Today I took a closer look at the Beetle’s 12V electrical system. Using a bench power supply with 12.5V and 8A (also tested at 12.8V), I ran a preliminary test to see what would come alive and to check for any unexpected current draw. Even with nothing on, the system drew only 0.060A, which is within normal limits and indicates no major shorts.

With the legal stuff out of the way, I could finally start working on the car itself. The first step was to remove the gas tank and engine–and buy car-tools! Keep in mind, I’m not a car guy, so follow these steps at your own risk. I’ll cover what I did to the car and then the decisions and early purchases for the electric conversion after that.

After a long first week back at work after the holidays, I woke up Saturday morning feeling cold. It wasn’t just me–the whole house was cold. The furnace was out. Winter this year has been uncommonly warm, but Saturday was a cold day.

I bought a VW Beetle with no title–it was a parts car that the previous owner was going to use for a different project, but never got around to it. I didn’t know the process until I saw the listing, but I figured out how to get a title for it and made a plan before I picked it up. Hopefully this helps someone else in a similar situation.

Way back in 2015, I purchased a green 1969 VW Beetle from a friend who was leaving town. It was an awesome little car, but with no heat or AC, it was a fair-weather car only. I have two distinct memories of that bug: wiping freezing rain off the windshield with my hand in the dark on my way home, and how the world was a cheerier place when I drove it–people would smile and wave when I drove by. With our rental situation at the time and the very strict HOA rules, I wasn’t able to do much with it, so I sold it to a VW enthusiast not long after. But I missed that little bug.