The Official 1964 Bug Registry

[kab1129]

Update on the hunt for something similar to upholstery for '64 bugs. Got some samples from SMS Auto Fabrics. The cloth is correct, but not the right color for Bahama blue. The vinyl is....similar? The texture is almost correct, but the colors are wrong. Almost had it!

[kab1129]

I've fallen down the rabbit hole of upholstery for '64. I have access to a car that has the original upholstery still on the back seat (under a seat cover). I've seen a few photos of what the original material should look like, both cloth and leatherette, but many are not very detailed shots. So I took a few of the material I could see on the back seat on the one that is available to me.

This is the blue leatherette/vinyl for a Bahama blue '64 bug. Looks to be a powder blue with a gray/blue stripe and gold stitching in between which is also the backing fabric. Interesting texture on the striped vinyl. Also including a shot of the material for the sides of the seats that compliments the striped fabric. To me it's like a light navy/steel blue color.

[House]

Yes, they could very well be the original or even replacement Continentals.
How is the delicate one year only cord upholstery?
Share some pics!

[cruzahome]

Just thought I would let the '64 community know about the '64 Sea Blue bug that I stumbled onto recently. It was a one owner car with 45,000 miles and always garage kept in Portland, Or. Owned by a single lady until she passed away and her brother brought it to his home. I bought the car sight unseen so was a little nervous as to what it would actually be like while I was waiting for it to arrive. The car blows me away. It is 100% original and in about as close to new condition as a 60 year old car can be. The original spare is still in place and the brother says he thinks the tires are original. I'm trying to convince myself that that could be true. Could someone tell me if that year came with Continental tires? Thanks.

[Adriel Rowley]

Neat '64 project.

Why does it have to be all original, especially with the memories? I did some dumb things on the Squareback when I didn't know better, but, learned and accepted did the best I could with the knowledge I had at the time.
_________________
Please consider I am Autistic, so I process information differently and still working on social skills. Thanks.

Dad's 1964 Beetle purchased September 1968.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9252810#9252810

1971 Sunroof Squareback with Fuel Injection
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=219811&highlight=squareback+rejuvenation

[ebrand57]

Hi, 1964 VW. Bought in June 1976 (wow...48 years ago!) for $150 just after High School. It had 90,500 miles or so on it. Drove in college, back and forth between New England and Michigan lots of time. Dated my wife in 1977 (married 44 years!) in it....
Major rust repair in 1983...rattle can paint job. Drove until rust took over in 1987. Now has 190,000 plus miles. Quite a few engines. Current is a Bus 1500 converted to 1700..with tiny carb (used on my '65 VW camper, which alas I no longer own). Basically parked and rusting away since 1987. Started rebuild #2 in 2013...my how time flies! See pics....not much original about the car...but....dated wife, etc. Now, 10 years into #2 rebuild...very, very slow, retired with tons of projects. I have everything needed to finish...and make a casual local runner. Fortunately I have my old registration from Michigan in 1980 (I currently live in Michigan)...so will have no problems registering again.

I did have a gas heater in it at one point....great for New England winters! No plans to drive in anything but nice weather once it is "done".

Lots of items replaced over the years....I will hazard a guess that by the time I am done, it will be about 30% original by mass...

1978?

Just before staring rebuild #2 in 2013:

Current state.....no nasty remarks about Bondo please....

[kab1129]

Hi, new to The Samba and new to me August '63 Beetle with peanut indicators and small license plate light. Matching numbers body, and sort of original engine, looks to be an engine from the engine exchange program pre-'68. I believe it still has the original Windsor blue interior under the newer upholstery on the back seat, but front seats have been replaced . Was super stoked to find the original Bahama Blue paint hiding inside the driver's door, not sure what is going on with the paint on the outside though lol. Black knobs and steering wheel wouldn't have been a leftover from '63 thing right? I thought I saw something about black accessories somewhere but can't figure out where.

[southwest]

I have a complete set of original Brown Cord Vinyl seat covers removed from my car after replacing with a really close matching fabric.the front seats were falling apart but rear seat was almost perfect. I've saved everything including the brown vinyl and piping.
would like to recover some of the costs of the new ones if anybody is interested in what I have. if id found these my originals could have been saved.
please message me for photos and cost?
thanks in advance.

[matthew henricks]

Southwest.

