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Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:37 am

Can anyone help me here? I have a 74 super beetle. I have been told that the windshield for this year is a one year only part. Is this true? I thought that all curved window super beetle bodies were the same from (73-77)

Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:55 am

From Super beetles .com
Q. Do all Super Beetles have a curved front windshield?

A. No. The 1971-1972 Super Beetles (AKA the 1302) used the same flat front glass as the Standard Beetle. The curved front windshield was first introduced to the 1973 Super Beetle* (AKA the 1303). This glass was used in both the Super Beetle sedan and convertible until the end of production. This new style glass was used to comply with US safety standards with regards to the distance from the occupants and the front glass.

Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:30 pm

Stpemp wrote: Can anyone help me here? I have a 74 super beetle. I have been told that the windshield for this year is a one year only part. Is this true? I thought that all curved window super beetle bodies were the same from (73-77)

You're correct. 73-77 supers are the same

Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:54 pm

Mudpump wrote: Stpemp wrote: Can anyone help me here? I have a 74 super beetle. I have been told that the windshield for this year is a one year only part. Is this true? I thought that all curved window super beetle bodies were the same from (73-77)

You're correct. 73-77 supers are the same

73-77? I always thought the convertibles were flatter on the top. I was thinking the 73-75 hard top Supers were the same, and the 73-79 convertible Supers were the same.

Sat Feb 04, 2017 2:05 pm

Super verts and Super sedans have different windshields.

Sat Feb 04, 2017 9:14 pm

Indeed- 4 different ones in total. I'm sure 67rustavenger was not trying to imply all curved windshields are the same for both models- simply that curved glass on super bodied cars was used from '73 up.

Sun Feb 05, 2017 6:38 pm

67rustavenger wrote: This new style glass was used to comply with US safety standards with regards to the distance from the occupants and the front glass.

Umm, no and yes. Yes, the curved windshield did offer greater distance between occupants and glass. No, VW still offered the standard Beetle to US consumers through 1977. The last European-built standard Beetle was made in Emden in January 1978 so the factory could go full forward on Passat building which already had started in 1977 and continues through today. Other water-cooled VWs have been built in Emden as well.

If the DOT instituted laws on windshield distance (a quick Google/Bing search yielded nothing), it was for the 1978 model year at the earliest but even then it would have been coincidental as VW had already made up its mind. Since MG, Fiat and other sports cars were still being imported later than that, I have my doubts. After all, windshield distance is relative to where the driver is sitting which is, of course, variable.

For VW's part, they lauded the increased visibility of the curved windshield with respect to safety. Magazine articles of the time mentioned better aerodynamics, but that was being kind as far as gas mileage was concerned given the Super Beetle is roughly 100 lbs. heavier.