Legal Mods??

[kangavxss]

Most of you guys here have modded your cars to some extent. I was wondering to what extent you can mod and still be legal? ie:
Wheels and tyres - How much wider/bigger can you go?
Suspension - How low can you go?
Exhaust - What can you change?
Tune- Remapping?
Maf removal?
Engine mods - cam change etc?
Other stuff?? Turbos and super chargers?
I bet most of us are illegal in one way or another, me included. How far can you go and stay on right side of the law???
Cheers

[corsa_76]

I was just thinking the same thing myself today as I am planning to purchase a car soon which I plan to mod or possibly one that has already had the mods I am looking at doing done. Will follow this thread with much intrest so I hope there some people that have experienced these concerns?
I will try to answer some of these questions as I find out myself over the coming days.

[Wonky]

Nowadays you're just about only legally allowed to put an air freshener in the car - but not hanging from the mirror!! :nutkick:

Some of the answers vary from state to state but from memory here in Vic the lowest point on or under the car must be 100mm clear of the ground and I think the legal limit on exhausts now is 90dB, though I think as with some things it depends on the date the car was manufactured. I believe MAF removal is illegal here in Vic, but obviously if the car was manufactured without a MAF and passed ADRs (eg earlier HSV GTSs) it's fine.

Staying on the right side of the law, especially if you don't have a loud exhaust to attract attention, is more dependent on how and where you drive. If you drive around known trouble spots for hoons you're likely to be pulled over for a roadworthy check if your car looks modified. I steer well clear of those spots and even though I've driven many obviously modified cars for most of the close to 40 years I've been driving, including quite loud cars even in the past 4 years, the last time I was pulled over (apart from booze buses) was about 1978. :eek:

[BennyMac]

Diff gears, Brakes um :confused:

[kangavxss]

Yeah: I would hate to spend a packet of hard earned cash on mods, get busted for them and then have to put the factory gear back on so you can pass the inspection...

[Kingston_99]

nothing is legal nowa days, you can hav all the permits, engneers reports, mod plates etc... your still going to get picked on. and when they cant find anything wrong with your car, they will just make something up and fine you for that.

biggest thing i have learnt, dont bring attention to yourself on the street. never know whos watching nowa days

[HEKYEH]

It's only illegal if u get caught.........

[boggers007]

Things like a tune and diff gears etc cant be seen or heard so thats probs the best thing to do is get stuff that a cop cant see or hear. Cat back with a decent note but not loud and probably stay away from suspension as cops love that shit.

[corsa_76]

Going to speak with some of the performance places here in Vic tommorow with regards to superchargers and if this mod requires a vass certificate in Victoria in order to get a roadworthy will post response tommorow currently looking at a stroked and supercharged ve gts and also the same in a ve senator

[HEKYEH]

Going to speak with some of the performance places here in Vic tommorow with regards to superchargers and if this mod requires a vass certificate in Victoria in order to get a roadworthy will post response tommorow currently looking at a stroked and supercharged ve gts and also the same in a ve senator

Walkinshaw Performance do a VE with Supercharger....essentially straight from the factory, covered by 3 yr warranty....yada yada yada....So if legality is an issue/concern for you...there is always that option.

Otherwise save yourself 50% and get it done elsewhere, and probably get it done better too.

[grandpa spec]

Bascially, anything is "legal" as long as it is engineering compliant, and they can charge you money for it.

Case and point, a friend of mine fitted an aftermarket seat to his hilux... he then had to pay an EXTRA $200 for someone to show up in a BMW, look at it, not even touch it, and say "yeah she looks alright" and write out a certificate.

[corsa_76]

The senator that I have been looking at does have the Walkinshaw supercharger on it but not sure about the gts still waiting for some more info
Ps sorry to kanga for hijacking your thread

[Woodchukka]

If you are in NSW check out 'The Guidelines for Light Vehicle Modifications'

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_dl1.html?rlid=17

It is a place to start anyhow. However basically if you deviate from a stocker then it tends to get you noticed. I did have some interesting experiences with my VL turbo and coppers and none involving a defect sticker? Go figure.

[bluess57]

Ripshift - would be legal (?)

