Official Oval Convertibles thread and Registry

[aerosilver]

Nice vintage slide of an Amazon cabriolet, same as 58-59 Ghia cabriolet.

(Apologies if a repost, I did a quick search and couldn't see it)

[56TIMOTEO]

Beautiful Kab, wonder if it still exists?!!

[BulliBill]

I'd love to see any and all photos you might have of your (or someone else's) L-333 Pearl Blue metallic Beetle Kabriolett.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/57_color_book/22.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/57_color_book/23.jpg

This L-333 color was introduced in Dec of 1956 which was mid-1957 model year. It's kind of similar but a little deeper in Blue to the earlier L-232 Iris Blue. I'm I'm guessing L-333 replaced the long running (May 1954 thru Dec 1956) L-232 Iris Blue metallic seen below:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/57_color_book/32.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/57_color_book/33.jpg

And if anyone has recently had a supplier make from formula some L-333 paint I'd love to know more about that. I'm thinking of painting my late 1957 Oval Kabriolett in this Pearl Blue metallic color. Thanks for posting your photos here!

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[2Dokas]

Hi All,

I am almost done with my top mechanism and wanted to ask if the rear metal bow was solid or a tube. It looks solid from the images I have seen.

I made a jig using a 59 bow but they used a round tube, the attachment point is higher up the other bar so its shorter in height.

The jig worked great, along with a forge

I could also use another image:

This same bow from the rear, showing the funny curve inward, I have the curve from the side pretty well drawn out.

thanks

Peter


thanks

Peter
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87 Doka 2WD Ej22,
56 Convertible

[BulliBill]

I have two Oval Beetle Kabriolett roof frames deep in storage for an upcoming project, not sure whether these photos from a few years back will help...

The fully restored and black powder-coated frame I bought from Chuck's Convertibles way back in 1995 or so when I originally purchased the project Kabriolett. I'm no so sure that the black frame is "correct" for my 1957 Kabriolett?

I bought the OG paint used frame at the Seattle Vintage VW meet around 1998 or so because it was too good of a deal to pass up. It appears to be correct.

Hopefully these shots might help?

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[2Dokas]

Thanks Bill,

Does the bow appear to be a solid bar or round tube? If its easy to access tap it with a hammer unless its finished the correct color

These are helpful, thanks

I am looking for a close up of the junction of the round to the flat looking from behind the car towards the front windshield.

I am going to bend a solid one using a forge next Saturday in my ornamental welding class, just in case or just for fun.

thanks

Peter
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87 Doka 2WD Ej22,
56 Convertible

[2Dokas]

Okay, so the bow is tubular and I have a decent one ready to go.
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87 Doka 2WD Ej22,
56 Convertible

[kaieric]

[56Cabrio]

This might help, a post from lovethatconvertible

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=641862&highlight=convertible+dome+light
_________________
F#CK CANCER
Make a donation

1956 Rag Top owned since 1988
1956 Convertible owned since 2000
1963 Hard Top

RIP Dad 4/20/1951 - 2/4/2023

[Busstom]

So early verts actually had a "dome" light in the top? Or is this the light that's integrated into the mirror assy? (Or did early verts not have that type of mirror/light? )
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom)

[BulliBill]

Split and Oval Beetle Kabrioletts indeed had their interior dome light assembly attached to the inner surface of the headliner/convertible frame above the rear seat passengers and did not have it built into the mirror assembly. That happened much later n the 1960's square rear window eras.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[Busstom]

Ahh, very interesting, thanks. It didn't make sense to me that a switch would disable a mirror-mounted light, since we still need illumination at night when the top is down. The mirror-mounted light in my '68 convertible was quite ineffective.
_________________
My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom)

[kaieric]

@56cabrio - tks for clarification! now i must see if red wire to the cutoff bracket is connected to the frontal fuse box and all wires are undamaged.
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7/58 Beetle Cabrio RHD

[BulliBill]

I did a little light searching thru many of these pages as well as the FAQ and so far I didn't find an answer. I'm wondering if the "elbows" for relocating air cleaners for Okrasa engines that Ricardo or W.W. sell will work to relocate the air cleaners when used in the engine compartment of an Oval Beetle Kabriolett with a stock Kabriolett engine decklid with its rain catcher/drains intact. Ricardo mentions that his elbows are correct for a K. Ghia, but there was no mention in the ad as to whether they work on a Okrasa engine and clear the rain catchers in an Oval Beetle Kabriolett. W.W. says in their ad: "these elbows allow installation of the dual port 36hp engine kit for VW truck models, Karmann models, Ghias, and Coachbuilt models." Do you think that "Karmann models" mean Oval Beetle Kabrioletts? Has anyone tried the elbows successfully? Any photos and reviews?

Thanks for any info and guidance!

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[ronjonlasvegas]

[BulliBill]

Thanks "RonJon" for the tip on the air cleaner "elbows" used on the feature Kabriolett in the Sept 2024 issue of Hot VWs magazine. I see that he is using a pair of those "mushroom" type air cleaners. I am hoping that these elbows might be a solution to running an Okrasa carb kit on an Oval Kabrio with the metal rain catchers on the decklid. It sounds like CSP in Europe, Wolfsburg West and Ricardo down in Argentina make versions of these elbows. But so far I don't think that any of those providers has mentioned that their elbows will fit and work well in an Oval Kabriolett engine compartment using a stock Oval Kabrio decklid with stock metal rain catchers.

It was great to see the one photo showing the engine compartment and someone's elbow products. The owner is Mauricio Vargas of SoCal. He's a GFK member. I'd sure love to chat with him briefly about his experience with these elbows. Did they need any alteration to work well in the Kabrio? Whose version of the elbows did he choose to purchase? Does he have any advice, etc.? Mauricio, if by chance you are on here, please pm me, or if anyone knows him, please hook us up for a few simple questions. I suspect that the elbows will be a solution for me also, but I don't want to spend about $400 to find out that it might or might not work.

Thanks everyone!

Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[splitpartsunlimited]

what years those interior light top switches were used ??
_________________
in my Garage:

1951 crotch cooler split
1958 convertible
1971 1302 convertible
1981 Mercedes Benz 230 military "Gelandewagen"
2010 Mercedes Benz c200 kompressor touring

[ronjonlasvegas]

Who else on here tried to reach out to the owner after this ad was posted for a 1954 convertible beetle for $18k. I was one. I guess Kevin Zagar was the lucky one who was able to purchase it. He posted these pictures on Facebook yesterday. Keven said the seller was overwhelmed and had over 100 people reply back to the ad within the first 24 hours. Here is a link to the ad with no pictures.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2706115

Here are the pictures Kevin posted online.

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September 1964 Standard Sunroof walk through SWR/BG original paint.

[Bugfan-MR]

[BulliBill]

Hi Marc,

It is from the VW Service Workshop manual (edition 1952/57) issued to VW dealerships for the Oval era Beetles, in the "Body" section, chapter 11, page 2.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!