Australian Design Approval & Registration

[ChrisL]

The news is not all bad. There is light at the end of the tunnel with regards to hobby car enthusiast. Some stupid laws have been reversed, and new sensible laws put in their place.

The straw that broke the camel’s back however, was the requirement that vintage cars (cars built before WW 1) be fitted with modern brakes, effectively torpedoing their charm and value to collectors and enthusiast. This law was brought about by people shouting loudly about the safety of these vehicles. So like all good democracies that are ruled by those who can shout the loudest

the formation of lobby organisations such as the AOMC was required.

Some of the biggest gains in law since then have been the exemption of the crash tests for small car producers, permission to register special interest cars with LH drive, and the club permit scheme which allows people to use normally unregisterable cars in club events on public roads.

There’s still a long way to go… and a louder voice won’t hurt.

 

cc - I'm still here and it is not registered yet so I am probably no wiser than anyone else. Should know more in a few months. I have a build start recorded so I have to meet 1999 regs, so it should be a bit easier for me hopefully.

Regards

John

 

[Peter Delaney]

As Chris suggested, I have joined the Cobra Car Club (affiliated with the AOMC) - let's hope that if we all pitch in, we might be heard.

CC, I saw that XJ13 in the latest Unique Cars - it is drop-dead gorgeous !

The problem that we have here in Oz is that whilst there is a national ADR set of rules, each state has its own sub-set of rules as to which bits of the ADR's apply to which cars, under which circumstances, etc.

If you can register that XJ13 (which would never meet current emission standards) in the ACT, or register a '57 Chev with a 3,000hp twin supercharged Rolls Royce aero engine in Victoria (see previous Unique Cars mag), why can't I register a little ol' GT40 here in NSW ?

(The '57 Chev holds the title of the most powerful registered car on the planet ! Maybe it has something to do with having a state government which is "pro-motor sport" - Victoria does host the 1st round of the Formula 1 championship.)

I am waiting for an official reply from the NSW RTA Vehicle Standards group, & will post it when (& if) I get it !

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[Ron Earp]

Peter, any news on this?

Ron

 

[Bill Bayard]

GT40 Australia has adapted their cars to fit the 4.6L engine, in order to pass emissions regs. At least that's an option for new customers! DMV (ADR) Nazis are the same worldwide! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif Why do they bother, when they know that we'll find a way to circumvent their regs anyway? Perhaps Australian manufacturers should have low emission, pre-certified, 4.6L engines w/exhaust & gearbox available to rent, in order to get customer's cars past the ADR's more easily?

Bill

 

[Ricky]

Well, I am pleased to say I have finally got my 40 on the road and licensed. and my fears of emissions etc have been unfounded. (Hey pete - I ended up with an expensive road car!)

The inspection process was nowhere near as fraught as I had expected. Items that were looked at and frowned upon are listed below for your info.

* front indicator positions. these have been installed into the proper recesses. the concern was 45degree visibility and height above ground.
* fuel filler and wiper arm polish finish. The inspectors requested these be matt or black finish to eliminate glare in field of vision. (They trusted I would do this after licensing.
* opening in the bonnet (hood) which forms the nostrils. They did not like the idea of a radiator failure and having hot fluid on the windscreen. - They eventually saw sense on this and looked for something else to pick on.
*Demister. The day i licenced was 2 degrees C one of the colder Perth mornings. The car was trailered to the inspection centre and subsequently had no coolant heat or a gassed up A/C unit to assist demisting of the windscreen. I do need to cut a larger slot under the demist grille though to allow more flow. - My error.
* The car ran like a pig due to a dyno tune session to get the ECU sorted on a 27 degree C day and the resulting cool of the morning playing havoc with the cold start setup. As a result the inspectors did not want to test drive the vehicle. I do need to get this sorted out though.

Essentially the car was presented in a very clean tidy and immacualte finish. This was evident in the items the inspectors were picking on as there was not much else they could do.

I am happy and now look forward to some decent weather - it has finally started raining in Perth - so I can get some use and find out what is going to break.

Cheers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
RV

 

[Ricky]

Well, I am pleased to say I have finally got my 40 on the road and licensed. and my fears of emissions etc have been unfounded. (Hey pete - I ended up with an expensive road car!)

The inspection process was nowhere near as fraught as I had expected. Items that were looked at and frowned upon are listed below for your info.

