Need help matching an engine and body for a new beetle

[AAN]

I’m a beginner and am looking at a potential first time purchase of a big.

Chassis number from under the rear seat reads 117071154
And engine number is D0 991807

Any chance this is the original engine for this body?

For some reason the rear deck lid has 1300 written on it. Front lights are the old Porsche ones. Wheels have 5 nuts/bolts

[mukluk]

Both the car VIN and engine serial number date from August 1966, so yes, it's possible that engine could be original to that car assuming it's not a US market car. The 1300 decklid badge wouldn't be correct if that engine is original (D0 series engines are 1200cc), and if the car was originally a US market car it would have come with an H series 1500cc engine. If I'm not mistaken, the 1200cc equipped '67 models sold in Europe would still have the older style sloped headlights as used up through the '66 model.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[61SNRF]

Hi AAN,

The chassis/VIN number tells us it is a 1967 model year chassis at least.
For the German and Euopean markets in 1967 they made Beetle models in 1200, 1300 and 1500 versions. All of them had the early sloping headlights you descibe.
All the decklid emblems interchange so that is not the best way to tell. Breifly, a 1200 may or may not have a 1200 on the decklid, for sure the 1300 model would have 1300 on the decklid and the 1500 will most certainly have 1500 on the decklid but, the 1500 would not have the 5-bolt wheels.

Further, the 1200 engines were stamped with a D as the one you give us, the 1300's stamped F and the 1500's stamped H. That could mean yours was ordered with a 1200cc engine option, or is a 1200A model but that is unlikely because they were not producing the 1200A as early as this VIN, or it is not the original 1300 engine.

If you can, it would help us greatly if you could look under the front hood at the VIN plate to see if it says "Made in Germany" like this ...

Here is a flyer showing what these models I've descibed look like...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/67beetle.php


This only descibes the German produced models as there were factorys around the World making slightly different versions. If your VIN plate says it was made in another country then it would take more research and study to know for sure.

If you can it would please us all if you could post some pictures
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-Bruce

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[janerick3]

Does the engine badge say "1300" or "VW1300?"

I believe the "1300" badge was exclusive to the U.S. and Canada, so if there is a plain "1300" on a Euro-market '67 Beetle. the lid or badge has been switched at some point.

If I believe Garwood, 1.2 L (D) engines were available in VW 1300, 1302 and 1303 models until the end of German Beetle production. According to him, the D engine was also available in Canada in 113/117 Deluxe "1300" models until 1974.

In other words, if this '67 came from Canada and the 1200 engine is original, the "1300" on the lid could represent the trim level, not the engine displacement. However, since this car has the older style headlamps, I'd be leaning toward it being Euro-market.
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Thanks,
Jan K.