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Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug
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61dub
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a 55' with ribbed doors and bullets, but the taillights are snowflakes not egg shells. It is all original paint and interior and the taillights match the black paint. When did they switch from egg shells to snowflakes?
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EeVeeWee
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

May be I can join this (old) party? Laughing
My VIN number is 10424244, this is from NOV 1952? Shocked
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/bugchassisdating.php
The papers which belong to the car indicate July 6th, 1955.
Which is right and how do I recognize it?

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John M
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The VIN number on the tag in your photo does not look like a factory stamping. If it were a factory stamping it would have a - after the 1 and be in different script. It would be 1-0424244. Look under the rear seat on the center hump for the VIN number. That's were the factory stumped it.
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71BayinOkc
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

61dub wrote:
I have a 55' with ribbed doors and bullets, but the taillights are snowflakes not egg shells. It is all original paint and interior and the taillights match the black paint. When did they switch from egg shells to snowflakes?



Your car most likely falls in the same category as mine. Built between
May 3, 1955 (chassis # 1-0871207) - July'55 (chassis # 1-0929746) So it has ribbed doors, snowflakes, and bullet turn signals.


Here you go:

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wired/wired_08_01/wired_08_01.htm
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Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow

-------------------------------------------------------
1963 Beetle Rag
1955 Oval Rag (SOLD)
1963 Single Cab (SOLD)
1963 Beetle (SOLD)
1971 Bay window (SOLD)
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richierich
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all - I'm mostly in the Splitbus forum but now have an Oval aswell and wondered if any of you could verify my thoughts here or tell me otherwise....the chassis number of the car I have bought is 10941034 which I believe is a July 55 build date....would that be correct?
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Kjell Roar
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congratulation!

Your VIN # is August 1955, a 56 year model Smile

The numbers in the list here at theSamba is last produced VIN that month, not first Smile
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My car, Aug. 4th, 1955 / an early 56: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=610438
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richierich
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, thanks Kjell. Am I right to assume then, being a US model, that the car shouldn't have semaphores? It doesn't have them - I thought someone may have hacked them.
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René R.
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^^^
Right. Semaphores were dropped from US cars in early May 1955.
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Telephunken
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

I just was reading this discussion and I would like to mention that I know w gentleman with a 55' built May 2nd, but does not have semaphores. I think someone posted info that the change was May 3rd or something. Ill have to ask for the VIN.
I think that around these transitional periods, there really is no "definitive" info. for all we know, there could have been a couple guys in the factory around mid may, it could have been something like...

"Hey Hans, we found another pallet of non-bullet fenders in the back, what do we do with them?"
HANS--"Well, lets put them on I guess...." :)
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bwaz
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

I always look at the pan and the position of the heater knob. Front, later 55, between the seats, early 55.
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Kjell Roar
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 10:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

bwaz wrote:
I always look at the pan and the position of the heater knob. Front, later 55, between the seats, early 55.


What you call a later 55, is a 56 year model .
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My car, Aug. 4th, 1955 / an early 56: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=610438
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Navydave73
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 11:43 am    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

Reviving an old thread.......My buddy just bought a 56 Oval Ragtop that had been cut to make a Baja. We can tell it is not a 55 because of the heater outlets being vents instead of oval mesh. The Baja'ers cut the front and rear off and had it on a 62 pan. any way we can tell the difference month to month? There are no VIN plates on the body. basically a shell with the ragtop assembly. We are looking for a pan with VIN plates, want to get in the right month zone.
He is removing the undercoating and thinks he can see Strato Silver.

thanks
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*Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 1:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

Between 8/4/55 and 4/2/56 is the best you're gonna do IF it is in fact strato silver blue metallic that you have. Without some date specific part you really have no way of knowing. Do you still have the original speedometer? That will have a date on the back.
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txoval
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 1:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

Is the original speedometer in the car? It will be month/year dated
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Navydave73
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

No it was a late model one. I did see on the Progressive Refinements that the rear roof holes for the sunroof tension bar changed to slotted holes in May of 56. So that might narrow it down to May through July? Either way, my friend is having a hard time finding a 56 pan so we may not be able to be that picky.
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Larmo63
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:18 am    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

My car is a late May car (May 26th?) and is #1-0888630-. Body and pan #s match.

Ribbed doors, heater knob between seats, bullets, snowflakes...I'm going to go check my speedometer too, is this stamped or inked?

My question is; what does the number below the ID plates in the front trunk?

It appears #1 - 791958. Does this stamping have any significance?
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*Darren
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 6:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

Larmo63 wrote:
My car is a late May car (May 26th?) and is #1-0888630-. Body and pan #s match.

Ribbed doors, heater knob between seats, bullets, snowflakes...I'm going to go check my speedometer too, is this stamped or inked?

My question is; what does the number below the ID plates in the front trunk?

It appears #1 - 791958. Does this stamping have any significance?


Stamped
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No dash. 791958 is the body #
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*Darren
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 7:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

Navydave, given the amount of welding your friend is going to be doing, I'd tell him not to worry. Just get any oval pan, build what he wants paint it whatever color and don't worry about perfection. There are two pans up for sale right now. Welding on two clips and non matching pan just screams outlaw vintage speed build (at least to me).
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motofly196
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

You are spot on in checking the Ragtop differences. I also have an early 56 Ragtop, that was on a 62 pan....that was a baja and had no numbers! Way too strange!
Look at the rear corners to narrow down the month. Square rear corner is completely different from a rounded rear corner 56. Even if you are missing the mechanism, you can tell an early 56 apart from a later one. I would tell you the cut offs, but it's late and I am beat. I have this all written down. If nobody else adds this info, I will update my post in the AM. There are 4 different ragtop types for 56 that I can think of.
-Late 55/Early 56- Bullet car with 3 fold Ragtop
-Aug 4th 56- Chassis 1-0929 746 Started 2 fold ragtop shorter rounded
corners, 1 bow, plastic lining, plastic rollers
-Chassis #1 024 647/ Nov 55' Started 2-fold ragtop with rounded front and
square rear corners
-Chassis #1 181 041/May 56' sunroof had multiple changes, most visible 4
rounded corners. Material should be canvas (May 7th)
-7 May 56 #1 181 041 or 218 687 Sliding roof: Now rounded rear
stretching strip with welded nuts. Slotted holes running in
driving direction, fastening by means of washer and nuts.
*(All info is in the Progressive Refinements)*


There were a few pans with titles in the classifieds with titles. May seem expensive, but it just might be worth it to not have the roadblocks I have been dealing with trying to get it all sorted out.


Last edited by motofly196 on Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:21 am; edited 1 time in total
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Larmo63
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:03 am    Post subject: Re: Differences between 1955 & 1956 Oval Bug Reply with quote

My speedo is the original, stamped 5/55. These discoveries make me happy, as this car seems to be quite original, and not hacked at all.

A '55 engine would be nice, it appears that the identifying number on my title is the original engine number. I know they did use the engine number instead of the VIN # in the early years.

Now that my original engine is long gone, it doesn't make sense to be using a number that isn't with the car. Explaining al of this to the DMV probably wouldn't be worth the hassle.

I will post a WTB ad, but it's a needle in a haystack.
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