EMPI Complete Wiring Harness — VW Beetle Sedan 1960 (98-9478-0)

EMPI 98-9478-0 is a complete reproduction wiring harness for the 1960 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-B. It works on the original 6-volt system or after a 12-volt conversion.

Part numbers: EMPI 98-9478-0 · 98-9478 · C13-98-9478 · VW 113 971 011 B / 113971011B / 113-971-011-B (WK-113-1960) · UPC 707924537406

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 K13-1960)

Not Included

• Fuse box
• Switches
• Bulb holders
• Battery cables

Why It Matters

The failure mode of old wiring is not an open circuit that leaves you stranded — it is a high-resistance connection that gets warm, then hot, inside a wrapped bundle you cannot see. Replacing the whole loom removes every one of those in one job, and because this harness is cut to the factory branch lengths and color-coded to the factory scheme, it matches the wiring diagram in your Bentley or Haynes manual exactly.

1960 is a single-year part: VW revised the Beetle's wiring almost yearly through this period, and EMPI does not group the 1960 car with either neighbor. Check the chassis number rather than the title year if the car is close to a model-year changeover, since VW started each model year in August of the prior calendar year.

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

Does the 1960 Beetle harness cover 1959 or 1961 as well?
No. It is a 1960-only harness. Use EMPI 98-9476-0 for 1958–1959 and 98-9480-0 for 1961.

What if my Beetle is right on the model-year line?
Go by the chassis number, not the registration year. VW began each model year in August of the previous calendar year, so a car titled 1960 may be built to 1959 or 1961 specification.

Is the 98-9478-0 harness for 6-volt or 12-volt?
Either. 1960 Beetles were 6-volt from the factory, and the same harness serves the car after a 12-volt conversion.

Does a fuse box come with the harness?
No. Fuse box, switches, bulb holders and battery cables are separate parts.

How are the wires identified?
Branch wires are packaged individually and numbered, and the insulation colors and tracer stripes follow the German factory scheme so they match a period wiring diagram.

Will it fit a right-hand-drive Beetle?
No. This is a left-hand-drive harness.

Related Parts

• EMPI Complete Wiring Harness, Beetle Sedan 1958–1959 (98-9476-0) — the previous loom, for 1958 and 1959 cars
• EMPI 14" Braided Copper Battery Ground Strap (00-9469-0) — do this while the interior is already out
• EMPI Universal Wire Harness with Fuse Box (00-9466-0) — for buggies, rails and custom builds instead of a year-correct loom
• 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.