Aircooled VW South Africa

Hello!

I have just been given my mother-in-law's 1977 SP1600. But I am not sure if it is genuine. It has been in the extended family for about 25 years and everybody thinks it was genuine.

No photos yet. The car is still in the East London and I am based in Durban. I have a sneak preview that I found on the computer - just shows the exhaust cutouts and the bumper.

It has:
SP Steering wheel
SP Gauges
SP seats - but no tartan. It is more like grey elephant corduroy
SP graphics and rear badge
14" Rostyle spare wheel

It does not have:
SP Twin carbs - I know that this is quite common
SP rear valance
Rostyles - it has Smiths Traildusters

Does anybody have any idea how I can tell if it is genuine or not?

SP Beetles also had black door handles, headlight rings and side trim - painted black, never chromed. Look for factory tinted windows, with a 'greenish' shade, a padded dash, a center console and of course a rubber gear lever knob with the shift pattern embossed on the top

scampbell wrote:SP graphics and rear badge

I think the plastic rear badge is the dead giveaway that your car is indeed a 'real' SP1600!

Thanks Pine.

Yes, it has all of the black trim and the centre console. I am fairly certain it has the padded dash. I will check the gear knob. It also has a plastic rear loves!

It is the rear valance that bothers me the most. But I suppose that this could have been incorrectly replaced in a smash.

The rear valance on an SP Beetle was only a fibreglass cover that covered the 'normal' Beetle exhaust cutouts, that was usually the first part to break or go missing - does it have the front 'scoop' below the bumper (also fibreglass)?

Ah! Perhaps that is why it is missing. I thought it was a different part.

No scoop. I fitted one of these to my first beetle (a 1970) - need to find somebody who makes them still.

Hey Scampbell

Go check out http://www.sebeetles.com/sp_bug.htm

You'll find a lot of info there on the SP.
Also check out these 2 threads:
"SP1600 Restoration after the fender-bender"
"how to id a 1600sp"

Oh.....and send them pictures!!!

Louis