Body Bolt Ups

[beesquad711]

Will a '56 body bolt onto a '77 pan? I found a clean oval window body and a sweet chassis but I wanted to make sure they would bolt together before I pursued any possible purchses. Thanks.

[oasis]

While I cannot answer your question, there may be something else for you to consider as you live in California.

Let's say you can do this mating of body and chassis. (Again, I stress I do not know the cut-off years for swaps.) Would it be registered in California as a '56 or a '77?

The reason I thought of this issue is because of the pan-swapping that is done with Mexican Beetles which my brother-in-law has one. With me, it then became an issue of whether I wanted to swap an IRS in for the Mexican swing axle and whether I wanted to deal with selling the new 1600 engine so I could go Type IV ... and before you knew it, the dish was running away with the spoon and it became a lower priority for me.

But, I digress.

If you have to register it as a '77 in California, aren't you going to be restricted by its emissions laws?

I don't know the answer to that one either as I have to deal with Maryland. I would just hate to see someone get a positive answer to one issue and then have another bop them in the nose after spending good money.

[beesquad711]

After careful consideration I decided that the timing is not right. First, I don't have $4500 sitting around burning a hole in my pocket. Second, the thought of driving to Florida to trailer the car back to the left coast doesn't really excite me. And finally, I would really like to finish my Baja project before I jump head first into another. While an answer to this question would be an interesting bit of trivia, in the last 12 hours it has become nothing more than trivia and is no longer critical (at least for me).

On another note, thanks you Oasis for bringing up a good point that I had not thought of though I'm not sure it applies. As I understand it, cars more than 25 years old are not subject to emissions laws and by my math
2004 - 1977 = 27 > 25.
I haven't done any research on the subject so I'm not certain, but in any case, thanks for opening my eyes to the possibility.

[boygenius]

Originally Posted by beesquad711

After careful consideration I decided that the timing is not right. First, I don't have $4500 sitting around burning a hole in my pocket. Second, the thought of driving to Florida to trailer the car back to the left coast doesn't really excite me.

Where exactly in Florida was this oval bug.

[boygenius]

Originally Posted by oasis

With me, it then became an issue of whether I wanted to swap an IRS in for the Mexican swing axle...

The Mexican beetles are swing axle and not irs??????

[vujade]

Originally Posted by boygenius

The Mexican beetles are swing axle and not irs??????

Yes all mexican beetle were swingaxle.
So were all late European Beetles too.

I believe the US were the only one to get IRS Beetles.

[beesquad711]

Originally Posted by boygenius

Where exactly in Florida was this oval bug.

Well the oval bug shell is in Alabama somewhere but there is a pan with a t4 engine, 911 and 944 discs, parsche 5 speed tranny and some other stuff in Miramar, FL I was just thinking that I could drive to get the pan and grab the body on the way back. It was tempting at first but after some deliberation it wasnt that great of a buy so I opted to not. They are both listed on the Samba. Here are the links:

shell: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ad.php?id=58961

pan: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ad.php?id=52198

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if that vintage body would bolt up to a newer pan?

[boygenius]

I like the chassis.

I don't know for sure but i think that you may have a little problem with the shock towers hitting the body. I read that somewhere before.

[beesquad711]

Originally Posted by boygenius

I like the chassis.

That was my first impression as well but after I looked at the picture I realized that the motor is leaking oil somethin fierce and the "minor" rust looked like it would fall through if you hit it hard enough. It was at that point that I decided I wouldn't be happy sacrificing $3k and 2 weeks of my life for that one when I could likely find one compirable for less dough.

[Supa Ninja]

Also on a side note as of Jan 1st 2003 '74 and older are exempt from smog inspection. To my knowledge that has not changed since.

[beesquad711]

Originally Posted by Supa Ninja

Also on a side note as of Jan 1st 2003 '74 and older are exempt from smog inspection. To my knowledge that has not changed since.

I wasn't sure about the 25 year thing but that's what I had heard. I'll accept '74 and older. Thanks for the info.

[VWader04]

Registration goes with the pan in California, not the body.

[oasis]

Originally Posted by Supa Ninja

Also on a side note as of Jan 1st 2003 '74 and older are exempt from smog inspection. To my knowledge that has not changed since.

That's what I thought when I was chatting with my California Type 181 owning friends. At one point, that was the advantage of owning a '73 over a '74 there. But I thought the '74 owners got a reprieve.

Originally Posted by VWader04

Registration goes with the pan in California, not the body.

This confirms my suspicion of a '56 body on a '77 chassis. That would mean this car would have needed a smog check.

[jrinlv]

Not that I would tell anyone to do this, because it's not legal, but you can cut the vin # off the 56 frame and "graft" it to the new frame. Thats what I'm in the middle of doing with my 57 because the #'s match right now.