[HSV590]

Nowadays you're just about only legally allowed to put an air freshener in the car - but not hanging from the mirror!! :nutkick:

Some of the answers vary from state to state but from memory here in Vic the lowest point on or under the car must be 100mm clear of the ground and I think the legal limit on exhausts now is 90dB, though I think as with some things it depends on the date the car was manufactured. I believe MAF removal is illegal here in Vic, but obviously if the car was manufactured without a MAF and passed ADRs (eg earlier HSV GTSs) it's fine.

Staying on the right side of the law, especially if you don't have a loud exhaust to attract attention, is more dependent on how and where you drive. If you drive around known trouble spots for hoons you're likely to be pulled over for a roadworthy check if your car looks modified. I steer well clear of those spots and even though I've driven many obviously modified cars for most of the close to 40 years I've been driving, including quite loud cars even in the past 4 years, the last time I was pulled over (apart from booze buses) was about 1978. :eek:

Very true Wonky. Like you I've modded my fair share of cars and had no trouble at all, it has a lot to do with where I was driving and how I was driving. Been down the Gold Coast spit plenty of times in the CV8 I used to have, border line/probably too low, exhaust definitely too loud and on several occasions I got waved on by the cops as I drove back out and they were virtually pulling over every car to check, I would guess as I'm older these days the cops aren't interested in hassling me, one advantage to getting old..lol. If I was 20 again doing all the mods available to be done it might be a different story..Back on topic, I would imagine if you want to do modifications to the letter of the law you should look up the rules with the relevant Gov transport dept in your state, at a guess I'd say the allowable (fun) mods would be very limited..

[sjhugh]

Bee Sting Antenna

35% window tint.




Your State Registration Authority can give you info on rim and tyre sizes and loadings as well as suspension height requirements.

Stepping outside the guidelines will always mean taking a risk.

Some of us are willing to accept the risk when changing exhausts, cams, tunes, intakes etc. and some are not.

It’s up to you, it’s not a decision anyone else can make for you.

Always drive sensibly. That’s a given.

The last defect I had was in 1978, ‘Undue Noise – Manner Operated’. That says it all really. I’ve modded every Holden I’ve owned since then without problems, drive sensibly, drive sensibly and drive sensibly.

[Wonky]

I’ve modded every Holden I’ve owned since then without problems, drive sensibly, drive sensibly and drive sensibly.

+1 :goodjob: Plus stay away from known hoon spots eg your local Maccas on a Friday and Saturday night if it's a known hangout for all the boyz in their hotted up V6s. :doh:

[sjhugh]

Yeah Wonky, I 100% agree, known hot spots these days are for the pretenders.

I understand when you are young it’s hard to turn up and not show your car but it’s the price you have to pay if you want to play the mod game with all the current rules, restrictions and hoon laws.

Luckily there are plenty of good weekend cruising routes where the dickheads don’t congregate. Pack the misses in the passenger seat, team up with a couple of mates and take a leisurely drive up into the hills or along the coast and find somewhere to have lunch. I guess I’m getting old but that does it for me.

[vy2ttr]

My vy is fully enginered and rta approved. Took months of rooting around doing im 240 tests and drive by/ stationery noise tests, brake tests, e.t.c
Mrs pulled out of servo sat night and just started to come on boost in first and then she put it into second and continued along, mr unmarked plod pulled out of a side street and pulled us up. Once he realized that all mods were legal, he booked her for "undue noise" . He said that when taking off he heard turbos and that they were too noisy, and that boost should only be used when overtaking !!! :flipoff: Another $258 down the drain, lol.
Doesnt matter what paperwork you got, if they want to book you, they will find a way.....

[awesome _vzss]

I Defently agree with staying away from hotspots where the younger guys hang out with their cars.
Also I beleive If your drive in a sensible matter usually I get left alone,and if you have been caught for something I have found good attitude,respect and admitting what you have done will end up with a better result, I know it work for me twice.:)

As for modifications their really isn't much that you can that is legal anymore especially na applicstion,though as said their are some here that have gone forced induction and got them engineered.

[CLUBRED]

Most good workshops will have the an engineering handbook, forget what its called exactly.

QLD:

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/c792a0c9-92b1-43ee-933b-7bdd8b20842f/pdf_modification_motor_vehicles2.pdf

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Vehicle-standards-and-modifications.aspx

I know when I did some race seats in an old car of mine they had to be mod plated and certified which was pretty easy.

[IJ.]

