Karmann Cabriolet website?

[ccowx]

My wife has recently bought a 1970 Cabriolet as her entry into the world of vintage cars and vw ownership, after watching me for 28 years. I am mainly a van guy and relatively new to Beetles, so I am learning a bit as I go. Main thing I need to find is a website that deals with the Cabriolet. I have found a million write ups on the wonderful history of the relationship between Carmann and VW and all that, but what I need is something with a year by year breakdown of what was done to them. Wheels, interior, radio, carpeting, etc all seem different than a regular beetle and I am not clear how it was set up originally.

Anything to suggest?

Chris

[bnam]

Welcome to the aircooled VW world. While I don't know of a single site that has all the answers in the format you may be thinking of, I'm pretty sure you can find the answers here.

Let's start with a pic of your car and perhaps the first few digits of the VIN. VW model year starts on Aug 1 of the previous year. So a 1971 model actually started in Aug 1970 - so it may be possible that your 1970 is really a 71.

The paint and interior options are listed in the Technical section here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/paintcodestype1.php

Radios were dealer fitted options. The choices available are listed in the owners manuals which are also posted in the Technical section.

Convertible interiors in the US were similar to the corresponding sedans with a few differences that I am aware of - rubber mats for floor mats and over the tunnel instead of carpets; glove boxes had lockable knob; interior rear view mirror and visors were different.

Byas
_________________
1971 1302LS Convertible (RHD) owned since '74
Click to view image
1965 Karmann Ghia Coupe - under restoration
1966 Fiat 1500 Cabrio (with 1600 Twin cam)
1952 Citroen TA 11BL

[Tom K.]

I own a '70 convertible. The similarities between the convertible and the hard top far outweigh the differences. Same chassis, drive train, and dash. Interiors were almost identical (different mirrors, door cards). The main difference is extra steel enforcement along the rockers and of course the top. You also get an extra Karmann badge.

70 was the last year the convertible was not a super beetle.

So, essentially, the year to year changes for the convertible are about the same as those for the regular Beetle.

What are you hoping to learn?
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[ccowx]

Mostly right now the wheels and the radio seem to be the big questions. BTW, I am definitely not new to acvw's, my grandfather drove me to kindergarten in the early 70's in a Westy! Just most of my experience and knowledge is based on vans, I am fairly recent to the bug world. Thanks for the welcome all the same!

My wifes is poppy red with a black top and interior. The wheels are centerlines, which I am quite sure are not original. What was? The radio issue is a bit more nebulous. The one in it now is an older am/fm that could very well be original. It also has a single rear speaker that is literally a boxed house type speaker on a cable sitting in the back cargo area. I can not imagine that being oem, but there does not seem to be any other speakers?

It currently has a 1967 1500 in it with a 72 aircleaner. I will decode the m-plate soon and see what it was originally. Probably a 1500 or 1600 sp, I am guessing.

I will try to get some pics posted a bit later today, as work allows.

Thanks!

Chris

[Cusser]

[Busstom]

[Tom K.]

I believe the same sapphire AM radio went into both the hard top and the convertible in 1970. The single speaker is behind the dash to the left of the speedometer. Nothing was mounted in the rear. The 70 convertible also had the basic steelie rims found on all bugs like these on mine.

_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[Cusser]

Dealers installed radios back then.
My 1970 sedan (mine since 1972) had a Sapphire AM radio with a speaker next to the speedometer.

My 1971 Convertible (mine since 1976) had a Sapphire AM-FM mono radio with a speaker next to the speedometer.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[ccowx]

Some pictures

[Busstom]

Your wife picked an awesome car to jump into the fray with...and it's got a gas heater to boot!

Love the wheels, I'd offer up for them if I had a 4-lug vehicle.
_________________
My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom)

[ccowx]

Thanks, yes, she was happy to get the chance to grab it, and at a good price. Is the gas heater considered a desirable option? I need to decode the M-Plate and see what the delivery destination was and what options it had. It has been in the Yukon for many years, so I am not surprised to see the gas heater. I will get that running pretty quick.

Everyone loves the wheels!

Chris

[67conv]

[Tom K.]

Nice car. Your early questions were asking about original components. So, if that still matters to you, your radio, steering wheel, seat covers, shifter nob, and wheels are not factory originals. Also, your front hood is missing the aluminium trim piece that splits the hood down the middle.

Any pics of your engine?
_________________
'91 Vanagon Westfalia
'70 Beetle Convertible
'71 Super Beetle Semi-Automatic: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=714131&highlight=
'65 Ghia: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=762478&highlight=

[ccowx]

Thanks everyone, I am starting to get a better handle on what I have here. I have one foot in the "numbers matching" world with a 1970 Javelin and a 1967 Beetle, so I am not trying to go that route with this one. More importantly, the cars owner, my wife, is not doing that either! It is good to know what is original but it probably won't be perfectly original. I am just the mechanic and I do what I am told in this case!!

I will see if I can post an engine shot in the next bit, but it is not the original. It seems to be a 1967 H0 coded 1500 from what I can tell. I know some Cabriolets came with 1500's but I am pretty sure this is not one of them. My plan is to put in a 1835 DP with a few upgrades. The missus is feeling the need for a bit more speed than stock!

Thanks!

Chris

[Rome]

It's likely that the gas heater was a mandatory option for your Canadian market, due to the extreme winter cold. This means that any VW destined for importation in Canada received a "forced" factory option code for the heater. Other markets could order the heater per customer request.

Your steering wheel is a desirable one from the 1973 Sports Bug special edition. It should have a small "VW" circled logo near the bottom of the downward-pointing spoke.

If you consider switching to factory-style steel wheels, realize that there are many variations of that wheel style over the years. Differences are width (4.0" on '70/'71; 4.5" from mid'72 on), offset/"deep dish" effect, and even the entire rim color. Here's a VW of America press photo of a '70.

VW also offered an attractive "mag" style alloy rim as an official accessory through dealers. That width is 5.0" (I have a few sets and measured them) and would look period correct, since it was in VW's 1970 accessories catalog. The rims look "similar" to a popular aftermarket wheel called a Riviera, but VW's rims do not have raised, polished "pads" on the spokes which the Riv's do.

[ccowx]

Nailed it on the steering wheel, that was why I had figured it might be a factory wheel. It has the little circled logo on the bottom spoke.

I don't think it will go to factory wheels, but I was curious what was on it originally. I thought I might have seen that some had porsche wheels, but I might be imagining it.

The heater was likely mandatory, I believe it was for the vans. I might send away for the birth certificate. I did that for my 67. There are a couple of places that do it, I believe. Any reccomendations?

The history on it was it was owned by an older German couple in Whitehorse for a long time, then they retired and moved about an hour away to Teslin. It had been rebuilt a few years back but needed a few things. The owner passed away suddenly and it sat for 14 years before it came to me. I am finding things like a ground or two that need cleaning, brakes needing adjusting and frozen adjustors, stuff like that. Lots of little things but overall it is quite solid and driveable.

As stated, this is my wife's car, so she is the guiding philosophy behind it! I'm just the mechanic. Seem the plan is to put in a vintage style am/fm bluetooth satellite radio. I'm going to put in the 1835 (dual 40mm idf, VS exhaust, etc) and for the moment she should be good to go. The Missus plans a road trip next july to Dawson City with her old friend, so that is my deadline! Herbie the Love Bug meets Thelma and Louise?

Chris

[ccowx]

More pics, as promised! You can see it is a bit of a mish mash engine wise, but there is plans there. The front trunk seems to have a carpet kit of some sort.