Discontinued VW Parts

Classics are not Eternal

As with many classic cars, some parts are just irreplaceable. Some are one-off products that VW choose to discontinue. Others didnt see any demand with aftermarket vendors. Whatever the reason, some parts are just going to be junk yard, used, or ebay only. The harsh truth is JBugs tries to carry everything available, but when a much needed part simply isn't in production what's a VW enthusiast to do?

We did not build this page to discourage you in your search for that hard to find part. Rather, we hope this resource can help you identify the part you need, what it is called, and if there are any alternatives to replace it. If you have a part that needs identifying or have a picture you would like to add to the list please contact us at 800-231-1784.


VW Key Blanks

Sorry folks, VW of America does NOT allow reproductions of their vintage keys. Add the fact that they closely guards it's logo from being reproduced in any shape or form and you'll understand why original key blanks are so hard to find. Chances are (if you are lucky enough to source one) key blanks are old stock and can be extremely expensive, or milled illegally without official VW licensing.

Fresh Air Fan / Blower Motor

Fresh Air Fan / Blower motors are found in Standard Beetles, Super Beetles, Type 3's, and Busses. The blower pictured here is out of a Super Beetle. Blower motors are used/junkyard only items, although there are a few vendors online who sell reconditioned blower motors for $200-$300. Just as rare is the fresh air duct hose which is often deteriorating due to age. VW enthusiast usually fashion new ducts out of flexible plastic tubing.

Fuel Vapor, EVAP & Charcoal Canisters

Smog Control Equipment Did it ever work? That's debateable but the fact it's discontinued is not. Off to the junkyards, ebay, or thesamba.com if you are looking for a replacement.

EVAP & Charcoal Canisters

Smog Control Equipment

Safety Belt & Brake Warning Light

We do get a fair amount of phone calls looking for this item. However, no vendor has took up production, and since there are fewer and fewer classic VW's out there as the years pass, we don't forsee any reproductions in the near future.

Heater Lever Spotlight

Tiny light to illuminate the heater levers between front seats. No one really asks for a replacement spotlight, but people do ocassionaly ask what went in the hole sice it is often found empty.

Super Beetle Strut Housings

Only Super Beetles have struts, and unfortunately the strut housings are not available brand new. Strut inserts, and even springs are avaialble however so as long as your strut housings are in good shape they can be rebuilt.

Original Seat Belts

This is one item we are glad is discontinued. Todays modern seatbelts are safer, lighter, and more reliable. Even if your VW still has a working set of seat belts, chances are the 40+ year old webbing could give in an accident. No one should risk their safety in order to preserve authenticity.

Auto Stick Shifter

The shifter in Autostick models had a built-in electrical contact that would activate a solenoid to disengage the clutch and allow you to shift when you push down on the shifter. Like most of the items on this list, Autostick components, particularly the shifter itself, are difficult to find because they were unpopular and usually replaced.

Super Beetle Washer Reservoir

Despite all the improvements that came with the new design, the Super Beetle was never as popular the Bug, so it wasn’t until very recently that manufacturers began reproducing Super Beetle-specific parts. Unfortunately, that does not include the windshield washer fluid reservoir.

Steering Tube Collar

Served cosmetic purpose of closing the gap between the steering shaft and the steering tube. Unfortunately this part has not been reproduced.

Sports Wheels

Found on some special edition Beetles in the 1970s, sport wheels are 4x130 bolt pattern with a pronounced cross on the face. They do not accept hub caps or trim rings, and take a specific center cap.

Bumper-Shocks

Until about a year ago, these were a junkyard part as well. Manufacturers just didn’t have interest in reproducing them, so the only way to get them was to cannibalize them off junked car. Now, if you don’t want to dig through rusty parts, you can buy them brand new from Wolfsburg West.

Color Code Stickers

OE Color Code stickers are not made new. We have seen reproduction stickers made by independent vendors on sites like Etsy.

Odometer EGA Counter

The EGR counter found in fuel injected Beetles (and other vehicles as well) was a form of rudimentary emissions equipment employed by VW to remind the customer after a certain amount of miles that the EGR filter needed to be serviced or replaced. The only use this part serves is to meet emissions requirements for your area. It does not have any other purpose, and does not affect the performance of the vehicle in any way.

Hazard Light Switch

The square hazard light switch (as opposed to the round pull-knob style) was used on deluxe (113) Beetles built from 1973 onward. Standard Beetles (111) were offered pretty much everywhere else and they came equipped with the earlier pull-knob style, so that style switch is much more common to find these days. That means you’ll most likely have to head out to the junkyard to get a deluxe style switch if you need it.

