69 auto 411L what to look for?

[vonkr]

Nice car and a very clean interior!

I have the same interior color, I believe it is named "polar" (that's what stands on my "car birth certificate",
by options).

for the first modelyear there is one part that's easy to find: the headlights They are only on the first
model year, and you see a lot of them on ebay (other parts is a complete other story... )

[Lars S]

This car is also a living proof for that auto trans was delivered in reality early from the 1st model year. This has been doubted in the debate and the automatic has sometimes been told to have appeared in early broschures only.



/Lars S

[Slow 1200]

VIN is 419 17960, it was 1st registered in december 68, i guess it must be one of the earliest automatic 411s in existance?

[Slow 1200]

and some more pics

[raygreenwood]

Is that the defroster knob between the instruments? Ray

[Slow 1200]

Is that the defroster knob between the instruments? Ray

good question, i don't know!

[Lars S]

Yes, that should be the knob for the gasoline heater in the brake warning light place. The brake warning light was just to the right of the radio on the early models but can we see a knob/light more just to the right of the brake warning light or is it just the blind plug seen in early broschures.


/Lars S

[Lahti411]

As far as i know, the early models didn't have any knob for the heater mounted to the dash board. All the heater controls were located between the seats. There was only a small green light on the dashboard showing when the heater was switched on. This light was located to the right of the radio.
That knob between the istrumets is something that has been added later, i guess. Usually there should be the brake warning light or simply a blind for the opening.
Here's a pic of the early dash board

[Lars S]

As far as i know, the early models didn't have any knob for the heater mounted to the dash board. All the heater controls were located between the seats. There was only a small green light on the dashboard showing when the heater was switched on. This light was located to the right of the radio.
That knob between the istrumets is something that has been added later, i guess. Usually there should be the brake warning light or simply a blind for the opening.
Here's a pic of the early dash board

Yes Lahti you are right, the heater is told to only be controlled by the levers at the floor in the beginning, if a knob is there it is likely to have been added by the owner.

However there are a mix of dashbord button layouts from the early days, it is likely that early broschures differs from early cars which both can differ from later ones.

This picture (from a early factory leaflet presenting the new car 411 for the 1st time) tells that no7 is brake warning light but thats a strange place to put a warning light so it may wery well be a mistake.
Looks like wood around the fusebox in your pic Lahti?

/Lars S

[Lahti411]

I have the same dealer broschure (or similar) in finnish and it has that mistake too. On my broschure this mistake appears only on one page, and, on some other page, where the heater controls are explaned more thorouhgly, the same warning light is marked as heater light. I also have several period magazines with thorough test drives about these cars, and they show that the warning light next to radio is for the heater.

There were some differences in the dash board lay out though. I've understood that on some markets the warning blinker switch was more in the center of the dashboard. Also, your picture shows that the rear window defogger switch and the wiper switch are in opposite places compared to the picture i posted earlier. Interesting

I think there's some cardboard or similar, that gives the fusebox surround a wood-like look. I have never noticed that detail None of my cars have had that. It migth have been removed by the previous owners though.

And yes, i agree, i'm a total type 4 nerd

[Lars S]

The reason for the broschure "mistake" with the brake warning light is probably because the car does not have one (at least where we expect to find it). In the black/white photo it should have been partly visible behind the steering wheel if it was there. The broschure below shows a dash of the same type, no brake warning light (at least where we expect to find it) and the leftmost blind button is wooden covered. (Also the fresh air grille area seems strange...)


Lahti, if you are a 411 nerd you are not alone ...

/Lars S

[Lahti411]

That wood grained blind is something i haven't ever noticed. I found similar dashboard layout from another broschure. But strangely i found also an early dashboard photo which showed a dashboard with the later style heater adjustment switch.


Obviously those early brochures show several details that VW hadn't decided yet, even though the car was very close to production.

[raygreenwood]

Yes...and notice the ventilator photo..with no blue screen printing of open and closed directions. A very pre-production vehicle in that shot.

[raygreenwood]

Also the emblem on the hood and not with the "wings" bars is different for a 411. Ray

[Lahti411]

Also the emblem on the hood and not with the "wings" bars is different for a 411. Ray

Well, it's different for a later 411, but the first model year 411 had the hood emblem and no trim on the front panel.
This was immidiately changed for the model year '70, as the cars dull face was hugely critisized in the press.
Other external changes were the headlights (from oval to dual), dashboard with space for extra switches, new door cards without the chrome trmin and in one tone (early cars had black lower part), also, the rear bumper was more pronounced as the mounts were changed.