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capella re
03-11-2009, 12:51 PM
thought we could have a thread on some information on what is legal modifications on your vehicle, what is illegal and some good sources of information

here's a link on enginge conversion legalities
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/personal_transport/light_vehicles_pdfs/engine_changes_less_4gvm_01.pdf

here's a link on illegal modifications to your car
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/personal_transport/light_vehicles_pdfs/Info19.pdf

here's a link on vehicle suspension laws- height etc
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/personal_transport/light_vehicles_pdfs/MR1136_Requirements_for_Lowering_or_Raising_Vehicl e_Ride_Height.PDF

here's a link on vehicle track- swapping your rear end for a different model such as 9 inch
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/personal_transport/light_vehicles_pdfs/fact_sheet_track_suspen.pdf

here's a link on window tint legalities
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/personal_transport/light_vehicles_pdfs/430_Window_Tinting_for_your_Motor_Vehicle.pdf

here's a link on vehicle inspection fees
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/pdfs/878VehicleInspectionProgramFeeIncreases.pdf

heres a huge link to alot of excellent information on modifications to your car. Some of the best links are posted above though
http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/personal_transport/light_vehicles/cars_light_vehicles.asp

found this link which will help out alot of people its a government list of all manufacturers and cars alphabetically listed which tells you how low your car can be (measured from centre of wheel to guard, the most popular defect method of sapol) limits of track widths and smallest - largest legal steering wheel diameters. Use it on your rotor or your daily, theyre all here. very handy to have for reference. also note where it says when height is taken, it is to be done unlaiden, meaning you do not have to be inside the car when it is done
http://www.sasuspension.com.au/IB44-...%20Version.pdf

How to get a major Defect (ie regency inspection)
Have 3 or more minor defects
Have an exhaust related defect (emissions)
structual defect (rust or chassis mods)
have any point (ANY) of your car lower than 100mm from the ground
Have increased track (large offsets caused by things other than wheels, but not excluding wheels) such as spacers etc.

any loose fibres on your seat belt (frayed edges) will cost you a defect
https://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Images/DYI/September_2007_DIY_Header.gif

excessive oil on or around your engine or gearbox will get you defected (especially if a drip is found on the floor in the time you are being inspected)
http://www.dr1665.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG00669-500x375.jpg

if you remove your rear seatbelts, you must remove your rear seats or it will cost you a defect. This may pose problems with not having your car re registered as a two seater (which is more expensive) but if you say your rear seats are being reupholstered and have removed the rear seatbelts while this is being done to stay legal, this may save your bacon.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_6galpzg6SxU/SuVjC13YBSI/AAAAAAAAALg/7S8-RpsVFaE/s720/S6300802.jpg

Lighting
forward lighting must be either WHITE or AMBER/YELLOW in colour (hence defects for blue/red/green etc parkers)
forward lighting includes low beam, high beam, parkers, cornering lamps, fog lamps and indicators
http://www.m-99.co.uk/Car_Neon_LED_Lighting/Headlight_Illumination/neon_blue_headlights.jpg

POD filters
these need to be secured! not just by cable ties either, recommended is alloy strips with holes. basically, the less you can make it move by hand, the better.
http://starion.mrbdesign.com.au/images/PODfilter.jpg

Unsecured wiring is a defect. Wiring needs to be secured every 600mm. Also a legal issue, any aftermarket wiring needs to have a fuse on it before it goes through the firewall.
http://mmeierle.com/images/Max/Turbo%2008/Max%20AEM%20engine%20wiring%203.jpg
Wheels

as a basic guide you are allowed to change your wheels for slightly larger ones. 2 inches is the limit without an engineers report. There are ways around this as a standard ba falcon is 15 inches but a ba xr8 is 17 inches so sometime different models use the same mod plate allowing you to go two inches larger than the mod plate rather than 2 inches larger than your factory fitted wheels. Anything over 2 inches larger will get you a defect
http://image.carcraft.com/f/miscellaneous/sn95-mustang-on-26-inch-wheels/1049013+w600+cr1+re0+ar1/mustang-on-26-inch-wheels.jpg

cutting your parcel shelf to fit speakers for your fully sick doof doof is defectable
a parcel shelf is a structural part of the car. cut it, and your comprimising the integrity of the car.
http://file049a.bebo.com/11/original/2009/09/27/07/4765581999a11647618643o.jpg

