TheSamba.com :: View topic - Official 50s-60s Front Fender Thread

Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:07 pm

Please add data from your original paint cars to fill in the blanks below

Pre 50
please add

50-52
round horn grill on driver side only
please add

53-54
oval horn grill on both sides
smooth headlight bucket

55-56
two round dimples
bullet mount

57
two vertical dimples
two drain holes

58
new t/s location

last of the running board buldge

june 59
loss of large buldge at running board
loss of large headlight buldge

60-63
flat area between dimples
no wiring tube

1960

1963

64-67
change in location of t/s mounting area, now closer to hood and no longer in centerline from headlight

please add

NOS replacement parts from VW used many variations of the bucket depending on production date.

Here are some examples of a VW NOS factory replacement bullet fender from the 60s compared to an original 57 fender. images from theressurectionproject in Sacramento

60s NOS compared to an original 60s fender

There are no exact vin numbers that note a change to the different bucket. The only notation in Progressive Refinements is in regard to the wiring tube that was dropped for the 60 model.

Current KlassiFab split reproduction fenders.

The above images are mainly export and euro fenders do not seem to follow the pattern. European fenders seemed to use the two round dimple buckets up to mid 58, anyone with info on euro specific fenders please add.

Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:53 pm

Shoudln't the gerson split repro Have smooth headlight bucket ?

Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:24 pm

it does now....

Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:17 pm

i saw them for the first time live @ bad camberg this year with Etienne, they were looking good but pricy ! :lol:

Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:53 pm

All original US delivery 1966 Beetle right front...

Left front is a mirror image of course...

Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:42 am

Saw this thread listed in the split forum

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=262571

Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:05 pm

I don't know for sure, but these fenders are passing a lot of tests to be German. The colors are a weird green and a slightly weird red, but there is a slightly cheaper way of making the closing flanges meet on the red fender, which is also about 1/2" narrower by the running board.

Sat Jan 07, 2012 3:30 pm

Too long to edit first post:

Here are some specs to tell difference between split/oval fenders vs. late 50s

late 50s

early 50s

Left split/oval Right late 50s

Bulge

Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:55 pm

What do you all think of these fenders here? They belong to 3 different 67's I'm looking at.
Car #1

Car #2

Car #3

Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:57 am

correct '67

Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:23 am

I guess it's 0/3 on those 3 bugs. I amazed on how many 67's have incorrect fenders out there.

Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:53 pm

I have heard and seen evidence that the '67 fenders with the wide spaced horn grilles were not cheap re-pops, but in fact were the genuine VW factory replacement fenders from the '70's on.
A friend who has been a pro bodyman since that era has bought them like this straight from VW dealer, and has has installed many of them as the best quality replacement available at the time.
You can also see where they came from in these pictures of 1972 European Standards, or Econo Beetles as I believe they were called. They used these very same fenders from new. Notice they are both 1972 models with push button hood handle and a fuel door on the quarter panel...

It would make sense that they would then sell these fenders as US '67 replacements when their original supply ran out, as they made many more in this version to supply the additional demand up into the '70's.

Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:32 am

derluftwagen wrote:
june 59
loss of large buldge at running board
loss of large headlight buldge

When in June of 1959 was this change? My car is a June 29th build but the og fenders are long gone.

Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:48 am

rcs_80 wrote: What do you all think of these fenders here? They belong to 3 different 67's I'm looking at.
Car #1

Car #2

Car #3

Sorry to add to the line-up but the european 67's had the old style headlights. It was only in the US that the 67's had upright h/lights

Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:00 pm

hunza wrote: Sorry to add to the line-up but the european 67's had the old style headlights. It was only in the US that the 67's had upright h/lights

Not a problem, the more info the better. In the 30 years of dubbing here in the states I have only seen one euro 67, the disk breaks were sweet!

Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:02 pm

61SNRF wrote: I have heard and seen evidence that the '67 fenders with the wide spaced horn grilles were not cheap re-pops, but in fact were the genuine VW factory replacement fenders from the '70's on.

You are correct Bruce, Maxicar is an Italian company that was an OE supplier. They still produce the same fenders today. Not the easiest to source but they are a bit heavier than the Chinese/Mexican/Brazilian offerings. Their fenders are as close to original as you can get but the vents ae not the same as the originals. I got a buddy who is in the crash parts business and had a set of OE '67 fenders that he's had in his possession since the '70's. When he was restoring his '67 vert, the difference was pointed out and he ended up restoring his original fenders instead of using the NOS set.

So technically you could have a set of NOS OEM fenders that would >not< be the same as originals.

-jeffrey

Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:01 pm

AlteWagen wrote: hunza wrote: Sorry to add to the line-up but the european 67's had the old style headlights. It was only in the US that the 67's had upright h/lights

Not a problem, the more info the better. In the 30 years of dubbing here in the states I have only seen one euro 67, the disk breaks were sweet!

I believe 67 was the first year for disk brakes on the Karmann Convertible. I may be wrong as features for different markets vary and to top it all 67 itself is a one year only model.

Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:01 pm

jhicken wrote: 61SNRF wrote: I have heard and seen evidence that the '67 fenders with the wide spaced horn grilles were not cheap re-pops, but in fact were the genuine VW factory replacement fenders from the '70's on.

You are correct Bruce, Maxicar is an Italian company that was an OE supplier. They still produce the same fenders today. Not the easiest to source but they are a bit heavier than the Chinese/Mexican/Brazilian offerings. Their fenders are as close to original as you can get but the vents ae not the same as the originals. I got a buddy who is in the crash parts business and had a set of OE '67 fenders that he's had in his possession since the '70's. When he was restoring his '67 vert, the difference was pointed out and he ended up restoring his original fenders instead of using the NOS set.

So technically you could have a set of NOS OEM fenders that would >not< be the same as originals.

-jeffrey

My point Jeffery is that these so called replacement US '67 fenders with spaced out horn grilles are indeed factory originals, but they originally came on brand new '68-'72 Basic Beetles in Europe. They may have been subsequently reproduced in quantity for the aftermarket by an Italian firm, but quite a few were indeed Genuine VW pressings. If they are all you have, then filling and moving the horn grilles would be a good and viable option IMHO.

Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:12 pm

Dutch market '67 Sparkafer AKA 1200A fenders...

As far as I know hunza, only the '67 "1500" cc Deluxe Beetles outside of the US market got the front disc brakes, likely due to German auto safety regulations regarding HP ratings and such, but the 1200A/1300 Deluxe models still retained the standard drum brakes.

Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:22 pm

[quote="61SNRF"]Dutch market '67 Sparkafer AKA 1200A fenders...

As far as I know hunza, only the '67 "1500" cc Deluxe Beetles outside of the US market got the front disc brakes, likely due to German auto safety regulations regarding HP ratings and such, but the 1200A/1300 Deluxe models still retained the standard drum brakes.[/quote

That is correct. My 67 vert does have a 1500 cc. engine and it has 4 lug wheels that accept the later style hub caps.