Bill's 1999 New Beetle - accessories

Things I want:

• License plate frame - "VW new beetle" from VW.
• An armrest with usable storage space. I think this is a pipe dream.
• (ordered) Saratoga Saddlebags; I really want to be able to store CD's in the trunk near the changer.
• (ordered) Another CD changer magazine.
• (ordered) Wind deflectors; I like having the windows open but it's hard on the highway; I hope these can help.
• (received, not yet permanently installed) A dash cover from TVA - without a cover the dash picks up a lot of visible dust. (But, having temporarily installed it, the dash cover picks up a lot of visible junk! I can't win! =)

Things I've done:

• VW floor mats - slightly heavier duty than the carpet that came in the car, and the front ones have the stylized New Beetle logo in red.
• Phish sticker - no car is complete without a phish sticker in the rear window!
• List sticker to make friends with the phish sticker.
• CD Changer - the dealer wanted $695 for the option, but the parts department sold the VW part for $295 and the installation bracket for $35. I got a 10% discount, which was almost made up for by CA state tax, so the whole deal cost about $330. Paul found the installation instructions on the web (but they've since disappeared, unfortunately; see some instructions posted to the newbug list), so I brought the stuff over to his house and we installed it in about an hour. A good portion of the hour was spent trying to find the cover for the wiring hole, which I had made sure to put in a safe place and promptly forgot where I had put it. It turned out that it was inside the circle of one of the rear seat head rests.

  When the dealer sold me the CD changer, they warned me that I would have to come in to the service department to have them program the head unit to understand that there was a CD changer attached. However, the first time I plugged it in and hit "CD" on the head unit, it just worked. The radio manual also gives some instructions on programming the head unit to make the random ("mix") function work the way you want (1-disc or all discs) on the CD changer. Be careful, though, because you have to go through the turn-on volume to get to the mix function programming, and the turn-on volume on my radio was 63 (all the way up) so it started playing at max volume as soon as I held down "scan" for 2 seconds. Maybe get a blank tape and play it when you're doing this process.

• Standard stuff for trunk - I managed to fit flares, jumper cables, first aid kit, hand-cleaning goo, shop towels, and a reflective triangle underneath/behind the carpet. I also got a set of fuses and a tire gauge for the glove box.
• Beta-test Saratoga DashStash - I installed the DashStash - installation was a piece of cake. Now we get to see how it gets used! It's great for change, cell phone and a tin of Altoids so far...
• A CD changer cover - from TVA to protect the changer in the trunk a little more. Easy to install and looks nicer. It does make it a little bit harder to change the CD magazine.
• Valve stem caps - New Beetle style - from TVA.
• Mud flaps - - It's stopped raining, probably until November or so, but I installed the mud flaps. Someday I'll find out if they're just decorative or if they help the spray but I guess I don't mind if that day is not all that soon =) The VW Accessory store had these for less but TVA matched their price!
• Fog light grills - from BUGSTUFF98@aol.com. They look pretty cool and were trivial to install.
• An old beetle ("meep meep") horn - it fit right in, and it'll give it a little more character. Although I'm thinking about a Karmann Ghia horn instead - the KG has two horns and I'm more used to that sound...
• An enhancement to the keyless entry system, which adds window control. The "double-click to unlock and lower windows" is going to be great on hot days!