Found some pictures recently that show this automotive marvel in all it's glory.

Bought for $400 (was probably too much) in late 1979. It was already cut with all steel panels. Nose was a blunt cut off with a panel riveted in place. It was painted metalic purple. I bought it off of someone in Narangba north of Brisbane (someone on here may remember it). I think the rear chromies sucked me into buying it, hell I was 17.

Over the next 3 months I redid the cut and added a fibreglass kit from Volkspares at Abbotsford Rd, Maine (Don't think they are still there). I bought some inch and three quarters water pipe from the hardware and hired a pipe bender. Bent up and welded the front and rear bars (I learnt to weld at 12 years old on my father's steel prawn trawler). I used some mesh over the engine for safety (yeah that'll work!). Painted it in a subtle yellow including the custom green airbrushing. This thing was hot with it's 1100cc engine and cannon exhausts. It went off road to Bribie Island on numerous occasions but eventually after 5 months a piece if conrod broke free to the outside world. It did it halfway across one of Redcliffe's most busiest intersections at 7:30am on a weekday. I had hoped that with the camoflage paintwork no one would notice but alas just about every car beeped the horn or the occupants yelled out the apparent similarities between it and a large quantity of excrement. They say you never forget your first VW! On an apprentices wage of $72.20 a week it bled me dry.

Next VW would be a bigger engine, bigger wheels, bigger lift, bigger air cleaner, tricker paint work........ Now if only I could find those photos!

I look back on it now and the 3 Bajas and 2 modified street VWs I had in the early 80s were the best fun.

Brendan:jesus

Pure grunt!

Arty shot. Oh yeah I thought I was a hot photographer at 17.

hey brendan i think we had this convo before, but your from redcliffe or something hey? my dad whos 40 now use to work the trawlers from about 15 to 28 or so... what trawler did your dad own? out of redcliffe?

oh yeah, great lookin first car man...mad

Real mud grippers you had on there eh Brendan? I think you've started a new thread idea.

Squiz....

Airfooled the boat did not have a name on it but was called Pisces. 34foot steel and was moored beside the reclaimed land in front of the fish co-op (not Morgans). Took him 12 years to build it. The old man got the nickname of "maydo" may do it today or I may do it tomorrow!

Brendan

Squizzy,
Those tyres were Firestone 6 or 7 inch cross plys. A real hoot in the wet. I once 360'd that bug on Wynumn Road on the way to Lytton (Bris) trying to miss a dog. Spun it right in front a a Semi Fuel Tanker coming up the hill. Ended up in a ditch on the other side of the road with no damage except for badly soiled undergarments.

Brendan:jesus

yeah hey brendan, my dad remembers the pisces, cant remember 'maydo' though by name, probably knows him though... funny world hey hahaha
my dads name is laurie uhlmann and his brother is carl uhlmann. they both worked the boats, as did my dads dad, laurie uhlmann also...

ask your dad and see if he remembers...

AF your dad is my age. Uhlmann rings a bell though. May dad is getting on a bit, but I'll ask him next time we speak. I worked his boat a couple of times in 89, 90 when I was between jobs. I grew arms like the Hulk. Sh*t it was hard but rewarding work. Unfortunately a variable wage with 2 kids under 2 does not work out. I was also working when the Edward Thomas got mowed down by a container ship out in the deep. Your father will remember that.

yeah for sure he remembers the edward thomas... actually i do too! well yeah dad's 40 now and was workin in the 90's then so yous probably crossed paths more then once...all his family owned or worked on boats and its something i feel drawn too quite often but havent taken the step.. i dont think its as lucrative though these days... moreton bay has been over fished..

This was not my first car.
I badly wanted a Bedford van as my first car. Had visions of the custom surf and shaggin' wagon. Saved up from my first job as a cleaner at Woolies. Saw one in the paper for $300, gave the money to my old man to have a look at whilst I was at work. Came home to an ex Redcliffe City council yellow VERY early model Bedford van.....Dad's first words were "Isn't it in excellent condition" Nooooooooo! He'd bought it thinking it was just what I'd wanted. That bloody van couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding let alone a chick!

He ended up using the motor in a bar trawler working the Pine river.

hahahahahah excellent story..... yeah my cousin use to make up stories about 'the bedford brothers' who were brothers who went about rootin everyone in redcliffe hahahaha... still a few bedfords about there too... the old man was probably thinkin about the engine from the start hahahaha

so how old are you brendan? what school did you go to?