I have just purchased a 1970 baja bug. Its pretty cool with IRS, BJ front end, Bug eye kit with lights in the gaurds as well. It needs a motor and a bit of welding not too much though. What i want to know is how do I register it in Queensland? It doesn't have a mod plate or papers , do i just register it as a beetle or get it mod plated? Any ideas on who to see?

Any help would be grately appreciated.

Like always there are options, though only one is legal. I have had a baja and you have to get it transport inspected, I am assuming that the front is cut, as is the back.

Those are the areas generally that require the inspection, and also as the rear has been modified the cage becomes an issue as well to ensure that no access to the belts can be made.

I am sure that someone can give you some more technical stats as to the regulations etc.. you could register it as a beetle and fool the chick at the counter.. but you aint going to fool the transport inspectors- who can check in 2 sec what your car is registered as, and then it becomes an issue.

If was me, then I would have it plated- gives you peace of mind...

Good luck

Peter

Just rebuild a baja and going to see the department of Transport on Wednesday 18th Feb for papers. Have the contact name of a lady in dept of trans how knows a lot about these. Will post thos after lunch.

Hi all,

My Brother has just been through this with his Baja. We thought that you had to have the Baja conversion blue plated to enable you to register the vehicle, however when we tried to find out more info from the Dept of Transport office here in Southport, they told us that the vehicle simply came under the classification of a Beetle and no mod (blue) plate was required.

Apparently they changed to these rules only a little while ago as previous to this change you did have to have a blue plate before you could get it registered.

Of course you will still have to pass a roadworthy (and recieve your saftey certificate) before you can get it registered, so make sure that there are no sharp edges around any cuts to the bodywork and that all hot/moving parts are covered.

Good luck!

R

COOOOOOOL if it's that easy i'll just get a phoneworthy and register it. Here's hopeing

My Son's girlfriends Baja is just registered as a normal Beetle... There are no covers over anything... no mud flaps..
There is an alloy bar going around the engine and two vertical bars coming off it..
but Its very easy to touch the vertical Muffler and fan belt...
They have the fan belt covers ect but have never put them on...

kwel...... we will be doing the reg thing in a couple of weeks after we put together another engine for the beast......

Love the flames

Moniek

A baja does not require a blue plate. This is because blue plates are only used for modification codes (LA - engine substitution, etc), and there is no mod code for a Baja.

However, things that are outside of the light vehicle modification code such as a Baja or buggy conversion both need approval and it comes in the form of modification papers from the department of transport themselves. You will need to get the Baja inspected by the department of transport at one of their main inspection stations.

My friend had to do this about 3 years ago, took it to Zillmere and got stamped approval papers.

My baja was originally registered as a beetle and got a defect notice. It then had to go to the department of transport and have the baja conversion approved.

I think whoever you spoke to at the department of transport who said you can register it as a beetle didn't know exactly what they were talking about.

True a baja will still be registered as a beetle, but it also needs to have modification papers.

Hmmm, Wes we had my brothers Baja registered late last year and they (the transport Dept) told us that they had changed the 'rules' regarding approval. My Bro's Baja has/had no papers and we just got a roadworthy, rocked up at the dept of transport and got it registered - they only checked the car to ensure that the chasis number matched the paperwork - no other inspection/paperwork required....

I'm going to ring my Bro now and double check but I am reasonably sure.... back soon....

R

that is exactly whay they did with wibbles which has now been sold on, and the new owner apparently is having some hassels.
My question is if you are unawear of any paperwork needed and the main roads tells you that you do not need any they then register it when you get a rwc who is responsible if it is not correct and there is an prang and someone is hurt.

...OK, just spoke to my Bro - he just got a roadworthy - thats all. His friend has just gone to get a roadworthy/registration for his new (to him) Baja, so if anything has changed we will know later today...

R

Damn you ibmoknegawsklov! That looked like a really good bargin for a baja. Go the baja!

OK this is straight from Dept of Transport Modifications Branch at 10.15 TODAY Friday 13 Feb 2004. I rang them as I get a little bit annoyed with the false information which is often offered up as fact by people who are just as confussed as the people asking the question. The main iffenders of this is more than often a Dept of Tpt Employee.

YOU must do the following to legally regsiter a BAJA ..

1- Send in photos of kit and an application to modify a Vehicle
2- await the approval, when given
3- Make it a Baja in accordance with the rules outlined in the approval letter
4- Take it to Dept of Tpt Inspection Station , ie Zilmere and have it inspected, if it passes they stamp your papers.
5- Go and get a RWC and take it to any Dept of Tpt and register in with a note on teh system and RWC that it is a Baja and Modification Papers have been seen and a copy is retined by Dept of Tpt.

Now like anything in life you can get away with just about anything. The above is the Law, not my understanding of it and by no means what I have gotten away with over the years ( :o ).

This is direct from the guys who right the policy and has not changed in many years. If someone is saying it has changed then they are either mistaken or should be asked to show you in writting.

