Hot-rod beetle registration question

Hey I was just wondering if you can get something like this registered on the road here in NSW. Providing you had all the required lights, brake, headlights, turn signals etc...




I love the look of these things but I don't want to even think about them anymore if there's no way it could be driven on the road. Hauling it around on a trailer to shows would suck!

I just love the "no wheel arch" hot-rod look on the beetle.
I guess if you had to have wheel arches you could have them sitting above the wheel but no bigger than the wheel itself. If you follow what I mean. Just enough cover over the wheel to get it onto the road legally but not enough to take away from the look of the hot-rod theme.

[ Edited on 12-6-2006 by tinman ]

I think legally the wheels have to be covered (To the extent as you mentioned with the small spindle mounted guards).
-Staggers.

I just realised I should have posted this in the rods and rats sections... :o
Thanks for the quick reply.

have a look at greedy's rod mate hes done it but its not 100% the way id do it. they can be done but you have to talk to an engineer and they need the guards as a manditory

heres a link

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=45394&page=1

and heres another

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=49610&page=1#pid462118

Hi

Looking at what might fail on that car in the picture.
Wheels not covered, as already said.
Front wheels to thin I think. Front wheels can be 70% of that fitted to the rear wheels and be no narrower than a standard wheel fitted to the your vehicle as original equipment. So the thinnest front wheel you can fit is a 4 inch. Correct tyre size to rim relationship must also be maintained Example, if you have a 5.68 inch rear wheels, your fronts must be 4 inches wide.
Headlight centre height must 300 mm from the ground.

Steve

any exposed engine parts ie exhaust.

How do you go about knowing what's legal and not legal? Is there an official web site or do you just annoy some engineer over the phone?

You could do what I've done and buy yourself a copy of the Australian Design Rules. Look up the Department of Transport and Regional Services website. It will be there. Also DOTARS GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601. It comes in a CD. It is ISBN 0-646-43560-4. It cost me $23.55 in 2004.

Have fun understanding it. It's chockablock with gobbledegook.

1303Steve wrote:Hi

Looking at what might fail on that car in the picture.
Wheels not covered, as already said.
Front wheels to thin I think. Front wheels can be 70% of that fitted to the rear wheels and be no narrower than a standard wheel fitted to the your vehicle as original equipment. So the thinnest front wheel you can fit is a 4 inch. Correct tyre size to rim relationship must also be maintained Example, if you have a 5.68 inch rear wheels, your fronts must be 4 inches wide.
Headlight centre height must 300 mm from the ground.

Steve

Steve interesting point you make there not having a go but what about the guys in tubbed streeters with 14 inch wide wheels out back and running frontrunners on the street. might pay to see how they get around it.
cheers
wacked1

Hey that's a good point wacked1, how do those guys get those things registered?

Hot rods come under different adr,s if you use pre 1948 chassis in vic its alot easier. Tell an approved engineer write down take photos and work through it that way don,tgo on here say.

wacked1 wrote:Steve

Steve interesting point you make there not having a go but what about the guys in tubbed streeters with 14 inch wide wheels out back and running frontrunners on the street. might pay to see how they get around it.
cheers
wacked1 [/quote]

Hi

The simple answer is they dont give a rats. They might if they have a crash on the street and the insurance company tells them to P off. I always have a chuckle at some cars in magazines when they say they are legally registered, yeah right

Forget about the Australian design rules, you need to get NSW specific rules from the RTA website, they take a bit of finding but they are there, look under light vehicle modifications & guidelines for alternate wheels & tyres.

Have a good read of the RTA rules and find a good engineer to talk to, some are gooses, so if you get the runaround talk to another.

steve