Yeh, this is with regard to the beetle utes that I posted in the site of the week section: Would it be possible to baja-rise one of these beasts? That would be approaching the ultimate wouldn't it?

Any opinions?

I don't see any reason why not - the suspension isn't changed in the conversion to a ute. It would look pretty purposeful, and you'd have room for some camping gear too. :thumb

Yep, thats what I thought Col. Apparently your Kombi is a connoisseur of firewood? I reckon one of these mean machines would take a fair sort of a load!

Double thumbs-up man! :thumb :thumb

I don't know how a bug-ute would handle firewood, but I guess you'd be able to fit an everage 6x4 garden trailer's worth on. :o

I wonder how many kilos you could load it with before you got shook to pieces or loaded the motor too much? A couple of hundred? 100-200kg perhaps? I suppose it would depend on how much the tray weighed and how it was mounted on the chassis as well. Have you ever seen one in real life Col?

Their is a Ute beetle on the central coast that's done up to look like a mini truck with stacks and dual air intakes behind the fron guard, amber mirror and roof lights the works. From mamory it even had twin air horns to.

It wasn't a Baja, as in raised up but if it didn't have a tray on the back you'd swear it was a mini primemover.

Their was pics on the web a couple of years ago of a Baja ute playning in seaspray somewhere in Northern Qld but I'd reckon theirs not much left of it now where ever it is. From memory its white with twin spot lights on the bull bar and a hatch in the timer tray for easy engine access.

The Bronze.

I have seen them in my 'pre-VW' days, but none in the flesh recently. There was however, a type 3 'trayback' at the Bug-In at Altona this year. I didn't like it because it was rough, I thought it could (should) have been done better. Apologies to the owner, I'm sure he's very proud of it.

Looks good to me -what aspects of it were rough?

Bronze: Did the beetle/baja/ute look good? Or was it a bit "try hard"?

Well the one I saw on the central coast I only pulled up next to. I was stopped in traffic and I saw it from a distance. It looked tryhard cause it had so much stuff all over it. Obviously a wannabe truckie but can't get a licence / job with / for a real big rig.

The one in queensland was well done. Definately purpose built and well functional. Didn't look like a redneck ride at all but a factory VW ute if their ever was one. Had to have been owned previously by a panel beater casue it was well finished. I remember thinking that the tray was just the right size for the length of the car. Not to short not to long. I just hope it was rust proofed.

I would do somthing like it if I didn't have two growing boys. Somehow I don't think the minister of child transport would allow me to let them ride in the tray or squeese them into the 'behind seat storage.

The Bronze.

So, as I am going to build a baja, do you think I should see about a baja bug ute instead of just a baja bug? It would be more unique! It sounds like a good concept but I was originally worried that people hated them. It would take a lot of work and undoubtably there would be many regulations.:P I think I might investigate!

Cheers lads.

How about a panel van with a type three motor and low floor?

I saw a baja ute up around cessnock a month back. I was on my way to a 4wd event called the Tuff Truck
( http://www.tufftruck.com.au  ). It was a good laugh and certainly different to a VW event. Anyway the baja ute looked awesome. I should have taken some pictures. Maybe next time.

Cheers
Steve

Hmm, I'm not too keen on that one for some reason Mattie. Well, having thought about it for a day, I can confidently say that I have nowhere near enough time or money at the moment so the standard baja is the go. Maybe someday it will happen.

OK enough already.....Just buy a kombi twincab and turn it into a baja......:thumb
1 tonne payload= plenty of firewood