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Whereabouts of 1976 beetle known as FIRE BUG

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Euro_67 Wolfsburg Wizard

690 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#473866
Does any one remember the Citrus Red '76 beetle of Greame and Heath Giles that was around in the early '90s ?

It was a '76 Cal Look car built by Jeff Unwin and Paul Chrisitie when they had Rogwin Motors together in Caringbah. The attention to detail on this car was astounding.

This car did the shows for a number of years, and then seemed to dissapear. Anyone know where it is ? or its condition ?

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#473870
I think Greame still owns the car

[ Edited on 9-4-2006 by vw54 ]
I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603


http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#474340
Hi

I saw it a few years ago, looking sad, sitting under car cover under a carport.

Steve

Euro_67 Wolfsburg Wizard

690 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#474451
Quite a shame really, I worked for Jeff and Paul while at school. I watched this car come together, and even helped a bit too. Everything was like new, it set the standard for that era.


I dont suppose any one has some photos ?

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#508855
Hi

Update, drove past the home of Firebug, its still sitting in a carport under a tarp.

Steve

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#881292
Hi

Sorry to drag up an old post but I just found these photos of Firebug in a cupboard.

Steve

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Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,785 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#881294
Wonder if it has been sitting under the tarp for another 5 and a half years??
Futue te ipsum!!!

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#881345
yeah I wonder what 5.5 yrs under a tarpatina would look like 🤪
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

Fantasy http://seventhchronicle.com

Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

Barrels www.barrelman.com.au

VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#881361
I've got a bunch of pics I took of it at Valla in 95 somewhere, the detail in that car is (was) unbelieveable.

It's got me stuffed how someone can pour so much $$ into a car then let it rot away.
Maybe it will become next years rat.

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 ·

#881362
I remember this car for the mags way back when and also wondered what happened to it. Looks like I know now.

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 ·

#881364
I remember it well too. It did the show's for years, winning many, many trophy's and best of's. Built with the 'best of'everything available, to top quality. Started with the '76 beetle......also 'best of'.
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

tar76 Custom Title Time!

1,622 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#881371
Looks like somone needs to pay the owners a visit with some cash. I remember seeing this bug in a mag back in the day.
"Obey your Dreams"!


62 Std beetle.
65 11 wnd Split "The Cross".
6? coming very soon!!!!

vwjon Fahrvergnugen

914 posts · joined Jul 2006 ·

#881374
Why does it have a CROSSPLY spare?? nice looking car tho.
3 1959 cadillacs
1 musso
2 early notchbacks
2 split kombis
2 split panels
1 split ute
1 low light panel
1 ex-pmg bay
1 country buggy
1 beetle ute
1 14" syncro caravelle
1 16" syncro doka
1 golf cabrio
1 vw camper trailer
2 3meter bombs

vwjon Fahrvergnugen

914 posts · joined Jul 2006 ·

#881384
so radial tyres dont fit in that carrier? anyone know what happens when you mix crossply and radial tyres on the same axle?
3 1959 cadillacs
1 musso
2 early notchbacks
2 split kombis
2 split panels
1 split ute
1 low light panel
1 ex-pmg bay
1 country buggy
1 beetle ute
1 14" syncro caravelle
1 16" syncro doka
1 golf cabrio
1 vw camper trailer
2 3meter bombs

Camo Custom Title Time!

1,936 posts · joined Oct 2007 ·

#881390
I like how the car is held up only by the factory jack to show the underside. Probably wouldn't be aloud to do this these days with OH&S bullshit 😂 😂😂😂 The stand could slip out and hit some poor onlooker 🥲🥲🥲🥲

Everyone makes up show quality stands these days.

Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!

Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#881436
It was always a controversial car because it was (usually) entered as a daily driver and what the definition of daily driver is. I remember the debates extremely well. they were seldom friendly.

daydreamer Casual Dubber

22 posts · joined Apr 2009 ·

#881759
I too remember watching the car being built and seeing the dollars sunk into it. As a young fella i had a beetle which jeff from rogwins often helped me out with. It keep blowing fuel lines and catching fire. The car for years sported on the engine lid the words "fire bug", and was known by all friends and family as Fire Bug. One day while at rogwins graham seeing the inscription on the engine lid, and states that he was a great name im going to call my beetle the fire bug I suggested he should be a little more oringinal. So unoriginal and stolen name. But nice car and big $$$ for the time.
Kombi Occasions - Weddings - Formals - Corporate/Promo www.kombioccasions.com

ragged Just ask if you need HELP!

478 posts · joined Jan 2005 ·

#881843
That must be the '90's version or the original "Emergency Spare" and speed limited of course!
vwjon wrote:so radial tyres dont fit in that carrier? anyone know what happens when you mix crossply and radial tyres on the same axle?

