Illegal Bull-bar

**Lionelgee** · 9th September 2023, 03:35 PM

Hello All,

I was just looking at some of my 1970s Series Land Rovers and the different range of bull-bars some of them have. At the time they must have been acceptable under the Australian Design Rules and different State and Territory's different Department of Transport foibles.

I remember watching one of those Australian Highway Patrol-based police TV show where someone had restored a HQ ute and taken it for a trip across the Nullarbor. They were pulled over because their ute's bull-bar was illegal. Something about the number of 'posts' the bull-bar had. This was because the design was particularly non-userfriendly towards pedestrians. I think this is pretty ironic. Especially, if a pedestrian comes into contact with any type of bull-bar when a vehicle is doing a 100 km per hour while travelling down a highway. Just like the ute was doing at the time the Police intervened in its forward progress.

So, how do you tell that your 1970s era - acceptable to the then current road rules are no longer Kosher? The HQ's bull-bar might have been something like a 4 or a 5 'post' bull-bar. Or the way the bottom of the bull-bar's frame below where a normal bumper bar is located was raked? I cannot recall the exact characteristics that the Police Officer said made the HQ's bull-bar illegal. It did not have the metal tubes sticking way out the front of the bull-bar to hold fishing rods in. The bull-bar looked a very stock-standard design - for the time.

My International van has signs of some vertical members being cut off above and below its current non-factory front bumper bar. I have seen various photographs of similar trucks and vans back in the 1970s and it would be good to restore the bumper bar back to being a bull-bar. However, I do not want to spend the time working on wire brushing back to bare metal, and then repainting either one of my Series or the International's bull-bars only to be told that I have wasted my time and money because it is 'illegal' during its vehicle inspection.

Kind regards
Lionel

**Tins** · 9th September 2023, 03:55 PM

It's a vexing question. If you look at it in black and white, a car that was new five years ago would not meet the current requirements for a new vehicle today, both safety and emissions. My 30 YO OKA would have no hope. It would be utterly impossible to keep all vehicles current.
AFAIK a vehicle has to continue to meet the legislations in place at the date of its manufacture. However, does this apply to aftermarket accessories? No HQ Holden came from the factory with a "bull" bar ( we called them Roo bars. I believe bullbar is an Americanism ), and I don't believe they were subject to ADRs back then. Could be wrong.

**V8Ian** · 9th September 2023, 06:20 PM

G'day Lionel, the bar will have to conform with the laws or ADRs of the date of introduction of the vehicle. There was a grace period for current models to comly with newly introduced ADRs.
I've always used the term bullbar. I thought roobar was the Americanism, maybe it's a Victorianism.

**scarry** · 9th September 2023, 06:28 PM

What Tins and Ian have said.

Called bull bars ever since I have been driving,and I had one on the HQ ute I owned as an apprentice.
It was a hoop type bar though similar to the bar on early Rangies.

FWIW,4 and 5 post bars are still available today for many vehicles.
But no doubt to confirm to ADR’s today,they would be different to the ones on vehicles in the 70’s.

**p38arover** · 9th September 2023, 06:42 PM

This was the bull/roo bar I had fitted to my Hillman Hunter in Carnarvon in 1971. I don’t have a readily available pic to post. I probably do at home.

48756696097_329198d369_c.jpg

**JDNSW** · 10th September 2023, 05:43 AM

More or less as above - the design rules that apply to the vehicle are those at the date of manufacture, with very limited exceptions - for example, in about 1953 ALL vehicles in NSW were required to have at least two rear reflectors.

After market extras such as bullbars are a little less clear, but in general, if it was legally fitted when the vehicle was new, it remains legal. There are exceptions - for example, in at least some states, rod holders on bullbars were banned retrospectively because of the pedestrian danger.

**scarry** · 10th September 2023, 07:59 AM

Bull bar rod holders can still be used in Qld.
When not in use must not protrude past Bull bar,cover lights,etc.

Pretty silly having different rules for different states,but as we know that is the way Governments seem to work in Aus.

**RANDLOVER** · 10th September 2023, 08:07 AM

I wonder how many pedestrians have complained about the rod holders after being hit by the bullbar.

**biggin** · 10th September 2023, 08:29 AM

Was only known as a roobar in the Eastern Goldfields where I grew up in the seventies.

**Tins** · 10th September 2023, 09:54 AM

'Roo, or bull**** bars aside ( those four Xs are for the Queenslanders amongst us ), there were very many things done to cars that were legal then and are still legal now for those cars. I remember drilling holes in the floor and B pillars of my FC Holden to fit seat belts. I still see cars with the telltale bolts today.
However, there's a chap who lives not too far from me who has a YT channel about his car restos, and he had one fail inspection because a PO had cut some the steel part of the parcel shelf to install speakers. Interfered with the cars "structural integrity" apparently. I imagine those holes I drilled would do the same.

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