetle, Borgward, DKW, BMW, Opel, NSU and Glas. When Volkswagen
introduced the full synchromesh gearbox in 1961 they were able to fit a
Saxomatic gearbox to it, as an option for the European market. The
Saxomatic was optional on both Type 3s and Beetles from 1961. Cars with a Saxomat clutch did not have a clutch pedal, the clutch was engaged above certain engine RPM by centrifugal force, acting on spinning weights inside the clutch, similar to a centrifugal governor. A centrifugal governor controls the speed of an engine by regulating the amount of fuel admitted, so as to maintain a near constant speed whatever the load or fuel supply conditions. More information: http://users.cybercity.dk/~ida2958/page8.html |
| Sawzall | Electric saw useful for quickly cutting through VW sheet metal. Often used to disassemble a parts vehicle for sale. |
| Schwimmwagen | Amphibious
Volkswagen that floats and is usable on water. The crankshaft has a
special attachment that connects to a propeller for water movement.
See Type 166.
 |
| Screamer | A Bosch 019
distributor with a coat of hammertone blue paint applied. Sold as a kit
starting in the 1970's with a blue coil.
 |
| Seamed Gates | Term used for truck bed gates used on early
Double Cabs, 1960 and earlier. These gates were made from cut-down
Single Cab gates so they have a visible seam down the center of the gate.
They can also be identified by the smaller middle side impression on the
gate. Later Double Cab gates, which were specifically made for Double
Cabs, have 3 evenly sized side gate impressions.
 |
| Sedan | Term to indicate a solid roof vehicle as opposed to a ragtop or convertible. |
| Segaphones | Slang term for Semaphores, used as a joke term in the Samba Forums. Originally based on one or more classifieds misspellings |
| Sekurit | German OE manufacturer of glass used in VW and
other vehicles. Sekurit is tempered glass so it will shatter as
opposed to cracking.
 |
| Selecta | Image created with one of the various Selecta
on-line programs. |
| Semi-Automatic | Semi-Automatic, aka Autostick, had a torque converter and an electrically-actuated, vacuum-operated dry clutch wired to an articulating gearshift lever. The engine oil pump has a second external section to pump automatic transmission fluid from a reservoir (under the fender on Bugs and inside the engine compartment on Ghias) through the torque converter and back to act as an rpm/ speed sensitive, hydraulic "wet-clutch" like most fully-automatic transmissions use. This common option was started in '68 and gave excellent drivability, economy and ease of use for beginners and partially-disabled people. This should not be confused with the fully automatic transmission used on Type 3s and later model Buses. |
| Semaphores | Turn
signals used before flashers were in general usage, these arms pop-up from
the body of the vehicle and lights up via a small bulb to indicate you
wish to turn. Used through the 1960 models in Europe and else
where. Until 1955 in the USA. Also see
Winker.
 |
| Servo | For early Volkswagens, a term used for a device used to amplify the braking force applied by the driver. Somewhat incorrect in that this is actually a mechanical amplifier and not a classic servomechanism. Example: Brake servo. |
| Shark nose | A slang term for 1970-up Type 3's.
Refers to the shape of the front apron. |
| Shepherd's Crook | Slang term for the distributor vacuum pipe,
which has a similar shape to a shepherd's crook. Designed to keep fuel
fumes from corroding the vaccum advance diaphragm of the distributor through
the use of a curve. |
| SHO | The German manufacturer, Hermann Stribel. They
produced electrical components including turn signals, brake lights,
semaphores, connectors, etc. The company logo is an interlaced "S" and "H"
inside a circle.
 |
| Shoot | Slang term used for the application of paint or primer to a vehicle, e.g. "I'm going to shoot my Bug Sea Blue this weekend." |
| Short Block | Short block refers to the bare engine
including the engine case, crankshaft and not much else. It does not
include the heads or any external accessories such as intake manifolds,
carburetors, generator/alternator, or fan shroud. |
| Shorty | Term used
to describe a Bus that has been shortened, often by removing the area of
the cargo compartment where the cargo doors are located. Opposite of
the stretched customization.