One thing not mentioned so far is disclosure to your insurance company, if you have an accident and the car is modded withoutout the correct certificates/reports they can and more than likely will void your policy leaving you the entire bill for any damages... :(

[ADAM 26]

iv been through roadworthys and defects a few times now, also been in trouble about my chosen style of driving when i was 19.

iv modded a few cars, and found a few things will get you a defect easy:
* too low - its easy to spot a low car
* big rims/bling rims - stands out from the normal cars, easy for them to defect for too big and non load rated tyres.

my last 5 cars were all too low and big rims. as well as other things, but EVERY time i was pulled over the first thing they would say is " looks a bit low there mate". once they start lookin, they will find other stuff too.

since i raised my ute up to 100mm ride height, and put ve gts rims (replacing the 22 inch advantis i had) i have not been pulled up once. my exhaust is still to loud, but last time i went through the booze bus, the copper actually commented on how nice it sounded and wanted one for his ve calais!

also under the bonnet looks near stock, with hsv headers(still with the hsv heat shield), engine cover still on and a vcm otr(looks the most stock out of all the otrs) and maf still in place, there is nothing there to really catch there eye, even tho its got a very noticable cam, they have never once questioned it.

[Woodchukka]

My vy is fully enginered and rta approved. Took months of rooting around doing im 240 tests and drive by/ stationery noise tests, brake tests, e.t.c
Mrs pulled out of servo sat night and just started to come on boost in first and then she put it into second and continued along, mr unmarked plod pulled out of a side street and pulled us up. Once he realized that all mods were legal, he booked her for "undue noise" . He said that when taking off he heard turbos and that they were too noisy, and that boost should only be used when overtaking !!! :flipoff: Another $258 down the drain, lol.
Doesnt matter what paperwork you got, if they want to book you, they will find a way.....

A mate of mine copped it for a loud exhaust years ago. When he asked how loud was it the Copper just said it 'sounded too loud'. WTF? We had it tested at an exhaust shop and could not get it to go over at all (it was a red 202).

My brother was booked in a school zone one minute before it ended. When he pointed to the clock on his dash that showed he was in the clear by five minutes he was told that it didn't matter. He wrote away and it was dismissed.

All in all if they want to get you on something they will.

[cali.ls1]

not sure what state you are in..... but here are some links to sa transport site

http://www.dtei.sa.gov.au/roadsafety/safer_vehicles/roadworthiness

http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/personal_transport/light_vehicles/cars_light_vehicles.asp

but as said before, they will get you if they want to regardless of compliance etc. Best bet is to keep it a sleeper, less attention for obvious things means less hassles

[ADAM 26]

empty washer bottle = defect.

if they REALY want to wack the old maccas achievment award on ya window, they will find something!

[kangavxss]

Thanks for your answers guys. Looks like the FE2 will stay as is for a bit longer and the aluminium mafless intake pipe will be painted black. Im still going to get those 19 inch rims I want cos as long as keep the overall wheel/tyre diam/circum/ width the same it will be alright. Im too old now to be hooning around any more so I should be safe..
Cheers

[kangavxss]

Thanks Cali Ls1 for that link...very usefull

[corsa_76]

found out today that while some mods are legal ie superchargers you can not get a roadworthy with one in place in victoria. guess i better keep looking as the cars i was think about both have superchargers and thus will require a lot of effort and $$$ to get these registered in victoria if anybody knows any different please let me know as i am really keen on these cars

[Wonky]

Surely that doesn't apply to properly ADRd superchargers done on VE by Walkinshaw or they wouldn't be able to put them on the road initially? :confused:

[corsa_76]

Spoke to a vass regulatory and also a reputable Walkinshaw installer who actual worked on car in question and was told that I would have to have supercharger removed and motor put back to stock looking to get rwc and then once registed put supercharger back on.
If you can provide me with a place that can help get this done as is I will try anything

[Wonky]

:eek: Must admit that surprises me! I guess either new cars don't need an individual RWC to be sold or Walkinshaw gets the RWC and then adds the blower. Most likely the former??? :confused:

[exwrx]

Surely that doesn't apply to properly ADRd superchargers done on VE by Walkinshaw or they wouldn't be able to put them on the road initially? :confused:

Wonky I do not believe walkinshaw FI is ADR approved. Happy to be corrected...

