Changes made in late 58?

[John Wurner]

I have a 59 Cabrio built date 10-21-58 and a Coupe built date 10-29-58 (8 days apart)
The Coupe has the high overrider bar and wedge type turn signals.
The Cab has the low overrider bar and the turn signals without the wedges.
Was this a period where Porsche used up its remaining parts or was the change on purpose?
Were other changes made during this time?
Both cars are Hoffman imports.
John

[Mark Cohn]

Installation of three clip knecht air cleaners on super models started some time in late ‘58 or early ‘59.

[Vic Skirmants]

Don't forget the heavier-duty front spindles. And the 716 synchros.

[David Jones]

The high overrider bars were introduced in February of 59 so your coupe has the wrong bars. My 59 coupe was built in late december 58 and has the low bars as has my 59 cabrio built Sept 1st 58. Both have wedges. I am essentially the second owner of my coupe. (the used car dealer had it for 2 weeks)
My coupe is chassis # 105955.

[JERRY LANDES]

Does anyone have the vin numbers for these changes. I have a Conv. D 2/15/59 that has as its only option a 716 transmission. It also has the later turn signals and high over rider bar. I also have an european coupe dated the same date 2/15/59 that has the later turn signals.

[David Jones]

According to Brett Johnsons book the high overrider bar was introduced in late January 59 so a Feb 59 car would likely have one. This like the single mount transmission is a rare and short use item.

[Jim Alton]

Don't forget the many kinds of front turn signals.

Back in September of 2012 David Jones started a thread: Late "A" wedge style front turn signals?

I can't figure out all the front turn signal transitions. The parts catalog gives some chassis numbers but scant descriptions.

[Steve Douglas]

Merry Christmas, Jerry, you asked about the changes of bumpers and turn signals for late As according to Vin Numbers? The turn signals changed over to the wedge with twist on lenses at 104090 Coupe, 150640 Cab and 95503 for Convertible Ds. That would be in mid production run of 1958 model. There was some speculation about a Tech Bulletin issued in late February of 1958 about the turn signal changes, and the later issued parts books showed that changes. There also was speculation about the late 1959 cars being supplied with the two crew mountings to the wedge, as the twist on units didn't comply with the Din "K" numbering approved for the 1959 models and so the earlier numbered units were supplied.
Some model Mercedes used the twist on lenses with the same Din "K" Number for the 58-60 models.
To go along with this confusion the numbers changed from the low overrider bars (155mm) to high style (190) at the January/February month change, although I have never seen any data to support exact Vin Numbers or dates for the change. The US safety rules changed for model year 1959, some were: higher bumper heights, light outputs and gas tank safety.

Somewhere I had gotten some figures for the production as of January 1959 through the end of the A series. Beginning with serial numbers 106175 coupe (2743 cars produced), 151532 Cab (944) cars produced and 85887 for Convertible D's (also 944 cars produced. So if you figure that about 300 coupes and 100 Cabs and D's were produced monthly then the Vin numbers might be narrowed down.
That's all folks

[Peter Silten]

Steve, the vin number you listed for the Convertible D turn signal change -- 95503 -- can't be correct as the last production D's vin # is 86830.

[JERRY LANDES]

Steve, That makes some sense since the D (85996) 2/15/59 is 109 numbers up and the coupe (106521) 2/15/59 is 346 numbers up.

Since we are looking at changes I'm going to high jack this thread and ask when and what vin#s did the fan shroud change for the early 1960 T5 cars? I'm thinking that it might have changed when they went to the larger oil pump. I've also heard that they started on S90 engines first. I know what engine #s that the oil pump changed but have never gotten any associated vin#s to go with that information either.

[Vic Skirmants]

The fan shroud changed when VW started putting the recess at the top to clear their newer air cleaner.
VW experts?

[David Jones]

As I recall the 40 hp engine for the VW 1200 came in in mid summer 1960 and I would suspect that is when VW changed the fan shroud because they changed to a different carb for the 40 hp engine and a different air cleaner hence the change to the fan shroud. This would not coincide with the start of T5B production as that I assume started in mid summer 59 for the 1960 model year. Were the first T5 cars fitted with the old fan shroud?

[Vic Skirmants]

"Were the first T5 cars fitted with the old fan shroud?"
I would assume so, since the later shroud was not yet available.

[Steve Douglas]

356s used the old style 36hp fan shroud until August of 1960. According to the VW parts book the indented style 40HP Fresh Stale Air Shroud would have been introduced in the type 2 (bus, truck) in mid year of 1960, but the indent for the air cleaner wasn't on all of them. August of 60, Model year 61, with Stale Air Heating had the indented style on the sedans, which was the same on the 356's. US bound VWs had the Fresh Air Heating and had the different style Fan housing for the 40hp.