Aircooled VW South Africa

This is my first post on Aircooled VW South and would really love for some urgent help to identify what seems to be an unusual Beetle - I have only a couple of days for the chance to become a first time VW owner! Very Happy Some advice for a beginner will go a long way!

See images through - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing


The car has been located in Kenya in East Africa since the 60's but I've received advice that it might have been a South African factory car. I'm having a hard time assessing what year it was made and what parts of the car are original (see attached pics). The car VIN is 119 942 061 and engine number D0 505 732. I sort of identify as a restoration purist and prefer originality.


My Questions
1. Why do the pictures of the car look like its an early 60's bug and not a 1969 bug as the VIN appears to indicate? (the owner claims the bumpers are original yet they look like they belong to an early 60's bug). The style of bumper and the design of the rear trunk/boot decklid are not usually seen on 69 models, right? Most 1969 beetle pics seem to have the simple single chrome bar bumper with a black stripe running through the center (like a super beetle) and flat rear decklid.

2. Based on this discussion, should i be concerned that some previous owner tried to do a non-original restoration and put a bunch of early 60's parts on a 69 car? Is this even possible with regards to interchangeable parts? Does this car look like it has some degree of originality in the body panels?

3. I shared this car on theSamba and people "had a strong feeling" that the car was made in a South African factory. Does this seem right? How do we know? (i intend to get a VW birth certificate to figure out if it came from Wolfsberg or the Lagos factory OR the South African factory)

4. Please share any key observations about the attached photos - I'm trying to assess if this is a good buy and if the car seems to have some originality.

5. Based on the VIN and Engine numbers, does the engine seem to be original?

Any advice on the car from the pictures would be greatly greatly appreciated!

There may be more clever people than me that can assist better than I can...but this is what I have.

Based on that VIN it is a 69. Is the VIN number clear? Is the 9 maybe not a 6? If it is a 6, then there are more puzzle pieces. The car has thin posts around the windows which makes it a 65-67...the fuel gauge makes it older than a 68, so does the tank and position of the brake fluid reservoir. The lights are consistent with 65-67 and so is the carpets and steering wheel. Based on the boot it takes the 67 out of the equation so my guess is a 65/66 and it is easy to confuse the 9 with a 6. The D in the engine number was manufactured from 8/1965 and is most probably a 1200. I guess the air filter is wrong for a 1200. Is there a photo of the VIN? I don’t see one.

Any other wisdom? These are the puzzle pieces I have!

I know nothing about vin decoding but it looks like anything from a 64 to 67 to me based on the pics.

Looks like flat hubcaps... probably 4-bolt rims.
The only SA beetles with 4-bolt 130pcd rims were the 67 1500, which had front disc brakes (and dim/bright switch on indicator stalk, yours is on the floor).
The 67 1300, and all other later SA made beetles retained 5-bolt rims.
Last SA beetle having sloped headlights, old bumpers with overriders, long bonnet, and separate mechanical fuel gauge, was made in 1967.

Last SA beetle with 1200 D-series engine was made 1965 i think. Your engine number seems from 1969.

Inside bonnet, behind spare wheel, there may be a printed plate having info like max weight, and where beetle was assembled. Chassis number should be stamped on tunnel below rear seat.

VW did assemble cars in Kenya in the 60's and 70's.

Thanks all for the comments! I'm quite confident that the VIN numbers and engine numbers that I shared are accurate. Based on what I'm hearing from various people:

Half of the comments suggest that this car is a 69 where someone has tacked on un-original body panels from the early 60's OR on the other hand, the car is an original 1969 1200 economy model built car that originally still used the 67 body that came from Germany to Kenya (and the car would be 4 bolt wheels).

How can I be sure which of the above it is. (I'm trying to look into the wheel nut question)

Thank you all for the help!

the speedometer often has a year of manufacture stamped onto it. See if you can find something - look from the "boot"

its definitely pre-69. But I cant help you with a year.
The 69 had the shorter engine lid and different door handles on the inside (SA's beetles did anyway)

I managed to get a picture of the front beetle identification plate but I'm having trouble decoding it. The badge original picture is in this folder - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

VOLKSWAGENWERK AG
Made in Germany
11
Heizg . Typ 1/ xxx A Pruz S43
Fahrgest. - Nr 11 58 713 87 (cant read this, might be 115071397)
Zul Gesamigew kg 1140 (or 1160 cant tell)
Zul Achslastvorn kg 480 hinten kg 780 (or 180 cant tell)

I'm having a hard time reading it. The car as you can see in the pictures is a right hand drive. Is anyone out there able to help me decode this number by number?

Does this badge information reveal if the car is a true 69 factory built with a 67 shape OR a 69 with incorrect body panels added?

Unlikely that it's an sa assembled car then. SA assembled cars would have a vw of South Africa or Samad tag in there.

Looks like the Vin on the plate and chassis differs?

VIN on the chassis looks like 115xxxx to me.

115947061 - 1965/66

Thanks very much - it sounds like the body is a 65 and was transplanted onto a 69 chassis.

Thank you all for the help - really appreciate it!

To me it looks like VIN (chassis number) dates the pan as a 1965. Based on the plate in the boot, the body is also 1965. Other ancilliaries like 4-bolt wheels are from 1969-up.