Kirkhams in Australia

[damage]

So I'm guessing with no car manufacturers in Australia that all of this will change maybe make it easier or is that wishful thinking.

[Gav]

Hard to know.
Common sense surely will not prevail.

[Donunder]

Originally Posted by damage

So I'm guessing with no car manufacturers in Australia that all of this will change maybe make it easier or is that wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking for sure ...

And you can also bet that the "luxury car tax", designed to bump up the cost of the euro cars to make them more expensive than the local offerings (and provide a nice little earner for the govt of the day!), will remain in place. I wonder how the ladies of the Toorak and Potts Point and Ascot set would feel, knowing that the Beemer that they've just paid through the nose for probably originated in Indonesia or Thailand or Egypt?

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by damage

So I'm guessing with no car manufacturers in Australia that all of this will change maybe make it easier or is that wishful thinking.

I wouldn't anticipate any changes...

If you simmer it down, the government (rightly or wrongly) still needs to protect the rest of the industry, including dealerships selling cars and the logistics and administration that goes along with that, so that employment stays low.

Consider it as a form of working for the dole... or really the government (in their minds) creating/protecting jobs in the form of bureaucracy, so that they don't have to officially count the numbers of the otherwise unemployed.

In any case rules are NOT Kirkham or Cobra specific... they apply to any car.

[Towmaster]

Originally Posted by damage

Sorry have to disagree with a lot of what's been said here. Even though I'm not an expert I'll add my 2 cents.

You can buy a foreign car and bring it in to the country PROVIDED you get Federal approval.

There is a fairly lengthy approval process to go through if the car isn't on an approved import list. Such as proving the car is a volume manufactured item which is just supply specs and marketing brochure etc etc.

There is one or two approved Cobra manufacturers on this Federal approved list.

I bought in an F150 Raptor in 2012 Ford F150's were already on the approved car list so importation stipulations were car had to be brand new. (Converted it compliance etc once here)

I bought my Kirkham as a complete vehicle WITH the cammer. I had already started going down the import route when I was introduced to AP (by Kirkham)

AP suggested I break the car into parts Kirkham built the car and fitted everything to it and then disassembled to send it to Australia ( no charge by Kirkham for disassembly)

If I had to do this again I would go the full construction imported into Australia because if the car is manufactured with the engine in it the compliance is a lot easier the as an ICV. (So I am told more recently by other people that have more experience then me)

The requirement to have owned the car driven lived there etc is for personal imports that's a totally different situation that I don't know a great deal about.

The Ford Raptor is a mass produced production vehicle and as such has approved airbags, crash pads, collapsible steering column etc etc etc. Also there have been hundreds of Raptors imported and converted and registered legally here.

The Kirkham is not a production vehicle and as such does not have airbags etc. All new production vehicles registered in Australia must be fitted with a driver airbag minimum.

The exception to this (new vehicle registration) is ICV's and hot rods. They do not require airbags or a lot of other things that production cars require for registration.

[damage]

Read the list I think it would surprise you what's approved.

Not so sure about hundreds of raptors. But then again I know f$&?all

[zoltrix77]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

The Ford Raptor is a mass produced production vehicle and as such has approved airbags, crash pads, collapsible steering column etc etc etc. Also there have been hundreds of Raptors imported and converted and registered legally here.

The Kirkham is not a production vehicle and as such does not have airbags etc. All new production vehicles registered in Australia must be fitted with a driver airbag minimum.

The exception to this (new vehicle registration) is ICV's and hot rods. They do not require airbags or a lot of other things that production cars require for registration.

That's not entirely true, you can buy a brand new Morgan or Caterham that are under the Low Volume Compliance scheme. No safety features on those cars..

The LVC allows either 25 or 100 vehicles to be supplied to the market each year.
Still has to meet most ADRs however, like an ICV, but has the massive advantage of having a compliance plate, can be registered in any state or territory with ease.

Adam.

[damage]

I think towmaster is confusing 2 subjects together, adr compliance for rego is totally separate to getting import approval for a complete car.

The whole getting import approval under SEVS is about the federal government making sure that cars being imported aren't competing with Australian manufactured vehicles.

Backdraft and Robnell are on the approved list for import so the whole need airbags etc doesn't have anything to do with import approval.

But once again I know f.,? All

[Towmaster]

Originally Posted by damage

I think towmaster is confusing 2 subjects together, adr compliance for rego is totally separate to getting import approval for a complete car.

The whole getting import approval under SEVS is about the federal government making sure that cars being imported aren't competing with Australian manufactured vehicles.

Backdraft and Robnell are on the approved list for import so the whole need airbags etc doesn't have anything to do with import approval.

But once again I know f.,? All

So the Australian manufactured Robnell is on the approved import list?

Interesting.....

