1974 Super Beetle start

Check the small wirre at the starter for voltage when the key is on. That comes from the ignition switch and fires the starter solenoid. You can test the starter i place by jumpering from the large electrical terminal to the small wire terminal. Make sure the gearbox is in neutral or park first. If the engine turns over, your starter, battery and conductors are good.

more than 7 year old battery=kaput....buy another "squatty" volkswagen battery~

perhaps ground to the engine block from the chassis, to the battery has been corrupted~

blocked out by the clutch kill switch! push the clutch in if it has this type of safety switch!

test ignition switch electrical lines to starter, could have high resistance. it happens when the car gets old. take a long wire connect it to your starter solenoid and stick the other end to the positive post of battery. if it fires right away then your start line from ignition switch is bad. or sometimes just another cable to negative ground and battery and another from the ground to the starter. Mine was sluggish during start mode, with the addittional cables solved the problem.

Check out the seat belt safety relay. The ignition, the oil pressure light, the backup lights, the seat belts, and other stuff all go through this box. I've heard of people jumpering the ignition wire from the starter switch to the wire on other side that goes to the starter solenoid. That way, when you turn the key, the juice bypasses the seat belt thing and goes strait to the starter.

Ignition relay@ jbugs