TheSamba.com :: View topic - For inquiring minds. Bubble, egg taillights, 55 facts &

Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:23 pm

Bought a 55bug born June'55, there are no egg shaped taillights, have the snowflake pattern. I understand that they were 1 year only, '55. Can someone give me an idea why they don't appear to be the right ones, short of a switch from the previous owner

Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:35 pm

In 55 there were like 3 sets of lights you could have got, remember the 55 only, were US 55 only

So you could have got

Hearts, 55's, or the larger Oval style.

Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:49 pm

'55oval wrote: Bought a 55bug born June'55, there are no egg shaped taillights, have the snowflake pattern. I understand that they were 1 year only, '55. Can someone give me an idea why they don't appear to be the right ones, short of a switch from the previous owner

I've researched the hell out of this (I have an april 55 with eggs). These were discontinued in May 55 for the snowflakes. So if you have a US car, you should have snowflakes, non eggs, no semaphores and bullet fenders.

Mon Aug 16, 2004 4:39 am

Thanks fellows for the help. Just wanted to make sure I didn't get ripped by someone changing out the taillights considering the eggs go for a pretty penny.

Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:11 am

2splits and YUSTRN beat me to it with the correct info. I have a July of '55 with bullets, full bumpers, ribbed doors/door and window winder handles, straight shifter handle, 100mm gas cap, heater knob behind the e-brake, smooth rear apron w/ single tip exhaust, BUT it came with the '56-'60 "snowflake" tail lights, and the 56-59 non-batwing steering wheel... I actually talked to a guy that was in the Wolfsburg assembly line during that time, and he said that the factory shut down earlier than normal that year to get ready for the '56 changes, and, as they ran out of parts, they took whatever they had, and that fit, and put them on the car to get it out of the factory.
If anyone is looking for a set of NOS "Egg" *HOUSINGS ONLY*, PM me, I think I still have a set, and I have a few NOS (either or) right or left side only ones, too....JUST the housings, NO lenses or brackets !!

Mon Aug 16, 2004 3:52 pm

there was an ultramaroon 54 in a july of 96 hot vws issue that was made in late september that came with eggs, so they were put on late 54's too in the ovals only r. kimball book he states this also my 54 has eggs on it also

Mon Aug 16, 2004 4:01 pm

texasbrown54 wrote: there was an ultramaroon 54 in a july of 96 hot vws issue that was made in late september that came with eggs, so they were put on late 54's too in the ovals only r. kimball book he states this also my 54 has eggs on it also

I remember that car. Its on the cover of that issue. 55bundt was gonna paint his 55 ultra maroon but thought it looked too pink.
I had a sahara beige late 55 like Dave's. Back then we called them "American 55's" with full overiders and bullets. I always said I would still install semaphores if I got another one but I think those are rarer than early semaphore 55's with bubble lense egg lights.

Mon Aug 16, 2004 4:10 pm

SuperSkim wrote: texasbrown54 wrote: there was an ultramaroon 54 in a july of 96 hot vws issue that was made in late september that came with eggs, so they were put on late 54's too in the ovals only r. kimball book he states this also my 54 has eggs on it also

I remember that car. Its on the cover of that issue. 55bundt was gonna paint his 55 ultra maroon but thought it looked too pink.
I had a sahara beige late 55 like Dave's. Back then we called them "American 55's" with full overiders and bullets. I always said I would still install semaphores if I got another one but I think those are rarer than early semaphore 55's with bubble lense egg lights.

You could have the snowflakes, bullets and overriders as options in April of 55. That stuff became standard during May 55. So its probably pretty even. Most of the 55's I have seen have the snowflakes and bullets.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 7:47 am

:D This is what I love about bugs :D No one answer is correct, or wrong!! It makes it so much more fun to own a car that varies so much. 8)

Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:21 am

Skim, my '55 was painted a color called Nile Beige, code L-370. They didn't use it for very long, it was superceded by Prairie Beige (L-378, I think) very quickly. The Nile Beige is a kinda "creamier" Beige, I gave the paint mixer fits trying to match the color...

Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:53 pm

My '55 came with semaphores and US only '55 tail lights ?? I swapped the '55 only ones out for hearts.

There's 3, late 55's as we call them, running around here. I know 2 of them are US bumpers, no semaphores, snowflake tail lights, and 3 fold ragtops.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:36 pm

I'll throw my two cents in on this one. My '55 was built in March and came with towel bar bumpers, "eggs", no exaust cutouts, and semaphores. It was a three fold sunroof also.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 5:30 pm

Oldnslow wrote: I'll throw my two cents in on this one. My '55 was built in March and came with towel bar bumpers, "eggs", no exaust cutouts, and semaphores. It was a three fold sunroof also.

Towel bumpers were factory options in March 55. The rest is typical for a March 55. All 55's were 3 folds.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 6:17 pm

2splits wrote: Oldnslow wrote: I'll throw my two cents in on this one. My '55 was built in March and came with towel bar bumpers, "eggs", no exaust cutouts, and semaphores. It was a three fold sunroof also.

Towel bumpers were factory options in March 55. The rest is typical for a March 55. All 55's were 3 folds.

I wasn't saying 2 fold vs 3 fold. I was stating the fact that alll the ones local are sunroof cars.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 7:17 pm

mr. warehouse to you wrote: 2splits wrote: Oldnslow wrote: I'll throw my two cents in on this one. My '55 was built in March and came with towel bar bumpers, "eggs", no exaust cutouts, and semaphores. It was a three fold sunroof also.

Towel bumpers were factory options in March 55. The rest is typical for a March 55. All 55's were 3 folds.

I wasn't saying 2 fold vs 3 fold. I was stating the fact that alll the ones local are sunroof cars.

I know. I was referring to Oldnslow.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:05 pm

Today, someone was rubbing in that I should put hearts on my 55. But I like my snowflakes!

Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:13 pm

I traded my set of hearts for 55 american bubble lights.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:18 pm

Volksman66 wrote: Today, someone was rubbing in that I should put hearts on my 55. But I like my snowflakes!

Unless the car is a non-US import, the car should have snowflakes or bubbles, never hearts.

Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:56 pm

2splits wrote: Volksman66 wrote: Today, someone was rubbing in that I should put hearts on my 55. But I like my snowflakes!

Unless the car is a non-US import, the car should have snowflakes or bubbles, never hearts.

I had to read that several times.
Couldn't you just say "European spec"??

:) :)

Wed Aug 18, 2004 12:31 am

mr. warehouse to you wrote: 2splits wrote: Volksman66 wrote: Today, someone was rubbing in that I should put hearts on my 55. But I like my snowflakes!

Unless the car is a non-US import, the car should have snowflakes or bubbles, never hearts.

I had to read that several times.
Couldn't you just say "European spec"??

:) :)

I had to re read it over too. Sorta like you and Coad earlier and the stolen car thread.
Now, its my understanding that eggs were U.S. market ONLY. Is this correct?