You must have a front window demister woring in your car ie. heater blowing hot air on the front window and if your car is fitted with a rear demister it must be operational
http://www.blahblah.iinet.net.au/public_html/OZVETS/wvo/DSCF0281-2.JPG

If your car is factory fitted with a rear window wiper it must remain on the car or guess what.... DEFECT (sorry fc boys!!!)
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/vehicle-pictures/2009/honda/fit/5802-135-rear-window-wiper-480.jpg

no water in your windscreen washer bottle is a defect


no rubbers on your pedals is a defect
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_master_cylinder/pic1.jpg

exhaust noise limit
pre 1986: 96Db
post 1986: 90Db
piston cars must not go above this level measured at 3000rpm
rotaries must not exceed this level at 4000rpm
http://bbccupholder.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/boso-1.jpeg

Tinted Lights / Eyelids are a defect! they cover up or intrude the vision of the reflective surfaces
http://www.autoaccessorystore.com/installed/eyelids/_el-vin-14890_b.jpg

Aftermarket Steeringwheels
this is a grey area. like most things, it needs to have the little compliance sticker and cant have a circumfrence less than 10mm smaller than standard.
http://www.pathdriver.com/images/steering_wheel.jpg

Tyres
your tyres have to be identical across each axle (left to right)
all four are supposed to be the same size
the spare is supposed to be the same as the other 4
http://www.devon.gov.uk/print/index/transportroads/roads/road_safety/baldtyre-small-2.jpg


most clear and tinted taillights are defectable. They must have an adr approved sticker visable to show they have been approved for australian roads. ebay specials and motorpart catalouges will generally have a very small disclaimer hidden somewhere saying for off road use only so be careful as this is one of the easiest ways to get defected (doesn't really apply to us too much but a few fd's have clear taillights)
the tyres cannot be any balder than the little wear marker inside the grooves of the tread (the legal requirement for tyre tread is 1.6mm above the tread wear indicators.)
http://image.superstreetonline.com/f/18415936/sstp_0907_19_z+1993_mazda_rx_7+tail_lights.jpg

Having no door handle on the outside of any door is a defect.
http://www.freecarkits.com/shaved3.JPG

A gearshift not must have a shift pattern instructing user of gearboxes transmissin selection routine (and thats no $hit)
http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00ZvLEIOthVfgaM/Gear-Shift-Knob.jpg

You have about 20 minutes in which you can repair your vehicle on the side of the road to a roadworthy standard. although if an officer says they will not wait, arguing the point will get you nowhere

Anything an officer is simply suspicious may be illegal or unroadworthy, unless you can prove on the spot otherwise you can be sent to regency for further inspection.

And above all, it sucks to get defected but the harder time you give the officer the harder time he or she will give you.
http://freespeech.vo.llnwd.net/o25/pub/pp/images/september2008/020908cops.jpg

anyone who has any information on extra legal modifications or things guaranteed to get you defected please add to this to help us all out. PLEASE TRY TO CONFIRM INFORMATION BEFORE POSTING BULL$%IT UP, IT WILL HELP NO ONE!!!

yelloS2Rx7
03-11-2009, 04:50 PM
anything that makes you car slightly cooler is defectable.......
police dont even have to measure or check specs or anything,
they just have to have a suspicion its illegally modified and can send u straight to regency!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
DOESNT EVEN HAVE TO BE 3 DEFECTS FOR REGENCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh yeah and u can get defected for not having water in ya washer bottle
and also ya demister fan must blow air onto the inside of ya windscreen, if it duznt its defectable
you dont even need to get pulled over, random defects have appeared in the post with no warnings or contact with an officer
I have also had customers who have had cars defected in the carpark while sitting inside the pub, to come out and find a notice on their car
GOTTA LUV IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
revenue raising at its best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the collector
04-11-2009, 08:34 PM
our old 99 model forester got defected 2 days before christmas last year.
standard exhaust ideling at the lights and bike police officer pulled us over.
slightly too low.
window tint.
we knew and took the chance and finally got caught,BUT i questioned the officer about the height and he pulled out a thick bible of all the makes and models and measured it in front of me and even let me measure each corner 7-9 mm in each corner too low.
ive never heard of a vehicle being defected while the driver is not present.
how many people have had this done?
cheers

