Vehicle Modification in WA - Quite Amusing

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/media...htVehicles.pdf

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.

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:)

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.

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!