[Towmaster]

How do Superformance do it? I believe they are manufactured in Sth Africa & ? Imported whole minus engine & box ?

Someone should know?

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

How do Superformance do it? I believe they are manufactured in Sth Africa & ? Imported whole minus engine & box ?

Someone should know?

SPF ship in parts... At least they did when I was looking into them.
They may never have applied for SEVS.
Why exactly I couldn't tell you...
They may not have ever know about the scheme?

[Towmaster]

I just checked this list......Well bugger me..... the Robnell is on the list....... must have been when the original owner tried making them in South Africa. (Apologies to Damage)

I still believe that if it could have been done then it would have been done. It says Backdraft is on the list, anyone know of any backdrafts that were brought in using this scheme?

It also says that just because a vehicle is on the list that doesn't mean that it automatically qualifies for approval, unless it meets the cirteria.... Big risk to take given it's not guaranteed.

[DaveW]

I visited Backdraft factory in Late January, great setup and show room.
Cars are spectacular for factory finish.
Reg and his Dad are great to deal with.
Reg told me they have been involved in 4 cars to Australia, 1 white racer, which i have seen this car somewhere around the traps or on the forum, 1 i cant remember the details of, but 2 for the purpose of ADR compliance through a potential distribution deal, which they say they lost contact with.
The South African factory made a number of changes to the vehicle to bring the car up to the required ADR specs but Reg believed that steering lock requirements were the last issue they had yet to overcome when communications went quiet.

[Zedn]

Originally Posted by Towmaster

The Ford Raptor is a mass produced production vehicle and as such has approved airbags, crash pads, collapsible steering column etc etc etc. Also there have been hundreds of Raptors imported and converted and registered legally here.

The Kirkham is not a production vehicle and as such does not have airbags etc. All new production vehicles registered in Australia must be fitted with a driver airbag minimum.

The exception to this (new vehicle registration) is ICV's and hot rods. They do not require airbags or a lot of other things that production cars require for registration.

Im not sure this is correct. To my knowledge there are 3 ADRs that apply to the steering wheel, ADR 10, ADR 69 and ADR 73. I tried to find it in the ADRs, but i think you can still comply with ADR 10/02 and not have airbags. The reason i think this is because it says in ADR 10 that if you comply with ADR 69 with airbags you are deemed to comply with 10. When all the issues were going on in NSW, I'm pretty sure that i found out you can comply with either of the ADRs but most/all manufacturers are appealing to buyers as well, not just ADRs. People want safe cars with ANCAP ratings.

Perhaps Treeve can confirm or dispute this if he is around?

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Zedn

People want safe cars with ANCAP ratings.

I don't buy the ANCAP BS... I mean you can't get 5 star rating unless the stupid car "dings" at you if haven't got your seat belt on. WTF???

It's distracting and annoys me to tears when I put the kids nappy bag on the passengers seat and it dings all the way home...
I'm not safer just cos its dining away am I? PUH-LEEZE

Goodness gracious... Venting done!

[damage]

ADR 10/02 simply says that if you have an air bag your deemed to comply it doesnt specifically stipulate compliance with other ADR's.

Seems like a whole bunch of testing is required to meet ADR 10/02 though it could be as simple as computer design engineer sign off etc etc

[Zedn]

Just looking again at the ADRs. None of them require you to have airbags. ADR73 includes requirements if you have airbags, but its all performance based.

[Russell9318]

Originally Posted by DaveW

I visited Backdraft factory in Late January, great setup and show room.
Cars are spectacular for factory finish.
Reg and his Dad are great to deal with.
Reg told me they have been involved in 4 cars to Australia, 1 white racer, which i have seen this car somewhere around the traps or on the forum, 1 i cant remember the details of, but 2 for the purpose of ADR compliance through a potential distribution deal, which they say they lost contact with.
The South African factory made a number of changes to the vehicle to bring the car up to the required ADR specs but Reg believed that steering lock requirements were the last issue they had yet to overcome when communications went quiet.

Backdraft Racing Australia was run by a chap called Kevin Wolfe and was based in Perth. When I first started looking at Cobras I contacted Backdraft in South Africa and was put onto Kevin.Kevin had told me that he had cars on the way and I thought he said 5 but that may be wrong. He also claimed to have one complied and registered in W.A.

At the time Backdraft were advertising turn key minus for just under USD40K out of South Africa but I was quoted $90K for turnkey minus and $125K turnkey out of Perth. My last contact with Kevin was in November 2012, maybe it all got too hard.

Cheers

Russell

[soulman]

Do all Back drafts have the vents?

Kinda rice burner ish !

Soul.

[DaveW]

No, not all BDR have the side vents, thats thier new GT body,
Most are traditional look.

I do like there blackout version the R3B though.