Engine Number on 1965 Convert

[DeVertible]

This is my first post. I have a 1965 convertible (posted a couple of photos about 2 weeks ago. The car was restored in 1982-84 and driven 11K in the last thirty years. It is a real nice, nearly all original numbers matching pan and body vehicle. even the bumbers are rechromed (in 1982) originals. The person who restored the car says the engine is the original also? The reason for my post has to do with the engine number below the generator. I am having a dificult time confirming the date of manufacture of the engine. The number is 3502286 with what appears to be a D below which may put it in the June 1965 "unused number" series. The pan and body share the same 155392428 number giving it a December 1964 birth month. Since it is a Karmann bodied Convetible I can understand if there is a wider variance between engine and body date but I am really not sure if I am inturpreting the engine numbers right. Any experts out there who can explain the fact to me would be much apprecitated.

[glutamodo]

[DeVertible]

Andy, Thanks so much for your reply. For what it is worth, above is a photo of the engine number. It is interesting that the number series indeed appears to take it back to the bastard time in 1960 but the D below seems specific to 1965. The engine has been rebuilt and according to the owner now has 1500 cc. I doubt that many of the externals are original. Is there any other way to tell year of manufacture of the case by webings or casting marks? I am definately learning how little I know.

[glutamodo]

The un-evenness of those numbers makes me suspect that was a blank replacement engine that was restamped with that number. Like this example, which HAS to be a non-factory stamping. Why? First of all, it's a pre-bastard 36HP number, which would not have had a detachable engine stand. Secondly, it's got the large opening for the oil filler, which was another change for 1965 - cases can be reworked for that, but in this photo, you can see this was cast that way. (also note there's a 2nd engine number on the side, indicating this engine must have died and early death and got sent back to VW before their reman shop stopped stamping that rebuild number in the mid/late 60s)

And that D, again, VW didn't designate the 34bhp/40HP engine as a D-series until 1965. however, your engine doesn't have the VW logo before the D...

My conclusion - you have a factory replacement block. It must have replaced a Bastard engine - so anyone's guess as to how that number ended up in a convertible. But it's extremely rare to find an original engine in any old Bug... so don't be too shocked.


The 40HP, 1200 engine builds up to 1385 ("1400") with a big-bore kit. The size 1500 is actually pretty rare to find, as any engine that is set up for it will take a 1600 kit, and that became by far the most common kit to buy when rebuilding such engines 40 years ago! You don't know what's inside for sure though, unless you look.

Externally, does this have 40HP or 1300-1600 style SP (single port) intake and heads?

-Andy

[DeVertible]

Most definately the 40 hp connects with head at 90 degrees to piston stroke

[preciador6]

[DeVertible]

I think the jury is still out on that and may be for a long time. Here's some pictures of the Poppy Red Topless Insect

[glutamodo]