yelloS2Rx7
05-11-2009, 05:11 PM
I have more ridiculous stories than this forum and my fingers could handle
mates civic got defected with 5x85kg blokes in it
the cop wouldnt let us get out and defected it for being too low!!!!!!!
one of my customers who own a cafe on rundle st and is OLD
he got followed from rundle all the way home, defected out the front of his house for
3mm too low???????
rang regency to book it in they didnt wanna see it....
complained to the cops, got the shift sargeant, who reprimanded the cuntstable and removed the defect off the system without goin to regency???????????
I really can go on and on and on.......
I was pulled over out the front of MILDRENS once in my Rx3
got measured.for height and track....specd against the bible
he checked the build date, and asked me what model my car was
I replied Rx4, being a bigger car and having wider track
He couldnt believe the wheels were in trak
they werent in track coz its a Rx3 hahahahah
silly boy
I even had a dumb cop chick try to stick a defect on the outside of my windscreen once
I asked what happens when i rains, and the sticker washes off???
you gonna fine me for removing my defect sticker??????
i took the sticker and stuck it where its supposed to go, and told her
THATS HOW U DEFECT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

capella re
05-11-2009, 05:52 PM
you crack me up corey!!! ive added the things you have added to the top list for easier reference so keep em coming buddy. Oh and one of the things on the list for my rx3 was front window demister so that i can back up. Also vehicle inspections can be sent through the mail, even if your neighbour complains about your j port you will get a letter in the mail to go to an db tester i can verify that as well

yelloS2Rx7
05-11-2009, 08:09 PM
did ya know theres db cameras?????
ok if theres any minute fibres on the edges of ya seatbelts.....
Im was under the impression:
any car built after 1971 must retain the STD steering wheel,
or,
if the rubber grip around your STD steering wheel is loose from the internal steel ring, and
you can turn it like a motorbike throttle at all.....
if your seat rocks too much....
ITS DEFECTABLE
with wheels/tyres ya gotta be real careful
theres overall diameters, load ratings, speed ratings, maximum and minimum tyre widths for size of rim
and even though some model/platforms/chassis of cars are the same ya cant neccesarily swap parts or tyre placards over!!!!!
eg ya cant take factory 17in SS Crewman wheels and bolt them onto a standard Crewman that came with tha steel wheels standard
you need an engineer to provide a "dress certificate" which adjusts the load carrying capacity of the vehicle while "dress" rims are on
APPARENTLY, they are changing the plus 2in rule with rims at the moment
and will be running purely on overall diameter/speed/load/widths?????

gotorx7
06-11-2009, 07:58 AM
I even had a dumb cop chick try to stick a defect on the outside of my windscreen once
I asked what happens when i rains, and the sticker washes off???
you gonna fine me for removing my defect sticker??????
i took the sticker and stuck it where its supposed to go, and told her
THATS HOW U DEFECT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I woulda let her do it, then gone home and washed the car repeatedly until it fell off.. then taken it in and let them find the paperwork with only a pile of papier-mache to go by :)

I once had a copper try to sticker the tank of one of my bikes. That didn't end well for either of us.

When they used to have us take bikes into Thebbie barracks to remove the defects, I was so well known (first name basis) that I had to have someone else take my bikes in for me or they'd just find something else to defect me on :(

yelloS2Rx7
06-11-2009, 08:50 PM
youre a cracker Dave!!!!!!!!!!
after your great advice mate, I almost cant wait to be pulled over.....

capella re
07-11-2009, 07:49 AM
I've added pictures for the illiterate (such as myself). Will keep updating the list as things come to light (ie. corey tells me more)

Kotter31
07-11-2009, 08:27 AM
downwards pointing exhaust tips are illegal!
verry rare that you will get done and heaps of cars are standard with them (mercs, Lexus)

the reason is that it blows dust up from dirt roads and it frightens horses pulling coach's hahaha

no shit its a old school law that never got changed

Kotter31
07-11-2009, 08:29 AM
hahaha also if you come to a cross road that doesnt have signs or lights you are ment to exit your vehicle and shoot your gun in the air to allert other motorists you are crossing

yelloS2Rx7
07-11-2009, 10:44 AM
for that same reason you can legally piss on ya left hand rear wheel anytime anywhere,
even on rundle st in the middle of the day!!!
oh yeah excessive freeplay in the steering wheel , is defectable!!!!

