tail lights on 72 beetle

[Heilig]

my question is..i am going to look at a 1972 beetle , but the photo has the elephant foot tail lights? i thought those tail lights were on 73-79? anyone know

[mountainkowboy]

72 was the last year for the classic VW taillights. The elephant foot started in 73.....if it was manufactured after 9/72 it would be considered a 73 though

[Heilig]

Thank you! I didn't think they had those tail lights!

[Marc]

They didn't in `72; the `73 model year began August 1 1972. The VIN of a `73 starts with 113 (133 if it's a Super). If the one you're looking at is a `72 onto which someone has installed `73 fenders it'll have a 112 VIN (standard or Super)
The `73 rear fenders are one-year-only. Their rear bumper brackets are ¾" longer too, and nobody sells the correct ones any more so you have to use `68-`72 brackets pulled as far rearward as possible to clear the "hippier" `73 fenders. The early round taillights were made by a different subcontractor than most and are not 100% compatible, the lenses are subtly different.

Why is this post in Picture Gallery?

[sideshow]

Remember they were new centuries ago, and the fenders unbolt. Repair and modification tend to happen.