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Browny_r31, sorry to hear your story mate - they certainly do like dicking people around. Any chances of a copy of the report, along with a statement/outline of the complaint?:rofl: I do think your local MP would be worth contacting, dont underestimate the clout these guys have.

Hmm, yes it has been slow going. I havent really got alot to draw on except my own evidence - ie, standards being used by police and regency, and discrepancies between nation standards and also other state legislation.

No one, as yet, has actually given me a written account of their experiences - this makes it hard, as I dont want to rely on hearsay.

I have been a bit distracted of late - also, a bit apprehensive with my car which is going to be an obvious target as soon as I make waves, but now that it's going, things should progress.

Also, I now have some free time on my hands, so hopefully in the not too distant future it will be on the move again.

Sorry if it sounds like I havent been doing much, I suppose I have been a bit slack, but also a cross between very distracted and very scared (about my car).

I will be using this thread, and the experiences/difficulties/apprehension expressed in here, but it will be as an unconfirmed source.

Steve dont apologise, we should thank u for puttin so much effort into the report. I WILL write a report of my regency problems eventually :rofl:

Have u thought of making the report public so people can add things to it, ie there testimonials. Could we organise a website where people could input data to be used. That i guess would be the easiest way to get peoples stories, and i would be happy to make a website to do this.

PM me if u r interested, i think it would be a great idea.

Dean, the only problem is anybody could write anything - so it holds minimal weight unfortuneately.

I will make the report public, but when I have finished:) It will get sent to several people actually;) Its such a broad sweeping problem, with so many different implications that its a bit difficult to string it all together coherantly.

SR910, good luck, hope it goes well.

  • 2 weeks later...

I have had a rather bad experience lately. It's not a skyline, but hey it shares some heritage. :P

Origionally got defected for the car being 1 inch too low at the front, the highway coppers thought they'd give me a major defect notice for this "highly" dangerious modification which kills people left right and centre, since it was _so_ dangerious I was given 2 hours to drive home (on a weekend - so no chance of clearing the defect until it was a working day).

Enough of that and onto "regency".

Now I had stock standard springs put back in, went to the holden hill police station where the copper came and had a look and granted me an extension on the defect until I had the regency inspection.

Rocked up, and was done for approx. 30 items at regency, he had to get a 2nd piece of paper to fit them all on.

Such important things as "water bottle empty"... front eyebrow height too low by 2mm, yes that is 2 freaking milimetres, I will be watching the measuring very closely next time.

They want all of the turbo timer wiring presented in a bag at the next inspection!? Most of which was removed, but a few wires remained.

They reakon the top of the steering wheel "flexes", hell its a late 80's car I doubt any car from that period of time has a rock solid steering wheel.

There was some vaccum lines modified for the boost gauge, apparenty I need to return the vaccum lines to stock for whatever reasons.

As someone said above, sounds like the rear diff brushes are a popular item when looking for an easy defect.

There is a drain hole in the boot which i am 100% sure is stock from the factory, somehow this is a "defect" as well.

This is a clean car, and I certainly made my best efforts to be polite while there, so I'm not sure why all of these items were picked on.

Fun, fun fun. :)

  • 1 month later...

Over the years I've hears of hundreds of horror stories regarding defects/roadworthiness inspections. Everything from 'why doesn't your 1980 Gemini have a Carbon Canister' (not originally fitted) to 'you can fit engine X in car Y but not Z'.

My own experience with the inspection centre - which took place on the 29th December 2003 (2 days before my 'application to modify' paperwork expired!) went surprisingly well....

The car:

1973 240Z

Modifications:

Full restoration (stripped & rebuilt over 5 years)

L28ET Engine (T3 Turbo with T4 compressor)

Haltech management

Modified auto gearbox

Solid mounted diff

Custom disc brakes F &R (including bay-mounted adjustable proportioning valve)

AiResearch FMIC

Pod filter

2.5" SS exhaust system - 1 muffler only.

Retrimmed interior etc etc....

The original paperwork was a stuffup:

1. 'L28 Turbo Naturally Aspirated Engine' (???)

2. 'Carbon Canister Required' (Hello!!! ADR26 people, NOT ADR27...)

3. 'Original wheel required for track measurement' Fair enuf, but didn't need it on the day.

I had to explain the contradiction in terms of #1, the outright error in #2 & they soon worked out #3 was a waste of time when it came down to it.

The inspection:

Piece of cake!

Them: "Why do you have aftermarket management in the car?"

Me: "Reliability & emissions of OEM L28ET computer would be worse than aftermarket"

Them: "Ok"

Them: "Nice brake setup - is that a simple bolt on?"

Me: "Yes"

Them: "Wow"

We adjusted the bias on the brake tester - he pushed the pedal I turned the prop valve....

Them: "You have a (check-valved) bleed to atmosphere on the auto trans modulator line?"

Me: "Yes, to prevent blowing up of the modulator valve under boost"

Them: "Ok"

Them: "Boost controlled by ECU?"