I had the same experience with SMS. I gave up after 18 months. Got all my money back too but... Super frustrating
_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[southwest]

[House]

[southwest]

[Chicken Helmet]

I recently acquired my 1964, built 8/7/63. It has the smaller, turn signals, stale air and smaller license lamp. I have no sure way to know what is original but my friend I purchased the car from bought it from an older gentleman who owned it the better part of 40 years. My friend added the wheels and I don’t think much else. My biggest curiosity is the US stencil above the gas tank. I’ve been driving it almost every day since we got it running again.

[obieoberstar]

Recently purchased an abandoned project '64. Has been sitting for 10 years.

At some point it had a Stewart Warner "Southwind" heater installed. Only the dash switch, a vent and holes in the trunk remain. How it ended up in southern Arizona is unknown.

Doing my best to make it a runner for now.

[difrangia]

Pics of graft of 62 ragtop roof panel onto our Garnet Red 64. Done in early 90's.
I'd owned Type-3's back in 1970's and this was the first Bug we snagged back in 87. I wanted a ragtop and couldn't find one so found a clipped roof from a 62. In 1990 we unfolded the drip rails, separated spot-welds in windshield and back glass, and sawed the four posts for butt-weld. Folded the drip rails back down and welded everything up. Used the 64 as one of my daily drivers from 87 till 2016. I've been rebuilding the 1600DP and had the trany gone through over the past year. Will start driving again in Spring. Has a Stewart Warner gas heater that I put in in early 90's. It would run you out of there in short order but I'm gonna have to rebuild the unit fuel pump (busted diaphragm) or go to electric pump.

[Big Bill]

When I was about 15 Years Old my family had a 64 Ruby Red VW. I can remember sitting in the garage pretending to drive it...making all of the required Varoom sounds and shifting through the gears a million times the car had an off White interior if memory serves me. Thin White Walls and the Alum. cooling disk wheel covers. It was supposed to be my Moms car but she hated it, we really didnt own it for more than a year or two. Still would love to own a Ruby 64 someday. Our family didnt ever take many photos of anything I wish we would have...

[House]

Great job, looks so much better!

[obnoxiousblue]

I thought I had posted in here previously. But here's my submission to the '64 registry!
I've known this car since I was 18, some friends had owned the beetle since about 1991. I do have a complete history of the car, and have spoken with all but one of the previous owners - he passed.
I'm actually taking the car down to Florida in April and will be stopping along the way to meet the original owner, who still remembers the car.
So, as the story goes, I had a beautiful 77 Westy and sold it to get enough for the down payment on my first home. Not long after I had sought to buy another VW and my friends asked if I was interested in "Herbie"
I couldn't get to their house fast enough!

Here's a photo of me driving the bug back in 2003 when I was 18!
(Cell phones weren't really taboo to use when driving then!)

Here it is when I went to "look" at it - not much of a pre-purchase inspection.
I was already sold on it!

The day we brought him home!

A few months later, he got bumped in the rear by a Jeep. Thankfully our damage was minor. A decklid, bumper, tail light, and a generator.
But it became as good a time as any to give the car some real love and attention.
You can see my restoration photos all here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=704603&highlight=

And here it is all done! Looking proper and no longer sporting the Herbie look.
I did go with the 63 license plate light and peanut lights on the front fenders.
Other than that, we're all stock. Most of the chrome even is original that I had rechromed.

It's first First-Place. I've never been much of a trophy guy but this one came from the first ever show I attended with my first bug back in 2002/2003. So, being this car's "debut performance" it meant alot.

Here I am in the middle. I'm owner 6. Owner 5 is in the light blue shirt nearer to the car and owner 3 is in the dark blue shirt and jeans.

and maybe one of my favorite pictures of the car - with the NYC skyline in the back.

Other than the obvious stuff, I'm really proud that the car was so solid and original. It gave a great place to start from. It is still 6V, and rocking it's 1200 still. I did have the Sapphire I upgraded by Rich Langenwalter to receive FM also and he added an aux input so I could run BlueTooth through my factory radio.
Add that to the ClassicCharger which lets my car charge my iPhone via 6V and I have zero compromises with no obvious aesthetic changes to the car.

_________________
Mike
1964 Beetle
2001 Eurovan Camper

[House]

Wow, nice!

[southwest]

Bit of an update. I sent SMS a sample of my brown cord vinyl which they're going to manufacture an exact match.
I'll be able to re upholster all my seats. Hopefully my existing useable material can be recycled by someone whose seats need patching up.