TheSamba.com :: View topic - Post Barndoor, Wolfsburg Bus Features And Changes

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:02 am

mynameismud wrote: well- damn..it certainly does- but the VIN puts it before the end of March - doesn't it?

Last VIN in March 1956 is 174 402

176 345 is April 1956 - looks like the AutoMuseum got it right :wink:

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:16 am

mynameismud wrote: thom wrote: Wolfsburg buses don't have the 'lip' around the fresh air inlet screen above the windshield.

Mine does.
It also has the tube tranny, seamed doglegs, and gas flap seal (thou- the seal is long gone.. :cry: )
2-position rear hatch

Mine is as above (and narrow gap front bumper)

175 639 - 3 April 1956 (according to the AutoMuseum)

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:20 am

mike spadafora wrote: I will go out and take a look at my bus ( 2/56) in the next few days and see what weird things I notice . Mine has the round seal on the gas door, , six leg middle seat - but later floor mat, early steering gear, early decklid , early battery tray, and a strange mix of window glass with early and later logos . narrow front bumper license plate area, 4 part doglegs, later vent screen .

what's your vin? ( i feel like i asked you this before, but...)
what makes the steering gear "early"?
what makes the battery tray "early"?
got pics? i'd like to compare to my 2/56/

my 2/56 has all glass logos the same, and i am pretty darn certain they are all original to the bus:

and even the dots are all the same except for the front slider windows (which match eachother, dot under the S rather than the E), and the rear glass which has no dots.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:36 am

Ok the only no left is on the right side about even with starter bolt stamped in the sheetmetal. 169283 or maybe 5 the last no is about gone. It also had the seal on the fill door. There are remnants of it there. As i said it had tube rear, 3 pcs dog legs, barndoor style front bumper, lip on the vent area. Later

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:46 am

My feb 56 23 window 168xxx has the lipped front air vent,tight mesh scren,2 position rear hatch,rubber seal gas door,3 piece doglegs,tubular transmission horns.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:56 am

Metalwizard wrote: Ok the only no left is on the right side about even with starter bolt stamped in the sheetmetal. 169283 or maybe 5 the last no is about gone. It also had the seal on the fill door. There are remnants of it there. As i said it had tube rear, 3 pcs dog legs, barndoor style front bumper, lip on the vent area. Later

Kelly, what are the characteristics of my '55 kombi you have out there at your place? (other than beat down and rusty) :lol:

Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:18 am

Horn button on the early non barndoor 55 deluxe's has the 52-54 bug/barndoor deluxe button (the black part and castle) in the non-barndoor bus steering wheel.

The sheet metal piece of the bottom of the jack box under the front seat is different on 55 then later in 56. (You have to be under the bus to see the difference).

Early 55 non-barndoors have the same glass as 54-55 barndoors. Which is the same as the picture above WITHOUT the reverse etching of SEKURIT.

Does anyone have a non-barndoor deluxe older then March 26th 1955 other then Matt D.?

Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:11 pm

Stephen, Damn if i know that bitch is fugly and dangerous, i'm not crawling under that suka outside. I'll look a bit later this afternoon. I know it has 3 pc dog legs, half a barndoor bumper. Later

Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:50 pm

Metalwizard wrote: Stephen, Damn if i know that bitch is fugly and dangerous, i'm not crawling under that suka outside. I'll look a bit later this afternoon. I know it has 3 pc dog legs, half a barndoor bumper. Later
It still has doglegs? Can't be that bad then.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:31 pm

Well whats left of the dog legs anyway, OK it has only 1 lock place for the rear hatch, looks as if it might have had the seal around the fuel door at one time which both are missing, It has that very rare, one of option of the BBQ on the rear deck :twisted: ROFLMAO. The rest is just plain FUBAR. You have the plate off of it i think, Right?

What you should put Stephen is Wanted 55 Kombi Body For my Sunroof !!!!!

Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:42 pm

I am going to spend some time searching for photos referencing these unique features. It would be neat for folks to see a pictorial comparison of the subtle differences.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:50 pm

Metalwizard wrote: Well whats left of the dog legs anyway, OK it has only 1 lock place for the rear hatch, looks as if it might have had the seal around the fuel door at one time which both are missing, It has that very rare, one of option of the BBQ on the rear deck :twisted: ROFLMAO. The rest is just plain FUBAR. You have the plate off of it i think, Right?

What you should put Stephen is Wanted 55 Kombi Body For my Sunroof !!!!!

:D niiiccceee...

Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:55 pm

derv wrote: I am going to spend some time searching for photos referencing these unique features. It would be neat for folks to see a pictorial comparison of the subtle differences.

Jack, here is a start. but yes, i hope people can start posting some pics of these differences.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=202405
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=202403
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=202402

from 2/56 vin 172606
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=194146
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=194145

10/55 westfalia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105609
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105608
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105605
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105603
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105602

floor mounting for 6 leg seat.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=195451

also, on the early decklids, where the latch attaches, the threaded portions are pressed in sleeves, as opposed to a welded in nut or threaded plate like later ones. the early style really sucks if you have a stubborn or rusted screw, because once those pressed in sleeves start spinning in the lid, it is a super pain to get the screws out. they are visible in this pic, look at the 2 round things around where the latch attaches. maybe someone can take a better pic of that particular area.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:40 pm

i would take some pics- but mine is still in the shop... :roll:
i guess that is ok- since it's suppose to snow 2-freakin' inches this weekend.. :evil:

Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:11 pm

My April 1955 Wolfsburg Kombi....

It features:

Long Ribbed Front Bumper (although not pictured here)
Lipless Large Mesh Fresh Air Screens
Seamed Doglegs
Semaphores
6 Leg Middle Seat
Sharp Middle Legged Rear Seat Bottom
Bakelite Domelights
Rubber Gas Door Seal
Tubular Tranmission Hanger
Single Position Rear Hatch
Early Decklid Rear Bracing

Also features loads of the earlier type Engine Characteristics including:
'54/'55 Fuel Pump with Bumps on the lid rather than Ribs and a "25hp" style bottom portion with the huge screw on the left side.
Thin Lipped Crankshaft Pulley
Thin Slot Generator
Round Regulator
Early Wingnut Style Aircleaner
Thick Nut/Thick Lipped Generator Pulley Assembly

I know there have to be at least a couple other details I'm overlooking.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:20 pm

BUCIOBATISTI wrote: My April 1955 Wolfsburg Kombi....
Also features loads of the earlier type Engine Characteristics including:

Early Wingnut Style Aircleaner

does the bottom of your air cleaner, where the oil is, have radial lines or concentric circles? (if you look on the bottom where the wing nut is, you will know what i am asking about).

also, something nobody has mentioned yet, is the early style vent window latches and the rounded top catches for them.
the latches are flatter than later latches, and the catches are rounded at the top, not "indented" like the later ones.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:35 pm

hazetguy wrote: BUCIOBATISTI wrote: My April 1955 Wolfsburg Kombi....
Also features loads of the earlier type Engine Characteristics including:

Early Wingnut Style Aircleaner

does the bottom of your air cleaner, where the oil is, have radial lines or concentric circles? (if you look on the bottom where the wing nut is, you will know what i am asking about).

also, something nobody has mentioned yet, is the early style vent window latches and the rounded top catches for them.
the latches are flatter than later latches, and the catches are rounded at the top, not "indented" like the later ones.

Wow, I just learned some stuff. Mine has concentric circles, it's like it is "terraced". However, my Bus had the later type 1957-1959 style aircleaner on it when I got it, didn't realize until now that there are different types of the wingnut one.
Also I'm almost positive that mine has the domed top vent wing catches. I could just walk out to the garage and take a look to be sure but I'm having a incredibly good burrito while I type this...

Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:44 pm

Jon- I was part of a collaboration of some basic information and pictures that documents some of these features on www.bigbulli.com
If you go to "Features" and then "Simon's '55's" or "Wolfsburg To Hanover" or something like that, you'll see some pics I contributed of these features.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:56 pm

hazetguy wrote: BUCIOBATISTI wrote: My April 1955 Wolfsburg Kombi....
Also features loads of the earlier type Engine Characteristics including:

Early Wingnut Style Aircleaner

does the bottom of your air cleaner, where the oil is, have radial lines or concentric circles? (if you look on the bottom where the wing nut is, you will know what i am asking about).

also, something nobody has mentioned yet, is the early style vent window latches and the rounded top catches for them.
the latches are flatter than later latches, and the catches are rounded at the top, not "indented" like the later ones.

Those latches ran until atleast '57.

The left battery tray has ribs instead of circles as well.

Don't forget the front cab floor mat around the heater tube has a slit rather than a round cutout for the shharp edge of the heater vent.

Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:06 pm

Eh Greg is right. I have domed top latch catches on my December '53, April '55, and March '57. My 1960 has dished catches.