In Vic at least FI needs 'type approval' and then an emissions test. IIRC Street Tuna was the only FI manufacturer who bothered going through the hoops.

[Wonky]

Wonky I do not believe walkinshaw FI is ADR approved. Happy to be corrected...

In Vic at least FI needs 'type approval' and then an emissions test. IIRC Street Tuna was the only FI manufacturer who bothered going through the hoops.

You're probably right - I just assumed they had some sort of legal sanction but possibly I was getting mixed up with the fact they provided warranty - a totally different kettle of fish. :doh:

[h41ry]

guess im illegal then :( i guess its all about how u drive and how the car looks...my car is definately to loud and is cammed i drive past and next to cops all the time and i dont get hassled of course if it is obvious like stupidly low the might pull u over but if your sensible u atleast have a chance
i guess the p plate laws have really helped also cause they carnt drive v8s ect
and also maybe just the way u look lol

[boggers007]

Easiest way to get all the mods passed is move to NT with blown haha.

[h41ry]

Easiest way to get all the mods passed is move to NT with blown haha.

sounds like a plan...haha

[A^K^T]

You pays your money and you take's your chances :)

[Plenty]

Thanks for your answers guys. Looks like the FE2 will stay as is for a bit longer and the aluminium mafless intake pipe will be painted black. Im still going to get those 19 inch rims I want cos as long as keep the overall wheel/tyre diam/circum/ width the same it will be alright. Im too old now to be hooning around any more so I should be safe..
Cheers

Replacing shocks and springs are completely legal here in WA so long as you don't reduce ride height by more than 50mm and there is no part of your car that hangs less than 100mm from the ground.

Springs and shocks like rims and tyres must meet load ratings equal to or greater than the OEM units.

[Tony Monaro]

rang the Transport department in SA a couple of monthsago and asked what is legal. The guy told me:

1. Brakes - bigger rotors, more pistons, ADR approved braided hosing - All ok

2. Cold Air Intake (including OTR) if keep MAF meter - OK

3. High Flow Cats - OK

4. Stainless Steel Exhaust - OK

5. Bigger Throttle Body and / or Bigger MAF meter- Generally No but Yes if can pass emissions test

6. Camshaft - Generally No but Yes if can pass emissions test

7. Ported Heads - Generally No but Yes if can pass emissions test

8. removal of MAF + MAFLESS tune - No

When I pointed out to him that the C4B motor in LS1 GTS had no MAF meter he conceded that it would ok to have no MAF if you did an engine swap put in an entire genuine C4B engine.

9. Height Adjustable Coilover suspension - Needs Engineer Certificate and even with that Regency would still probably knock it back because you "could" lower the car under regulation height.

10. KAAZ LSD with gear change - All ok

[klink]

Thanks for your answers guys. Looks like the FE2 will stay as is for a bit longer and the aluminium mafless intake pipe will be painted black. Im still going to get those 19 inch rims I want cos as long as keep the overall wheel/tyre diam/circum/ width the same it will be alright. Im too old now to be hooning around any more so I should be safe..
Cheers

I guess it depends on the reason for lowering the car.

you could go super low if you decide to to lower the centre of gravity for handling but that could attract some attention.

Or you could gio sports low which is slightly lower than fe2 and do swaybars etc at the same time to give you the handling package you desire whilst giving the illusion of being stock height as alot go the super low route so yours will look standard height in comparision. Whish is what i did and i dont have issues even with my cam etc. (the other trick is to attach the weather shield to the drivers door it may look slighty G** but it gives the appearance that the car is not used for naughty stuff)

[BECAUZ]

It's only illegal if u get caught.........

lol and with good mods and great power you'll never get caught if you can drive :hide:

[LuisS]

I think this is a topic we'll be discussing a lot more in the near future

[IJ.]

I think this is a topic we'll be discussing a lot more in the near future

Agreed 100%, it all started downhill in the mid 1970's with adr27a :(

I miss the good old days for the freedom we had just not the cars (they were plain and simply garbage)

[kangavxss]

Thanks Tony Monaro thats very helpfull. Dont understand why the mafless tune isnt legal. Just revenue raising bs...if you get caught..

[kangavxss]

Alot of that ADR stuff is total rubbish.................

[sspenno]

It's only illegal if u get caught.........

exactly!!!!!