capella re
28-11-2009, 02:23 AM
found this link which will help out alot of people ;) its a government list of all manufacturers and cars alphabetically listed which tells you how low your car can be (measured from centre of wheel to guard, the most popular defect method of sapol) limits of track widths and smallest - largest legal steering wheel diameters. Use it on your rotor or your daily, theyre all here. very handy to have for reference. also note where it says when height is taken, it is to be done unlaiden, meaning you do not have to be inside the car when it is done
http://www.sasuspension.com.au/IB44-%20November%202004Long%20Version.pdf

http://img279.imageshack.us/img279/3571/4givme17906018xd7.jpg

FLEX
28-11-2009, 07:20 AM
nice car but possibly the gayest wheels ever

Cheers for the link, already knew my car(s) was too low tho lol

yelloS2Rx7
28-11-2009, 07:31 AM
cheers Simon!!!!
the law regarding +2 in wheel fitments is gone
overall diameter +or- 15mm
and load ratings now govern wheel fitments!!!!!!

jesse_RE
28-11-2009, 09:07 AM
cheers Simon!!!!
the law regarding +2 in wheel fitments is gone
overall diameter +or- 15mm
and load ratings now govern wheel fitments!!!!!! Thats handy to know

jesse_RE
28-11-2009, 09:21 AM
Anyone know what the go is with half cages? are they street legal? its just a bolt in style 5pt cage with a trans tunnel support instead of a rear cross brace, i have roughly 2" thick foam padding and all seatbelts and rear seat will be removed in the back.

lockey
28-11-2009, 09:25 AM
THe defect about rubber pedals... that's abit dodgey... considering the RX-8 came out with metal racing pedals... lol

Gear shifter.. HAS to show the pattern??? that's stoopid, anyone that can drive a manual SHOULD know where the gates are???? lol that's a retarded law...

also another reason that's guaranteed to get you defected is driving like a knob or speeding... crack up stories there man!!! keep em comin!

gotorx7
28-11-2009, 11:28 AM
Whoever ruined that poor FD should be buried under it...

FLEX
28-11-2009, 12:07 PM
Whoever ruined that poor FD should be buried under it...

the car is hardly ruined, its got a nice interior, good paint and a big dollar engine set-up. It just needs the wheels changed to something more tasteful in design and size. Some nice deep dish negative offset wheels should do the trick!

Kusanagi
28-11-2009, 12:58 PM
I can only imagine that FD driver wears a massive 2 inch thick bling necklace with a 1 foot diameter alarm clock attached to it.

gotorx7
28-11-2009, 01:42 PM
the car is hardly ruined, its got a nice interior, good paint and a big dollar engine set-up. It just needs the wheels changed to something more tasteful in design and size. Some nice deep dish negative offset wheels should do the trick!


Please don't ever buy an FD...

mUnky-matt
28-11-2009, 02:10 PM
Please don't ever buy an FD...

Remember, in most cases, the wheels make the car.

Flex is right - colour isn't to my taste but it can be fixed - big rims with an aggressive colour to counter the nasty sea-creature-teal on beige interior would save the car...

still not my favourite, but it's not a lost cause yet!




In regards to mods on cars - I generally do what is safe, well engineering and responsible to get the car where I want it; other than that, I take no notice of the letter of the law on car mods.

Except the laws relating to structure and tyres... good brakes/tread and no rust is important in keeping the car on the road and out of bushes/gutters/pedestrians...

FLEX
28-11-2009, 05:27 PM
Please don't ever buy an FD...

OUCH!

scared ill build a better one than you

Id rathar buy that car and change a few things (wheels,etc) than buy your, its all personal opinion really.

ATM i probably wouldnt buy an FD, most of the owners seem to be too high and mighty for my likely......

gotorx7
28-11-2009, 11:47 PM
OUCH!

scared ill build a better one than you

Id rathar buy that car and change a few things (wheels,etc) than buy your, its all personal opinion really.

ATM i probably wouldnt buy an FD, most of the owners seem to be too high and mighty for my likely......

Yeah, dream on...

And good, we're all happy then aren't we?

capella re
29-11-2009, 06:02 AM
i'm thinking next time i won't put up an image, not sure what just happened but struck a few chords with that one.

and 4giveme has come along way since the pic below.
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5188/image0021jpgrg4.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2007/4givme17906018mw4.jpg

hate it or love it, personal choice. im the sort of person that even if its not my taste, i'll appreciate the work someones put into it. i personally prefer my cars to be alot more subtle though. the relevence of this we all agree this car would last 3 minutes on sa roads before the only bling it has is a white sticker in the front window.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3219/2794743785_11c3c708ae.jpg

lockey
29-11-2009, 04:57 PM
haha oh so true... the cops would be waiting at the border just to defect it!