Vehicle Modification in WA - Quite Amusing

[Davo]

So, innocently, I think, "Maybe I'll just take out the automatic from my 1983 Range Rover and put in the manual option for that year, the LT95. Just using factory parts, so the car isn't any different from what the factory did."

It's not like it would be unusual.

So, innocently, I call the Department of Transport, and wait for twenty minutes, and then a young man listens, goes off for help, and then listens, and goes off for help, and this goes on for about another twenty minutes.

And this is how it works:

You print the application form from their website and send it in. But there's an eight-week wait at the moment.

Then, when you get approval, you do the job. (He seemed highly confused that I would be doing the work myself.)

Then you take it to an approved engineer to spend money getting him to say that it is indeed done properly - which I'm sure the Land Rover factory would be glad to know.

Then the car goes over the pits and they say that it's alright.

Then you take the whole lot of papers to the Department and they change your rego from "automatic" to "manual".

BUT - where do you find an engineer? Ah . . . they have a list.

BUT - their list is not complete. Even though they're a government department. So if you're not in Perth, which is where their list covers, you have to go fossicking for your own engineer, and send in his details with the application. Then, if they approve him, he can sign it off.

So that means that your first step is to send in your application form for approval, and also send in your engineer's details so that if they give approval for your modification they can also approve him to approve your modification.

BUT - the only engineer I can think of is in Broome, 400km away. But they say it's okay to drive my modified car there for him to look at.

So I can drive my modified, uninspected car along a major highway to be inspected and approved to drive back home along a major highway.

It's that last bit I really liked!

[tomalophicon]

So are you gonna do it?

[Loubrey]

They are really on top of what's going on in life. Pumas are still listed as having 5 cylinders on the rego and license documents...

[clubagreenie]

They actually detail the trans type on your rego? Sounds like it would be easier to buy a new vehicle (if not cheaper too).

[Davo]

Ah, it gets better now. I called the guy in Broome who signed off the baby seat anchor point in the back of the aforementioned Rangie, thinking he could do this as well, but he's not an engineer and couldn't think of anyone who is.

So, as far as I can tell, I could get the approval, as long as I don't mind waiting two months for them to tell me that it would be okay to replicate what the factory did, and then drive 2500km down to Perth for an engineer to tell me that my replication of what the factory did is okay, and then . . . I think I would drive it back up here for our local garage to inspect it, so that he could say that my replication of what the factory did is okay, and then I could wait for one of the fortnightly visits that The Department of Transport makes to town, and then bury them with paperwork and, when they've dug themselves out, they could process the change.

So far, this seems to be what the department would approve.

Though I'll have to wait until I've got some more spare time and call them again. I should go ahead with the change, just to see what actually happens.

But I really think this would be worth writing a few letters about, so we shall see . . .

[p38arover]

Would anyone notice if you just did it?

[Gaudough]

Back in '93 I converted my Rover SD1 from the C65 slush box to wait for it....that beautiful LT77 that was a factory option. I never even considered the rego. All I noticed was it was then a beautiful car to drive with that sweet liitle 3.5V8 and economy went from about 22mpg to over 30mpg on a long run.

regards Gordo

[VladTepes]

And you sandgropers wonder why we on the east coast think you're a breed apart over there...
stupid gun laws, many of which defy logic
stupid vehicle mod laws, ditto.
and many others I'm sure.

Your enemy is the state government. Not just the one you have at the moment (though they are) but any type of state government at all.

Still if you want a change we'll send you Anna.
I don;t think we'll be needing her after Saturday.

[V8Ian]

And you sandgropers wonder why we on the east coast think you're a breed apart over there...
stupid gun laws, many of which defy logic
stupid vehicle mod laws, ditto.
and many others I'm sure.

Your enemy is the state government. Not just the one you have at the moment (though they are) but any type of state government at all.

Still if you want a change we'll send you Anna.
I don;t think we'll be needing her after Saturday.Have we needed her since September 07? :angel:

[richard4u2]

And you sandgropers wonder why we on the east coast think you're a breed apart over there...
stupid gun laws, many of which defy logic
stupid vehicle mod laws, ditto.
and many others I'm sure.

Your enemy is the state government. Not just the one you have at the moment (though they are) but any type of state government at all.

Still if you want a change we'll send you Anna.
I don;t think we'll be needing her after Saturday.
wash your mouth out with soap sunshine, there aint nothing wrong with our laws if your stupid enough to tell your right hand what your left hand is doing:D

[Davo]

Oi, no hijacking. (But I always thought the Victorians were the worst off!)

Anyway, there's no chance of my finding an almost rust-free carburetted 4-door Rangie manual without even more trouble than this. And I've just about rebuilt the car. And the transmission is on the rego paperwork.

And I'm just trying to do the right thing by the authorities and of course, my insurance company, but then, doing the right thing is always guaranteed to cause trouble.

I could just go ahead and I don't think anyone would care, unless there was a bad accident, and even in that case I believe the swap would have to be a contributing factor to be important.

My wife and I deal a lot with The Department of Transport for work and they are very funny, the way you ask three people the same question and get several different answers. In fact, I've worked with a few State departments up here and they're all quite "special".

I wanted to do a big camping trip heading down south this year, so maybe this would be a good reason! I think a website to go with it would be entertaining. lookingforanengineer.com.au?

[isuzurover]

I would try again for a second opinion. As it is a factory bolt in-out option.

Have a read of the NCOP and see what it says.

[mick88]

You can immagine how long it would have taken them to determine that policy. Some highly intelligent boffins would have sat around a board room table and mulled it all over for months before arriving at their conclusions.
The bit where you can drive 400 kays on "Highway One" without it being approved was probally just an oversight on their behalf!


