Are you guys sure you all had 444s? They were pretty
uncommon in the USA. The first ones in were '67s, I
don't think we got any '65 or earliers. By '69 they
had become 544s and were fairly common. 444s had small
round glass lens taillights, a big chrome center in
the dashboard, and a two piece windsheild. 544s had
oval plastic taillights, a dash without the '50
Mercury looking chrome center, and a curved one piece
windsheild. Some got a nice 4 speed gearbox with gears
interchangeable with Ford Mustang V8 gearboxes, way
strong! The old three speeds were weak. The 1600cc 3
mainbearing engine grew to 1800cc in '61 or '62 and
got a full 5 main bearing crank, again a big
improvememnt. The 122 replaced the 544 in '64 I think,
but then again they may have been sold together for a
couple of years. There also were 445 wagons, but I do
not recall any 545 wagons.
Wix has just stopped supplying the air filters, I have
been useing them on 510s.
Before 510s and Beetles I had a 544 problem. My '59
went almost 500,000 miles. I also had a '57, '58, and
a 445 wagon that never actually ran but had very nice
wooden slats and panelling inside.
I still have a set of hubcaps hung in the garage, and
a paper weight rear main bearing part of my broken
crankshaft [three main 544].
8-)
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Dennis Hale
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