The Wasteland - ACT Style

[Shell]

Marques had a Facebook event, but nothing to do with SAU, just a general one.

You should try popping along to Shannons Coffee and Cars. If you have your Skyline there I guarantee someone from SAU will strike up a convo and ask you about it. It's a very casual thing with all makes and models. Just for fun and a bit of socialising. It's on Facebook

[GTRKat]

There's also a lot of stuff going on in the NSW section so it's worth checking in there as well.

[FJ 720]

MG Car Club khana this Sunday. I'll be there in the daily wrx. Hopefully I don't break the gearbox lol

[Walfers]

MG Car Club khana this Sunday. I'll be there in the daily wrx. Hopefully I don't break the gearbox lol

Just saw this on FB, mate from work is going so I might tag along in the 32 as well.

[GTRKat]

Might come for a look

[zebra]

MG Car Club khana this Sunday. I'll be there in the daily wrx. Hopefully I don't break the gearbox lol

Id love too. but my tune goes 8:1 over 4000 rpm I dont think I should haha

[dousty]

Hey guys so I posted this in the where to get skyline service forum aswell but Anyone on here have any experience with engineer certs. If so what are your experiences. Who's good and who should I stay away from

[FJ 720]

Ray Spence seems to be the pick if you want smooth sailing at Dickson. Not cheap though I think the previous owner of my car paid over $2000.

[Trozzle]

As above. Ray Spence from Canberra Motor Works in Mitchell is generally the go-to guy, particularly if you want Dickson to just stfu and accept the certification without giving you more shit (that being said, they'll still find something...).

I was forced to take my R33 through Dickson, who were so kind to inform me that my coilovers and other suspension bits needed to be certified. When I took it to Ray to do this certification, I learned what's likely one of the reasons Dickson can't really question certificates issued by him - every single non-standard part on the car would be certified and added to the certificate, even if it didn't explicitly require it. He's very thorough, even certified the stock 17" GT-R rims and my deep dish steering wheel haha.

I did encounter a few hiccups along the way - while my ride height was above requirement, the distance between hub/lip and the guards wasn't adequate so technically he couldn't complete the certificate until I went all off-road 4WD spec on the thing lol. Dickson were also pricks by taking advantage of the fact my initial inspection report had expired (over 30 days) and found a few other things they must've glazed over the first time, like not having child restraint mounting points fitted, and decided I needed to have them installed AND ADDED TO THE f**kING CERTIFICATE......$1000 later for those plus certification.

So yeah, expect it to be a bit of a costly endeavour, but if you go through Ray you should in theory never have issues with those modifications again in future. I can't give you an accurate figure for how much the certification itself cost, as I had other expenses along the way (like borrowing a stock exhaust and seats, plus having those f**king mounting points made up), but all up from the point I was advised I needed the certificate to the point I could get the thing registered again, it cost about $2700.

[dousty]

Hmm the only other person I have talked to specifically said to stay away from ray cause he kept getting f**ked over and needing to go back and get charged more

[Trozzle]

Doesn't sound right to me. Not at all.

Without knowing more details, I'd say it's more likely that whomever you spoke to was somehow directly responsibly for each 'f**k up', if my personal experience is anything to go by.

[dousty]

The first time he took his torana he said because the wheels stuck outside the guard he needed to put flares on then he would pass it. Went off and put the flares on came back and then told he needed different tyres and the tyre size ray told him to get isn't made anymore

[Trozzle]

RAY told him he needed different tyres the second time round, or Dickson told him he needed different tyres after Ray had certified the setup with the flares?

Sounds strange, but nothing far fetched.....though ultimately if it stacks up how I'm reading it (further labour costs invoiced due to further inspections required, which wouldn't have been necessary if the tyre issue was picked up on at the same time as the guards), your mate is a bit silly for just accepting that situation.

To be honest, I've found myself in a similar situation where I explicitly instructed the workshop to CALL ME if a particular bit of work was required on the vehicle, due to the potential costs involved in the work done if it were required and the fact I could do it myself for free (albeit with more blood). Well, as expected, they didn't call me before jumping in and doing the work. After some words, mostly around the fact I'd never given authority for the work to go ahead (there was no part on the dropoff sheet/work instructions to sign this authority over without prior contact, not that I would), I had a large discount applied to the labour costs. Obviously I had no problem paying for the parts.

Wow. What a rambling digression. Exhaustion is sending me bonkers this arvo.

[zebra]

I had very little problems with dickson in the end,

First time failed due to genuine issues.

2nd time had to press my point a bit, and got through.

[Trozzle]

I think the thing I REALLY f**king hate about Dickson is that they either genuinely have no f**king idea of the rules, regulations, and standards they're supposedly enforcing, or on the occasions they DO seem to know what they're talking about, they do it in such a way that screams "I'm a deadset piece of shit human being", such as finding completely different issues on a reinspection (NOT on the original report) that couldn't possibly have been missed the first time around unless they were blazed as all f**k. And even then.

I realise the initial inspection is only valid for 28/30 days or whatever. Doesn't change the fact they're either useless at their job as demonstrated in the initial inspection, or downright f**king assholes that deserve all the bad rep they get, twenty times over.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Trozzle

[Walfers]

Nsw rego lyf!

[dousty]

RAY told him he needed different tyres the second time round, or Dickson told him he needed different tyres after Ray had certified the setup with the flares?

Sounds strange, but nothing far fetched.....though ultimately if it stacks up how I'm reading it (further labour costs invoiced due to further inspections required, which wouldn't have been necessary if the tyre issue was picked up on at the same time as the guards), your mate is a bit silly for just accepting that situation.

To be honest, I've found myself in a similar situation where I explicitly instructed the workshop to CALL ME if a particular bit of work was required on the vehicle, due to the potential costs involved in the work done if it were required and the fact I could do it myself for free (albeit with more blood). Well, as expected, they didn't call me before jumping in and doing the work. After some words, mostly around the fact I'd never given authority for the work to go ahead (there was no part on the dropoff sheet/work instructions to sign this authority over without prior contact, not that I would), I had a large discount applied to the labour costs. Obviously I had no problem paying for the parts.

Wow. What a rambling digression. Exhaustion is sending me bonkers this arvo.

Nonhe never even made it to Dickson. They were a few other things that ray said which ray said that sounded bull like the wrong size bolts and other random shit. After the second or third trip to him he got the shits and now the torana us still sitting in his shed 3 years later. But this is all going of what I've been told not actually my experiences. Hopefully if I do go to him he will be nicer haha

Edited November 18, 2015 by dousty

[Trozzle]

Everywhere has their stories I guess haha, just funny when you hear ones so very different to your own.

[dousty]

Yeah exactly right haha. Well from the sounds of your experience maybe he has a thing for skylines and will be nice to me haha

[Got a Pulsar]

Merry Christmas guys!!! Hope you all have a Great day and a Happy and Safe New Year.