Blue plate troubles !

Hi All,

I have a couple of questions for you regarding my highly modified, How do you get it blue plated ?? I have just imported my 1968 bettle which has been modifed a lot and I am being told that there are some things on it that will not be able to blue plated, I have listed most of the mods below and marked the ones that are suspect

1. 2110cc engine with twin webers, Modified exhaust
2. Front disc brakes
3. Goodridge brake hoses
4. Coil over suspension front and rear (suspect)
5. Rear camber compensator
6. 2” narrowed front beam to compensate for track after fitting front discs ( suspect)
7. Dropped front spindles ( not possible)
8. Uprated front sway bar
9. Grant steering wheel
10. Empi “8” alloy wheels
11. External oil cooler
12. Remote oil filter
13. Electric fuel pump
14. Rear frame brace ( suspect)
15. Uprated gearbox mountings
16. Shaved door handles (illegal and I have new door skins and handles)
17. Different front seats.
I was also told that it may well be better to go for LH10 street rod plate ??? have to say its causing a bit of a nightmare, when I see some of the beat up wrecks that drive on the road on the gold coast :o), I only drove the car for a max of 800 miles in the UK after totally restoritng and it is built with safety in mind as my job is a Race engineer :o)
If you have any pointers for my prodicament I would appreciate it if you could let me know
Thanks
Daz

YIKES....

there are many VWs on the road in Australia with lots of mods..
but from what I can see... QLD seems to be the worst state to have modifications passed by an engineer...??

Hopefully, someone on here can point You to a VW friendly engineer up Your way....

and VW owners with hotrods usually have a friendly engineer..

best of luck....

LEE

[68 Beetles in Australia all had front disc brakes]
many beetles have dropped spindles too...

Lee

You will need to get an engineers report

I would start with a phone call to these guys
http://www.customveedub.com.au/store/index.php

As far as I know, you will have trouble with the dropped spindles and coil overs
No idea on the shaved door handles

Most of the other things I cant see why you wouldnt be able to get them engineered

shaved door handles are only a problem if the out side popper or switch is not marked clearly for saftey reasons only

bugzla wrote:shaved door handles are only a problem if the out side popper or switch is not marked clearly for saftey reasons only

If thats the case I have no problem putting a big red arrow pointing to it to get it through the blue plate

Bizarre wrote:You will need to get an engineers report

I would start with a phone call to these guys
http://www.customveedub.com.au/store/index.php

As far as I know, you will have trouble with the dropped spindles and coil overs
No idea on the shaved door handles

Most of the other things I cant see why you wouldnt be able to get them engineered

Ok will give them a call, had a look at there web site and they seel dropped spindles and coil overs so they may know a way of getting it passed ?????

Worst state???
Qld would be one of the easiest, we had our subi conversion, steering rack, brakes etc blue plated on our split for $80. try doing that in VIC.

68AutoBug wrote:YIKES....

there are many VWs on the road in Australia with lots of mods..
but from what I can see... QLD seems to be the worst state to have modifications passed by an engineer...??

Hopefully, someone on here can point You to a VW friendly engineer up Your way....

and VW owners with hotrods usually have a friendly engineer..

best of luck....

LEE

[68 Beetles in Australia all had front disc brakes]
many beetles have dropped spindles too...

Lee

kombibob wrote:Worts state???
Qld would be one of the easiest, we had our subi conversion, steering rack, brakes etc blue plated on our split for $80. try doing that in VIC.

68AutoBug wrote:YIKES....

there are many VWs on the road in Australia with lots of mods..
but from what I can see... QLD seems to be the worst state to have modifications passed by an engineer...??

Hopefully, someone on here can point You to a VW friendly engineer up Your way....

and VW owners with hotrods usually have a friendly engineer..

best of luck....

LEE

[68 Beetles in Australia all had front disc brakes]
many beetles have dropped spindles too...

Lee

Who did it for ya mate ???? 🥷

His name is barry ryan, i will get his number for you tomorrow at work.

just found it👍
0417634016

kombibob wrote:His name is barry ryan, i will get his number for you tomorrow at work.

That would be great mate, I am guessing he is VeeDub friendly 😎

Yep you will be fine, just tell him rob from patrick autocare put you on to him😉

sounds really good mate, is up around Brissy ??? as the car is sat on the docks there at the moment ?

i work at the docks and he comes in every couple of weeks to do some work for us, so give him a call it could work in well.

kombibob wrote:Worst state???
Qld would be one of the easiest, we had our subi conversion, steering rack, brakes etc blue plated on our split for $80. try doing that in VIC.

or NSW

kombibob wrote:i work at the docks and he comes in every couple of weeks to do some work for us, so give him a call it could work in well.

Ok will do, cheers Rob

Good on ya Bob

👍👍👍

I love this site.
As usual it's getting in touch with the right dude that knows the rules !!

Good luck with getting rego mate. Sounds like a cool ride.

me too 😎 my stress level is going down a little now 👍👍👍

All about who you know, not what you know. Some people will convince you they know everything 🙅

All the best!

Can you let me know how you go with him? I am looking at putting 2" dropped spindles along with a 2" narrowed beam on our ghia so we can fit the 17" x 7" Porsche twists under the guards.

Yogie

UPDATE !!

After numerous phone calls to 4 different engineers qualified to issue Mod plates, due to the mods listed on my beetle I have been told the only way to get it registered is either remove the beam and drop spindles and coil over suspension and go back to standard, then put it all back on, which means if there is a accident I will be in the S**t as the vehicle will probably be inspected. The second option would be to try and go down the street rod route (code LH10), which means joining the Australian Street Rod Federation and using there Technical commission to help with the registration, if they except the beetle as a street rod ???

Will let you know what happens. ❓❓❓

So you didn't take the advice and call Barry? 🙄

MISS VDUB wrote:So you didn't take the advice and call Barry? 🙄

Yep called Barry he was one of the guys I spoke to, he them put me onto someone else and then they put me onto someone else 😂, Barry couldn't help due to the Mods tht had been done 🥲

All done and rego'd and on the road !!!! 😂

Thats great news what was the resolution?

Found a guy near me with some common sense !, he checked it out, did a mod plate for me and roadworthy all at the same time 😂

What cost is it to get a mod plate?
I Live part time in Southport, Gold coast.

From Dylan

$180+

Great to hear there is another nicely modified bug cruising Oz. Welcome aboard!

Congratulations.

I find it highly unacceptable that there is so much difference between what different people tell you! If you have already asked three different engineers for their interpretations of the laws then you would've thought that you would get the final definition of what is and isn't legal. How is the average bloke supposed to know what he can do to a car if it is such a grey area of legal argument?!

I do not know how the dropped spindles and the narrowed beam has been blue plated, it all goes well until there is a accident and the insurance company wipes you, the guy that issued the plate then looses his license to issue them.

Great news fella.

I'll keep my eyes open for your machine out and about.

Matt.