Hi,

If i have my rwc and blue plate for all mods, is it true i require paperwork of 'test' results for the body kit for queensland transport?

Does anyone know where i can get this paperwork?

Its just a bugeyed kit, no manufacturer printed on it, mixed combo of guards and rear cowls from other kits anyways.

Anyone have a copy of just a 'cheetah' paper work or sumfin i could just bring? Whats the general procedure? where can i get this paperwork?

Thanks guys, much appreciated
Chris.

They asked me for paperwork when i registered my baja years ago, either that or they wanted to cut a 600x600 piece out of my painted bonnet for testing.... You could imagine where i told them to stick that! Call pete at custom, they had the papers for the cheetah kits years ago.... Although Brad might have taken that sort of stuff with him. Pete should be able to point you in the right direction though.

Mick.

Bug eye kits wont be allowed if headlights are in nose cone. What you will pobably need is the letter of approval from the Qld trans mods to fit a wide eye baja kit. The kit must be either a manx kit or a cheetah kit . These kits were approved by QT, but someone with more recent dealings may have a better idea. When mine was regoed about 4 yrs ago , they had no idea about bajas when it was inspected.

This Bug eyed kit is different, and should check out cool with queensland transport in regards to headlight arrangement.

The headlights in the nose cone are 'recessed' (for more of a better word) outwards and only use 7 inch globes, hence allowing a distance of 83cm centre to centre, 2 cm above the minimum requirements for headlights. I think thats what the numbers were, i can't remember, but it checked out a-ok.

I just ain't got the paper work for the testing.
Thanks Mick for the referral, i will have to drop a phone call.

No definitive answer or success yet.

I called a few people today, all vee dubbers are very helpful people, all up for a chat

Talked to the boss at custom vee dub, they didn't have body kit paper work, and said to call queensland transport to find a suitable engineer to inspect and authorise it.

Called queensland transport, they refered me to a fella in oxenford, not dub specific/pro though, but as a certified automotive engineer to inspect, test and sign off.

Got another opinion from volksmod down in Burleigh (same mob as beach buggies australia) hoping they might have an onsite engineer or just paper work to stamp it off. They refered me to John Sherman. These guys were all great to talk too. Sherman rekons it could very well be an old kit he used to sell, known as the 'Sand Piper' which had the nose cone lights offset enough to be legal, just like mine. He no longer had the body kit paper work though , and said to talk to the transport department, and if they try to make it an LH6?? ICV or rebodied vehicle, say no its a modded standard beetle. He also gave me a number of a fella named Steve to call and see if he could certify, but when i called Steve he said he couldn't help with the 'automotive engineer' sense of signing off a body kit.

I called my mates dad, Vic Williams, owner of Vic Terry Auto's down at Burleigh, he could do blue plate mods for particular mods but unable to help me with this body kit.

I will call around to Queensland Transport, but it sounds like an expensive engineering process.
SHEEEESH! And to think i went for a baja instead of a buggy due to these engineering difficulties!!!

I scored the body kit second hand without paper work 6 yrs ago, when i was 17 yrs old and didn't even own my first car. little did i even think back then i would need paper work for it.

Dont need a blue plate for a baja kit. You need to down load mod vehicle form and state ...cheetah baja kit or manx baja kit. They will get back to you with a letter of "Approval to fit kit" and also they will say to fit full width bumpers to front ect ect. You cant use someone elses approval letter because it will have your name, eng #, chas # on it .

ah i c!

Thanks mate, found the paper work.

Do I just then bring that paper work with the rwc to queensland transport, then i can rego?

Eeek! ah wells...

Thanks heaps.

Will they check the baja kit to see if its a manx or a cheetah? Like... look for badges or brand labels etc on it?

I bought mine as a registered Beetle (not the one in my profile pic), had the RWC done as a beetle , changed the rego over into my name as a beetle.

I had no problems in doing this with a wide eye kit and lifted. Just something to consider, after all not many cops would know what a Baja is.

That sounds certainly like an easy way.

My only concern was insurance purposes and not being covered if my baja were to hit a rolls royce or something lol, but not having legal approval for the mods.

