Aircooled VW South Africa

Hi guys,

Do pre-1960 Beetles come with both or either one of these?
Know of a 59 Bug that has semaphores but no fender indicators, is this correct? It also does not have the Wolfsburg crest badge on the bonnet but the entire bonnet could`ve been changed

Semaphores were fitted to beetles until the start of the 1960 model year (8/59). From 1960 they were replaced by front fender flashers and flashing brake lights. For 1962 (8/61) the taillights gained a separate amber section for the indicator flashers. If a beetle was fitted with semaphores, it would NOT have had front fender indicators (or rear flashers).

The Wolfsburg badge on the bonnet was discontinued for the 1963 model year (8/62); it should be on all earlier beetles. 57 and earlier beetles had a colourful Wolfsburg badge; from 58 is had a black background and was less colourful.

Thanks fig!
Another thing, how can you tell the diff between a 1958/9 bonnet from a later one? Is there info regarding the "not-so-obvious" differences between diff year models somewhere on the net?

There are subtle differences but I don't know all of them or where the info can be found, other than by clever searches of thesamba forums.

Things to look for are the mounting holes for the VW emblem at the top of the bonnet (there were several different version/mountings of this emblem); differences in length/mounting holes for the aluminium trim with/without the Wolfsburg emblem; and also the mounting of the hinges -- from the 62 model year (8/61) the hinges were sprung, as opposed to the clunky old strut on earlier cars. If there's a 62> bonnet fitted to an earlier car, you will be able to see the bracket for the strut mount on the LHS of the luggage compartment.

Correct 58\59 bonnet has a few unique marks to recognize it.
4 slots where the top VW badge goes (later style had three slots), the section the badge rests on is also flat, not raised.
Two slots in the bonnet near the handle where the wolfsburg badge would attach, and then the struts sans springs to mount it as mentioned by Old Bus Anorak ^^above.

Also look for the kink in the bonnet edge on the righthandside (when standing in front of the car facing the windscreen) where someone tried to close the bonnet and bent it because they didnt release the strut first

Ask me how I know!

Dooh.......

i have a question regariding this topic, when the semephores flip up, are they supposed to flash?

depends on how it is wired.
Looks good when they do though!

so the next question is it posible to wrie them up like that! My idea is to hook them up to a flasher unit!