Me: "Yes"

Them: "Ok"

Problem points:

Them: "Can you still get the recliner covers? there's some sharp metal that might damage the seatbelts"

Me: "Yes, got them at home" (which I did - only just picked them up from the dealer!).

Them: "That's fine"

And during the test drive:

Him: "I used to own a Datsun 1600, went like heck for a stocker!"

Me: "My dad ownds one - bought it new"

(conversation continues....)

Him: "Gee, it handles like a cart & I love the induction noise!"

Me: "It's been a long time coming" (5 years).

Oh, the exhaust was 92dB @ 3500rpm (limit - 96). The idle emmisions test has to be performed elsewhere (Ultra-Tune did it for me), but it failed....CO% was too high. So I plugged in the laptop & leaned the idle out just a bit. Fixed...

Sometimes things can go well at Regency. I have no idea how my DR30 passed before I bought it - it had a leaky gearbox, bald tyres & was filthy. I recently received a letter regarding the fitment of an SA compliance plate to the DR (as the Road Traffic Act forbids cars to be registered without a compliance plate of some sort). TSA will allegedly contact me again to make an appointment to fit the plate.

Just to add another tiwst - I plan on replacing the L28ET in the Z with a fresh motor (closer to the original Nissan L28ET than the current custom setup) and the car doesn't need to be inspected again - just have the engine number changed.

I'm just waiting for the 'attempted' defect for the (100% legal) dark tint on the rear windows of my Stagea.........

Ben are you the guy I spoke to the other week?

I'm waiting for a letter about the SA Vehicle Identity Plate too

I did like the letter that says the vehicle does not have to conform to ADRs apart from a couple, and only has to keep to the Road Traffic Act and Road Traffic Regulations though :rofl:

Ben are you the guy I spoke to the other week?

 

  I'm waiting for a letter about the SA Vehicle Identity Plate too

 

I did like the letter that says the vehicle does not have to conform to ADRs apart from a couple, and only has to keep to the Road Traffic Act and Road Traffic Regulations though :D

Don't think so. I haven't talked 'DR30' with anyone for a little while now!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has to have holes drilled in his car in the name of policy....

*EDIT*

My brain must be failing... Adam, if you are referring to collaring someone in the carpark adjacent your work & having a brief chat, then it was me!

My dinner was going to go cold, so I couldn't hang around.

Yeah sorry about that, I was just over the moon, I didnt think I'd ever see another RSX in that carpark, especially not one thats been resprayed and had the engine rebuilt. The guy from Video Ezy at Walkley Heights down the road has a RS coupe

That fish shop has the nastiest chicken on earth

Ben are you the guy I spoke to the other week?

I'm waiting for a letter about the SA Vehicle Identity Plate too

I did like the letter that says the vehicle does not have to conform to ADRs apart from a couple, and only has to keep to the Road Traffic Act and Road Traffic Regulations though :rofl:

Hahaha i've got that letter in my car as well, was dated 01 or something, i've had the car now for 2 years or close enough to it, they better not send me that letter now dammit to get those plates fitted!! I'll cry!!!

Time to get it back on the road then Shane :D  Do you have to go through Regency when you reregister it because of the crash?

Nah bloke i don't beleive it has to go through regency, i bloody well hope not!! It should be getting started this weekend so full steam ahead

  • 2 months later...

Far out... I have just read from start to finish of this thread... i feel sorry all you guys.

First thing we have to remeber though, is not to give the cops any reason to pick on us by our behaviour in the car or out.

I have a slightly modified car (only visible thing from the outside is the exhaust, but its loud) and got pulled over for doing a powerslide at 75kph... i LOVE LSD! No turbo though. But because I was nice to the 2 female cops who busted me, they didnt even look at my car. If they did they would have defected it for the wet-type unifilter as apparently is illegal cause its highly flamable.

But yeah, Ive rung Regency a few times, and only once got a helpful person. He was great, explained why you couldn't do this or that, how to get this and that etcetc. Everyone else has been rude, arrogant and complete jerks. And they wonder why people hate them. No we wont tell you wat mods are legal until youve done them and paid us the bill for checking them, only to tell you they are illegal after all!!!

Pete

  • 1 month later...

I've just been screwed by the cops, and regency. My car was defected for too low (not a Skyline, its a commonwhore, but still gettin screwed). The cop didn't even measure it, my mate got done right next to me, and then the cop said 'his car is too low, and your car is lower than his'. What the stupid cop didn't know, is hiscar is live axle, and mine is IRS, so mine can be lower. Upon gettin home, and finding out the exact measurements, turns out my car IS to the legal height. Regency wont clear the defect, and said it still has to have a full inspection! So, after April (inspection date) look out for a Black commonwhore with a big 'another victim of SAPOL' sticker across the back window. only reason i'll put it up, is cause the car will comply with everything, and the cops can go *you know what*.

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