SOLD - 1600 TURBO + oval + downunder

[kangaboy]

Good job dude. I have to have my cars inspected every two years for safety. I know how it feels to get that paper that says you're legal

[petew]

It had static belts in it, and don't worry I've been driving it. But this was the last box needing ticking before it's properly certified. Heck, I should be properly certified!

P.s. the bill for the belts installed was... wait for it. $AU930.

[66brm]

What, for two bits of flat bar drilled and tapped, and a couple of pop rivets...

[petew]

What, for two bits of flat bar drilled and tapped, and a couple of pop rivets...

You'd think so but no. ADR approved belts + awkward spaces + State Authority certification = EXY. But yeah, crazy right. And I get to pay the rest of the bill for certification for the other mods.

Things are out of control in NSW. The local engineering signatories/consultants were recently having an argument with the state transport department, because the department wanted them to stop using internationally recognised low speed brake testing machines. Instead, they were demanding every modified vehicle would have to be brake tested down the front straight of our local F1 circuit. Totally unworkable. They also wanted to revoke EVERY modification certificate ever issued and make every owner have the car recertified at their own expense. Ridiculous.

There's another guy who's started a class action against the state govt because they refuse to certify a large group of AC cobra replicas that have been OK'ed by all the relevant experts. No modified motorcycle has been certified in the state this year... which tells you a lot about modded Harleys you see on our streets.

The good news was, Sam the seatbelt guy is great fella and was uber impressed with my rear seatbelt subrframe. He was gushing... and you wouldn't believe the sort of rubbish he has to put up on a daily basis. Women of a certain ethic persuasion who have a million kids and need more and more baby harness points (which the oval has 4 of btw) and precious muscle car owners. He tells me this story...

muscle car guy, "can you install the belts without drilling any holes in the rear parcel shelf? It's mint."
Sam, "sure, you want me to blu-tac them to the back window?"
M.c.g, "umm yeah. Can you do that?"
Sam, "of course not. If you want belts I drill holes."

[66brm]

So glad I live on the other side, my oval will have a 2156cc, ms2 and disc brake front, I'll give the inspector something easy to pick on, ie: braided brake lines, hopefully that's all they'll focus on as the rest is staying stockish for now

[petew]

I thought WA was kinda strict? I've heard horror stories about spyder replica kit cars needing catalytic converters and EFI to meet emissions. You don't need a brake test?

[V8Nate]

WA as in Washington, United States? If so that's a new one on me

[Ol'fogasaurus]

It depends on a couple of things. If you were using a VW pan that was stock as well as the drive train and you had a good numbers matching title then probably no (heavy on the probably because they do check things out). When I was a kid in order to get new plates each year there was a included inspection involved. Now it is a pollution inspection every so often.

Like you guys from outside of the US and your stricter rules: if it was a "from the ground up" build with supporting bills of sale for everything and the making a new frame, different suspension, updated engine and a any of a bunch of other safety things then maybe then go in for a title inspection it can be strict; it just depends on a lot of things including how things are going for the inspector that day .

Yes they can be very strict here especially in certain areas of the state because of what (crap) has been done and tried in the past and are still being tried; things like when they take totaled cars (insurance for example or with a totaled title from another state) they try to pass them off as what they aren't.

Street legal rails aka tube buggies can't be seen well in the heavy rain and fog and are so light they hydroplane even in comparatively light rain or can be blown into another lane by a car or truck passing them of they passing the other vehicle. Its a safety thing or so I have been told.

Each state is different plus the Fed's laws.

Lee

[kangaboy]

WA as in Washington, United States? If so that's a new one on me

Assuming he is talking to 66brm, who hails from Perth, I think we are talking about Western Australia

[Ol'fogasaurus]

[fastfil]

Funny, I've never been to W.A. but I've got WA chalked into my holiday schedule for next year - airfares aren't that different...

[petew]

Just to clarify, what makes my car hard work to certify is the turbo. If it was just a bigger motor probably no one would care (within reason of course ) or even a supercharger because the supercharger was a dealer option. However, having done all the work now I'm pretty confident I could put any size stroker or turbo in it. I think a turbo subaru would be just an engine number swap. So it is worth the effort.

[66brm]

Yeah the hp adders are the killer as far as engineering goes here too, but once regoed it'll never need to be inspected again as long as you keep it regoed. And yes WA is Western Australia, not Washington.

[V8Nate]

Gotcha:)

[petew]

Good news, the car is all good to go. My engineer turned up this morning and had a final look over. He's very happy with it. I'll have my certification in few days and I can register the car no dramas.

Bad news is, car mods in New South Wales (my state) have just become even more troublesome. Brake testing has to be done on a private road or race track, approx. $1500 pass or fail. That includes testing both front and back brake circuits independently at 50mph. Absolutely ridiculous. I was thinking of building a cheap hotrod… and there might a way to do that, but man. What night mare. So my advice is, if you're into building modified cars in NSW, move interstate now.

The poor engineer unloaded all his frustrations as we were talking about it. The state govt are making it impossible for them and the whole industry, which will just push the whole hobby underground and people will drive unregulated, dangerous cars. The only positive thing being, the state govt tried to sue an engineer for something trivial. He's taken them through a couple of courts and it's been brought out into the open how dirty the whole transport department are. So maybe some good will come from that. In the meantime, people are getting their cars certified interstate and driving them around locally. Just dumb.