Here’s a fantastic article sent over from Matthew Keen in the UK. Safer Motoring features the first mention about the 1500 ’67 Beetle. Click on the images below for a closer look.
Happy Friday!
Comments are closed.
Safer Motoring
Restoring A Vintage Volkswagen Bug
Very interesting. Too bad the US version didn’t get the front disk brakes.
Very good point. Drums are great and all, but…
You did get disks up front if you had a 1500
But you’re in the UK right? My US ’67 doesn’t have them.
Is yours a 1500 beetle? Or a 1300? I thought all 1500’s got disks
Not in the US. Only in the UK did a ’67 have them.
“ugly look”, oh well, I do like the headlamp, sexy lines of the 66 and earlier, but maybe not goes as far as to call the 67 ugly! :) No one talks to baby that way.
Matt…
VW didn’t call the ’67 Beetles exported to the USA “1500 Beetles”. The decklid bore the name “volkswagen” in script. The engines were called “1500s” because of the 1493 cc displacement.
This article answers my question about the lack of Reverse Lamps on your car. Reverse Lamps, according to the article, were assigned to Beetles destined for USA consumption. ’67 Beetles for the USA also kept the 5-lug pattern wheels with 4 drum brakes, except for Karmann Ghias, which came with front disc brakes for year ’67.
All of this is very interesting. The article helps to clear some of the confusion over what some here call “Euro Beetles”. These are Beetles which have non-USA consumption features, such as the blade-only bumpers with small guards and no over riders and so forth and so on.
Thanks for this contribution.
jay
Glad I could help Jay, in all this I learned something new too, I always thought the US 67’s got disk brakes as well.
Having found that they didn’t really puzzles me, my reasoning is that the US market was ahead at the time in safety and pushed for dual circuit brakes for that model year so why would they pass up on disk brakes on the 1493cc model….america did get the 1493cc beetle didn’t it?
Interesting!
Right, sorry just doubting everything today that I knew about the US 1500, they did get the 1500. So the Ghia had disk brakes, did the Type 3 have disks in that year?
I must say that after driving my old 71 1200 with drums up front and then buying my 67 with disks the later is ALOT easier to get to pull up straight after replacing the front pads as opposed to shoes.
The shoes always needed “tweeking the side edges and leading edge to they did not snatch”
Here are some hard facts
1967 (1 Aug 66 to 31 Jul 67)
Chassis 117,000,001 – 117,999,000
Engine D 0,095,050 – D 0,234,014 34bhp(DIN)1200
Engine E 0,006,001 – E 0,014,000 37bhp(DIN)1300(US-M240smog)
Engine F 0,940,717 – F 1,237,506 40bhp(DIN)1300
Engine L 0,000,001 – L 0,019,335 40bhp(DIN)1500(US-M240smog)
Engine H 0,204,001 – H 0,874,199 44bhp(DIN)1500
1500 engine introduced – similar to earlier type 2 (bus, kombi) engine, but without the rear cross member mounting point.
“Volkswagen” badge on engine lid.
12 volt electrics.
Generator increased from 180 to 360 watts.
Voltage regulator moved from generator to under rear seat.
Rear track increased with wider swing axles to 1350mm.
Clutch diameter increased from 180 to 200mm on 1300/1500 models.
130 tooth ring gear (flywheel) replaces 109 tooth.
Dual brake cylinder system (drum brakes).
Front discs (single circuit) on 1500 models to some countries (but not US).
Outside door handle has push button.
Inside door handles recessed.
Two speed wipers.
Back-up lights (on US models).
Vertical headlights replace sloped glass.
US models get sealed beam headlights (other countries retain bulb-and-reflector).
Locking buttons on doors.
Driver’s armrest on door.
Slimmer chrome trim on outside.
Driver’s outside mirror becomes standard.
Rear anti-sway bar added.
Matthew,
I’m very impressed with your ’67 knowledge. How did you and up writing w/ Eric and Jay?
