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dylan1303 Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2023 Posts: 15 Location: Bay Area, California
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:28 am Post subject: how can I identify if a bug is a genuine ragtop? |
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I want to check out a 1959 VW ragtop as a project car, but want to know if it is a genuine ragtop instead of a ragtop clip grafted on. Is there a way to tell if its a genuine rag by checking the vin tag? or do i have to check for welds or other signs of bodywork? |
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Slow-N-Rusty Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2020 Posts: 102 Location: SoCal
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:20 am Post subject: Re: how can I identify if a bug is a genuine ragtop? |
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The VIN won't tell you anything about the ragtop. If the owner happened to have ordered a birth certificate it might state it there but the birth certificates have been known to have inaccurate or missing info.
Checking for welds might work but if the roof was grafted on at the pillars it would be impossible to check unless you stuck a borescope into one of the pillars
If it was grafted on and they didn't do a good job of finishing it you might see waviness or cracked paint around the ragtop perimeter or at the pillars. |
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rcooled Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2008 Posts: 2491 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: how can I identify if a bug is a genuine ragtop? |
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Many...maybe most...grafts are done the easiest way by just cutting an opening in the roof and dropping in the ragtop section. If there are no obvious signs on the exterior, you can pull down the rear section of the headliner at its forward edge, just behind the sunroof opening, to look for signs of welding on the inside of the roof. _________________ '63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone) |
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Mike Fisher Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006 Posts: 17962 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2024 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: how can I identify if a bug is a genuine ragtop? |
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Buy the 59 ragtop since it will look good on the streets!
Forget about buying a Renault Dauphine. _________________ https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey |
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