Background
1998-05 styrofoam jack kit rests on top of spare tire
Chopping off the back of the New Beetle alters the habitat of the spare tire and its associated jack tool kit to a significant extent. What was once convenient access via the raised rear hatch lid becomes, at a minimum, an involved procedure getting to the spare tire since it now resides under the truck bed floor.
The truly ugly grey styrofoam tool kit holder was expressly designed for inside. With all its scrambled cavities, this holder would easily collect water leading to rusted tools over time. Thus, some alternate tool kit plan is merited whether or not a spare is carried.
Tire hold fully integrated into the chassis
Would it be wise to cut out the bottom of the spare tire hold so that the tire could be pulled out from underneath the vehicle?
Needless to say, this introduces more chassis stability uncertainty since the circular shape is integrated into the undercarriage structural engineering. Furthermore, getting a tire out from underneath, apart from being generally unpleasant, may be difficult in rough terrain compounded by a flat tire that lowers ground clearance. Not a prudent idea.
