Regency Experiences

[regency_chicky]

hahahaha thankyou

email sent

[Steve]

reply sent:)

[the phantom]

I'm still of the firm belief that ISO acreditation would solve most issues here due to the necessity of a paper trail and accountability. You cant break protocol with personal and random opinion with this in place, and there will exist a resolution procedure for unhappy customers, which will by necessity require documentation on their part. The fact that SEVS makes this mandatory, only to have the 'approval' body escape without it is simply ludicrous, and reaks of inconsistancy. Also are there any degreed mechanical engineers present? Without such no one is suitably qualified to make a judgement call on mechanical modifications. I thankfully have never had to go through this trauma but fully sympathise with those less fortunate. I think it would be easier to succesfully argue this implementation, and everything we are looking for would be necessarily covered and under the 'guise' of modern practice, which should make any politician happy. Does anyone else have any opinion on this?

[Steve]

I do agree that ISO certification, or at least a visable form of quality assurance would go part of the way, but I dont believe it would go far enough.

currently Regency hides behind its interpretation of ADRs and provides exemption on occasion, apparently at whim. Certain things though they flatly refuse to look at.

The problem with this is that there is no scope within ADRs for modification to vehicles - they can be interpreted both for and against the enthusiast - most states lean on the side of the car owner, as long as the mod is safe. For example in WA it is ok to fit a blow off valve, in Qld you can fit an ECU or upgraded turbo, as long as you can pass a dyno emissions test Further, where mods fall completely outside of the original design of the vehicle, and if an appropriately skilled engineer certifies a car can be driven on the road safely, approval is granted for the car to be street registered.

All fair, with an emphasis on public safety, not bloodymindedly enforcing rules out of the context that they were originally intended.

[EnricoPalazzo]

what i seriously dont get is this. They will let u fit a bigger newer engine to ur car, ie a big v8 in any small car, yet they wont let u put a turbo on it, as according to regency, by doing this u are basically becoming your own car manufacturer and have no emmission results as such.

But do they think about how differently the car will handle with this hunk of iron in the front of it instead of the old pos small engine. Basically all frontal crash testing would become void, car handling charateristics change, chassis may not be up to the task, etc etc etc.

The fact is its ludicrous that u can change the engine but not change the turbo...

[EnricoPalazzo]

or more vaguely, that u can preform such a huge modification on your vehicle and get it approved yet do a very small one ie change the turbs to have it said its illegal now....

[Steve]

If you replace the engine with one more than 20% (from memory) larger than the largest fitted, you have to have an engineers report and do lane change stability and braking tests.

The big thing is emissions, if you havent changed the charactheristics of the engine you fit, ie its still OEM in all regards, you only need to provide a 2 gas emissions test, which can be done at most dyno shops.

If you change anything on the engine though, you need to prove it still complies with the ADR, which means a minimum of an !M240 test, which is what Regency said they need to prove compliance. There are no IM240 test facilities in SA, only the mitsi ADR37 test facility, which will cost $3.5K.

Interesting to note:

DOTARS 2million dollar study into vechicle emissions, recommends a steady state 60kph test be adopted for proving vehicles still conform to emissions stadards, which is cheap.

Also Stephen Bell has an RG240 test, which is accurate to within 10% of the IM240 test, and costs $375, and in Tim Ireland's own words, 'if it passes the RG240, it should pass the IM240', went on to say that they wouldnt accept it though.

Another thing that shows the extent of the beaurocracy, if you modify a pre 1972 car, no emissions test is required, as there are no applicable ADRs. Tim Ireland recommended that if I want to modify a car, to modify a pre 1972 car for this reason. Makes sense doesnt it, go and modify an old ford or holden, slap twin turbos on a 350 or 351 and its quite road legal - great service they are providing, making sure cars are safe on the roads eh?

In effect, the enforcement and interpretation of current regulations is encouraging people to modify OLD cars, and there is no way they would be safer on the road than a later model car - as I said before, beaurocracy out of control.

