School me on car modification laws in Australia!
 

Hey all,

What are the laws regarding modification of cars? I think different states have different laws, but I'd like to know them all.

More percisely things like:

Changing/adding forced inductions
Running with/without a catalytic convertor (emissions)
suspension, shocks, springs, coilovers, sway bars, end links etc...any rectrictions/height restrictions
Exhaust (sound/size restrictions?)
ECU modifications
Brakes
Body kits (including widebody and cutting of stock fenders)
tire/wheel change restrictions!

Then I've read about getting engineering certificates and things of the sort, what is the difficulty in getting one of those?

I hope I'm not asking too much!

Thanks!

Here in Victoria mods are quite restricted.

Below is my understanding (check first as I have been wrong before).

1. Changing/adding forced inductions - Changing I believe you are allowed one mod to the intake, but all plumbing must remain stock. Adding FI I think will kill emissions and therefore be unroadworthy. Any serious hp mod will require an engineers cert

2. Running with/without a catalytic convertor (emissions) - Thats a no no.

3. suspension, shocks, springs, coilovers, sway bars, end links etc...any height restrictions - Springs/shocks are free for all. Minimum height of any part of the car is 100mm. They have a 100mm cube and pass it under the car. If it hits anything you fail

4. Exhaust (sound/size restrictions?) - There is a noise level. Don't know what is is

5. ECU modifications - None, under any circumstances.

6. Brakes - Apart from pads and fluid an engineers cert is required.

7. Body kits (including widebody and cutting of stock fenders) - Not sure. I think go for it

8. tire/wheel change restrictions! - 25mm increase in wheel size in either direction

Then I've read about getting engineering certificates and things of the sort, what is the difficulty in getting one of those? - Vicroads has a list of automotive engineers. Go visit one an he will check your mods and if he approves you get a certificate (for a cost of course). From my understanding they are generally quite reasonable to deal with.

I hope I'm not asking too much! - Not yet

Thanks! - Is ok

In reality most people just go for it. If your car does not stand out too much and you don't drive like a dick you are generally ok.

Hope this helps

Matt

Thanks for the info matt!

Say adding a turbo or supercharger to a naturally aspirated car, if one was to take care of al the emissions, then use a standalone (AEM EMS, Motec etc) or reflash the ecu (Cobb AP, Scanalyzer pro, ecutek etc) and a good high flow cat and properly made exhaust to work with all emissions/noise would that work?

i'm just worried about insurance and legalities. I've found some used cars that interest me, the RX8 will be affordable in a couple years, and Hymee's supercharger kit interests me alot!

Staying legal is important too though!

I'm in QLD right now for school, but I have no idea where I'll be after I've graduated (hopefully somewhere in Australia!)

FYI

http://rx7.pw.cx/guides_manuals/coll...i8%20may03.pdf

So no matter what you can only go up 1" in width on a rim? What happens if you go more than that?

Adding FI full stop changes the engine setup of the car full stop and requires an engineers certificate to be legal. Without the Cert you cannot have insurance (technically) as the car must be road legal to have insurance.

Gutted cat is the answer.

Technically it has to be 100mm clearance FULLY LOADED.

92db at torque peak at some silly distance and angle from the rear of the car.

You can get a piggy back engineered or flash tune and they cant tell.

Yep

Things like non-standard bonnet, big arse coffee table wings, etc that are dangerous to life are a nono.

correct plus no more than 25mm change in centre tire track.

Cost is about $2k to engineer a turbo'd car.

Cheers

Andrew

Technically...a defective vehicle notice will be issued, by the police officer that finds it. You then have 28 days to rectify it.

Is it possible to get a cert for wider rims?

$2K? wow that must be a good business.

Are there really any things that are 'pre-engineered certified'

I wonder how there are a bunch of cars here that seem to have been NA stock with turbos running around and definately factory turboed cars that have been modded quite well.

Not that I am aware of. Although I cant see why not.

Modding a factory turbo is a different story. As for N/A cars that have been turbo'd the rules state that if that car came out factory with a turbo'd engine as an option, ie Imprezza RX (N/A) and WRX (turbo) then you can convert to the turbo option without hassle. Other than that, its all just a matter of getting caught.

I'm more about talking like RX8s with Hymee's supercharger, or S2K that are turbocharged, civics etc...

How about owning a turboed car and upgrading the turbo etc?

i'd like to stay legal, but still be able to modify the car. But depending on the laws it could shift what cars I'm looking at.

I was thinking about S2000/RX8 then doing (sometime later) suspension/brakes/wide wheels/boost

But if it is cheaper to mod say an S15/Evo 6/STI v6 to get to the goals I want and still be legal...

In short yeah...it will be simpler to go with one of them. But nowhere near as much fun :)

Yeah, but if the hassles of modifying a naturally aspirated car (from a legal perspective) is greater then it might get annoying though.

Although I thought it would be similar with the turboed car if I stsarted changing the turbo, intercooler, injectors, fuel mapping etc...isn't that basically like putting on a turbo/supercharger kit on a naturally aspirated car?

in QLD the rules are more relaxed but they are cracking down year after year. it was a couple of hundred not thousands to get my SC approved. although in Brisbane the might be more strict since they have smog testing facilities.