As someone who owned an '82 bug that I loved like no other car I've owned, I was going to tell you to do something, but reading your username I guess you already did it.
I loved the cars. I had a college classmate had an old school VW bus. Such fond memories. I didn't mean to disparage the bug. More like I think about old cars vs how new cars are built vis a vis safety.
So, the taillights with the reflectors that were the little asterisks were gone by 1962? Those were not uncommon when I was young. I had always liked them.
I keep thinking I might get a 1303 at some point, But I have enough projects on right now. Most likely will end up with one eventually though, That or a mini.