BEETLE SEDAN BUYERS GUIDE

This section will hopefully help educate you a little on what to look for
when searching for a Beetle Sedan.

Special spots to look for body damage on a Beetle.

* Front apron and spare tire well.

Look for wrinkles in the metal on the sides, or welds where the bumper bolts on.

*Rear apron.

Look for welds where the rear apron meets the body
and watch how the engine lid fits...should be a nice even gap all around.

*Front quarter panels and hood

Check for even gaps between the hood and the body.
Also check panels in front of the doors and behind the fenders for any damage
(peek inside the trunk in the back corners too)
 

Special spots to look for rust on a Beetle.

*Floor pans and heater channels

Look for rust holes or weld marks,
Most common spot for rust is directly under the battery
(under the back seat on the passenger side)

*Wheel wells

Look under the fenders, behind the front wheel, and in front of the rear wheel.
Rust is also common where the fenders meet the body...
look for bolt heads where the fenders bolt on...missing bolts and holes without threads are a sign.

*Door Jams and Window areas

Look at the bottom corners of the door jam when you open up the door.
(and peek at the bottom edge of the door too!)
Also look around the window rubber for bubbles or holes.
(Special note for Super Beetles...)
( Look under the crescent shaped vents behind the quarter windows and also the center of the doors)
 
 
 

Look everywhere for damage or rust of course...but pay special attention to these areas.
 

The first Beetle prototypes with the split rear window were built in 1938 and their design was ultimately the one that became the Beetle we all know and love. Production models started in small numbers during WW2 (mostly military use).
In 1946, after the war had finished, the VW factory started again, this time with civilian cars in mind...and it grew from there.

The first Beetles to be imported to the US were in 1949. Production of the split rear window Beetles ended in March of 1953.

Since these models are fairly rare today, we wont go into deep detail on all the production changes and stuff like that...
but here are a few tips on what to look for when buying a split window.

SPECIAL PARTS

Parts for these early cars are very tough to find...when buying a Split Window,
finding a complete car with all the proper bits is everything.

The early splits have grooved bumpers and grooved side trim...reproductions are available, but expensive!
Pre 52 cars (I believe) came with 16" wheels, which can be very hard to find as well.
Taillights are another tough one...when you can find them, they are expensive!