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

Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:23 am

Skim, to the best of my knowledge and research, yes, that is correct, the "Egg" lights were US-only lights. The Hearts were used on non-US cars up until the late 50's/ early 60's, along with the semaphores. The thinking in the US was people were getting hit all the time, because no one was looking for non-flashing turn signals mounted up between the door and quarter windows, and they weren't looking for (almost) horizontally-mounted brake lights, either. I haven't found the documentation to support this, but I understand that the US told Volkswagenwerk that if they wanted to continue selling Type 1's in the States, then they had to make flashing turn signals and brake lights that could be seen more easily. The "Egg" lights were a temporary measure, until VW could design and manufacture something else, which makes me wonder- did they buy the "Egg" lights from a non-VW factory manufacturer, and if they did, who were they, and do they still have the stamping and molds to re-make them, and did they make them for other cars as well as the VW and if so which car and.... :?:

Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:23 am

SuperSkim wrote: 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?

Damn it. It was late, I had a brutal day at work, and my dog died. Yes, I meant US spec. LOL

Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:28 am

A while ago I saw an add here that was selling a set of hearts with the egg shell lenses?? :?: Anyone ever seen this? I'd like to get me a set of eggs, but for now snowflakes will do. when was the eggs last put on a bug, I mean when in 55 I have a early August 55 3 fold, non ribbed.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:04 am

There is a good bit of useful info on the eggs and hearts and actually all type I tail lights here ...
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wired/wired_08_01/wired_08_01.htm

Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:18 am

coma wrote: A while ago I saw an add here that was selling a set of hearts with the egg shell lenses?? :?: Anyone ever seen this? I'd like to get me a set of eggs, but for now snowflakes will do. when was the eggs last put on a bug, I mean when in 55 I have a early August 55 3 fold, non ribbed.

The hearts with the Eggs is somebody just customizing the taillight. they never came that way from the factory. Your August 55 should have snowflakes and bullet turnsignals.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:08 am

2splits wrote: Your August 55 should have snowflakes and bullet turnsignals.

Yep, that's what I got! but those eggs shure look hard 8)

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:21 am

coma wrote:

Yep, that's what I got! but those eggs shure look hard 8)

Ick, I don't really like hard (boiled) eggs.

So to further this discussion, does positioning on the fender vary between the light styles? i.e. were the snowflake lights higher up than the eggs/hearts?

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:53 am

javabug wrote: coma wrote:

Yep, that's what I got! but those eggs shure look hard 8)

Ick, I don't really like hard (boiled) eggs.

So to further this discussion, does positioning on the fender vary between the light styles? i.e. were the snowflake lights higher up than the eggs/hearts?

Yes. All pre snowflake taillights were lower on the fender. The snowflakes were on the same spot for about a month or two in 55 but were raised up on the fender when the US towel bumpers became standard in the US.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:52 am

That makes perfect sense, that they had to be higher up with the bumper overriders.

Terrific, normally hard-to-find info going on here.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:18 pm

Quote: Yes. All pre snowflake taillights were lower on the fender. The snowflakes were on the same spot for about a month or two in 55 but were raised up on the fender when the US towel bumpers became standard in the US

2splits would you by chance know what the distance would be on the early 55's with snow flakes but european bumpers? The distance before they moved em up!

Chris

Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:23 pm

On August 4, 1955 the taillights were raised by 60mm. So, if you know where a 56 taillight is, lower it by 60mm. You MIGHT be able to go off of this too. This is where the hearts and eggs were located on the fender. I think its the same place, but no 100% sure.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=81696

Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:57 pm

Ok so my 55 has bullets, over riders, and snowflakes. So from what I have read here it is correct, yes? I also seem to have maybe 57 fenders because they don't have any ridges inside where they mount to the body like Trayle said 55s have. So would that mean that the lights are mounted at the correct heighth then?

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:07 pm

coma wrote: I have a early August 55 3 fold, non ribbed.

Your car has a 3 fold but no ribbed doors? Cant be :?: I thought all 3 fold cars are also ribbed door cars.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:09 pm

Dave wrote: Skim, to the best of my knowledge and research, yes, that is correct, the "Egg" lights were US-only lights. The Hearts were used on non-US cars up until the late 50's/ early 60's, along with the semaphores.

So on european bugs they still kept using hearts up until the early 60's? :?

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:10 pm

SuperSkim wrote: 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?

I suspect they were correct for canada as well as I have purchased 2 pr.(a sepperate times) of egg's at canada VW shows..

I have a NICE pr. of rear fenders for a 54-55? beetle with OG appearing overrider holes and factory heart/egg light holes...I would sell them if someone is in need.
does anyone know if overrider bumpers were avail. in '54? if not I am bure you could have had them installed at the dealer..

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:11 pm

actorboy wrote: Ok so my 55 has bullets, over riders, and snowflakes. So from what I have read here it is correct, yes? I also seem to have maybe 57 fenders because they don't have any ridges inside where they mount to the body like Trayle said 55s have. So would that mean that the lights are mounted at the correct heighth then?

The ribs between the bolt holes are on the rear fenders only up to 60. The fronts dont have the ribs stamped between. Only the back.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:19 pm

camerod wrote: does anyone know if overrider bumpers were avail. in '54? if not I am bure you could have had them installed at the dealer..

My first car was a 54 bug (military serviceman owned) import that had overider bumpers with O.T. holes through the heart fenders. I think the ones brought over later from servicemen etc had to go to the dealer to be "Americanized"
Infact I have a speedo that I thought was an 80 MPH clear needle. I looked closer and it is a sticker that resembles an OG 80 mph speedo face glued over the OG 120KM speedo face.

Another thing that tripped me out was on the Penty when I first got it. It was a true low tailight 55 3 fold BUT it came with overider bumpers and when I checked the backside of the front apron, the lip where the side of the front clip folds over that the front apron skin attaches to would go up then around the overider tube hole like it was meant to have overiders. If it was a euro car with overider tubes and somebody cut the O.T. holes, they would have cut through part of that lip I was talking about.

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:24 pm

do you know the production date on the Penty

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:25 pm

texasbrown54 wrote: do you know the production date on the Penty

If I remember correctly it was around april of 1955

Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:32 pm

yes, I have seen the same thing on the front clip. the car that these rear fenders came off of is a '54 with overrider holes front and rear, the holes look too clean and semetrical to be dealer done plus the fronts are clean like skim described the penty, not cut into the front quarters.