Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 08:46:35 -0800
Reply-To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: VW 411, 412 models (nvc)
In-Reply-To: <c70.812fd91.32b8051c@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Actually that "Weird Little Map Light Thing" is/was not a Map Light at all.
73-later Bugs, Super Beetles, Ghias, Type 4s and I think "Things" had these
and the purpose of it was to provide light to the Hand Brake Lever when it
was extended up. A Door Jam Interior Light Switch was mounted near the
handle pivot base to activate the light when you pulled up the handle. It's
lens was moveable so that the light could be aimed and there was a bit of a
magnifier in the lens to "enhance" the light beam. Great in theory, but
poor in execution as it poorly provided light to a BLACK handle. Depending
on the model installed, it could have been mounted on a plastic (often
broken) or metal mount. Of the metal mounts, I've encountered two
styles/shapes, dependent on the model installed.
These are highly sought after, especially by 73-74 Ghia owners to restore
their vehicle. I have 3 on my desk right this moment waiting for backorder
customers waiting in line to confirm they still want one. One of them is
minus the bulbholder which unique to this light assembly, but most customers
are happy to just get that..
That's the end of Hand Brake Light 101, class dismissed ;-)
--
Jim Thompson
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
**********************************
On 12/18/06, JordanVw@aol.com <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
>
> In a message dated 12/17/06 3:08:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM writes:
>
>
>
> When I was into this biz full swing I would constantly have an eye peeled
> not for the flashy over priced "one-offs", but for the underrated special
> models to buy fix up (or clean up) and resell them to a good home that
> would
> appreciate them. Take 411/412 models (yeah, I know, take 'em
> all....please!!!), VW's "Edsel". They actually produced a big bunch of
> these. To give you an idea of how many, there were more 411/412s produced
> from 1969 thru 1974 than the entire 18 year production run of the Karmann
> Ghia (56-74). But there were certain models produced within VW's "Edsel"
> line that are hard to find and together with my buddy Cliff Crate, we buy
> 'em up, fix many of their problems (non-functioning auto trannies being
> the
> biggest expense,) and clean 'em up, then re-sell them for almost no profit
> to an enthusiast to drive or fix 'em up more. It's a cult following, but
> most of them have ended up in the crusher over the years so now they're
> becoming fewer and fewer. Cliff and I are always prowling the Samba,
> wrecking yards and VW shows for hard-to-find pieces and his backyard has
> become probably a lot like your farm property, just visualize Type 4s and
> tons of related parts instead. Our "cute" name for it is the "Black
> Hole",
> where everything goes in and little comes back out because......well
> y'know
> 411/412 stuff isn't (and never will be) the rage of VW-dom ;-) Same idea
> and focus, just a different model.
>
> Yeah, all the rest of ya out there can guffaw and laugh, but as long as
> Cliff and I can make someone happy with VW's "Ugly Duckling", we're just
> fine with that.
>
> Oh....My late father and I, not being the total purists that some people
> out
> there are, the last 10 years we had that 50 Bug (being totally restored
> otherwise) had it outfitted with a 2180, Dual 40IDFs, Joe Hunt Scintilla
> Magneto, Tunnel Trans totally beefed out and Porsche 356B brakes all the
> way
> around. Ya think we were gonna "daily drive" it in California on 25HP?
> It
> was a lot of fun lighting up those skinny 16" tires at the Vintage Meets.
>
> Now if I can just find a nice Doka or Single Cab Vanagon to tool around
> in.....sigh.
> --
> Jim Thompson
> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> oldvolkshome@gmail.com
> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
>
>
>
> hi jim...i found a '74 412 a few years back.. it only had like 40k
> original miles.. it was harvest gold metallic.. and had the factory roof
> rack, and a gas heater and auto trans.. and porsche 914 wheels.. also had
> this wierd little map light thing under the dashboard?? anyway, it was a
> cool car.. sold it to a friend of mine, he had is shipped to atlanta.. and
> that was the last i heard of it.. i wish i would have kept it.. very
> cool.. and actually very fast...
>
> chris
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