I have just sent the request for approval to main roads, they should recieve the letter tomorrow . Fingers crossed its pumped through quick, i'll certainly be harassing them.

Best of Luck Chris.... lol

LEE

My Baja has the paperwork you just submitted (Well the return letter)

This is the correct method in QLD

I got a letter back !!

They got it wrong...

they have wrote:

RE: Approval to Re-body a 1969 Volkswagen chassis: ######## with a cheetah Baja Body."
stated i need to consult an engineer. They think i'm fitting a buggy body, rather than just a body kit, after I specifically quoted:

"Requesting permission to fit an approved Cheetah Baja body kit to the original vw beetle body"

Will give a call monday, tell em its only non-structural wheel guards, bonnet, nose and rear engine cover... I thought that would have been understood by calling it a body kit going on the original body, and thought by them looking up the approved baja body kit, they would have had it all in front of em (the fact of it not being a rebodied vehicle).

I guess they can't know every car off by heart under the sun though.

Maybe you could try 'baja fender kit' as opposed to 'baja body kit' ???

good one matt!
I'd give that a crack 'mr rainy face'

Hopefully they won't ask you for fibreglass testing papers of the kit.

Even though it is non structural, they may want to ensure that it is safe incase of an accident for all involved.

And for the record, my approval to build (full ICV) took 12 weeks.

It'll be alright. Its in their own publishment that vw buggies are excempt from testing. Its their own ruling.

I called, and they said because i wasn't thorough in my original application and that i will need to resubmit a new 'request for modification' application.

SO! thats what i did. I typed out a four page document with pictures and descriptions, and quoting previous legistlation that baja Wes put up on avd a little while back (good work Wes). And i photocopied 4 pages from Jeff Hibbard's baja bugs and buggies showing the installation procedure, discussed safety etc.

If its not enough for em, i will be very suprised!
That little envelope was very full. I pretty much did their job for them.

To keep it simple for em, i only stated the body kit being fitted and the donor type 3 engine as the only modifications, and stated the type 3 engine is exactly the same as the beetles. (lets hope they can put 2 and 2 together to understand that means there were no mods in the engine bay...). I figured telling them about the kombi gearbox, vw thing spindles, type 3 rear brakes and 2 inch lift kit would probably have em confused.

If u had told them u had a 2inch body lift u would not have got it sorted, u have to tell them u have it as a body strengthener as i understand it a body lift is not legal where as strengthening is fine. I'm no expert but I have been told that a few times and mine was enginered like that.

Steff

Yep, I call them 'chassis stiffiners'

I will update this thread, i posted this on another but to keep track will repost here.

This is the latest developement, and its not successful. It goes something like this...


F*^K ME!

These guys are useless... second request for Modification rejected, because I need BS 2782 Part III methods 320E and 335A.
I quoted baja wes's testing excemptions applying to beach buggies, and after a discussion over the phone they said only if its a manx, kalita, j&s etc but not for Cheetah Baja Kit as it wasn't in the list.

They said i had to go to a NATA testing, with a 100x100 section and perform destructive testing.

Why do i need testing? well they do rekon its structural, despite using the original vw steel body, they are concerned about the front bonnet section (the front crash zone) to see how it peforms in the path of a pedestrian. Apparently there are new vehicle/later model standards that it now must comply to. (AS standards for front impact for pedestrians). I should have quoted it as a manx baja kit lol. But they said, look you can state it as that and get it through, but you must have proof of it being such (compliance plate, manufacturers stamp etc.)

I think i know what kit i got, its a John Sherman's Sand Piper, he ain't got the paper work for em' any more... looks like i must drive round town illegally. Bullshit hey, will be shaking at the knee's everytime a cops behind me or there's a vehicle inspection bay laid out at the side of the road.

Chris.

I Dont know if this will help.


Quoted from my approval papers word for word.

4. "All new fibreglass bodies/panels must be clearly and permanantly marked with the manufactuers identification. If the body/kid was fitted some time ago, body panel identification marks may not be fitted. It is however, ADVISABLE that some form of identification be fitted i.e. Manx Baja, Kalita, Humbug, etc."