Cheers, Mick.

[clubagreenie]

If you did have an accident and the transmission was a contributing factor it would be a very special accident indeed, and dare I say the entire internet would want to see the pics.

[Davo]

Ahhh, you're not thinking like a public servant.

"What IF . . . ummm . . . the manual transmission ran out of oil, seized up, locked up the wheels, and the car skidded into a bus full of nuns?"

"Yes, yes, good point, we could be sued."

"Because the gearbox wasn't engineered. If it was, and then the car killed all of those nuns, it would be okay since it was certified."

"And we'd have lots of papers to say that it's not our fault, because we said that gearbox could be in that car."

"But not for the purpose of killing nuns."

"No, no, that would be too specific."

"Of course, gearboxes that actually came in that sort of car in the first place could run out of oil and kill nuns."

"Oh, but that's different, because a common person didn't put that gearbox in, the factory did."

"Er, now I don't see the difference."

"Mmm. Teatime!"

And thanks for the NCOP reference, Isuzu, because I hadn't heard of it yet and there it is, saying you can change the transmission for whatever else the manufacturer offered.

I'll try and call the department next week and see what else they come up with. (I'm sort of looking forward to it!) Because I honestly don't think anyone really has the answer. I'll also see if they can dig up an engineer for me.

[isuzurover]

Ahhh, you're not thinking like a public servant.

"What IF . . . ummm . . . the manual transmission ran out of oil, seized up, locked up the wheels, and the car skidded into a bus full of nuns?"

"Yes, yes, good point, we could be sued."

"Because the gearbox wasn't engineered. If it was, and then the car killed all of those nuns, it would be okay since it was certified."

"And we'd have lots of papers to say that it's not our fault, because we said that gearbox could be in that car."

"But not for the purpose of killing nuns."

"No, no, that would be too specific."

"Of course, gearboxes that actually came in that sort of car in the first place could run out of oil and kill nuns."

"Oh, but that's different, because a common person didn't put that gearbox in, the factory did."

"Er, now I don't see the difference."

"Mmm. Teatime!"

And thanks for the NCOP reference, Isuzu, because I hadn't heard of it yet and there it is, saying you can change the transmission for whatever else the manufacturer offered.

I'll try and call the department next week and see what else they come up with. (I'm sort of looking forward to it!) Because I honestly don't think anyone really has the answer. I'll also see if they can dig up an engineer for me.


WA has adopted the NCOP, so what the NCOP / VSB14 says should be correct.

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/LBU_F_VS_ModificationLightVehicles.pdf

[Davo]

Thanks for the link. That's the form the guy on the phone said I had to fill in . . . and then wait two months for a response. At the top of it, it says:

"As part of this process applicants are required to complete this form, unless the modification is one that has been gazetted as a modification not requiring formal approval. This only applies to minor modifications such as fitting roof-racks and alarm systems."

I'm so glad I can fit a roof-rack without approval! Oh, the giddiness of freedom.

Helpfully, the VSB 14 then says:

"1.1 BASIC MODIFICATIONS NOT REQUIRING CERTIFICATION
 Fitting a manufacturer’s optional manual or automatic gearbox; and
 Fitting a manufacturer’s optional differential or final drive gear set."

So I would guess that someone hasn't told The Department of Transport here. I just love State departments. Full of fluffy little pets at desks scratching at bits of paper.

Obviously, it makes sense that you would be able to swap one factory bit for another, and fair enough if any inspection station would then look at it to make sure you didn't do a dodgy job.

Anyway, we'll see what they say.

[DeanoH]

Why not let the rego run out, remove plates and sticker. Change gearbox and present vehicle with man. ticked in box instead of auto. for whatever rego process is in WA. Sort of start with a clean sheet, do you reckon they'd pick it up ?

Deano:)

[Davo]

Yup. The VIN would do it. No doubt this is why people change VIN plates and stamp new numbers and all that palaver, which is a Serious Criminal Offence, I believe. I thought the supposed idea of the law is to make it easy - er, at least, realistic - for people to obey it.

[Davo]

Hee hee . . . I kept meaning to call Transport back to see if I could get another answer, but since the Department people were here on their fortnightly visit, I asked the nice lady from Broome, who didn't know, but who did know who to call.

And so she called, and the nice man on the phone said that since the manual gearbox to be put in was simply the one available for that model of car, then it would be perfectly alright, not needing an inspection or any sort, and no, I didn't even have to tell the Department.

They also both found my story about my long phone call to the Department to be very amusing, especially the bit about me being told that I was able to drive a modified, uninspected vehicle down the highway to be inspected.

. . . and neither of them had heard of the NCOP or VSB14!

[isuzurover]

Hee hee . . . I kept meaning to call Transport back to see if I could get another answer, but since the Department people were here on their fortnightly visit, I asked the nice lady from Broome, who didn't know, but who did know who to call.

And so she called, and the nice man on the phone said that since the manual gearbox to be put in was simply the one available for that model of car, then it would be perfectly alright, not needing an inspection or any sort, and no, I didn't even have to tell the Department.

They also both found my story about my long phone call to the Department to be very amusing, especially the bit about me being told that I was able to drive a modified, uninspected vehicle down the highway to be inspected.

. . . and neither of them had heard of the NCOP or VSB14!

Typical...

[Davo]

Typical...

Absolutely.

And I forgot to mention yesterday that the nice lady said, "Imagine if you'd gone by that phone call and did everything like you were told?". Yes, you'd be just a little annoyed, wouldn't you?