Aircooled VW South Africa

For some years now there's living a South African Beetle under my carport. Bought it in 2006. Once drove 150 miles with it and it never has driven again. Not roadworthy anymore. Though did some work on it like renewing the complete brakes and replaced the broken engine with a like new one from a Kombi. Plans are to take the body off and replace the floorpans and other parts which can be accessed easier then.

It's a quite unique car overhere (in the Netherlands that is). I only know of 2 RHD SA Beetles in our country The previous owner told me it was brought here by an employee of the South African embassy in our country. If it's true I'll probably never know but it sounds nice.

Some pictures:

And this is where it's been sold once: I tried to find the location with Google Earth but didn't had any luck. Maybe the street Hendrik Verwoerd doesn't exist anymore? I could see that name with Google Earth but didn't see which street it actually was.

Hi Oemfoefoe, and to ACVWSA!

That is most certainly a South African Beetle, albeit a bit far from home.

Budget Cars still exist, I found their location here http://www.hotfrog.co.za/Companies/Budget-Car-Sales but I think the name of Hendrik Verwoerd Drive in Randburg has now changed to Braam Fischer Drive. Please post some more pics of your car, as well as some Dutch VWs

Thanks for the warm welcome

Some more pictures: In the future I hope to find some Rostyle wheels which often can be seen on SA Beetles.

I also have a question about the enginelid. I don't think it's the original one because it doesn't have any ventilation shafts. It does have a 1600cc engine though (both the old and replacement engines are). Can someone help me out with that?

I suspect your car is a later model.

1970 Beetle had two deck louvres and no airvents behind the rear side windows.
1972 Beetle had four deck louvres and got the airvents behind the rear side windows.

The wheels on your car were made by Smiths Wheels and were originally called Trial Dusters

Hey, hoook up with Dutch Diver, he is from your neck of the woods.
Lekker seeing some howgrown stuff alive and loving life. Your bugg looks yummy

jmvv wrote:I suspect your car is a later model.

1970 Beetle had two deck louvres and no airvents behind the rear side windows.
1972 Beetle had four deck louvres and got the airvents behind the rear side windows.

The wheels on your car were made by Smiths Wheels and were originally called Trial Dusters

Actually after checking the papers it's not '70 but a '71 (30 june). That makes it more confusing?

Were the Trial Duster rims an original VW option? Also I'd like to know why so many SA Beetles are equiped with 14 inch rims instead of 15 inch (which is more common in "my" area)?

oemfoefoe wrote:Were the Trial Duster rims an original VW option? Also I'd like to know why so many SA Beetles are equiped with 14 inch rims instead of 15 inch (which is more common in "my" area)?

VW (Beetles) came from the factory either with standard 15 inch rims & hubcaps, or 15 inch Rostyle wheels. Only certain models like the 1600SP, 1600S and LuxBug had 14 inch Rostyle wheels from the factory, most probably due to a different (higher) 4th gear. Not sure why so many aftermarket Beetle wheels were 14 inch, but I suspect that either it was because 14 inch tyres were cheaper, or there were not a lot of wider options for 15 inch tyres in the earlier years.


Factory original black 1600SP with 14 inch Rostyle wheels

Hallo oemfoefoe, Welkom
Waar in Nederland woont je?

In Fryslân, het noorden dus

Ah, mooi
Mijn ouders komt uit het Kop van Overijssel, Wanneperveen.
Zij woonde al zinds 1957 in Zuid Afrika.

Welcome! Wherein NL are you? I'm over quite often as my parent live in Cuijk and my sister in Alphen.

You need to get your beetle back on the road and used

Friesland? Ha, het land van "De Kameleon". Hoe hete doe postbode ook weer? En Gerben de plaaggeest, was't niet? Sommigen van die boeken zijn zelfs in't Afrikaans vertaald, Shippers van Bontekoe ook. Mijn ouders, broer en zus komen van Amersfoort, ikke, ik kom van Rotterdam. Woonen als zinds 68 in ZA.

Thanks for clearing that up for me Ron..... I sometimes should just reads a few posts above