* front indicator positions. these have been installed into the proper recesses. the concern was 45degree visibility and height above ground.
* fuel filler and wiper arm polish finish. The inspectors requested these be matt or black finish to eliminate glare in field of vision. (They trusted I would do this after licensing.
* opening in the bonnet (hood) which forms the nostrils. They did not like the idea of a radiator failure and having hot fluid on the windscreen. - They eventually saw sense on this and looked for something else to pick on.
*Demister. The day i licenced was 2 degrees C one of the colder Perth mornings. The car was trailered to the inspection centre and subsequently had no coolant heat or a gassed up A/C unit to assist demisting of the windscreen. I do need to cut a larger slot under the demist grille though to allow more flow. - My error.
* The car ran like a pig due to a dyno tune session to get the ECU sorted on a 27 degree C day and the resulting cool of the morning playing havoc with the cold start setup. As a result the inspectors did not want to test drive the vehicle. I do need to get this sorted out though.

Essentially the car was presented in a very clean tidy and immacualte finish. This was evident in the items the inspectors were picking on as there was not much else they could do.

I am happy and now look forward to some decent weather - it has finally started raining in Perth - so I can get some use and find out what is going to break.

Cheers /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
RV
[email protected]

 

[Peter Delaney]

Hi Guys - sorry for the absence, but I was having some trouble posting on the new Forum - all now seems to be resolved, & so the flood-gates are opened !!

Here in beautiful New South Bloody Wales, we are still governed by by our Premier, Bob Carr (who doesn't even have a driving license) & all his myopic little bureaucrats. However, there is a glimmer of hope - the local authority (RTA) is running a short-term program for testing ICV's (individually constructed vehicles). It involves a 240 second "hot cycle" test - if you produce 50% or less emissions than that required by the full current ADR's (cold start, warm-up, hot cycle), then you pass. The trick is that this approach is to be "reviewed" at the end of this year : it could get better, or it could get worse.

Worst case scenario seems to be to take the car to Melbourne (750kn south of here), pay $2,000 for the test, if it fails, fix it & pay another $2,000 - etc, etc.

Hence, rather than take the risk of what might come with the "review", I am now on a seriously tight schedule to get the car ready for testing in September (to allow a couple of months to cope with Murphy's law)!

The car goes for its final "clear over base" paint next w/e, & the engine build starts about the same time. I have an engineer who does this stuff for a living, & he has come up with a design to take the old '95 Mustang 5L to a point where it should meet the short-cycle test, even with an 8-stack injection system.

I'll keep you all posted on progress.

Kind Regards,

Peter D. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[ChrisL]

I read an article recently that duscussed the type of registration given to the the 3,000hp '57 Chev that was mentioned previously by Peter. The registration, or should I say permit, restricts the car to little more than loading and unloading the car from a trailer. I knew it was too good to be true.

 

[Peter Delaney]

Hi Guys,

After a bit of BS&T's, I am now able to post replies - yahoo !

Here in New South Wales (NSW in Oz), we seem to have a temporary emissions testing scenario :

The RTA authority will put a new car through a 240 second "hot cycle" emissions test, & if you produce less than 50% of the max emissions output of the full ADR test (cold start, warm-up, driving cycle), then you will pass. The RTA apparently has done some correlational testing between the full cycle & their "short test", and have come up with the 50% figure. The RTA will do this short test for free at their testing station at Botany in Sydney.

Now for the bad news - the RTA is going to "review" this procedure starting Jan 01, 2004. If you have ever known a bureacracy to "review" something & then actually make it easier / cheaper / more sensible / more logical, then you are a very rare person !!

The net result of this discovery is that all stops have been pulled out - the car has gone to a professional for its final "clear over base" 2-pack finish, & feverish work is being done on the engine.

I am lucky enough to have found an expert engineer who works in this field, & he tells me that the "NSW short test" can be met with a suitably modified 5L small block (even with 8-stack injection). We are going to give it a try - all it means is that all the expensive engine mods that I had planned to do in a couple of years have to be done now ! With that expenditure happening at a frightening rate, the family is slimming down nicely !!

I'll keep everyone posted as to our progress.

Kind Regards,

Peter D. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[ChrisL]

Peter,
Way to go! <font color="green"> I don't mind saying that I'm green with envy </font> /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Peter-
I will also have my car completed in 10-12 weeks time to run the NSW RTA gauntlet.I would be interested in talking to you re Engineers etc.(same one may save a lot of time)and was of the understanding that it is difficult to have a "sniff test" currently conducted in Sydney but they the RTA were more reliant on the fact that the engine and its accessories or equivalent you have fitted has already undergone this test to comply and rely on the results from it.Robert Logan from Roaring Forties assures me his engine/car has passed ADR39/01 and his cars/engines to the end of 2003 comply.Low volume manufacturing status approval.A different set of rules from then on so I am flat out to finish and register this year.ICV vehicles from 2004 may well be a thing of the past if the Manufacturer does not get certification for ADR70 (Euro 2)on the engine.Regards and hope to hear from you.

