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Brisbane Wizard Roadster

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paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#686758
Heya! Happy new year all!

Well 2009 is the year my dub gets her makeover. As you can see from the pic, she's not in great nick at the moment and the rust is starting to get its claws into her. Most worryingly, I found yesterday that there is some rust (hopefully not too nasty) on the passanger side heater channel just behind the front seat. This is a bother because, owing to the Wizard conversion it's a bit structurally important! Other than that am replacing electricals at the moment - more of a safety issue than anything - patching up some previously done dodgy wiring etc.

Her story: I originally bought in a Porsche 914 from the states and did (well had done at 'mates rates') a full bare metal restoration on her. She was lovely, but due to moving house and a few other things, I had to get rid of her. A guy rocked up and asked if I would accept a VW bug as a deposit. No way. But then he turned up in it anyway, and it was love at first sight.

This was a while ago now and I've had other cars in the meantime but have been unable to let her go. She's a 1970 beetle (build date Dec 1969 I believe, so still a child of the sixties - VIN 110 2600 832) with a slightly newer 1600 engine (AD282246) and a Wizard roadster kit. I know these are love-em-or-hate-em kits, but I'm partial to this one, and she's the only bug I have.



She needs some work. Doing electrical bits and bobs at the moment, and will move on to body work soonish. My garage is packed to the rafters with, ahem, things-that-may-well- become-useful-at-a-later-time so I'm out working in the sun at the moment. Ouch! Locky I have a nice big clump of bamboo there to park her under.

Anyway, really happy to be here! Looking forward to getting to know some of you and to getting more involved with the local volksie community.

paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#686898
Woah. 55 views - not one single reply. People operating on the 'if you can't say something nice. . ." principle, eh? 😉 😉

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,785 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#686900
Heh - i will go first 😂

Out of all the chops i like the Wizards

You do have some work ahead - especially the rust in the heater channel

As a thought - does it have a roof??
If not and a fairweather car only - why not chop the screen down a bit??
That would really give a rod look??

PS
LOVE 914's

Barry
Futue te ipsum!!!

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#686947
years ago I think I seen half a dozen of these VWs at a VW place in riverston sydney. VW King or VW country??
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#686953
Hi

I used to service a few of these many years ago.

Is it a real wizard conversion? The reason that I ask is that Wizard are in the UK and there were local people doing a similar thing.

Steve

paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#686978
Hey Bizarre 🙂 A life saver as always!

Yep, she does have a soft top. You can see it in the photo if you squint and hunker up right close to the screen. Last on the list of things to replace as it's reasonably sound, but looking a little dated.

I know chop tops are frowned on by many, which is fair enough. I shudder at the thought of doing it to an early beetle too. This one's a 70 though, so no great loss 🙂

The main problem with the kit is actually around the windshield already. Whoever did the conversion didn't really stiffen the windshield area, and it's a natural place to grab for a nervous passanger if I take a corner quickly 🙂 So a lot of cracking in the paint around the bottom of the windshield. May also be because she's had one too many cheapo paint jobs over the years and nobody has bothered removing the glass and seals, so it's not painted right in that area. Have spent some time this afternoon grinding/sanding back around the area, and there is a LOT of bog there.

The 914 was a lovely car. Always fascinating to see people's reactions to it. I bought a new MGF roadster a couple of years back, and the 914 was better built all around and loads more fun to drive. Sad to see her go at the time, but I had one car too many for the place I was moving to, needed the cash, and it was a pain getting certain parts locally for her - I was always on the phone to automobile atlanta in the states for bits and pieces! That said, I keep toying with the idea of getting another one if I can find one reasonably original and reasonably priced in OZ. There ARE a lot of fun.

I found some more rust in the same heater channel again today. Sigh. At the join with the pillar for the front passanger door. I rekon it's a job for the pros that one. Hopefully those are the only two spots - have drenched the channel with fish oil internally twice now as far as I could get.

Bizarre wrote:Heh - i will go first 😂

Out of all the chops i like the Wizards

You do have some work ahead - especially the rust in the heater channel

As a thought - does it have a roof??
If not and a fairweather car only - why not chop the screen down a bit??
That would really give a rod look??

PS
LOVE 914's

Barry

paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#686981
ian.mezz wrote:years ago I think I seen half a dozen of these VWs at a VW place in riverston sydney. VW King or VW country??
Hey Ian! That's fascinating. I don't think there's any kind of Aussie Wizard register is there? It would be nice to talk to other wizard owners and see if they have the same body issues that I do with the kit. The glass in mine seems to have a bit of flex in it, resulting in cracking on the guards, around the windshield etc. Hmmmm. I think mine came from NSW originally so it may well be that there was a place doing the kits down there.

paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#686982
Hey Steve!

It was a domestic job - not done in the UK. The bug, as far as I know, was OZ delivery and all the engineering blueprints and so on (which I still have) were from a mob in NSW.

I imagine that the kits were brought in from the UK though. Or maybe do you think someone had some moulds made locally? One thing that is different with mine from most of the wizards I've seen on the net is that it has slightly unusual rear glass guards with a little flare on them - identical to the wizard on this page. (Please note that the words 'this page' in the last line are a link to the car I'm talking about)

As an aside, that's the standard I'd like to get my little gal up to - but not with those running boards. I like the standard ones better.
1303Steve wrote:Hi

I used to service a few of these many years ago.

Is it a real wizard conversion? The reason that I ask is that Wizard are in the UK and there were local people doing a similar thing.

Steve

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#686989
there was a mob around in the late 80s early 90s that did those roadster conversions

name escapes me atm tho

paladin Slammed & Awesome Dubber

79 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#687000
Joel wrote:there was a mob around in the late 80s early 90s that did those roadster conversions

name escapes me atm tho
Cheers, Joel. That would make sense. I wonder what happened to them and their moulds or if (more lileky IMO) they just imported the kits?

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#687029
This was the type of beetle on the TV show a few nights ago about people winning LOTTO and what did they buy
One couple bought on of thes roadsters...

Yellow... No stripes...

LEE

these are the only acceptable home made convertibles IMHO
and MINI bonnet hinges must be use....
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#687059
they were made here in aus, they differ alittle bit in the back to a wizard roadster

like Lee siad they had mini bonnet hinges for the decklid

the moulds are probably sitting around gathering dust somewhere
just like the porrera/poraga moulds that turned up in someones garden shed recently

Gibbo Custom Title Time!

1,685 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#687066
Ah the wizards.. I like em. reminds me of past VW shows in the UK, they were very big at one time back then.
Keep at it mate!