LIFE IN THE LOW LANE All people have the right to stupidity but some abuse the pr

2,534 posts · joined Mar 2007 ·

#881877
The 90's saw a lot of "daily drivers" bought to shows on trailers lol. I still to this day cannot believe judges of that era couldn't spot the difference between a trailer queen/ driven once a month around the block type car to a car that is actually driven daily/ every second day!!!!

One car in particular in Qld kept winning and beating car I thought very worthy so I took a odometer reading at one show then checked it at the next. It had done a whopping 9 odd kms in 5 months lol
ACCEPT THAT SOME DAYS YOU ARE THE PIDGEON AND SOME DAYS YOU ARE THE STATUE

Alder Outlaws VW Racing - check it out on fb!!

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#881944
The problem is the definition of daily driver. There's probably nobody that drives their car every single day. There's heaps of cars out there that everyone would be happy to call a "daily driver" that dont even get driven every weekend. I'm happy to call a car a daily driver if its regularly driven to club meetings and events and the odd sunday drive. Others maybe not. But then there are others who think daily driver means "has oil in sump and can be started".

amazeer Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,029 posts · joined Nov 2005 ·

#881946
maybe there should be a minimum number of stone chips to make you eligible for daily driver.

Turbo54 Veteran Volks Folk

2,220 posts · joined Jul 2004 ·

#881991
How cars date.
T54
C'mon kids gather round,
there's a new sensation hitting town,
It's moving straight, low to the ground,
it'll pick you up when your feeling down.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#881993
So true.

Now instead of every nut and bolt shining like a new pin there are folks intentionally making there cars look derelict.

Imagine 20 years ago if someone asked how to I make my shiny paint look old and shitty 😂

Nothing at all against the rat crew, I just find it comical how times have changed from one extreme to the other.

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#882000
^ don't worry there are still the OCD clean freaks about 😂
fractal geometry; the inner most limits of mind altering abuse

Fantasy http://seventhchronicle.com

Z = Z2 + C1/r = 1/0 = infinity

Barrels www.barrelman.com.au

VW Workshop - aircooledgarage.com.au
allcooled.com.au

toplessbug Fahrvergnugen

879 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#882016
amazeer wrote:The problem is the definition of daily driver. There's probably nobody that drives their car every single day. There's heaps of cars out there that everyone would be happy to call a "daily driver" that dont even get driven every weekend. I'm happy to call a car a daily driver if its regularly driven to club meetings and events and the odd sunday drive. Others maybe not. But then there are others who think daily driver means "has oil in sump and can be started".
every single day driver, wife's car
Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

Jak Rizzo Insano Dub Head

837 posts · joined Apr 2004 ·

#882053
My daily driver averages 20'000ks + a year. I have the miles on the pink slips to prove it. I drive the kids to school, race it on weekends & take it to the shops. I can fit my 2 mountain bikes & my road bike in it, I've carted countless bags of cement in it, moved house in it, carried a washing machine where the front seat goes whilst a matress was tied to the roof! Taken things to the tip etc etc.

I had entered my car in the nationals in the daily driver class for I think 15 years straight. Never got a look in.

I finally got a trophy when I had the car resprayed & re did the interior.😀 It actually for the first time didn't look like a daily driver cause there were very few stone chips cause the paint was only a month old. go figure.

Jak

narumi I'll do it tomorrow

138 posts · joined Aug 2011 ·

#882109
wow nice bug. until today, the only firebug i know was a mozilla firefox addon for web development

stevedel Casual Dubber

27 posts · joined Apr 2010 ·

#882150
loved those S&S exhaust systems.
1916 Fastback - Hammer down! Retired!

vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·

#882182
Joel wrote:So true.

Now instead of every nut and bolt shining like a new pin there are folks intentionally making there cars look derelict.

Imagine 20 years ago if someone asked how to I make my shiny paint look old and shitty 😂

Nothing at all against the rat crew, I just find it comical how times have changed from one extreme to the other.

I didn't get if for a while. I thought thse people just didn't know how to fix or look after a car.

Took me a while to get used to it. Me, personally don't like the rat look. Make me feel dirty driving with worn down paint.

Yes my shitadore has crap paint as they all do these days but I try my best to keep it clean and wax what remaining paint is stilll waxable to keep it looking respectable and clean looking.

You want the ultimate modern rat looker, should see my step dad's EL falcon 😂 it would beat all you rat lookers hands down.

How bout hose clamps, house paint and sticky tape for external accesories 🤪😂 and nothing like panel beating with a ball peen hamer 😂

71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE