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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:05 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Thanks Sunroof. And will do. I was curious about the fuel pump. As you can see the PO added their own flare to the engine, including paint and a lot of rivets in the fan shroud. Did the PO add something to the fuel pump?
I’ll make sure to add some pictures when it comes back from media blasting and before it goes to metal/bodywork/paint. |
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mrrdstr Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2021 Posts: 6 Location: Los Angeles
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:42 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Joined the 58 club this week my sons idea to add a Herbie to the group
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al-staire Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2008 Posts: 34 Location: South of the border
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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jbannon wrote: |
After many many months of stalking the 58/59 forum, I finally found a car that I wanted to share with the community. First, many thanks to all of the amazing contributions to this forum--they really helped and motivated my decision to find a 58/59 Beetle!
This is an Austrian (Euro) beetle, and the original color was Diamond Gray with the green/gray leatherette interior. My VW birth certificate lists the manufacturing date on 31 October 1958 and the car was delivered to Salzburg on 03 November 1958. I am the fourth owner.
I plan to return this car to its former stock condition and glory!
The birth certificate designates the following "special configurations":
M018 - Larger reflector in brake and indicator light
M134 - Upholstery Leatherette
M196 - Asymetrical headlamps
The car has its original pan, engine, and transaxle, and the original seat covers for the front and rear seats are buried under those blue seat covers. Unfortunately, the original door panels are long gone. The car came with an original locking shifter-base and an Akkord radio that needs restoring. You can also see that the PO owner screwed and riveted all kinds of things under the dash, and added the towel bar over riders and hella (70s or 80s) lights in front.
Since taking these photos, I have gutted and stripped the car and will send it out to get media blasted and then off to paint and body soon. I also plan to strip and powder coat the pan while the body work is being done. It appears the car was hit in the front driver side fender at some point, and while the fender was replaced with a German, year-correct fender, the front quarter panel needs to be replaced with the correct year-specific front quarter panel. While the car's current front fenders are German metal, and have the correct headlight bucket with metal wire tube, they may be post-June 1959 fenders--there is no running board bulge. What style front fender would be specific to an October/November 1958 beetle?
The front beam also appears to have been replaced, and I am curious to know if someone can explain the steering stabilizer between the upper and lower torsion tube in the picture I posted (the bar leading out of the picture frame is an aftermarket towing bar.) It's a link-pin beam, but it has the mount on top for the post 60's steering stabilizer, which I know wasn't used in 58/59. In addition to the added stabilizer, the steering box doesn't seem to be correct as well.
Unfortunately a PO owner removed the original taillights and added both the later front turn signal and rear taillights. Austrian law mandated taillight and turn signal changes in the 60s, and a lot of cars lost their original lights as a result. I plan on taking the car back to stock and have already purchased taillights from a 1959 beetle. Does anyone know what "M018 - Larger reflector in brake and indicator light" are?
Being a car that endured over 6 decades of Austrian winters, there is rust in the usual places and a few unusual places, but overall the car appears quite solid. I will have a better idea once the paint is removed...
Finally, I have posted a picture of the engine. Like everything else on the car, the PO made modifications.
I would really appreciate any comments / suggestions on what is right or wrong with the car from the pictures provided, especially the engine. Also, I am torn on whether to keep the Akkord radio given it needs to be restored/refurbished, and was wondering if there was someone on the Samba who could restore these radios.
Looking forward to your comments!
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Nice ´58 and welcome! It is no wonder that it held up that good, our Austrian bugs are pretty solid as well. They didn´t use all the harsh stuff they do these days 60 years ago. Today Austria can be considered the ´Rust Belt´of Europe sadly... _________________ 1959 Type 11 Standard Jupitergrau L225
1997 Type 11 1600i Mexico Azul Maritimo
1994 Type 70 T4 Kombi ´Feuerwehr´ |
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 12:08 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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I have added photos from the disassembly of my 59. It is currently at the media blaster and I am curious to know what is under the 60 years of undercoating (FYI, the black areas in the wheel wells is crusty, thick undercoating.) As expected I found more rust, but was also surprised with how intact and rust free most of the car is--I was expecting a lot more. This may all change in a few days, but its great to see the resurrection process begin in earnest.
I'll post pictures when the car is back from the media blaster.
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 1:11 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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I was hoping you could help me figure out which fan shroud is appropriate for a 1959 beetle. I have both fan shrouds in the photo, with the fan shroud with the notch being on the original motor. However, the PO made a lot of modifications to the car and I am not sure if this is the right fan shroud for this year.
If it is, does anyone have an idea what year the other fan shroud is for?
Thanks!
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MaryvilleAirCooled Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2019 Posts: 7 Location: Maryville, Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:36 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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jbannon wrote: |
I was hoping you could help me figure out which fan shroud is appropriate for a 1959 beetle. I have both fan shrouds in the photo, with the fan shroud with the notch being on the original motor. However, the PO made a lot of modifications to the car and I am not sure if this is the right fan shroud for this year.
If it is, does anyone have an idea what year the other fan shroud is for?
Thanks!
