TheSamba.com :: View topic - Color for gas tank

Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:48 am

jooles wrote: When asking the birth certificate for my car, VW sent me an extract from a book in german which lists every colours of the body and of the different parts of the cars. Here is what is written concerning tanks :

- 47-49 : umbra (which is some kind of earth brown : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra_(Farbe) , link is broken)
- 49-52 : car colour
- 52 - 10/52 : blue grey (without ref)
- 10/52 - 08/60 : blue grey L29
- 08/60 - : grey black L43

I don't have anything about convertibles though, but I will tend to take those informations as correct for sedans.

I tend to suppose black tanks are replacement tanks. For instance, the tank on my car is black, without anything unde this black, and I'm sure they wouldn't have sanded it before painting it (hey, they didn't do it for the body...)

Julien

I tend to take those book extracts as a waste of paper :) That book is okay in many ways, but definately not on the colours...

Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:52 am

guteandtite wrote: noheb wrote: The colour of the tank has been discussed so many times now... Earlier discussions have come to this conclution:

(Following does not apply to standards!, export only)
up to april 1951: Same colour as the car.
from april 1951 to mid 1955: Sedan: Matt black, Cabrio: same as the car.
from mid 1955: bluish grey on most cars.

Best regards,
Ken.

but convertibles up to 1960 had color matched tanks ( at least the top side)

Precisely... And some mid 55-up Swedish cars have factory modified gas tanks and I have seen that some of these are painted a different colour aswell... more blue I believe...

Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:51 am

In fact I'm confused. I know the Wolfsburg museum is not accurate on such details, and that books can be really deceiving. Moreover, pics on that topic and in the gallery agree with your version. Even my car agrees with you. I really don't know :-s

Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:38 am

Just you all do as I tell you, or you will ALL be grounded for A MONTH!!!

Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:07 pm

I love modesty :D

Where does your info come from? :p

Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:21 pm

Hehe, yes... It's from a discussion on Strictly Vintage VWs from a few years back. Everyone with UNRESTORED cars were encouraged to write month, year and model of their cars and what colour the tank was...

It also seems to match the concensus here very well, except for Kevins vert that seems to cause some confusion...

Best regards, Ken.

Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:51 pm

I looked at my tank today and although it's covered in a layer of dirt and dust, it looks to be a dark bluish grey underneath. I'll post some pics once I get it cleaned up.

Sun Jan 11, 2009 3:32 pm

My'59 has the original paint on the tank, and I have a spare tank with also the original paint on it.
When you look at them together they look identical, but when you photograph it with a flash, they look different.

Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:27 pm

Ok, so, black tank.
Just one question for 53oval. What colour is your tank? Is it black, dark grey?
Thanks ;)

Julien

Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:27 pm

jooles wrote: Ok, so, black tank.
Just one question for 53oval. What colour is your tank? Is it black, dark grey?
Thanks ;)

Julien

:D I was trying to stay out of this............ It's dark grey, and that was a
"spot on" computer match. The tank mounting brackets are black. :wink:

Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:58 am

Sorry :oops:
Thanks anyway ;)

Julien

Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:07 am

jooles wrote: Sorry :oops:
Thanks anyway ;)

Julien

It's quite all right Julien...................I don't know why mine was not mat black, but '53 ovals are a little "odd" anyway. I do know that the color was original, and that the tank had not ever been replaced.

Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:48 pm

guteandtite wrote: im trying to figure out a for sure fact on this one detail about convertibles thats puzzling me: whats correct for the gas tanks on 1956 to 1960 beetles? I need to know what karmann did at their factory different than wolfsburg did for sedans and ragtops. Are humptanks in convertibles painted:

1) paint matched the convertible's body color top side and bottom side
2) L29 grey
3)paint matched the convertibles body color top side and L29 grey on the bottom side?

any pics of unrestored cars with their original issued tank unmolested would really help!

also, if you still have the original trunk liner and wiring covers in place, are they painted light grey ( how wolfsburgwest sells them) or are they paint matched to the convertible's body color?

still havent gotten any guesses on my above question. also another mystery about the tanks is ive noticed right where the spare tire rubs the tank, there is usually what looks like a 1 X 5 inch section of tank that maybe had tape or a label on it? most tanks ive seen are totally rusty and general muffed up except this spot has nice original grey/blue paint. hmmmm...

Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:43 am

This just became an issue for me, because at the Treffen this weekend there was a guy with an all original (paint, interior, engine, weatherstripping, etc) black '57 ragtop with a blue/gray tank. I have a '57 diamond green ragtop with a black tank, which I painted (it was originally black, you can see black under the deal undercoating plastered on it) thinking that is the correct color as every humpback I have ever seen, other than 'verts and Ghias, has been black until I saw this thread and this particular car. Judging from what I have read and seen in person (I sell parts and have come across at least 15 humpbacks all in original condition: rusty, dented, etc.) the only hard rule seems to be that 'vert and Ghia humpbacks were painted body color and bug sedan ones were painted either black or gray, so I am thinking black or gray are both correct.
--Dan

Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:05 am

So... does anyone have a color match formula for the L29 blue Grey in PPG single stage? The Glaso paint is $98 pint but the real killer is the hardener only comes in 3.5 liters for 280.00. I see a lot of posts for "close" colors, but hopefully someone has a formula that can help out.

Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:46 pm

Black58EuroBug wrote: Hi! A black tank is a replacement tank or a repainted tank, the correct color of an original tank from 10-52 until the early 1960s is L29 gray-blue, I tried tracking this code down and it is impossible to find anywhere. However, there are a couple other pieces in the car also painted the same color, such as the two piece heater connection covers under the rear seat and you can drop off a piece and have the color matched.

Kimberly I really enjoyed your site. It reminded me of when I dismantled my 66 and my wife would come out in the garage and say, "aww, he looks sad you need to put him back together." So funny. Great job on your restoration!!

Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:51 pm

bloogy wrote: So... does anyone have a color match formula for the L29 blue Grey in PPG single stage? The Glaso paint is $98 pint but the real killer is the hardener only comes in 3.5 liters for 280.00. I see a lot of posts for "close" colors, but hopefully someone has a formula that can help out. maybe go to your local bodyshop that uses glasurit paint, and buy some hardener from them?

Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:00 pm

jimmy1 wrote: bloogy wrote: So... does anyone have a color match formula for the L29 blue Grey in PPG single stage? The Glaso paint is $98 pint but the real killer is the hardener only comes in 3.5 liters for 280.00. I see a lot of posts for "close" colors, but hopefully someone has a formula that can help out. maybe go to your local bodyshop that uses glasurit paint, and buy some hardener from them?

Or have a body shop that uses it paint if for you...shouldn't be too expensive.

Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:27 pm

Hello, I have my 1960 vw bug and I need some help here :)
My fuel tank looks like the pics that you guys posted here, and I have place for a fuel gauge located on my dashboard. It seems from the factory. But I dont see any hall or place on the fuel tank to plug the wire or a house that will be connected to my fuel gauge.
Is that strange ? or Im missing something there??

Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:51 pm

The dash itself would have a square hole in it but for 60 the grill would have a short cast chrome piece unless a gauge was installed at the dealer. IF an accessory gauge was placed the grill would have a round hole and gauge (VDO) or a vertical "hot dog" slot for a denhe type cable gauge.

Some early 58s ive seen had a mercury gauge that was mounted between the headlight and wiper switches which was also a small round gauge.

Most would have a hole drilled in the top of the tank for a sending unit but some used a small hole drilled in the filler neck where the sender would mount.

Here is a pic of my 60 dash with one type of grill with a VDO gauge

Here is another type of gauge