How do you remove the radio from a 1973 super beetle?

Answer 1

Open the trunk lid. You can see the gas tank, and right above it is a black vertical cover that's held on by at least twenty screws. Take all the screws out and pry this cover off--it's got some kind of a mastic sealing it to keep gas fumes out of the passenger compartment--and you'll see the back of the radio. Now go into the passenger compartment and remove the knobs from the radio; you'll note there are hex nuts holding the radio to the dash. They're not on very tight, and can be removed with needle nose pliers. Take off the two nuts, then go back into the trunk. Unhook all the wiring from the radio and pull it out of the car. And once you've got the radio out, scrape the old mastic off the cover and recaulk it with either butyl caulk (sold mostly as "gutter mastic") or polyurethane caulk (the best brand is Sikaflex Construction Sealant, but PL Premium Polyurethane Door and Window Sealant is also good) to keep the inside of your car from smelling like gas all the time.