Hi Mark,
I, like the rest am just a regular 67 beetle owner in the UK. My dad had a 67 from new and so I guess I have memories from my dads car from year zero onwards. Since having a 71 beetle in 1991 and then building a replica of my dads car from 2004 to present I guess I have just acquired over the year bits and pieces of knowledge that to 99% of the public would be of no interest.
Guess I struck gold when I bumped into you guys :)
Eric hopes that I can give a slightly diferent perspective as I’m over here in the UK (never been to the states).
Hope my ramblings is of interest.
Matthew
Very much so, Matthew, I learned several new things today about a car I bought 46 years ago. Geez, am I that old?
More info:-
Q. Were Beetles ever equipped with “Factory” Disc Front Brakes?
Disc Front Brakes were primarily available for the Beetle starting in the 1967 model year as an option outside of the United States and were never standard equipment. Disc Front Brakes were standard on Type 14 Karmann Ghias from the 1967 model onwards, as was the Type 3 from the 1966 model year onwards. It can be noted that from 1967 onwards, that Beetles could be special ordered from Germany through the US Dealership by the customer to be equipped Disc Front Brakes. This was essentially a Type 14 Karmann Ghia front axle system, using 4 lug wheels instead of the 5 lug wheels common to 1967 Drum Brake models.
According to different sources, disc brakes were left off US-spec Beetles and Super Beetles despite even the later 1600cc engine because of spiraling inflation between West German mark against the US dollar as an attempt to keep the price in line with competitor’s cars. Apparently it was also rare to have discs on Japanese beetle as well.
So a question for all you US 67 owners, how many of you have 4 lug wheels and how many have 5?
5 here!
I’m thinking if there are any 4 lug then they will either be late 67 model year or some sort of us import or special order. I would imagine a special order 67 with front discs would have taken until mid 70’s to actually arrive!
Unless at the same showroom there was a ghia missing its front beam :)
Yup, five for me too.
Here are some 67’s destined for your side of the pond
Great photo!
If my eyes are seeing correctly my slopie production line is just behind in the picture
Matt…Apparently, all ’67 Beetles destined for US consumption had drum brakes and 5 lug rims. According to the news review which you sent, the disc system required a special master cylinder. I don’t know how it compares with the stock dual master cylinder which came on the US consumption Beetles. Will have to ask my VW specialist how this works.
According to the Owner’s Manuals which came with all US consumption ’67 Bugs, all of them came with drum brakes and 5 lug rims. There was no variance. However, individuals occasionally brought their vehicles to the USA after having purchased them in various parts of Europe and England and elsewhere. We even have the occasional right-hand drive–saw one here in Texas this past Wednesday. This has caused confusion over the years as to supposed differences which Germany might have sent to the USA.
I’ve been wrong before. So, I won’t feel too bad if I am proven to be wrong again. LOL
jay
I think we’ve all learned a lot today!
Jay, you are correct, the 67 disk brake beetle did have a slightly different master cylinder thought finding info and availability is very hard these days. From what I have found it had a void inside the bore machined to relief the pressure built up when depressing the brakes. I have been told this meant that the discs could then retract correctly when the pressure dropped. Perhaps someone could verify this.
Matthew,
Good info!!!
I’m not into aftermarket stuff, but Pete over at AirKewled would know for sure.
Aftermarket !”wash your mouth out” lol
this would be original ate 67 vintage on euro spec :)
Ah! Well, yeah.. Us in the US have to go aftermarket for disc.
Jay you are always spot on.
Matthew
Jay is the ’67 Beetle whisperer.
What we could do it an article showing the three 67 beetles (manybe more) in comparison if we can get some good pictures of all of them.
That would be
1967 1500 US Spec
1967 1500 Euro Spec
1967 Australian Spec
Was the beetle being built anywhere else in 67..? Mexico? Brazil?
A full line up would be great
Guys,
Great info. This site is an amazing wealth of knowledge on the best Beetle ever made.