I was wondering if someone here may know the correct body colour that Standard model Split Beetles would have been when they were sold to the domestic market in Germany?

My Standard (November 1949) is having lots of little bits done to the body work and it is looking more than likely that it will need a full respray when completed.

The Birth Certificate I have states that it was Bordeaux Red, but I read a while back somewhere (I think the Samba) stating all domestic Standard models were black and that VW just put any old colour on the Birth Certificate as they did not have any real records for this.

The other mystery I have is that recently I bought a non-jacket K manifold for my 1949 engine (below) - it was from (as advertised) a 1943 Kubelwagen. I noticed that there is a hole straight through the neck area where the carb fits. Should this be here? Or do I fill it in? (pic below) - never seen one there before on these.

Any help, as always would be appreciated.

 IMG_20150905_231039055  by LocalCeleb49 , on Flickr

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The only place that I could find og colour on my splits was behind the reserve tap and behind the chassis plate. The factory have been wrong before but it would be nice if it is bordeaux as I like that colour on a split. It was used between 48 to 51 so that ties in with your car. Check those two areas as they usually don't get moved when repainting. Never saw that hole before but as it is a very early manifold I would wait to see a few more responses before filling it in.

I'd be tempted to believe the birth certificate over some Internet rumour, it wouldn't be difficult for VW to put 'unknown' instead of making up colours.

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1949 standard beetle with reg 49 STD is bordeaux.

This car was originally grey. Keith Lessiter who restored it wanted Bordeaux Red. He came over to take a colour sample from my 49 model Deluxe which is still in its factory Bordeaux Red.:smile:

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Thank you for all the advice. I'm swaying toward bordeaux then. Unfortunately there is no real way of telling from the body/chassis what colour it may have been because it was completely blasted when Lee Ivatt started the resto, so I'll trust the Birth Certificate :)

I'll put some pics up when I get the car back in the near future.

Oh, and if any one has some usable rear split wings/fenders hanging around for sale let me know, the ones on the car are repro and shot :S

*Cheers*

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It is almost certain that somebody added that hole in the manifold at some point as a vacuum take-off for some external device.

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Not that it matters, but the carb shouldn't be a KdF-logo one, they stopped using those in '46 when they started fitting Huf carbs, and later regular 26 Solex VFIS from '49 on.

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Thanks for that, makes sense so I'll fill the hole. Could only imagine it would make for engine running difficulties otherwise!

Regarding the carb., I was aware of this but had a few kdf ones and they are the same spec so thought I'd use one.

The engine (other than carb. & fuel pump), transmission and front end are all 1949 correct within a few months of the chassis, so although not quite numbers matching it is pretty close. It's been pretty hard getting the correct parts when starting with just a body shell and bare chassis, but hopefully will turn out okay in the end.

Cheers, Leon.

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It seems that the Birth Certificate I have is wrong and so paint wise what it states is void (which is good, as it's been repainted in gray!).. The number the original owner used when identifying the car for its VW Birth Certificate was the Frame number and not the Chassis number. I've attached a photo of the number that can be easily seen, unfortunately the chassis number is very faint on the raised bar. The chassis has since been repainted so not sure I will ever know what it is unless there is a way of working it out from the Frame number? It's an older car than originally thought (well, by a month at least), We live and learn :)

 
 

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