TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1961 One-Year-Onlies...

Thu May 25, 2006 8:55 pm

I think the "bee catcher" I have will be the only accessory I show... but a practical one to boot!

Hi Bill, we'll have to swap stories over a few cold ones sometime! ...wish I'd have known you lived there when I used to live down in Serra Mesa.

Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:43 am

Could anyone post up a picture of the teardrop washer nozzle please?

Cheers

Pete

Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:39 pm

I vaguely remember my first VW, a 61, having that teardrop shaped nozzle on it. Looking around the classifieds I found this one for sale, this is how I remember mine looking like, look at this listing:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=232144

and I think I've seen one or two like this one before, in chrome

Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:51 pm

I had a "chromed" one on my '65 (kind of jelly bean-shaped) when I first bought it in 1976. In 1980 I had the car painted and the shop removed it and of course replaced it with one of the "nice, new, black ones!"...<sigh>.....Of course, I didn't know better at the time. A year or so later I happened to open the ash tray and there was the old one! I don't smoke and only use it for the odd quarter or nickel from the drive-thru window. A nice find which I promptly re-installed after the last paint job in 1998.

L572

Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:54 pm

Don't forget the wiper switch is one year only also.

Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:55 am

Thanks for the reply’s

Thanks for the pic… yeah I think that’s the one (I think)…

my car is exactly as it was when it came out the factory apart from the washer jet.. :( The last owner had a block in the nozzle and changed it for a black plastic one :( <sigh> (that was the only thing he changed in 25 years) arr well I’m sure I’ll find one, it will just take time… :(

Any one else got a pic has it got one or two holes for the jets?

Pete

Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:53 am

2 jets.

Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:06 am

cheers Bill :)

Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:22 am

I have a early 61 sedan ( no fuel gauge) with a light gray steering wheel.
Its all original so I know it came that way.

Mario

Tue Aug 22, 2006 7:32 am

I've still got the light gray steering wheel that was in my 61. The little brass pins for the funky horn ring setup don't work though.

Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:38 am

Dont forget the bonnet stay!! wasnt 61 the last year for the bonnet strut, which actually twists the bonnet out of shape. they replaced with a 2 strut version.

H

Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:30 am

1961 had one year only Turn signal switch. 61 had spade connectors, 1960 had screw on type.

Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:41 am

I am curious of a few items on my car. I am the 2nd owner of a 61' ragtop. I ran the numbers of the car and found the manufacture dates. I am trying to determine if the car is a delux model or a euro standard. It has a choke cable, grab bar on dash over glove box, heater knob on hump at base of shifter, tear drop washer valve, orig. fuel tank has float and stock fuel guage in dash labeled 4/61 same as the speedo (4/61) fron H apron rear standard. 8 fuse panel not split 4. I m confused as all hell after doing my research having found "too much information". Steering wheel, column and signal switch seems to be all correct 6 wire and no horn wire. Of course the turn signal switch handle is snaped off. Anyway, I need help!!!!
Thanks :roll:

Sat Oct 13, 2007 11:51 am

Is the fuel gauge and sender mechanical or electric? I wouldn't have thought they'd have had a mechanical one available that early in 1961, as they didn't begin production on them until later that summer.

So it has a choke cable running all the way to the dash then? Or just a cable tube for one on the chassis? I had a 62 that I'm pretty sure was originally an European model that I found had a choke cable tube on the chassis.

What kind of ignition switch does your car have? The dash style or a locking-steering-column style?

Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:12 pm

markymark61 wrote: I am curious of a few items on my car. I am the 2nd owner of a 61' ragtop. I ran the numbers of the car and found the manufacture dates. I am trying to determine if the car is a delux model or a euro standard. It has a choke cable, grab bar on dash over glove box, heater knob on hump at base of shifter, tear drop washer valve, orig. fuel tank has float and stock fuel guage in dash labeled 4/61 same as the speedo (4/61) fron H apron rear standard. 8 fuse panel not split 4. I m confused as all hell after doing my research having found "too much information". Steering wheel, column and signal switch seems to be all correct 6 wire and no horn wire. Of course the turn signal switch handle is snaped off. Anyway, I need help!!!!
Thanks :roll:

Standard would not have the grab handle, washer system, or fuel gauge, but would have the H rear apron to go along with its 36hp engine....does it have body or dash trim? Does it have a full headliner, or just partial?

What is the VIN#?

Sun Oct 14, 2007 2:23 pm

Okay the car has all dash trim, grab handle, mechanical fuel guage, the steering wheel is light grey with correct turn switch, it has a flat fuel tank but does have the fuel tap as well as a guage. When I baught the car it had a rear H apron but I was told it was not correct. :roll: It was damaged so I replaced it. Chassis has a choke cable tube as well as the choke knob. The car has a wiper bottle and tear drop nipple (black)
Vin # is 3871468
Thanks to all!

Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:03 pm

Its an early May '61 car.

The choke cable is really the only thing that doesn't make sense.

Either the pan is pre-'60, or from a standard model. Do the VINs match from pan to body plate?
Unless the P.O. just added a choke like he added the fuel gauge? Any stock engine would have an electric choke except a 36hp, so why? :?

Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:27 pm

The thing that gets me with this, is the date on the fuel gauge. 4.61 seems a bit early for a mechanical one.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:01 am

...and the fuel guage is stamped 4/61 but I have two other guages I baught for parts for restoration and they have no date stamp?????
Anyway, the whole choke cable thing is weird but I am wondering if someone threw it in running an older carb. Motor is not correct it is fron 65 and the thing is a joke of mis-matched parts. I am searhing for a motor from same time period if you know anyone. I am going to scrap the choke cable completely.
Thanks for all your help...
Mark

Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:44 pm

RareAir wrote: scottyhoffo wrote: I have the correct steering wheel, but what about color? The BC says "radscheibe" but that means "wheel disk"... my wheel is painted what appears to be the original L390 golfblau.

Your steering wheel is painted L390 Gulf Blue? Hmmm :? I thought only convertibles were equipped with color-matched steering wheels.

Irish bugs did.
heres mine colour coded steerng wheel,gearstick plus handbrake.

and you can just make out the clover in the top corner.