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57 Zwitter? Samba Member
Joined: November 07, 2003 Posts: 418 Location: Boston, Mass.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:10 pm Post subject: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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I just was looking at a gas tank I bought at a VW swap meet years ago for my 58 and noticed it has indentations along the front bottom edge. Looking at other 56-60 Bugs I see somehave this and some don't? Were these added at some point of production? Thanks! |
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RareAir Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2002 Posts: 14576 Location: 18 miles North of the border
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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There seems to be 3 different pressings for 1956-60 beetle fuel tanks.
There’s a smooth front version.
A double horizontal ribbed version (top)
A 4 indented version which is the most common (bottom)
The smooth and the horizontal ribbed versions seemed to be used on the earliest of cars produced between 8/55 through 6/56 _________________ 1947 Typ 11a
1954 Typ 117
1956 Typ 151
1959 Typ 117
1959 Typ 265
1961 356B
1966 Typ 151
1966 Typ 241 |
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67 Florida Deluxe Samba Purist
Joined: June 21, 2005 Posts: 7987 Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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My '56 had the smooth front like the first pic shown above. My '60 had the vertical indentations like the bottom tank in the second pic. I've seen '58s with the same vertical indentations. Odd the things that get changed over the years. _________________ -Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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jason Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2002 Posts: 3443 Location: Garage
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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They probably had different manufacturers supplying the tanks. |
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Bruce Samba Member
Joined: May 16, 2003 Posts: 17273 Location: Left coast, Canada
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 10:05 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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The manufacturer is VW.
The different pressings is two ways to try and control the warping that the smooth front one has. The warping is caused by how deep the sheet metal is drawn. _________________
overheard at the portland Swap Meet... wrote: |
..... a steering wheel made from a mastadon tusk..... |
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jason Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2002 Posts: 3443 Location: Garage
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:47 am Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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Weren’t they mixed up, some years had different ones? Why would VW have an outdated press still working if they were making them? Not saying I’m right just wondering. Any pics of the process. |
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janerick3 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 1879 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:40 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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My June and Sep '56-built Ovals both had the tanks with the four vertical impressions. _________________ Thanks,
Jan K. |
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Bruce Samba Member
Joined: May 16, 2003 Posts: 17273 Location: Left coast, Canada
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:32 am Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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jason wrote: |
Weren’t they mixed up, some years had different ones? Why would VW have an outdated press still working if they were making them? |
What do you mean, "outdated"?
I think the tank with the 4 vertical pressings is later than the one with the two horizontal ones.
To press the horizontal ones, the top half first has to be drawn using the original dies for the smooth front tank. Then it goes for a second pressing operation to do the side pressings.
In an effort to speed things up, if you can reduce these two steps into one, you've made an improvement.
The dies to press the top half of the tank could be modified to include the 4 vertical pressings. Notice how they are tapered at the top? That gives the part the necessary draft to be able to remove it from the die.
If they had tried to incorporate the two horizontal pressings into the top half dies, it wouldn't be possible to remove the finished part from the die. _________________
overheard at the portland Swap Meet... wrote: |
..... a steering wheel made from a mastadon tusk..... |
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Second Air Force Samba Member
Joined: April 10, 2017 Posts: 268 Location: Midwest
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 5:41 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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Our October 14, 1955 Standard has the plain tank with no pressings. _________________ 1956 Standard Sedan |
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sweden Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2006 Posts: 227 Location: sweden
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:30 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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There is 4 models of this Oval tank.
Model 1
1955-08-04 ch,nr 1-0929513 until 1956-02-xx
This model have the smooth front.
Model 2
From 1956-02-xx until ?????
Have 2 horizontal ribbed.
Model 3
The 4 indented version.
Model 4 56-04-17 until 1960
Same as model 3 but 1956-04-17 Ch-No. 1165108 the filling pipe was moved sideways 30mm _________________ Me and my sons cars Typ1 -49 -50 -51 -52 -52 -53 -53 -54 -55 -55 -56 -56 -57 -58 cab -64 cab
T3 TriStar airride with Audi 1,8T engine and Porsche 996 gearbox. |
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nic_ Samba Member
Joined: February 06, 2015 Posts: 62 Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:41 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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sweden wrote: |
Model 1
1955-08-04 ch,nr 1-0929513 until 1956-02-xx
This model have the smooth front.
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I'm May 1956 and have the smooth tank. Although it's an Australian CKD so perhaps they didn't ship CKD's with the tank and either stockpiled or manufactured them locally? |
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56Cabrio Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2008 Posts: 1896 Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:45 pm Post subject: Re: Why do some 56,57,58,59 gas tanks have indentations in front? |
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The smooth tank in rare air's pic is my 1956 vert tank,it was built on August 9,1955.
Here is my 1960 only tank with notches,so i guess there are 5 models of the humpback tank.
My oval ragtop tank
_________________ 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 |
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