Now obviously mine was done a long time ago. 1996 actually. But you may be able to argue this as being an older kit........More of a restoration than a new fitment. You are trying to legalise in todays world what wouldnt have been a problem when it was origionally fitted. Perhaps get some form of plauque made by a trophy shop/engraver and fit it to the underside of the bonnet or something.

The approval letter for my kit (Apparently a "Humbug" kit) was written by Gary L Mahon who was the "Manager of vehicle safety and operations" QLD Transport Land transport and safety division. Fortitude Valley.

PS: I Have one of those wider bug eye nose cones lying around.

Nicko

Thanks Nick Its good food for thought.

proves that main roads hasn't got any transparency between their customers and themselves lol.
Red tape sucks!

That widened nose cone, that wouldn't have a manufacturer's stamp on it would it lol?

did you send a 'request for modification' to the fortitude valley address? or just dropped into you QLD main roads office for a chat?
I might just get a plaque made, take the baja to main roads, say hey, i ain't got the original paper work, but I own this registered vehicle which had a certified body kit that was an approved body kit back in the day, can you let me know if its all cool to run like this? (might shoot myself in the foot if they say no)

Hmm... do i even need approval to fit a baja kit though to not get in trouble?

Knowing that this body kit was an approved kit (i don't know, but am assuming), and knowing the fibreglass excemption laws for vw buggies (bulletin 34 2000) and it not being a rebodied vehicle requiring engineering nor blue plating, is there any certification/approval required anyways, because the kit many moons ago was approved and therefore if main roads has an a problem with it it becomes their problem in chasing the paper trail back in the 70's to check if its approved before i can be persecuted for having it?

If anyone asks when i get pulled over (which is inevitable), i'll say its a vw beetle sedan baja model. Play it like the car was made like that back in the day, insinuating it was manufactured like that but without stating such (and therefore not being called a liar).

I did'nt own the car when it was approved Chris. in 1996 I was 10 years old. I Just inherited the paperwork when i bought the car.

The major factor here is not really whether the Police will target you. It is whether you are covered by insurance in the case of an accident. Insurance companies do not like to give their money away if they can avoid it, your non approved kit would be a good excuse.

The only time I have had a policeman look at my approval paperwork was when he was trying to tell me that it was illegal to have the rear of my car cut off. I politely pointed out the clauses in the paperwork to him stating that it was legal providing it had full length barwork etc, and the inspectors stamp. ( I always keep a photocopy in the glovebox)

I have been pulled over by traffic cops a few times but they have never questioned the kit. Only ever done the usual wipers, lights, tyres check. It might be a different story if you were in a 200sx or a Skyline.

TBH I have no idea whether the nosecone has a stamp or a sticker on it. I doubt it. It's down at my old mans place id have to have a look next time im down there. If you would like a spare you are welcome to it.

Nicko

lol, a baja would have been fun to drive at 10 yrs old lol. Thanks though Nick i appreciate the insight.

hmm. Good point about insurance. 3rd party (with just cars aka AAMI) know its got the body kit and bull bars but didn't ask approval. i'm sure if they knew it wasn't they would kick up a stink. CTP through is racq, they didn't ask any details.

So the only way out of this legal ditch it to cut a slice out of the body kit and get it tested i guess.
I heard it was a 600x600 piece, John Witwilski (however you spell it) that i talked to on the phone said 100x100 (hope he meant mm's... eeek)

I'm sure there are costs involved.
If i had some manufacturer's paper work that i could take to Main Roads saying its an approved kit (no testing required) and a fake trophy badge on the body kit set up somewhere, i could pass with approval. There would be money or parts in it for anyone that could help, you'll remain anonymous.

Heres an Idea.........Take my spare nose cone. Tell them it is yours off your car. Let them test that.

Thanks Nick, that will certainly solve the problem. I read somewhere it had to be a planar sample (flat), but if i call the place that does the testing, they can give me proper instructions.

Google shows forums stating that the nearest NATA testing facility to be able to do the work is USQ in toowoomba. road trip time! lol.
I will keep you up to date and let you know what the go is after i get in touch with USQ to suss out testing requirements.

I have emailed Wayne Crowell of USQ in toowoomba and awaiting reply. we'll see how it goes.