Hey Guys,

I'm looking into swapping my 66 swing axle pan to a 70's IRS pan. I know the actual pan to body modifications should only extend to the rear body mounts, however I'm looking for any info on the VIN numbers. If I own both "pans" am I allowed to cut and shut the vin numbers across them on the tunnel, or must I forever more register the beetle as a 70's super?

Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. As I move states for work, would the requirements change each time I move states, or is it once the numbers are in the computer in one state, they will continue no problem into another state?

Really the pan is the chassis and VIN. So you will have a 1970 Volkswagen

not allowed to cut an shut any more as its classed as rebirthing which is illegal.
as pete has said it will be a 70 now.

Yeah, I was 99% sure that you couldn't transfer the VIN numbers between them.
What kind of inspections would I need to go through to keep it legal? Will I need an engineers cert and go over the pits as I have done a chassis swap that required structural modification to fit?

Or as an alternative is it feasible to swap out the frame head & rear subframe on the 66 pan to keep it a 66?

Which state are you in

the laws will be different

If you fit the 70 pan under the 66 body it will be a 70 model taken on the chassis number and have to comply with all the rules for 70 the body year is irrevellant

If your in NSW you will have to get a BLue slip for redgo and it will be taken as a 70 model

Currently Adelaide, but all the mods would be done in Vic & then put through a roady there. What kind of body mods would I need to comply with to update the body? I'll have a trawl through the vicroads site and see if they have any ADR info.

To what extent does modifying a chassis become rebirthing? Obviously just cutting out the number from the tunnel and stiching it on the other pan, but if the front and rear frames are replaced with IRS & BJ, is that considered a rebirth as you are replacing >30% of the frame? Or is this an engineer Q?

Thinking about ADR, would you need to upgrade things like front windscreen to laminated?, colapsable steering collume, seat belts, emission, bumbper bars.

I dont know, just pondering....

Newt

Yeah, thats what I'm worried about. Decided that converting to IRS & BJ on original pan is too expensive at this point in time, so I'm focussing on just swapping the pan over as a complete unit. As said earlier I'll now have to register as a 70.

Has anyone done this pan conversion before? know any tricks of what I'll have to change over to comply with the licensing authorities??

It should be fairly basic. Seat belts, orange blinkers etc.

I don't know about collapsable steering column. It would be a good modification anyway. Not many ADRs in 1970 anyhow.

Just build it and say it is a 1970 resto. They probably won't notice the body swap.

H

A friend of mine put his 59 on a 70s 1500 pan, in NSW he had to fit 2 speed wipers, windscreen washers, demister (he had no heater boxes), blinkers and a collapsible steering column.

The collapsible steering column section usually hits the fuel tank, so clearance it first.

Steve

cut and shut the pan tell no one and dispose of the old one! red tape sux!

You could just weld in IRS brackets on to the 66 pan? Still leaves you with link pin front. I have a 61 Karmann cabrio on a 68 IRS semi-auto pan. It was last registered in NSW as a 68 convertible. It has the 68 steering column, wiring etc. I'm german-looking it, so it doesn't really matter to me what it is. It will have the looks of a 61 car.

Cheers

Steve

68 Auto pan converted to manual :-)

Probably hard to come by though....

Newt

Unfortunately trying to find a useable 68 semi auto pan is a hard task these days. For now I think I'll get the brackets from the states and find a reputable beetle shop to weld them in for me and I'll slowly accumulate parts for a conversion over time. (unless I find a good fullsize pan at a good price then I might be tempted to do the full swap over

Be very careful what you do here. You may well be entering a very complicated legal minefield, full of boobytraps.

The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) say that if you modify a chassis you are building a completely new vehicle called an Individually Constructed Vehicle (ICV). That is a new car.

That is virtually impossible to do, which is why we will not see any new shortened pan dune buggies.

To change the chassis numbers is looked upon as fraud, to change the front clip is a modification. I'm not sure about changing the rear to IRS with new brackets.

I recommend getting the pan that you want and if need be spending a lot of time fixing it. To repair a pan is not to modify it.

If you decide to do a cut and shut, have an accident and your insurance company finds out, they will not pay out as you will have broken the law and told them fibs.

As I said, be very careful.

yes tell them u rebuilt the chassis around the old number then

ICV will apply as soon as you shorten wheelbase. Stretch limo's are not ICV but shortened buggys are.

ICV will apply as soon as you modify suspension mount points. If not an original option for that body. So 4 link rear in an old Holden or Ford is ICV.

Have a read through NCOP VSB14 (google it) read through it all and see what you can and cant do.

A vehicle that looks and is built like the year vehicle the chassis number is will have no problems. Read that how you will.

Does that mean you can fit pivot boxes to any 68 pan because some 68 pans have them factory fitted?

Newt