 

[Peter Delaney]

Chris L - don't get too green until I beat the RTA !!!

Chris C - My engineer, Ed, should contact you shortly. He will be able to clarify the RTA scenario, &amp; may be able to help you get through it.

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[Bill Hara]

Chris C or Chris L
What does that mean for someone like me, as I intend on completing my build late 2004. Will I be forced into modifying my chassis to accept the current 5.4ltr V8 or can I still get my F-Injected 302 by emissions testing? Is Vicroads approach different to that of NSW-RTA?
Should I be busting my nuts trying to complete the project this year? Should I let Vicroads know that I am building a GT40????

Sounds like a mine field!!!

Thanks in advance

Bill.

 

[ChrisL]

Bill,

I've heard a rumour that the 302’s life may well be extended beyond the end of the year for low volume cars so don’t panic just yet (but I’m willing to bet that there will be a few extra hoops that you might have to jump through). If that is the case, then I figure that the full RF40 specs is the easiest way to go here in Victoria. It may be a few extra dollars up front, but you can be secure in the knowledge that there won’t be any expensive surprises later.

 

[Peter Delaney]

Bill, Robert Logan has the full story on ADR's as they apply to ICV's in Victoria (a bit more friendly than those applying to us in NSW). Robert's engines pass the current regs in Vic, &amp; he will be able to tell you when &amp; how the Vic standards will change.

All that the NSW regs have done is to bring all my "Stage 2" engine mods forward into "Stage 1" &amp; set back things like carpet, interior trim, stereo, parking sensors, etc to "Stage 2".

The trick seems to be to go for rego asap (even if the car is in primer), &amp; then do all the nice bits later. The regs will change, &amp; it won't be for the better !

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

Hello All,

Has there been any updates to the ADR story? I live in sunny Queensland and can get no two stories the same from QLD transport. I am thinkig of starting a GT40 project but on a 2-4 year timeline. I don't know whether to wait until after Jan 04 or jump in now. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Ricky]

Obviously the best thing to do would be to contact the manufacturers directly on their plans to conform with any new rule changes, and I believe RF &amp; GT40 Aus are making changes (or at least considering them). I would also check with a registered / approved automotive engineer that works with the local DOT in your state for specific requirements. We all know this wonderful country has one set of ADR's but individual interpretations from state to state, so best to check your local interpretations (and get them in writing)

I'd say if you have the cash, make the splash and go for it. I'd do it all again tomorrow, time and $$ permitting, but for know I am enjoying the view I get looking up and the license plates of other cars from the drivers seat of my 40 each time I'm on the raod.
Cheers,
RV

 

[HILLY]

G'Day Rick,

I assume that you are here in Australia and I would be interested to here your experiences when it came to registering your 40.
I have just started my RF build so who knows what the ADR's will be like by the time I finish the project.
Robert assures me that with the work that he has put into the design and testing it should be plain sailing here in Queensland.

 

[Robert Logan]

Peter,

Ric lives over in Perth.

Regarding the ADR's, there are two areas of 'interest' with the people in the ACT, the brake test and the emmissions test. The first is a REAL safety issue and is very valid and the second is being looked at differently by different RES's (the engineers assigned by the ACT to test ICV's). The emmisions test requirements in NSW is that the car complies with current Euro2 or passes a 240 sec. test that represents that Euro2 test. The reason for this 240 sec. test is that a full test would be VERY expensive as we found out with ADR37/01 (the old test). The problem with this type of compliance is that it is different from state to state and realy from engineer to engineer (highly subjective).

At RF we are working to fully pass the new ADR as this is the ONLY way to be 100% sure for your customers. The 302 Windsor engine is not therefore rulled out as the engine of choise as if this engine can be got through the full test than it complies. I am very fortunate in that one of my customers is an expert in this area and has worker in this area with one of the main manufacturers in Australia for over 20 years. He has agreed to help us and with my engineer (he got our 37/01 pass) we have the team to do the work.

As a final point, the 240 sec. test as it is today is no where as difficult the full ADR 37/01 test we passed as this new test is a HOT test and the majority of the contaminates are exhausted before the cats light up.

I will keep all of our customers informed as we advance but please remember that it is important to contact your RES as soon as possible and declare your intent to build an ICV. Build up a good relationship with your engineer and he will help you, that is why they are in that position, to help.

Best wishes,

Robert