| [ Total Views: 1386 | Total Replies: 12 | Thread Id: 73744 ] |
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 paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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Location: Kenmore, Brisbane
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| posted on January 1st, 2009 at 10:21 AM |
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Brisbane Wizard Roadster
Heya! Happy new year all!
Well 2009 is the year my dub gets her makeover. As you can see from the pic, she's not in great nick at the moment and the rust is starting to get
its claws into her. Most worryingly, I found yesterday that there is some rust (hopefully not too nasty) on the passanger side heater channel just
behind the front seat. This is a bother because, owing to the Wizard conversion it's a bit structurally important! Other than that am replacing
electricals at the moment - more of a safety issue than anything - patching up some previously done dodgy wiring etc.
Her story: I originally bought in a Porsche 914 from the states and did (well had done at 'mates rates') a full bare metal restoration on her. She
was lovely, but due to moving house and a few other things, I had to get rid of her. A guy rocked up and asked if I would accept a VW bug as a
deposit. No way. But then he turned up in it anyway, and it was love at first sight.
This was a while ago now and I've had other cars in the meantime but have been unable to let her go. She's a 1970 beetle (build date Dec 1969 I
believe, so still a child of the sixties - VIN 110 2600 832) with a slightly newer 1600 engine (AD282246) and a Wizard roadster kit. I know these are
love-em-or-hate-em kits, but I'm partial to this one, and she's the only bug I have.
She needs some work. Doing electrical bits and bobs at the moment, and will move on to body work soonish. My garage is packed to the rafters with,
ahem, things-that-may-well- become-useful-at-a-later-time so I'm out working in the sun at the moment. Ouch! Locky I have a nice big clump of bamboo
there to park her under.
Anyway, really happy to be here! Looking forward to getting to know some of you and to getting more involved with the local volksie community.
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paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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Registered: January 1st, 2009
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Location: Kenmore, Brisbane
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 posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 AM |
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Woah. 55 views - not one single reply. People operating on the 'if you can't say something nice. . ." principle, eh? 
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 Bizarre
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The artist formerly known as blue74l
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 10:09 AM |
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Heh - i will go first 
Out of all the chops i like the Wizards
You do have some work ahead - especially the rust in the heater channel
As a thought - does it have a roof??
If not and a fairweather car only - why not chop the screen down a bit??
That would really give a rod look??
PS
LOVE 914's
Barry
Futue te ipsum!!!
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ian.mezz
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I never said, I could write or spell
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 03:40 PM |
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years ago I think I seen half a dozen of these VWs at a VW place in riverston sydney. VW King or VW country??
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1303Steve
A.k.a.: Steve Carter
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 04:09 PM |
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Hi
I used to service a few of these many years ago.
Is it a real wizard conversion? The reason that I ask is that Wizard are in the UK and there were local people doing a similar thing.
Steve
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paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 07:10 PM |
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Hey Bizarre A life saver as always!
Yep, she does have a soft top. You can see it in the photo if you squint and hunker up right close to the screen. Last on the list of things to
replace as it's reasonably sound, but looking a little dated.
I know chop tops are frowned on by many, which is fair enough. I shudder at the thought of doing it to an early beetle too. This one's a 70 though,
so no great loss
The main problem with the kit is actually around the windshield already. Whoever did the conversion didn't really stiffen the windshield area, and
it's a natural place to grab for a nervous passanger if I take a corner quickly So a lot of cracking in the paint around the bottom of the windshield. May also be because she's had one too many cheapo paint jobs
over the years and nobody has bothered removing the glass and seals, so it's not painted right in that area. Have spent some time this afternoon
grinding/sanding back around the area, and there is a LOT of bog there.
The 914 was a lovely car. Always fascinating to see people's reactions to it. I bought a new MGF roadster a couple of years back, and the 914 was
better built all around and loads more fun to drive. Sad to see her go at the time, but I had one car too many for the place I was moving to, needed
the cash, and it was a pain getting certain parts locally for her - I was always on the phone to automobile atlanta in the states for bits and pieces!