 |
| Show Car | VW that is in top quality condition and frequently entered in car shows, possibly a trailer-queen. Usually not a daily driver. |
| Side Loader | Like the extinct
Tieflader, except instead of a door, it has a diamond plate ramp. 50
1961 Single Cabs were Coachbuilt to compete with the Corvair Rampside. Only
2 are still known to exist. Also see Low Loader
 |
| Side Step | VW or aftermarket
accessory
step that connected into the jack points underneath the Bus
cargo doors. This step was used to aid
in entry to the VW Bus rear cargo or passenger area. |
| Sidler | German brand name company that produced
interior dome lights for various models during the 1960's and 1970's,
including Type 1, Type 2,
and Type 3. Sidler also made the rear ashtray in
Bay Window Buses.
 |
| Sigla | German manufacturer of glass used in VWs.
Sigla is laminated safety glass so it will crack instead of break into small
pieces. It can also delaminate where moisture can get in between the
panes and cause bubbles. |
| Silverfish | Bay Window Special Model. See
this Forum
thread
 |
| Single Cab | VW Pick up truck produced beginning in 1952.
3-person seating up front. 8 foot x 4 foot bed with 3 drop down side
gates. Often accessorized with a Tilt, aka "hoops
and canvas" |
| Single-port | The early style of head which has only one intake hole (or port) which splits off into two separate ports internally to each intake valve. |
| Single Wheel Trailer | A trailer that has only one wheel supporting
it. The trailer attaches to the tow vehicle using a special hitch, which
attaches at two points to the vehicle, not just one. |
| Skalbagge | Swedish: "shell-bug" (beetle). In Sweden, the most common nickname for the Beetle sedan and convertible. |
| Skid plate |
A piece of sheet metal or mild steel attached to the front area under the
front axle or under the rear of a sand rail or glass buggy to protect the
undercarriage when off-roading. |
| Slam |
To slam a vehicle is a slang term
meaning to lower it. In Bug and Bus, this involves cutting and re-welding
the front beam and/or installing drop conversion kits manufactured to fit
either link pin or spindle front ends. The rear can be slammed by
reindexing the rear torsion bars. |
| Slammed | Slang for a vehicle that has been lowered. See Slam |
| Slant nose |
Slang term for all pre-'70 Type 3's. Refers to downward slant of front hood.
See also shark nose. |
| Slash Bumpers |
Bus bumpers. 1959 - 1965.  |
| Sleeper | Slang for a vehicle that appears stock or in poor condition from the outside, but has a large displacement engine. |
| Sloped Rack | A sloped version of the Westfalia roof rack found on pre 1961 model Westfalias. |
| Slug Bug | See Punch Bug |
| Small Nut | Refers to the size of the rear axle nut and reduction box design on a pre-1964 Bus. A small nut reduction box uses a 36 mm axle nut and has a gear ratio of 1.39:1. Also see Large Nut |
| Small Window |
Often refers to VW window sizes from 1958-1964. From Small Wonder VW History book: The largest change to date for the Beetle was in 1965: the majority of the body stampings were revised, which allowed for significantly larger windows. The windshield increased in area by 11% and was now slightly curved, rather than flat. Door windows increased accordingly by 6% (and door vent window edges were canted slightly back), rear side windows 17.5%, and the rear window 19.5%. The result was a more open, airy, modern look. Also see Big Window  Small vs. Big Window example |
| Smokefix |
A small holder of cigarettes with an automatic self lighting feature
optional in the 50s for in dash installation. (6-volt) |
| Smooth Bumpers |
1953 -1955 (US) Beetle bumpers. Also called a "Euro" or "Blade" bumper. Used in Europe until 1961. Overriders
used in the US from 1956 - 1967. 