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I believe the fan shroud with the notch is the correct one. I'll have to double check mine just to make sure! _________________ "The Set List"
1958 Beetle Project
1965 Karmann Ghia
1971 Super Beetle
1972 Low Light Westy
1973 Super Beetle
1983 Vanagon L
2008 VR6 Passat
...and many more to come! |
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mukluk Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012 Posts: 6985 Location: Clyde, TX
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:52 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Re which fan shroud:
I believe the one on the right is for an early 40hp stale air engine. The indent at top is for the larger oil bath with snout that was fitted at that time and the indent at bottom is to clear one of the case perimeter bolts, needed due to the fan housing being relocated rearward a bit when the case was lengthened. _________________ 1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:59 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Thanks for the replies. I have seen three 58-59 engines now with the fan shroud with the notch. And like Muluk, I too thought the notched fan shroud was for the larger oil bath cleaner and 40hp. But given I am seeing the shroud used on more than one 58-59 I am not so sure. Anyone else have any thoughts. |
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pastellgreen Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2012 Posts: 1036 Location: Germany
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:46 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Hey, nice project!
Won't you open a new thread for this?
Taking back to stock also could mean to remove the radio, as the car was delivered without and the radio was dealer-added.
Consider at least, to find a radio delete cover and also paint it together with all other parts, even if you decide to hold on the radio, and keep it with the car. One decision also is, not to use the antenna, because later, when someone wants to remove the radio he has the problem how to get the antenna hole closed an painted. Now with a resotration it is more simple to do that. I'm sure, today we have other possibilities for an antenna. Look at my 1960 thread, what for difficulties I had with several holes into the dash and under the dash and on top of the car because of the antenna...
Oh, remove the grab handel holes in the dash, and the hole below the readio shaft, they are not stock.
The steering damper indeed looks very interesting, never saw this kind.
For giving you some inspiration for a real original diamont grey survivor:
https://www.derautojaeger.de/fahrzeug/vw-kaefer-typ-1-export-mit-faltschiebedach-465/
The larger reflector in taillight could be something like this:
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 2:09 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Thank you for your reply, the reference link for the October 1958 beetle (same month/year as mine!), and the picture of the tail lights.
I plan to have those holes filled. The PO drilled a lot of holes under the dashboard so there is work to do. I have already purchased a radio delete plate and plan to sell the Akkord radio.
Finally. I’ll start a new thread for the restoration. Thanks again. |
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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I am need of a front cowl/lower windshield replacement panel for my 1959 Beetle. Does anyone know of a shop or resource in Europe where I can source that repair panel? Do you know what year beetles that metal can be sourced from? I assume 1958-1960 will work, but up to what year will work?
Thanks,
Jeff |
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hsosa1 Samba Member
Joined: January 17, 2005 Posts: 1896 Location: Fontana
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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jbannon wrote: |
I am need of a front cowl/lower windshield replacement panel for my 1959 Beetle. Does anyone know of a shop or resource in Europe where I can source that repair panel? Do you know what year beetles that metal can be sourced from? I assume 1958-1960 will work, but up to what year will work?
Thanks,
Jeff |
you can go up to 64 after that the front window was larger _________________ Just Cruzin Sur Califas VW Car Club est♤1998 |
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:16 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Many thanks! |
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jack1448 Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2012 Posts: 271 Location: Northern NJ
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:11 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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jbannon wrote: |
I was hoping you could help me figure out which fan shroud is appropriate for a 1959 beetle ...
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Since yours has an October 1958 production date, the one on the left is more appropriate. It was designed to use a wire tube to hold the ignition wires. I don’t know if the ‘ear’ behind the coil it part of the housing or not, but it should not be there for a beetle engine. The housing on the right has 3 holes used for plastic plugs that held the spark plug wires which started later in 1959.
You can see the wire tube in my engine below (early 1958 production with July 1957 engine), located behind the distributor and runs under the generator.
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 9:04 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Thanks for your reply--its greatly appreciated.
Since posting that picture I continued to investigate the fan shroud and learned that the triangle piece behind the coil is used as part of the support arm for a bus air cleaner set up. I am not sure if this is a bus fan shroud, or someone just used the support attachment for some unknown reason...
Do you know if 36HP bus motors used the same fan shrouds as 36HP beetle motors? Will this work for a beetle?
Once again, thanks for helping out! |
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EverettB Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000 Posts: 69734 Location: Phoenix Metro
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 9:12 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Yes, it's a Bus/Ghia air cleaner support
Yes, they generally used the same fan shroud.
Some things changed at different months/years though
You can remove the triangle and it's the same shroud.
A Bus guy will buy an original triangle even though there are repros now. _________________ How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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jbannon Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2020 Posts: 176
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:08 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Thank you. Very helpful. |
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janerick3 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 1879 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:21 pm Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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Check the date code on the end of the very original-looking TE6B1 coil. If is original to the car, it should be stamped "9P" or "10P." _________________ Thanks,
Jan K. |
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David23 Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2004 Posts: 92
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:06 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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[quote="stale air"]
bavarian1 wrote: |
A few more of the work in progress..
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sooo that script......was that a dealership option ? all years ? |
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stale air Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2007 Posts: 5148 Location: Senoia Ga, formally NorCal
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:49 am Post subject: Re: '58/'59 Beetle Discussion |
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[quote="David23"]
stale air wrote: |
bavarian1 wrote: |
A few more of the work in progress..
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sooo that script......was that a dealership option ? all years ? |
Yes, it was a dealer installed accessory. Ive seen them on mostly ovals, 56 and up, and early big windows, through 61.
Some years back at Solvang, I saw a black oval that had it mounted to the rear decklid. Its actually the only time ive ever seen it mounted there. _________________ WANTED: Henry Veale Santa Rosa plate frames
WANTED: Brittsan Motors Fresno plate frames
WANTED: Any Georgia plate frames
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