Club Rego

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Russell9318

Whoa!!! cart befor the horse. Time to introduce myself as a long time reader and second time poster (to read my first post, look above ha ha).
Joined the Cobra Car Club of Victoria in May last year, ordered a Pace 427 at the Nats in Goulburn in October, went on my first club run down to Lorne yesterday riding shotgun for Bernie so it is all go from here on in.
Thanks to the club for all the encouragement and friendship it has offered.
As things get underway I intend to do a build thread and look forward to seeing what other Pace builders are doing.
Until next time

Cheers
Russell

Welcome aboard!
Registered 2012... been hanging around in the background for a while have you?

[d488y2]

Russell welcome to the Forum and the Pace Family.

This is turning in to a great thread for us who will be going for full rego or club permits in the future.
As a first time ICV builder I know I’m on a steep uphill learning curve!
I will be going for Full Rego and have already brought the Plates for my Kit.
And like Paintwerks I to will be doing what every my Engineer Says.

Keep the info coming.

[boxhead]

This is 100% correct, they exist and I have been asked if I wish to be a member in such clubs in both NSW and Victoria.

I am on Committee for local car club in Alice, we have approx 130 active members, of which there are about 80 cars on club plates (my Cobra and Valiant wagon included), As a club, we police this very heavily and if anything are "over the top" as we do not want to lose the club plate system, but in saying that, the club and plates have been around for 6 years now, and not a single member has been pulled up or asked to show log book at time of rego renewal.
So at the moment people could be "getting away with it" but we hope to pick up on any in our club.

I dropped full rego about 8 months ago on the Cobra ($920 in NT) and went to club plates, due to lack of use. I think I used it less than a dozen times last year. And with a planned paint job, I could not justify the extra cost ($90 for club plates) I did ring MVR in Darwin with concerns of what needed to go on full plates again, I was advised to re register in NT was as simple as applying again, with no time limit.
My car has been engineered.

Originally Posted by Treeve

You only need 8 people to form a club. If your club gets 'booted out' then someone else from your other 7 mates forms a club... and off we go again.

If you honestly believe that 8 random blokes who want to get around the system couldn't possibly exist, then you're deluded. Also, to think that these blokes would make sure their cars were all modified legally also seems to be a bit naive.

It won't root out the bad clubs, the authorities wouldn't be able to completely deal with who runs what clubs. The simplest solution for them is to cancel the club registration scheme - less paperwork all along. Remember the other fun part about dealing with government departments (or people in general with lots of authority and no responsibility): If they can say No to something to make their lives easier they will.

Your comment regarding a helmet making you safer also seems to be a bit blind too - there's figures to prove that helmets save lives. Hopefully the fact that it is legislated means you wear one, and although I hope you don't end up in an accident, if you do I hope it serves to protect you. Then perhaps you will learn the value of one. This comes back to my point about some lessons having to be learnt the hard way. I cracked three teeth before I learnt to wear a helmet.

Treeve

[Treeve]

Gents,

It's not just dash padding. this is to get you away from crash testing. But let's not go there.

The club approves it's own plates. No technical knowledge required.

The guy who drove to Orange (about 45 minutes longer than just Bx) had his car set up by a reputable alignment place. The issue being that there was so much adjustment, that the guys in the shop with the laser alignment gear got it miles wrong - 8mm toe out at the rear for a start - and there were many more areas of issue. Regardless, some of the alignment stuff you won't pick up on a pink slip, and it is exactly this car why I will always make sure an ICV gets to do the emergency lane change test.

Some stuff you can't see when you inspect it - that's why you have to test. I've also heard stories of 'not for road use' being ground off tyres, I've seen similar tyres from Formula Ford cars on trailers ("I didn't think the trailer had to comply" was the excuse). The trailer didn't have anything to do with my inspection, but if you bring a car on a trailer like this, wouldn't you expect someone to say something? The dash padding is a small thing, but if you total up all the 'small things' that you can try to get away with over a number of builds, then you end up so far from the legislation it's not funny. The dash padding is a way of proving some kind of forethought for protection for your passenger. In the same way as headrests to stop you snapping your neck. Cobra's didn't have headrests, but perhaps because I've never crashed a Cobra I won't need to put the headrests on...

Be reasonable, play by the rules. Why not make a removable dash pad so your car can look cool when you want to be one of the cool kids, and then be compliant when you're doing the right thing. Just a thought.

Treeve

[Zedn]

Doesn't need to be removable. Take dash panel, cut a vertical line above the console. Cut out a piece of ply/fibreglass/alloy to suit what material your dash is 30mm wide and screw/weld/glue into place so passenger side sits back 30mm from drivers. Glue 30mm thick Eva foam into place and cover entire dash with upholstery. Install gauges and switches. Finished product identical to original cobra and safe for my wife or daughters head god forbid I have an accident. For f$&k sake why would you not take the tested safe option?

Re: ancap and dash warning for seatbelts. If your car doesn't have this it doesn't comply with ADRs let alone ancap.

[Treeve]

Thanks Zedn, well said.

Treeve

[stiffy]

Guy's,

The Daytona engineering cost me over $20k due to the complexity

of the car and its rarety (wiper sweep test to name a few)...............

The engineer I went to advised that most of the stuff required is

bulls***, but if you want the drive the car on the road (it was prior to the club

rego).