Dash Clock

Similar to the square hazard light switch, the dash clock was not introduced until 1973, and was not offered on standard Beetle models. The clock was made by VDO, a manufacturer or original VW equipment, and could be added at the dealership if requested. A short life span in the US (only about 6 years) makes them relatively rare to find these days, and VDO has not reproduced them for retail sale.

1956-’61 Beetle Hood Prop

Pre-1962 Beetle models did not have a sprung hinge to assist in opening the front hood. Like pre-1968 buses, they use a 2-piece folding metal hood prop. Unlike the bus hood prop, the ’56-61 Beetle hood prop was not reproduced for retail sale until very recently – and they are rarely available. Chances are you’ll need to hit the junk yard for this guy as well, even if it can be found online.

Thermostat Flaps

Thermostat flaps are no longer made new, and for good reason. When installed, the flaps control airflow over the cylinders to help the engine reach and maintain proper operating temperature. Though it was a clever design when it came out, the air-cooled VW thermostat system quickly gained a reputation of being unreliable, so most owners literally threw them in the trash. Thermostat parts are fairly rare (and surprisingly expensive) as a result.

Original Doghouse Fan Shroud

EMPI and other aftermarket manufacturers make new dog house fan shrouds to this day, but they are modeled after the domed shape of the 36 HP style fan shroud. The original dog house fan shroud used on ’71 and later Type 1 engines is not made new, so you will have to purchase one from a junk yard if you want to install that pesky thermostat.

Early Beetle Air Filter Assembly

Steel canister sat on top of the carburetor and used an "oil bath" air filter.

Early Beetle Air Filter Assembly

Used replaceable paper air filter elements.

Carburetor Dashpot

Smog control deceleration valve. Closes the throttle lever slowly, preventing the throttle from snapping shut and accumulating fuel on the butterfly which would dump in when the throttle is open creating high levels of carbon monoxide.

Z Bar

The 1967 and 68 transmissions have longer axles and a weakened rear torsion bar- This adds leverage to the rear end, Softening it up- Makes the rear end ride softer, and the front and slide out meaning tires breaking traction instead of the driver losing control of the rear of the car. The front of a car in a slide is more controllable because of your ability to steer so that is preferred. In a nutshell The Z bar is sort of a limiter to disallow the axles from going too far up or down from their normal driving position, keep in mind a swing axle allows the wheels to grossly camber in those situations, the Z-bar prohibits that to some extent

Stock Seat Frames

At least once a week, a customer will ask if our complete interior kits come with seat frames, and we have to break the bad news to them that our kits do not come with frames. Unfortunately, no one has reproduced stock seat frames for any air cooled Type 1, 2 or 3 for retail sale. Luckily, seat frames can generally be found for a decent price at the junkyard or through private party sellers on TheSamba.com or other websites.

Metal Sunroof Panel

Though some of the sunroof components are made new, the retractable metal panel used in early VW sunroof models is no longer available.

Carburetor Dashpot

Smog control deceleration valve. Closes the throttle lever slowly, preventing the throttle from snapping shut and accumulating fuel on the butterfly which would dump in when the throttle is open creating high levels of carbon monoxide.

Z Bar

The 1967 and 68 transmissions have longer axles and a weakened rear torsion bar- This adds leverage to the rear end, Softening it up- Makes the rear end ride softer, and the front and slide out meaning tires breaking traction instead of the driver losing control of the rear of the car. The front of a car in a slide is more controllable because of your ability to steer so that is preferred. In a nutshell The Z bar is sort of a limiter to disallow the axles from going too far up or down from their normal driving position, keep in mind a swing axle allows the wheels to grossly camber in those situations, the Z-bar prohibits that to some extent

Fuel Injection Control Unit

More info coming soon.

VW Junk Yards:



Interstate Used Parts:

Interstate Used Parts has been around since the late 80's, and is a local VW Parts partner to JBugs. Owner Jim Lucca realized classic VW's were being crushed by auto yards for scrap metal while there was still high demand for irreplaceable German OE parts. With this in mind, Jim arranged for multiple tractor-trailers loaded with classic VW's from all over the USA to be brought to their new home in Vista California. Thus began Interstate VW! If we couldn't source a part for our customers we would send them to Interstate where Jim had hundreds of classic VW cars on his lot. Over the years Interstate has outgrown the Vista location and is now located an hour north in the city of Lake Elsinor. Contact Interstate Used Parts





VW Classifieds:



The Samba:

The Samba needs no introduction for any serious VW enthusiast. Not only is it the biggest VW community website, but it's also one of the oldest still active. The Samba host classified ads for cars & parts, an active VW forum, and is full of useful information. The Samba Classifieds





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