I am happy to clarify this further if need be. I will not give out my contacts details at Dept of Tpt because I don't want him being hassled by every Tom Dick and Harry, getting pissed and not helping out the Manx Club any further.

hey Wes,,With the photopraph of kit, is that prior to instalation? I know I had a really interesting looking baja at time of roadworthy... std wheels, big steering wheels, std seats, ...pmsl..... :repuke
Only thing that pissed me off was I had to cut off the vicious points on my mufflers just made my car look even more stoopid!lol..

I had been told I was going to have to get a series of approvals...$$$$....that was nearly 3yrs ago...... if it is now that easy.....hmmmmm,,,,finish this one off and build another...whoopee!!!!

oops sorry brad, meant brad not wes......just a stupid gurl typing.lol must be blonde bits......:o

Is that you heather?

With regards to it being that simple, well it isn't that simple

The photos is to accompany the initial vehicle modification application form. The form is supposed to be completed before work on the baja begins. I guess the photos just help the department of transport understand that it's already been done.

They then send you approval to proceed with the modifications, which if you have photos have already mostly been done. The approval letter will states what the car needs, probably something like mudflaps, engine cage, blah blah blah.

Then when you think it's up to scratch, you take the car to a DPT inspection station to be inspected. That is where they will whinge the engine cage doesn't cover enough or your wheels stick out or whatever. Once you have fixed what they don't like, then you will get a nice stamped approval paper.

If you have this paper, guard it with your life. I say this cos the DPT only keeps these records for 5-7 years and have a poor filing system, so it is possible for them to loose their copy. So don't loose yours!

I know this cos they have lost mine, but I still have my copy, laminated in a safe place. :thumb

Yup tis I Wes. I sent the membership application yesterday,,,Thanks to all this Vee dubbin I have had to get off my arse and get into gear with my baja..lol. (comp insurance, gearbox rebuild, adjustable coil-over shockies all round (After that chat with you, I did a bit o' reasearch and IRS is just a bit too much bother for this little beastie),,,,,,hmm thats just for starters,why do you guys all have to have such nice shiny cars.lol..got all self conscious,,realised how I'd let myself goooooo!).....all this so I can go taking my car offroad, most probably to crash the thing...

I thought this thread sounded too good to be true! I was lucky enough to have a legal baja sitting gathering dust in my yard for 4 yrs (80's certificate,,I guard with my life too!lol). Still hassle to register that one.

Its an easy trap for peeps who havn't registered a Baja before,,,looks like a real bargain in the trading post......till registration time.....and may I add finding insurance is fun too!lol....

*Bronze wavers hand amongst crowd*

:bounce Uh - Hello - Mines not shiny. :bounce

What was involved in approving an already completed baja, esp if was registered as a beetle? I had purchased a baja "beetle", without papers and just out of rego, had spent its life as a beetle, Thats where I was told a whole load of approvals were needed, as technically I was the one who had put the kit on. As the mods were already complete I had not submitted any of the required applications I was going to have to get some dude to come and sight the car and that was going to cost lotsa$$$? It all seemed full on, as I was wanting to make sure I was 'legal', as I already have donated enough of my cashola with the various authorities over the yrs and insurance issues. I was unaware of the fact that you could just go straight to the Dept of transport... Were there a load of extra fees, was it sighted by an engineer? In my case I decided to just bring my old baja back to life after some brilliant panel and mechanical work!

"homebrand aknowledges wave from bronze and waves back................oops gear pops out, hand goes back on gearstick, blushes, as everyone stares as engine revs loudly,,amplified by hole in extractor...."

My baja's overall theme is "shabby-chic" verrrrrrryyyy..now :P

If you have bought one already completed and it is not approved you should NOT be able to get a roadworthy for it. Any mechanic would be able to look at it and say to themselves"DUH...i'ts modified" and look for approval etc. If none is found via mod plate or whateva than the vehicle can NOT have a safety certificate issued as it would not have met the criteria req. to get the certificate. Anyone who has been issued with a safety certificate without the mod certification can get themselves in a whole lotta trouble - especially if you prang the car. I would also question the ability of the mechanic that would issue the certificate (unless it was a good mate). Is better off done properly the first time.:P

:cry tell me about it.lol......... another thing too if you have a baja which is still a beetle on paper, and have managed to get insurance,,,,,,,,kiss ur insurance goodbye... this thread has been a good read, thank you all for putting up with my annoying Q's! :P

I'm pretty sure I got mine regoed the way Brad said. it was a bit of a hassle and run around but I expected that.

Well we got it home last night and boy oh boy its beastie.... can not contain the excitement.... i want to drive it all over australia....... hang on.... its got no engine in it hehehehehehe

hopfully if i talk nice and be nice to hubby it maybe ready for stradbroke Island hehehehehehehehe

Moniek

so I should be doing this process with the maxfx?

another baja gurl, another baja gurl :bounce yay moniek

yay.... someone to comare notes with.. ie: who got the best comment...eg. Curious person- "is that your boyfriends car?" baja gurl lol.

Are there many other fem offroady owners about, am curious?

Here it is................ mah doodlebug!

That's your baja? Cool! It's got that "you can take me anywhere and thrash me and if I get a scratch it doesn't matter" look. Yay! another baja!

*Boozer waves too Bronze and Homebrand then looks at flickering oil and on generator lights with a look of panic and then releif*