IMO all ICV's should be engineered, even if they are going onto club

rego. The system was intended for older fully registered cars to be put onto

limited use (club rego). I will never put my two ICV's on club plates but this

year I will convert my 1978 XC coupe onto the system. I wouldnt drive both of

them more than 20 days per year combined........ Its peace of mind.


STIFFY

[LoBelly]

Originally Posted by Treeve

gents,

Thought I'd bring it up, that many in Vic are looking at club rego as a way of not having to get their car engineered (quotes of $2k for engineering being too much).

For that money, just consider that you are getting a professional to look over your vehicle and ensure that not only is it compliant with the legislation, but that it is SAFE.

What I think many people miss is not that if they hurt themselves, tough luck, but that if you have a crash on the roads, the plates on your car make a real difference - full registration means you will have plenty of insurances etc. Also, that you will be less likely to be in this situation since your car (should) have been tested. I can be a grown up and deal with accidents that I cause to myself - I've come off enough bikes. But what about if the car I built then 'shortcutted' to driving through a club scheme is involved in an accident where someone is seriously hurt or worse?

Will the club have suitable insurances for this?
Will you have valid insurance in this situation?

We all love a bit of bling on our cars - I have spent more than most spend on Cobras building a clubbie. But to 'save' a few $k so you can shortcut the system and get on the road will only lead to a couple of things happening:

1. The club scheme will be recognised as a rort and will probably be stopped
2. Someone will end up hurt, and since the figures show that are more accidents with >1 car than single car accidents, you can be pretty sure it won't just be you in your club car who gets hurt.

Just think about it.

Treeve

p.s. if you want to email me and talk to me about club registration, how about recognising that I am a vehicle certifier, and hence will always recommend you get your vehicle certified and registered at least once. If you've been through these steps then go for club rego and save the money. But don't just head straight there, as from my experience every single ICV has at least one major failing that the owner must correct. I don't care if you don't like what I have to say about this, I just want to be safe on the road with the other road users, and not put at risk by some shortcutting prick who can spend a ****load on rims and tyres, but not enough on the actual engineering.

My emphasis added

*Sigh* - so many issues and so little time...

In my experience the use of the Club Permit System has very little to do with avoiding mainstream safety requirements.

I guess that there are a lot of advantages to having a qualified engineer visit and provide commentary.

It would appear however, on the basis of the quoted post, that the ability to draw a level headed distinction between compliance and safety is not amongst them.

Similarly, as Stiffy's post demonstrates, the ability to differentiate the cost(s) of Compliance with the fee paid to the certified engineer may also be elusive.

I am disappointed but not surprised that discussion on this topic has arisen again, particularly so from someone who's qualifications ought to enable them to segregate issues of Compliance & Safety or Fees & Cost.

I guess its a lot easier to have a shrill panty-wet if you dont address the legislative framework and its underpinnings.

I suppose there has never been an engineer who didn't take a pay-off to grease the wheels of compliance.

Originally Posted by Treeve

... I've also heard stories ...

I love a good story

Never the less I'm sure you'll stand behind your priciples and I await the details of individuals who you believe will attempt to 'rort' the system. The Victorian Club will ensure that appropriate reviews are conducted should the application pass our way.



LoBelly

[Treeve]

Here's the 'stories':

Goodyear Billboards - I couldn't resist

I'm also blown away by $20k for engineering. For the ICVs I've dealt with, including gt40s, scratch but one offs and more than a few cobras, I've never even come close to half this figure. I certainly agree that cost and value are different.

I guess the only difficulty is what if they don't come to your club for rego? Your club stands to lose out if the scheme is ended. We don't even have a scheme like this in NSW (although we petition for it regularly). So the ulterior motive for me was to say: look out for yourself. Look out for those you share the road with. Look after a scheme that is allowing you to drive cool cars without huge cost. And if you're doing something that doesn't comply, don't write about it on the Internet - the RTA in NSW definitely browse these forums, and I expect the Victorian equivalent do too.

Treeve

[Rob. Smith]

Originally Posted by Dimis

Sorry mate, I can't agree with your last point.

Clubs surly are held to account with regard what they sign off on.
If "they" "Rort" the system as you suggest, it will only bring heat in them and weed out "bad" clubs.
Can you imagine how a reputable club would respond to offending parties.
They'd boot them out which would renders their club rego useless.

This for mine is a good thing, with regard anything, not just car clubs. It servers to advance and improve things. I believe Darwin called it evolution.

I agree there are those who look for every avenue to abuse any systems, but pointing the finger at club rego does nothing to improve our hobby.
There is nothing wrong with the scheme itself, but more those individuals who chose to misrepresent it, and it's purpose.
No different to the countless who driving fully registered cars that are grossly unroadworthy.
Rob, you're a rubber man no? I'll try to relate to to terms you may best relate too... There are tyres and there are tyres.

Just saying...

No I'm not a rubber man...I'm an electrician that builds cars..ha ha What Treeve said ...small clubs that form just to get by the rules. I've seen this. I didn't clarify enough what I meant ...I go to "gatherings" like USA diner drive-ins and there are a lot of different cars there.. a lot have club plates with different mods.. they don't build these cars they just bring them in and use the easiest method to register them. I don't know how they get past the import regs. but they're here and on the road...this is definitely not good for the auto hobby.