[EnricoPalazzo]

Steve, more info for u: Did u see last week in the Advertiser, there was an article about regency. Basically it was about written off cars getting re-birthed, but what is concentrated on was the inconsistencies and lack of structure that regency has. Regency now say they are going to review all there proceedures in regards to this. Maybe this article would be helpful to u and us.... If u dont know about the article, ill see if i can find it, but i know it was definately last week somtime in the advertiser.

[Pikie]

my skyline is currently getting compliance in melb, I'll let you guys know how I get on at Reg park next week....

[TIMMMAYYY]

my bigger concern is that what steve is trying to achieve in regards to the inconsistancies with regency is going to make it tuffer for imported cars to pass - having regency clamp down on the rules, instead of letting little things through.

[EnricoPalazzo]

yeh i have also thought that this might backfire for us if it ever does go thru, however what Steve is trying to do is get consistency with other states as we all follow the same ADRs. And we all know SA is one of the harshest.

[Steve]

Dean, I havent seen the article, if you could find a copy that would be awesome.

Tim, as Dean said - if you can think of another way to get the much needed reform in place, please let me (us) know

Cheers

[EnricoPalazzo]

bahh the things i do for u mate

Ill see if i can find it... Also u ever gonna come on a cruise. Maybe one of our late nite specialteis weve been having would suit u?

[Steve]

I have been very busy of late. I have been going out in the hills from time to time, but big cruises scare me:p, too much attention:)

[EnricoPalazzo]

yeh well these cruises we organise have usually no more then 10 cars.

[whatsisname]

The last SAU hills cruise I went on (not last weekend, the one before) would've been right up your alley Steve. 8 or so cars, no idiot drivers, a spirited run through some nice twisty hills roads, with nil unwanted attention. Perfect!

[EnricoPalazzo]

yeh matt, i think hes really scared to come cos he drives slower then my nonna.

back on topic, steve i couldnt find the article sorry mate.

[GRRR-31]

Wow just read all 8 pages (took a while)!!!

Well done for taking a stand and I hope that what you do can make a difference cauz regency is an absolute joke!

I'm probably going to be importing sometime in the near future and I really hope I won't have to put up with some of the bullshit that you guys have gone through. Keep up the good work!!!

[COPYME]

I agree totally Steve. A mate of mine just bought a Evo 3 from Victoria, (technically its a GSR modified into an Evo 3 as you cannot import Evo 3's in Australia.) However, all the modifications have been approved and the car came accompanied with an engineer's certificate for ALL modifications, and was cleared and registerd in Victoria, complies with all ADR's and then he gets it here and Regency says, sorry we don't care about your engineer's certificate or the fact that the car's already been registered in another state, we want a full inspection and we'll tell you when we feel like doing it! The poor bloke tried to explain that he was gonna be in breach of contract if the car isn't registered with SA plates under his name within 2 weeks and they didn't even give a f**k!! I mean the car was Aus. Delivered to begin with and has already been cleared!!

I keep my car under Vic rego because its harder to defect, most cops including traffic in SA have no idea about how different the defect rules are in VIC and can't be bothered pulling out the handbook to look them up.

Keeping things such as BOVs on the pipe under the wheel arch help alot to avoid defects. One sentence that will help you immeasurably is "The engines out put is no higher than factory!" But even if i get a defect the VICROADS system means that i go see a VICROADS certified representative just over the border and they will remove the defect.

Customer service over there is amazing with VICROADS. You call them and tell them what you want to do, but instead of saying you can't do that or just a plain NO. I got "well if you want to do that the best way to do it and avoid problems is....." The only problem is that when you register the car overthere you need to deminstate that you have an address is VIC , but to do this you don't even need a bill with your name on it, just a relative.

[paullys 32]

hey guys got pulled in to a defect station at mt pleasent just out of birdwood

got done for tinted windows ( whitch he tested with the back of his hand ) and gauges (which are below the dash line , aswell i have to go through regency because of the tint , the question is , is there neway around regency and geting it off at a cop shop instead or am i screwed ?