EMPI Complete Wiring Harness — VW Beetle Sedan 1958, 1959 (98-9476-0)

EMPI 98-9476-0 is a complete reproduction wiring harness for the 1958, 1959 VW Beetle sedan, left-hand drive. It is an all-new loom built to the German factory pattern with correct wire gauges, German color coding with tracer stripes, numbered branch wires and factory-style connectors, replacing VW 113-971-011-A. It works on the original 6-volt system or after a 12-volt conversion.

Part numbers: EMPI 98-9476-0 · 98-9476 · C13-98-9476 · VW 113 971 011 A / 113971011A / 113-971-011-A (WK-113-58-59) · UPC 707924537383

Fitment

Specifications

What's Included

• Main harness, front harness section and dash wiring
• Individually packaged, numbered branch wires
• Factory-style connectors, terminal ends and grommets
• Correct wire gauge and German-spec color coding with tracer stripes
• EMPI's printed installation manual (kit K6-1958-1959)

Not Included

• Fuse box
• Switches
• Bulb holders
• Battery cables

Why It Matters

A 6-volt car has no margin for bad wiring. Half the voltage means twice the current for the same job, and every corroded terminal, undersized splice and marginal ground eats into what actually reaches the headlight or the starter. Replacing the harness as an assembly fixes all of it at once, and a year-correct loom is color-coded and gauged to match the wiring diagram in your manual.

Confirm what your car has for front turn signals and dash layout before ordering: cars of this vintage were built in market-specific variations, and the matching reproduction loom is catalogued as the US-market pattern.

Installation Notes

Disconnect the battery ground first and leave it disconnected until the last connection is made.

Photograph the old harness in place before removing it — behind the dash, at the headlight buckets, at the tail lights and at every ground point.

Pull the old loom out as one piece and lay it next to the new one to confirm branch routing.

Clean every ground point back to bright metal — a new harness will not fix a rusty ground bracket.

Plan on replacing the fuse box and the battery-to-body ground strap while the interior is out, and budget a weekend with the seats and dash trim out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the 98-9476-0 harness fit a 1960 Beetle?
No. 1960 is its own harness — use EMPI 98-9478-0. For 1961 use 98-9480-0, and for 1962 through 1964 use 98-9482-0.

Will it fit a 1956 or 1957 oval-window Beetle?
No. This loom starts at 1958. The earlier cars use a different harness.

Can I use a 1958-1959 Beetle harness on a car converted to 12 volts?
Yes. The harness routes the same either way, and the wire gauges were chosen for the higher current a 6-volt system draws, so they are more than adequate at 12 volts.

Does the EMPI wiring harness include a fuse box?
No. Fuse box, switches, bulb holders and battery cables are sold separately.

Are the wires marked so I know which is which?
Yes. Branch wires come packaged individually and numbered, and the colors and tracer stripes follow the German factory scheme so they read straight off a period wiring diagram.

Will it work in a 1958-1959 cabriolet or a right-hand-drive car?
No for right-hand drive; it is a left-hand-drive harness only. EMPI lists it as a sedan harness, and convertible bodies of these years route the rear section differently.

Related Parts

• EMPI Complete Wiring Harness, Beetle Sedan 1960 (98-9478-0) — the next year's loom, if yours is a 1960 car
• EMPI 14" Braided Copper Battery Ground Strap (00-9469-0) — the cheapest voltage you will ever get back on a 6-volt car
• EMPI Universal Wire Harness with Fuse Box (00-9466-0) — for buggies, rails and customs where a year-correct loom does not apply
• Electrical & Ignition — coils, switches, connectors and cables

⚠️ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. All parts legal for use on pre-pollution controlled vehicles only.