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Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:20 pm

52brezelfenster wrote: Brezelwerks wrote: [email protected] wrote:

Wow, thats a gorgeous split! :wink:

Looks even better in person I am told :D

Hey Dustin, I was wondering when you were going to jump in :D

Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:52 pm

100 pictures of the Split

http://denverpost.gallery.swagit.com/gallery/v/50splitrag/

Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:08 am

52ragtop wrote: p horvath wrote: does this help?

Thank you Mr P Horvath. That's exactly what I wanted :D

Michael.
oooh, all original split. who's the lucky guy?

Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:36 am

p horvath wrote: 52ragtop wrote: p horvath wrote: does this help?

Thank you Mr P Horvath. That's exactly what I wanted :D

Michael.
oooh, all original split. who's the lucky guy?

Paul, is that beauty still in CA? Reminds me a lot of Wiggy's old blue split.

Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:22 pm

yes, the car is still in the hands of the same owner.

Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:39 am

p horvath wrote: yes, the car is still in the hands of the same owner.

It's beautiful.

Mon Jun 18, 2018 4:44 am

digging up an old topic :lol: ....

So now that we know when the dimple disappeared (it seems to be around 2 months before the zwitter model production started)... the question still remains WHY the dimple disappeared.

Does anyone know why the zwitter model and onwards models did not have a dimple any more?
Why did the Volkswagen factory abandon the dimple?
Was a centre mounted antenna not fashionable any more, or was there some other reason no dimple above the front windscreen was made any more?

Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:41 am

Maybe it was so that the new radio receivers developed so much better that the short antenna cable not need any more? Then no need for the center antenna.

Mon Jun 18, 2018 9:07 am

tisius wrote:
Was a centre mounted antenna not fashionable any more, or was there some other reason no dimple above the front windscreen was made any more?

I have to imagine it was because the center mounted antenna was outdated and no longer desirable. Keep in mind that almost every aesthetic change VW made over the years was to 'update' their cars and keep consumers happy.

While many of us love and lust over a center mounted antenna NOW, Im sure there were many people back in 1952/1953 who found it annoying right in the center of their windshield, and those who found it archaic.

Mon Jun 18, 2018 3:17 pm

From Zwitter on aren't they mounted on the front quarter panel?

Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:03 pm

Wolfgang1 wrote: usariemen wrote:

Well, if it´s a factory pic. Maybe some kind of zwitter prototype.
Little closer to splits with the dimple, the fronthood handle and maybe more split parts.

That`s it, and development of the zwitter was surely started in 50/51 or???
You all know that the next modell of a car needs development time, even VW :wink: :wink: :wink:

Blue Baron wrote: To clarify, production of the Volkswagen sedan with a split rear window ended in March of '53. The roof dimple ended with production of the twin-glovebox-dash split at the end of Sept. 1952. All split rear window cars built after Sept. didn't have it. If your car is a pre-Oct. '52 car and is missing the bump, it's because some previous owner or bodyman decided it shouldn't be there and eliminated it.

Wrong!

Back to the dimple, the last ca. 2 month (i don`t know exactly) double dash splits :wink: have NO DIMPLE as the roof sheet metal is the later "Zwitter" version.

name it "background modification"

My September 52 split (untouched car off course) has no dimple and other later details for example the rear quarter panel (5 instead of 6 holes for trim, stampings for the later shocks but no hole and short shocks).

Wolfgang

I stand corrected. My August '52 car still has the dimple. It would be interesting to know exactly when it ended. Sounds like something that should be listed in Progressive Refinements.

I've seen similar "background modifications" on later cars. For example, I have owned two late '66 Beetles that each had one '67 rear quarter panel (on opposite sides) that were undrilled for the "Z bar" compensator spring.

Wed Jun 20, 2018 6:41 pm

joebug1956 wrote: its a Jan. 52... no dimple... im confused

... my old 1952 Zwitter had no (convex) dimple...

... My old 1950 Deluxe HAD a dimple.

... my old 1950 Standard HAD NO dimple.

Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:02 pm

....................sometime in August '52 they deleted the dimple.

Wed Jun 20, 2018 7:45 pm

im wondering why we are referring to it as a dimple? a dimple is concave, this is convex. maybe it should be called the antenna bump?