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April,
2000
Hello
and welcome to WolfsburgWired, the monthly online newsletter of
information for customers and friends of Wolfsburg West. |
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Name
that steering wheel
This
month, we delve into the world of Beetle steering wheels.
If you think about it, the steering wheel very well may
be the most important and useful part of your car. Not only
does it assist you in pointing your car into the right direction,
it's the only part of your car in which you have a continuous
"skin to skin" connection. There is simply nothing like
driving a restored Beetle or Bus with a freshly painted
steering wheel to grab onto!!
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1.
May'49-Dec'49 Deluxe Beetle, 1945-1959 standard Beetle 1960-1966
standard Beetle without M1, M11 or M110 option code This
is probably the most coveted of all stock steering wheels,
and regarded as the rarest. However, when observed from
a world- wide standpoint, this wheel is actually quite common
as it was used on all standard Beetles (1960-1966 standard
Beetles without M1, M11 or M110 option code) through 1966.
It must be noted that the U.S. market did not receive many
standard model Beetles, making this wheel uncommon to the
U.S. market. This wheel fea- tures 3-spokes which when mounted
correctly, form the shape of a "Y". I cannot tell you how
many times I have observed these mounted incorrectly!!!
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Colors:
1945-Sep'52
standard Beetle, 005 black May'49-Dec'49 deluxe Beetle,
567 ivory Oct'52-1963, 041 black 1964-1966, 466 silver
beige
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2.
1950-1955 deluxe Beetle This wheel is often referred to
as the "bat wing". The horizontal bar features grooves on
the lower half which gives it a bat wing appearance. It
was larger than the standard Beetle version, and had more
pronounced gripping ridges. VW integrated a larger horn
button (as compared to the standard model steering wheel)
which was ivory in color for 1950-Sep'52 Beetles. In Oct'52,
VW introduced a new horn button featuring a gold foil embossed
Wolfsburg coat of arms badge, which rested behind a convex
clear resin housing.
- Colors:
1950-Sep'52, 71 beige
Oct'52-1953, 278 grey beige
1954-1955, light grey
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3.
1956-1959 Deluxe Beetle, 1960-1966 standard Beetle with
M1, M11 or M110 opotion code) VW relocates the horizontal
bar into an offset location and reduces the thickness a
bit, and redesignes the grooves thus losing the bat wing
appearance. A new gripping surface is designed which utilizes
taller finger ridges for better grip and comfort. A new
horn button is introduced which has a round and smooth housing,
and features a less detailed Wolfsburg coat of arms badge.
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Colors:
1956-1957, 567 ivory, 278 grey beige
1958-1959, 471 stone beige
1960-1966 standard Beetle with M1, M11 or M110 option
code, 466 silver beige
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4.
1960-1961 Deluxe Beetle A horn ring is integrated within
the steering wheel, as well as a redesigned horn button.
The horn ring is of a half circle design and is chrome plated.
The horn button loses the plastic outer housing, and rests
inside of the horn ring. The Wolfsburg coat of arms badge
loses even more detail, and is now embossed with chrome
foil. The horizonal bar is much thinner, and has a groove
in which the horn ring is housed.
- Colors:
1960, 471 stone beige
1961, depending upon color of car: *020 basalt grey for
cars painted L41 black, L380 turquoise (Mar'61-July'61),
L390 gulf blue, L391 pastel blue (Aug'60-Feb'61), and
L456 ruby red *023 sand stone for cars painted L87 pearl
white *021 hydrate green for cars painted L380 turquoise
(Aug'60-Feb'61), L391 pastel blue (Aug'60-Feb'61) *022
nepal green for cars painted L478 beryl green
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5.
1962-1963 Deluxe Beetle This wheel is essentiall the same
as the 1960-1961 variety, however uses a different horn
ring which mounts slightly different. The two rings cannot
be interchanged.
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6.
1964-1965 Deluxe Beetle A new horn ring is designed, lacking
the half circle appearance. The new ring is a straight bar,
chrome plated.
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7.
1966 deluxe Beetle, 1967-1970 Beetle standard and deluxe
Beetle The return of the half circle horn ring!! 1966-1969
rings were chrome plated, while the 1970 featured a silver
coating. The groove which houses the horn ring remains the
same as the previous version, without notches for the half
circle portion of the horn ring.
8.
1971 Beetle, standard and Super Beetle Esthetically the
wheel reamins the same as the previous version, however
the mounting hub is changed slightly to fit inside of a
new steering column. The horn ring is coated in silver as
in 1970.
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VW
totally redesigns the wheel. The horn ring is deleted and
the horn button evolves into a flat panel, which extends
to form 4 spokes. There was 2 wheels that were offered for
the 1972 and later Beetle, depending on the model. The standard
wheel (used on standard Beetles and Super Beetles) version
was an unpadded wheel and featured the Wolfsburg coat of
arms badge heat embossed directly into the horn button panel
with no accenting colors or flair. Special edition models
(used on custom and Super Beetle models. Examples include
the Sun Beetle, Love Beetle, Fun Beetle, Water Beetle, La
Grande Beetle, and Champaign editions) produced from 1973-
1979 used a "sport wheel". The "sport wheel" matched the
standard unit in shape, but had a silver metal center inte-
grated within the horn button panel which featured the Wolfsburg
coat of arms badge silk-screened in black, and the outer
perimeter of the panel outlined in silver. The "sport wheel"
was padded which made it thicker and more comfortable as
compared to the standard unit.
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10.
1975-1979 Beetle The wheel is the same as the previous,
however mounts onto a 16mm diameter steering shaft (formerly
18mm).
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Published by Wolfsburg West
Specializing in parts for the restoration of 1979 and earlier Volkswagen cars.
Email: wwinfo@wolfsburgwest.com
Web: www.wolfsburgwest.com
Snail: Wolfsburg West, 2850 Palisades Dr. Corona, CA 92880
Voice: 951-549-0525 ~ Fax: 951-549-0580 ~ Toll free (orders only): 888/965-3937
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