Modification/engineering Certificate

[V(35)Powarh!]

hi guys,

as stated in title is a modification/engineering certificate required say if i were planning to put a turbo kit in my v35 coupe to make it road worthy and legal?

would this be provided by the performance shop you are doing the turbo at or through the motor registry i.e rms (im in nsw) i will be giving them a call as well

could someone please advise or lead me in the right direction to finding more info on this? i know ill have to advise insurance as well also how much is it goig to cost of avg if a cert was required?

thanks

[The Max]

My best advice would be that you consult with an engineer first. Then, ask the performance shop these questions as they're not under any legal obligation to have your vehicle engineered. There are a lot of cowboys out there, so you need to be careful and ask all the questions.

The alternative is you ask them what their plans for the turbo kit are so that you can consult an engineer and have him determine if that would be deemed legal by design.

From personal experience with previous projects, the key factors engineers will look for:

Plumbing is solid and leak-free

No dangerous protrusions

Blow-off valves recirculate output air back into the intake and not the atmosphere

Air intake filters are enclosed, not just sitting out there naked

Braking system meets the power output of the vehicle and if not, has been upgraded

Speedometer is accurate

Emissions comply accordingly (always can be fudged with a "testing" tune as opposed to a balls-out performance tune)

Other things like chassis modifications, etc, would not apply in bolting on a turbo kit. That's usually more for those doing engine transplants where the engine is totally different to what the car was built for.

[The Max]

I'd much prefer any questions to be directed here in case I possibly get something wrong. Then someone else can jump in to correct me. Keeps the information accurate that way.

Whether it's an HKS kit or not, you are modifying the vehicle significantly as you are increasing the power output of the engine significantly as well. This means your vehicle must still be within all ADR and safety standards, hence why engineers will look at the weight of the vehicle against the final power output of the vehicle against the braking system of the vehicle at the very least. They care a lot about how fast that vehicle can stop when needed.

Yes, you need to notify your insurance of it and it does need to be registered with the RMS as a modified vehicle accordingly, if you want to guarantee no issues with your insurance nor the highway cops.

That said, my last project was not engineered but was still covered by an unnamed insurer known for their understanding of motoring enthusiasts and all was well at the bitter end.

So there you have it ... the legal and the personal explanations.