access to fuses 71 super beetle with A/C installed (aftermarket)

[nsrg]

I have a 71 super beetle that is not powering the R front low beam headlight, high is working. I can trace the lack of power back to the fuse box.

My beetle does have air conditioning installed, and it might have been set up aftermarket.
per the manual I can find this page saying that the fuses should be accessed from under the steering wheel for this model when not with A/C, but for cars with A/C the fuses can be accessed from the frunk: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/71bug/page50.jpg

My car has AC but the fuses are covered with a clear plastic part and are found under the steering wheel (not the frunk), in the location implying there was no A/C originally.

I can't even open the clear plastic over the fuses because the A/C plastic housing is in the way. Is there a slick way to remove the cover and replace a fuse without removing the entire A/C housing?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[jeffrey8164]

Whomever installed the A/C didn’t do anyone any favors.
They should have flipped the fuse block around and put it on a bracket so everything would be serviceable in the trunk.
My A/C blower unit was held in at only 4 points so it was fairly easy to move but if you don’t want to disconnect the lines then it becomes more complicated.
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Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[Cusser]

I bought my 1970 in 1972, and it had the dealer-installed AC on it. Yes, the fuses were ridiculously tough to access then moved "upside-down" into the trunk. When I resurrected my 1970 in 2016-2017, I made a modification to help. I made a bracket from a piece from the hardware store:

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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[nsrg]

[Cusser]

With my home-made bracket shown previously, I can have the protective cover on. And change fuses when need be. I haven't had need to change any fuses since the VWs resurrection in 2016-2017. I cleaned all the electrical connections then with a Dremel wire rush (battery disconnected at the time, of course).

Here's before the home-made bracket

Here's after

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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297