 |
| Smooth Gate |
Reference to the original gate design on early barndoor era single cabs. In
contrast to later gates with a stamped design, smooth gate single cab gates
have a flat exterior profile. Used on 1952-53 Single Cabs, up through
Chassis # 20-066115.
 |
| Smoothies |
Slang for 15" Beetle wheels that are
"smooth" on the outside - they have no slots
 |
| Snowflake Taillights |
1956-61 Beetle taillights
 |
| Snowtop | See Freedom Camper |
| Snubber |
Slang term for the front or rear rubber suspension stops
 |
| SO-kit | Description needed. Send a description (special option kit) |
| SO-22 |
Special option code given to the 1961-'65 Westfalia
camper conversion with a laminated wood interior. Forums thread with more detail |
| SO-23 |
Special option code given to the Westfalia
camper from '59-'61.
Forums thread with more detail |
| SO-33 |
Special option code given to the 1961-'65 Westfalia
camper conversion with a laminated wood interior. Forums thread with more detail  |
| SO-34 |
Special option code given to the 1961-'65 Westfalia
camper conversion with a laminated white interior. Forums thread with more detail |
| SO-35 |
Special option code given to the 1961-'65 Westfalia
camper conversion with a finished wood interior. Forums thread with more detail |
| SO-42 |
Special option code given to the '65-'67 Westfalia
camper conversion with a finished wood interior. Forums thread with more detail |
| SO-44 |
Special option code given to the '65-'67 Westfalia
camper conversion with a finished laminate wood interior. This package was
built in a non-walkthru bus and can come with either a full dormobile top or
smaller pop-top style. Only 500 were made. Forums thread with more detail |
| Solex | OE manufacturer or VW parts. Usually associated with carburetors. |
| Sondermodell | German: "special model". aka Deluxe Bus. |
| Sonderausfuhrungen | Special model Buses that could be ordered
directly from the Factory Some examples are: SO9: Pick-Up with hydraulic cherry picker SO16: Double Cab conversion (Binz) SO33: Westfalia Camper with small roof hatch |
| Sopru | First factory approved camper manufacturer in
Australia. Factory in South Australia. E. Sopru and Co. |
| SOTO | At one time the largest Bus club, SOTO was formed in LA in the eighties. Over the past few years the club has become inactive or at least has stopped attending events and producing a newsletter. |
| Southwind | OEM
manufacturer of gas
heaters.  |
| Sparkafer | See Standard Beetle |
| Speedo | Slang for Speedometer. |
| Speedwell | A car tuning company from the 1960's located in London, England and connected with the aftermarket VW parts company EMPI from that era. |
| SP1 | Built by VW of Brazil in the 1970's (June 1972
through 1975). Displacement is 1584cc, normally aspirated, with two Solex
32 PDSIT carburetors. Features a sculpted, sporty 2 seat Coupe body married
to a Type 3 chassis, Swing Axle Rear Suspension and Type 1 front end.
Also known as Project X / Prototype X. It bears a loving resemblance to the
T3 Fastback, the 411/412 Coupe and its' Porsche cousins. See
Type 149.
 |
| SP2 | Built by VW of Brazil in the 1970's (June 1972
through February 1976). Displacement is 1678cc, normally aspirated, with
two Solex 34 PDSIT carburetors. Features a sculpted, sporty 2 seat Coupe
body married to a Type 3 chassis, Swing Axle Rear Suspension and Type 1
front end. Also known as Project X / Prototype X. It bears a loving
resemblance to the T3 Fastback, the 411/412 Coupe and its' Porsche cousins.
