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Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:00 pm

Hey guys,
Can anyone tell me if this is the correct ragtop for a '50 splitwindow?
Thanks in advance!

Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:41 pm

looks like a 3 fold , so must be correct

Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:10 pm

It is a 3 fold, but i thought that there were differences in 50-55 ragtops like the rubber insert in the side rails and the center support above the mirror? correct me if i'm wrong

Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:11 pm

kkb wrote: Hey guys,
Can anyone tell me if this is the correct ragtop for a '50 splitwindow?
Thanks in advance!

The bus rag top mechanisms are dated so I would think the bug ones would be as well. In the above picture on the bars that come out from the handle and twist there should be a date stamped in one of them.

Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:06 pm

Thanks!, i will check for a date stamp :D

Tue Nov 08, 2011 6:52 pm

it has 53-55 aluminum rails, you can have the groove for the rubber strip machined off and they will look like the correct rails. otherwise nobody will probably never notice the other stuff after its installed

Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:45 am

No date stamp on this baby.....

Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:48 pm

No correct 50-52 aluminum rails :wink:

Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:16 pm

Here are pictures of my '50 ragtop on the body and the assembly. the rails on my '50 are different than yours. It looks like the assembly you have came off '53. I hasd a '53 for along time and the ragtop looks the same as yours.Hope this helps.

Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:26 pm

1953Volks wrote: Here are pictures of my '50 ragtop on the body and the assembly. the rails on my '50 are different than yours. It looks like the assembly you have came off '53. I hasd a '53 for along time and the ragtop looks the same as yours.Hope this helps.

also i checked for a date stamp, i didnt find one on the twisted metal rod as stated above on the bus ones.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:43 am

Thanks for the detailed pictures volks!

Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:35 am

kkb wrote: Thanks for the detailed pictures volks!

your welcome anytime

Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:54 pm

1953Volks wrote: Here are pictures of my '50 ragtop on the body and the assembly. the rails on my '50 are different than yours. It looks like the assembly you have came off '53. I hasd a '53 for along time and the ragtop looks the same as yours.Hope this helps.

Could someone provide me with more information about this type of sunroof?
Is it an original or an aftermarket version? And is it true that this type was only used in the first 50 Beetles?

I happen to have an identical, complete roof here, but so far no one has been able to tell me exactly what it is.

Sun Apr 06, 2025 4:56 am

The sunroof pics shown are genuine VW Golde sunroofs as installed in Wolfsburg.
I've never heard that the first 50 Beetles had anything different from later production cars. Sounds fishy to me. Could it be you heard that this was the type to be installed in the 1950 Beetles instead?

The big difference between the first version of 3 fold sunroof and the later ones is the aluminum rails. Later ones from around 53 up to 55 have an extra dove-tail groove to accept a vinyl strip like you find in the aluminum trim of a Deluxe Microbus.

Post pics of what you have.

Sun Apr 06, 2025 11:43 am

Bruce wrote: The sunroof pics shown are genuine VW Golde sunroofs as installed in Wolfsburg.
I've never heard that the first 50 Beetles had anything different from later production cars. Sounds fishy to me. Could it be you heard that this was the type to be installed in the 1950 Beetles instead?

The big difference between the first version of 3 fold sunroof and the later ones is the aluminum rails. Later ones from around 53 up to 55 have an extra dove-tail groove to accept a vinyl strip like you find in the aluminum trim of a Deluxe Microbus.

Post pics of what you have.

Apologies for the confusion — this is not related to the first 50 Beetles, but rather to the first type of sunroof introduced in the 1950 model year.
As far as I know, 1950 was also the first production year in which the Beetle was available with a sunroof.
Interestingly, this roof cutout differs from later versions, featuring a much sharper wind deflector edge than the ones that came afterwards.
I’ll upload the photos sometime next week, and I’ll take some time to carefully review the manual as well.

Sun Apr 06, 2025 4:49 pm

You are correct, the first year for the folding sunroof was 1950.
The square front leading edge is the same for all sunroofs from 50 to 55. The 56 and later 2 fold sunroof had a rounded bump at the front.

Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:34 am

Bruce wrote: You are correct, the first year for the folding sunroof was 1950.
The square front leading edge is the same for all sunroofs from 50 to 55. The 56 and later 2 fold sunroof had a rounded bump at the front.

Thanks that's where I was looking for.