That said, I keep toying with the idea of getting another one if I can find one reasonably original and reasonably priced in OZ. There ARE a lot of
fun.
I found some more rust in the same heater channel again today. Sigh. At the join with the pillar for the front passanger door. I rekon it's a job for
the pros that one. Hopefully those are the only two spots - have drenched the channel with fish oil internally twice now as far as I could get.
| Quote: | Originally
posted by Bizarre
Heh - i will go first
Out of all the chops i like the Wizards
You do have some work ahead - especially the rust in the heater channel
As a thought - does it have a roof??
If not and a fairweather car only - why not chop the screen down a bit??
That would really give a rod look??
PS
LOVE 914's
Barry
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paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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Registered: January 1st, 2009
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Location: Kenmore, Brisbane
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Mood: Abandoning my search for truth and now looking for a good fantasy.
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 07:14 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by ian.mezz
years ago I think I seen half a dozen of these VWs at a VW place in riverston sydney. VW King or VW country??
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Hey Ian! That's fascinating. I don't think there's any kind of Aussie Wizard register is there? It would be nice to talk to other wizard owners and
see if they have the same body issues that I do with the kit. The glass in mine seems to have a bit of flex in it, resulting in cracking on the
guards, around the windshield etc. Hmmmm. I think mine came from NSW originally so it may well be that there was a place doing the kits down there.
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paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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Location: Kenmore, Brisbane
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 07:18 PM |
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Hey Steve!
It was a domestic job - not done in the UK. The bug, as far as I know, was OZ delivery and all the engineering blueprints and so on (which I still
have) were from a mob in NSW.
I imagine that the kits were brought in from the UK though. Or maybe do you think someone had some moulds made locally? One thing that is different
with mine from most of the wizards I've seen on the net is that it has slightly unusual rear glass guards with a little flare on them - identical to
the wizard on this page. (Please note that the
words 'this page' in the last line are a link to the car I'm talking about)
As an aside, that's the standard I'd like to get my little gal up to - but not with those running boards. I like the standard ones better.
| Quote: | Originally
posted by 1303Steve
Hi
I used to service a few of these many years ago.
Is it a real wizard conversion? The reason that I ask is that Wizard are in the UK and there were local people doing a similar thing.
Steve
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Joel
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Now containing 100% E-Wang
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 07:34 PM |
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there was a mob around in the late 80s early 90s that did those roadster conversions
name escapes me atm tho
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paladin
Slammed & Awesome Dubber
Posts: 79
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Registered: January 1st, 2009
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Location: Kenmore, Brisbane
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Abandoning my search for truth and now looking for a good fantasy.
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| posted on January 2nd, 2009 at 08:49 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Joel
there was a mob around in the late 80s early 90s that did those roadster conversions
name escapes me atm tho
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Cheers, Joel. That would make sense. I wonder what happened to them and their moulds or if (more lileky IMO) they just imported the kits?
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68AutoBug
A.k.a.: Lee Noonan
Aircooled Master
Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138% - YIKES --
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| posted on January 3rd, 2009 at 02:21 AM |
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Roadster on TV show last week
This was the type of beetle on the TV show a few nights ago about people winning LOTTO and what did they buy
One couple bought on of thes roadsters...
Yellow... No stripes...
LEE
these are the only acceptable home made convertibles IMHO
and MINI bonnet hinges must be use....
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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Joel
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| posted on January 3rd, 2009 at 09:35 AM |
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they were made here in aus, they differ alittle bit in the back to a wizard roadster
like Lee siad they had mini bonnet hinges for the decklid
the moulds are probably sitting around gathering dust somewhere
just like the porrera/poraga moulds that turned up in someones garden shed recently
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Gibbo
Custom Title Time!
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| posted on January 3rd, 2009 at 09:52 AM |
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Ah the wizards.. I like em. reminds me of past VW shows in the UK, they were very big at one time back then.
Keep at it mate!
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