See Type 149.
 |
| Speedometer | Gauge on vehicle which determines speed,
measured either in mph or kph. |
| Speedster Replica | VW-based kit car built to resemble a Porsche
speedster automobile.
 |
| Spice Rack | One of the cabinets in a Westfalia
kit. Intended to hold spices.  |
| Spindle | Portion of the front-end around which each
brake drum or rotor rotates. Connects to the front beam. Also
see drop spindle |
| Splash Guards | See mudflaps. |
| Split-Case | VW transmission used from 1953-1960 (1959 in Buses). Non-synchromesh, straight-cut first gear that required you to stop before engaging first gear. Case was split down the center like an engine case. |
| Split Case Design | Design term to indicate a transmission or engine built with 2 halves that are joined in the center. See split-case or crashbox. Not to be confused with split-case transmission. |
| Split-screen | Any bus,
transporter, microbus, panel, kombi, single or double-cab of the
Volkswagen Type II description with a manufacture date prior to 1968 (e.g.
1967 and earlier). Refers to the divided front windshield. |
| Split-window | First mass
production run of the Beetle. Used two pieces of flat glass for the
rear windows. |
| Splitty | Nickname for a 1949 through 1967 Transporter with a two-piece divided windshield. Also, the nickname for a pre-1953 Beetle sedan with a two-piece divided rear window. See Split-screen or Split-window. |
| Spoon latch | Slang term used to describe the long version
of the pop-out window latch used on pre-67 buses. The latch is chrome and
looks like a spoon. |
| Sports Bug | The special edition for 1973. Available as a Super Beetle. Two colors were offered; bright yellow, and metallic silver blue. All chrome was painted flat black. This was the only VW with 5.5" Sport Wheels, and wider tires (as opposed to later 4.5" Sport Wheels). Interiors came with Recaro style front seats, and all seats were black vinyl with dark purple corduroy inserts. There was also a thick rimmed small diameter steering wheel. |
| Sportsmobile | U.S. based
camper conversion based initially out of Indiana. Had a pop-top that
raised straight up, similar to a Riviera, except
without the molded fiberglass luggage rack in front. |
| Spring Kit | Slang for '55-'57 Westfalia interior. |
| Sprint Stars |
Type of rim  |
| Square | Slang term for Squareback. |
| Square-Window | Slang term for the 58-up Beetle. As opposed to Oval-Window or Split-Window |
| Squareback |
The Type 3 3-door sedan. Also
known as the Variant. Produced from 1962-1973. More info
welcome...  |
| Squirrel Cage |
Term often used to describe the type of fan used for either a fresh air or
auxiliary heater fan. The arrangement of the rotor bars resembles a
squirrel cage; hence, the term squirrel-cage.
 |
| Stale-air | December, 1962 and earlier heater system where the air used to cool the engine was directed into the passenger cabin for heat. The air often picked up engine smells like oil and fuel vapors or odors from cylinder head leakage, causing a "stale" smell. See also Fresh-air |
| Standard | The typical Standard or Microbus. A mid-range passenger Bus appointed with a headliner, full interior panels and 3 passenger seats. Available in 7, 8, and 9-seat
versions. Two-tone paint came standard.
For Brazil: Up to 1966 all Buses in Brazil had 13 windows. The Standard model had no headliner, panels, or trim. After 1966 all Buses have rear corner windows, they were 15-Window Buses but Standards still had no headliner, panels, or trim. Standards were also one solid color, top and bottom. |
| Standard Beetle | Model 111/112/115/116 Base model Beetle. The term
Standard is typically used when referring to early 50s/60s models. e.g.
Standard vs. Deluxe but can also refer to 70s models, e.g. Standard vs
Super Beetle. 1950s/60s models featured
painted handles and bumpers, no chrome, no fuel gauge, limited color
choices, and so on. Non-exhaustive list of features for 67/68 models: |
| Steering Damper | A damping device designed to inhibit an
oscillation of a vehicle steering mechanism, similar to a shock absorber in
nature. On VWs, a shimmy in the front end is often caused by a worn out steering damper. 
 |
| Station wagon | Marketing term used for the Bus in the USA |
| Stinger | Straight-pipe exhaust with no muffler.
