@@ If the car cranks a long time try this for practice. Go somewhere
quiet like inside your garage. Note the plastic stick like
immobilizer wand on the key chain. Do not hold it within your hand
it will block the transmission of data. Turn key on, hold
immobilizer wand by the keychain loop end and put it right up under
the ignition switch. You will hear a relay click inside the left
rear side panel. Now the car should start right up. After you get
the hang of it, it is easy, my wand is to the left of my key and I
just flip it over with a finger as I turn the key. I developed this
technique and it works well. There is an LED that VW does not use on
this system tucked down inside the L/R panel inside the heater
channel cavity, I fished it out and extended the wire, ran it back
up to the dash and cut a small 1/2 circle hole right up against the
defroster duct, tuched the wire under the dash pad and stuck the LED
& it's holder into the hole. Looks factory & gived you a visual of
the systems status. This system by the way is one of the reasons
the battery discharges.
Carpets: Stock '64 had a heater knob on the center tunnel just rear &
right of shifter. If the knob or its mounting (stump) are still on
the tunnel you'll need to get floor carpets patterned for a 1964 Bug
WITHOUT footrest. If the knob & stump are gone you get carpets for a
1965 bug. For firewall, cowl and side panel (rocker panel where heat
outlet is) areas get carpets patterned for a 1973 beetle. Behind the
back seat for a 73 beetle too but you may need to remove the rear
window to properly install it depending on how it is made. New mex
bugs have only one heat lever to the right of the hand brake.
Mexi batteries are of a pretty low amp / reserve. My red car was dead
a few days off the transport truck. My Ultima Edition was almost
dead after sitting 3 weeks when the weather started getting colder &
I stopped driving it. I plan on replacing the battery on both cars
as well as installing a battery mat ( sucks up the bad stuff ) and
installing a battery cut off switch or run down protector at least.
The car takes a group size 42 battery. A group 58 can work if you get
the terminals on the right sides. 58 is one way & 58R is the other.
It is a little taller so I'd suggest putting a plastic lid of some
sort over it just in case. My 74 used a group 58 battery for years
w/a flat rubbermade dinner plate over the top to prevent accidental
shorts from the seat springs. I actually think it is really not tall
enough to matter but better be safe than sorry.
Both of my cars came w/the speedo disconnected. When I picked up the
U/E in Tuscon, Miguel reconnected it as we were going over the car.
I figure people want to see no miles on a "New" car and I'm sure
Miguel drives these cars from the dealer to his shop then across the
border to his place in Nogales. I didn't care one way or the other,
I didn't figure he had a big transport truck and assumed it would be
flat towed or driven. My U/E showed 67km and my red car 11km.
Both of my cars have the original Mexi VIN # on the B pillar behind
the sholder belt area as well as on a paper tag on the B pillar in
the door jamb and the "Old" Titled VIN # on the chassis. I left both
of mine alone and did not remove the Mexican vin #.
Your chassis vin is just ahead of the shifter inspection cover under
the back seat. As Tom says there are other vin #s stamped into the
car but cant be seen.
I'd like to see a picture of the sunroof & your car.
-Darby
TomB wrote:
>
> Both or our cars had the speedometer cables disconnected at the back
> of the speedometer when we got the cars, so that's probably standard
> procedure for btlmex.
> Our cars always start quickly. There could be several reasons why it
> has to crank a while. Do you notice this more when cold or on
> restarts after a short pause? It wouldn't hurt to connect a
> diagnostics scanner and see if it has stored any error codes.
> Btlmex also removes the body VIN tag on the door post and stickers
to
> avoid confusion at customs, as this is a "remanufactured" car under
> the chassis VIN. (The body VIN is marked other places that are not
> so obvious.)
>
> David Cononie wrote:
>>
>> Hello Darby,
>> Well this week I received my bug, I was very excited, I picked it up
>> at the end of the street, it was on a car carier. It looked like
>> someone dug it up from all the dirt on it, it took me two days to
>> get it looking good.
>> The battery was dead so I bought a new one, I noticed my speedo does
>> not work, but the fuel gauge and the lights do, I think someone
>> disconnected it and drove it, I will check it.
>> It is really nice, I notice it turns quite a while before it
>> starts.
>> I have to admit I did have street beet put in a rag top, it is a
>> inalfa unit, a factory made unit and it is very, very high quality,
>> I can send you photos if you give me an outside email.
>> Oh, mine is based on a sixy four bug, so the shifter is farther
>> out of reach, the car came with a black mat and has two shifter
>> holes,
>> I want to put in a loop carpet set. It has the heater ducts by the
>> rocker panels(ducts near middle of the door on floor) that look
>> stock and the only other lever is a little one next to the emergency
>> brake that comes out of the emergency brake boot, so I think this is
>> the way the stock new mex beetle is, correct, because wasn't the
>> heater controls somewhere else on the 64. Also what carpet kit do I
>> buy a sixty four?
>> They did not have a proper battery I bought a cheapie at walmart
> that
>> night so I could at least take it for a spin late at night, still
>> not registered, and would that have any affect on it turning awhile
>> before it starts?
>> One more question, is the vin number on the frame center part below
>> the back seat, and is there any other vin on the car that will not
>> match and give me trouble when I register it.
>> Thank you both for all your help
>>
>
>