How do i tell if my van should have an early front?

[vwwinston72]

Hi my van's a 72 bay with tall rear lights, i was wondering if it should have an earlybay front it currently has a late bay style front end if it should i would like to change it back, is there any way of finding out??

 

[moler]

It's all in the chassis number, it should be 10 digits long, if the third digit is a '2', then you should have a lowlight front

 

[sparkywig]

It's all in the chassis number, it should be 10 digits long, if the third digit is a '2', then you should have a lowlight front

Not necessarily.....

 

[vwwinston72]

kool i'll have a look this weekend thanks for your help!

 

[moler]

It's all in the chassis number, it should be 10 digits long, if the third digit is a '2', then you should have a lowlight front

Not necessarily.....

Really!! Please explain

 

[rustydiver]

Now my crosser has high indicators and is a mid July 72 one.
Now what's saying that vw ran out of low ones and whacked on a high one. Let's face it the only reason we got crossers is because vw wanted to use up all the old stock in their parts bins.
As I was told by an old Dutch man vw didn't want to waste anything and was known to send out vans with early and late bumpers lAte on. It sounded plausible to me.

 

[sparkywig]

It's all in the chassis number, it should be 10 digits long, if the third digit is a '2', then you should have a lowlight front

Not necessarily.....

Really!! Please explain

See pic on my post. Both '72 model year L registered buses, one with low indicators, the other with high indicators.

 

[moler]

See pic on my post. Both '72 model year L registered buses, one with low indicators, the other with high indicators.

Sorry but that doesn't prove anything without chassis numbers and history. The one with the high indicators could either be a '73 which someone has fitted early bumpers to, or a victim of a front panel replacement where they haven't bothered to do the job properly and refit the lowlight indicators???

The yellow one clearly has had a front panel replacement.

 

[sparkywig]

The yellow one was mine until 2004, and I replaced the front panel back in 1995.
The blue one is a friend's bus and is a 1972 model year with original front panel.

 

[moler]

Now my crosser has high indicators and is a mid July 72 one.
Now what's saying that vw ran out of low ones and whacked on a high one. Let's face it the only reason we got crossers is because vw wanted to use up all the old stock in their parts bins.
As I was told by an old Dutch man vw didn't want to waste anything and was known to send out vans with early and late bumpers lAte on. It sounded plausible to me.

A lowlight front panel was one piece from top to bottom, to put a late front on would mean that would have to fabricate a new in fill for the bottom to allow for the fitting of an early bumper, so it would have easier just to make some more early front panels then go about fitting late ones and making a new panel for the bottom, plus the extra fitting.

Crossovers occur in all the VW models, I don't believe they are there just to use parts up, that's what Fleetlines where for, crossovers where the half way point of major changes. The only real difference between a '72 and a '73 is the bumpers and front indicators.

1972 model year production was the most prolific year of production, nearly 300,000 Type2's where produced, I'd like to think that VW see far enough ahead not run out of panels. Plus theres the spare parts stock they'd what to have.

 

[moler]

The yellow one was mine until 2004, and I replaced the front panel back in 1995.
The blue one is a friend's bus and is a 1972 model year with original front panel.

Do you have anymore info on it?

 

[67panel]

its quite easy to have a devon made before august 72 and then REGISTERED after august so it gets L reg, for 72 /73 cos they bought them in batches so takes a while to do them all.

 

[Trikky2]

A lowlight front panel was one piece from top to bottom, to put a late front on would mean that would have to fabricate a new in fill for the bottom to allow for the fitting of an early bumper, so it would have easier just to make some more early front panels then go about fitting late ones and making a new panel for the bottom, plus the extra fitting.

Crossovers occur in all the VW models, I don't believe they are there just to use parts up, that's what Fleetlines where for, crossovers where the half way point of major changes. The only real difference between a '72 and a '73 is the bumpers and front indicators.

1972 model year production was the most prolific year of production, nearly 300,000 Type2's where produced, I'd like to think that VW see far enough ahead not run out of panels. Plus theres the spare parts stock they'd what to have.

This

 

[moler]

its quite easy to have a devon made before august 72 and then REGISTERED after august so it gets L reg, for 72 /73 cos they bought them in batches so takes a while to do them all.

Absolutely, my old '73 (model year) Westy left the factory on the 6th of Feburary, but wasn't registered until September.

The two 1971 model years I've had, one was J reg, and the other K...and the two 1972's model years I've had, one was K reg the other L...and while I'm thinking about it, my second '73 was an L reg, but the above mentioned Westy was an M :shock:

 

[vwwinston72]

Turns out the 3 digit of my chassis number is a 2!! quite excited cause it means i can have an earlybay front on my van and not feel like a fraud! haha