Often very loud, originally intended for racing use only. |
| Stock | Denotes a vehicle that is stock in appearance
and mechanics. Term often used incorrectly. |
| Straight | Descriptive term referring to clean body lines, lack of dents, etc. |
| Stretched | Slang for customization where a "limousine"
effect is created by merging two or more vehicles. Opposite of a "shorty"
customization. |
| Stufenheck | German term for Notchback. Literally, "Step-Back". |
| Sub-Hatch | Term used for the roof opening in pre-65 model
Westfalias, used for ventilation. Also see flip-hatch.  |
| Suicide Doors | Driver or passenger doors hinged at the rear rather than the
front edge.  |
| Sun Bug | A special edition in 1974. It was available as a regular Bug with a sunroof, a Super Beetle with a sunroof, or a convertible without a sunroof. All Sun Bugs were metallic gold with 4.5" Sport Wheels, and a Sun Bug badge on the deck lid. Interiors were tan with corduroy seat inserts, wood grain on the dash, silver highlights on the horn button, and a Sun Bug shift knob. |
| Sunburst pattern | See Swirl |
| Sundial | Sundial was a camper conversion outfit from LA
in the 60's and 70's. Typically Sundial campers were based on Panels
and Kombis and have a tell-tale red "Sundial Camper" badge and unique
fold-out bed.
 |
| Super Beetle | A
variation of the Beetle. Characteristics include a
big-nose front hood, larger trunk space, McPherson strut front
suspension, curved windshield ('73-later), and modern dashboard (also
'73-later). '71-72 (and '70 overseas) will have a flat windshield and
typical Beetle dashboard. |
| Super Escarabajo | Spanish nickname for the Super Beetle |
| Super Vee |
VW race car class that originally involved the use of a Type
4 engine of 1600cc size. |
| Surface Rust |
Thin layer of rust that can be removed and has not damaged the
vehicle's body panels. |
| Survivor | Slang: Un-restored original car with little work other than maintenance done. Typically original paint, interior, engine, etc. No restoration work done. |
| SVA | See SVSA |
| SVDA | Single Vacuum Dual Advance . A distributor with both vacuum and mechanical advances but only one vacuum can. |
| SVSA | Single Vacuum, Single Advance . A vacuum-advance only distributor. Vacuum can sizes vary by year. |
| Swamp Cooler |
Device that produces cold air in hot, dry weather by drawing hot air over a
wet cooling pad, either by air movement or via a fan.
 |
| Swap meet |
Gathering of VW enthusiasts to buy and sell parts. Usually accompanied
by a car show. |
| Swirl pattern |
Slang for the pattern used on pre-1959 Bus rear seat
kick panels |
| Swing-axle | Pre 1968 VW rear end design. As opposed to IRS. |
| Swivel-seat |
Original VW Bus options that allowed the driver's and
sometimes passenger seat, to swivel into the cargo
area. Involves a cut-down design of the front seat bulkhead.
Installed only on walk-through Buses.
 |
| SWF | Company that produces semaphores and other electrical items for Volkswagen and other vehicles. In the 1950's SWF was part of the company Gustav Rau GmbH. Gustav Rau started SWF - Spezial Werkzeugfabrik Feuerbach, in 1923. In 1973 it was sold to ITT. In 1998 SWF was taken over by Valeo - http://www.valeo.com |
| SWR |
Abbreviation for Sealing Wax Red, a common color used on pre-1966 Buses.
Alternatively, when talking about CB radios, it means Standing Wave Ratio. |
| SWT | See Single Wheel Trailer |
| Syncro | Four-wheel drive system for VW Transporters offered as an option on the Vanagon and Eurovan Bus and Trucks and also later Quantums, Golfs, and Passats. |
| Synchromesh | VW transmission design introduced in 1960-1961 (depending on model) where the four forward gears were fully synchronized. Tunnel-case transmission design. |
