1950 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

RESTORATION PROGRESS
We have tried to restore our split pretzel Beetle™ to 1950 era style and condition, including the Army green color. The car was disassembled for many years and when restoration began in earnest in 1998 it started from the bottom up.
All seats, door panels, and other items were removed from the inside so the frame could be checked, the body worked on, and the Bug™ could receive a new (and much needed) paint job. The car has the original seats, clutch, steering wheel, semaphores, wheels, engine, and other small parts including door catches, latches, and window cranks.
We have the original doors but they were not put back on as the window regulator teeth need brazed and built up again. We could not find window channels slime enough to fit the doors nor the proper glass. (Unlike later year versions, our 1950 doors have no separate side vent on the main door glass. Also the original 1950 doors are slimmer than later year models.) As we have collected various VW™ parts over the years, 1956 doors, with side vent windows, were used instead.
A new double exhaust muffler was added but converted into a single tailpipe in keeping with the original. A new wiring harness was also installed along with a few small electrical parts, gaskets, fuses, light bulbs, some rubber and the like. The engine oil, almost solid from years of sitting, was drained and replaced. The bumpers, although old, are not original. They were, however, restored to the more simple, and less protective, '50s style. As my father recalled, the original bumpers were grooved across the middle and more like nickel steel rather than chrome.
Brad Robinson, a local mechanic who had worked on Volkswagen™ vehicles in the Army, got a bare bones version of our baby up and running just mere weeks before my father passed away in July 1999. Although quite ill at the end, Dad and Mom did get to take one last short trip down the driveway with Dad at the wheel. Since our '50 Beetle™ was put in the shop 35 years earlier for restoration, shortly after our parents married, neither I nor my three siblings had ever ridden in the gem. With me sitting on the battery and holding Dad's unbolted seat, to keep it from sliding, I got the honor of taking that last trip with both my parents. The drive was maybe 75 feet, if that, but it sure was sweet!!!
The interior of the Bug™ was reupholstered in the summer of 1999 by Rue's Kustom in Weston, W.Va. The original door panels and headliner were used as patterns. The new interior is a small gold weave with contrasting solid gold pattern. The floor carpet is a dark chocolate brown. From selections available, the gold came closest to matching what we believed was the original material and what would hold up longest. Although brighter than the original fabric -- and certainly brighter than the dingy cloth it replaced -- the gold looks nice and makes the Army green exterior "pop". The colors work well together and I think my Dad would be pleased.
The primary restoration is now complete but we are still looking for a few items to complete our labor of love. If you can be of help in locating any of our needed parts please contact us.
We would love to hear from fellow Volkswagen™ enthusiasts. If you have a Bug™, pictures, a story to tell, or are looking for parts yourself, please email us. We would be happy to post your information and picture. Please feel free to tell other VW enthusiasts about our site.
In the meantime, we look forward to showing off our own crown jewel at fairs, festivals, and other events. Our biggest thrill, however, will simply remain tooling around town in the VW Beetle™ Dad loved so much.
BUG US! -- tell us what you think

1950 VW PARTS NEEDED
email
Barbara McQuain
PO Box 534 - Elkins WV 26241
Phone (304) 636-3937

RESTORATION | PARTS NEEDED | PICTURES | STORY

click to
enlarge
small photo

Dome Light Lens

Tail Light Lens

Hub Caps

1950 VW Bug™
interior by:

RUE'S KUSTOM
800-640-3493
Weston WV

photos of interior
NOW
UPLOADED!
CLICK HERE

BUG US!
tell us what
you think

We always welcome general information and tips on businesses and individuals who deal in Volkswagen™ parts and services. We are, however, in particular needed of the following. If you can be of help, please contact us at the address above.

Semaphores
-- we have the original semaphores but they are in need of repair and rewiring
-- contact us if you know where we can find semaphores or have ours restored
-- semaphores are the flip-out turn signal lights on the outside frame between the door and the back side window
Hub Caps (see pic at left)
-- we have some hubcaps but they are too small for our 1950
-- our inside hub cap measurements are slightly larger than the usual 9.5" inside measurement found in various VW catalogs.
-- our inside hub cap measurement needs to be 10"
-- our wheels are 16"
-- we believe this is a MILITARY Bug, some military VWs did not have hubcaps originally, please contact us if you have more information
Windshield Wiper Assembly
-- we ordered a whole assembly kit from a parts dealer but it did not have everything we need
-- we still need a wiper transmission that would be the connection assembly between the turn shaft and the blade (i.e., the part to connect to the shaft that is on the main hood body)
Interior Dome Light Lens (see pic at left)
-- located between the split back window
Round Tail Light Lens (see pic at left)
-- we've inquired with numerous VW shops and catalogs but a round lens in the size we need is hard to find
Bumpers
-- the original bumpers were very simple and had an indentation across the middle
-- the original bumpers were more like nickel steel rather than chrome
Window Channels for 1950 Doors
-- we tried to order regulator channels and door glass but they wouldn't fit our original 1950 doors
-- our 1950 doors are slimmer than the average later year doors
-- the original 1950 doors do NOT have the separate vent on the main door glass

1950 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE™ SPLIT PRETZEL BACK WINDOW BUG US!
RESTORATION \| PARTS NEEDED \| PICTURES \| STORY