bgmurray
14 years ago
Hello

I also have a 61 Beetle - with the bigger 62 tail lights, apparently is it completley stock and the tail lights are of vintage. Any help to determine if this is a hybrid changeover with VW? The car was produced in Feb 61, can't imagine why someone would change the lights to 62? I don't want to change the lights to a 61 if it was delivered this way. Any other stories of the same situation?

The car was sold in Canada and I am now the 3rd owner. thx

Here's an interesting statement from a topic I found on the Beetle Conv history.

1961 - Changes in May brought a combined tail-brake-directional lights in a two section design. July brought a gas guage, and November brought a conical gearshift with a small knob.

And the link
https://personal.cfw.com/~ctvert/story.htm 

It refers to the larger tail lights in May of 61?
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Rich Oakley
14 years ago
A Feb '61 car would have come with the earlier 'oval' tail lights. In the US and Canada from Aug-'55 to mid-'61, Beetles were fitted with a 6-wire turn signal switch which allowed the brake light element to flash as the turn signal. The 6-wire switches (especially the 60-61 model switch) was quite prone to breaking so people would very often 'upgrade' to later dual-section rear lights and a '62 3-wire turn signal switch.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.