Scoop

[ledge]

Just got of the phone from my engineer and he informs me that because of the new Monaro there will be no drama getting a forward facing scoop through rego . There is still the group of pen pushers that are trying to stop them for safety reasons but as the cobra scoop is smaller than the new monaro setup he says there is no problem any more .
I still advise you to check with your engineer before fitting thow .

Paul

[Leeroy]

Ledge
went thru registration recently and the scoop never came up as a problem. Is it in SA ?

[PCC]

My scoop is probably the biggest one in Australia (not wanting to brag) yet was not an issue when registered in QLD.

Must be one of those issue perculiar to SA.

Oh to live in one country with the same rules for all

[Steve Cassani]

I don't understand. How can there be a safety issue with a hood scoop? Or are you guys letting your heritage get the best of you and falling back on the marginally eloquent but totally confusing vernacular of 'boots' and 'bonnets'?

Exactly where are you putting your scoop and what do you plan to catch in it?

[newmexico]

Oh to live in one country with the same rules for all

Yeah.

[ledge]

Maybe it is an SA only rule but up until the new monaro came out the only way i could fit a forward facing scoop was to have it operational , ie have to draw the air for motor from scoop opening. Even then my engineer said i will be pushing it . So maybe i should send holden an email and thank them for that ugly setup on there cars cause it alows me to make mine look sooooo much better .

Steve
Over hear the people who right the safety laws dont like forward facing scoops no matter how small because they protrude from the bonnet and could cause damage to a person that flys over your bonnet after you nail them .
Yes its a pile of bull especially when you can go to a Subaru or Mitsubishi dealer and get a car with a forward facing scoop that is about 6 times bigger than a Cobra one .

Paul

[terry251]

I don't get it! You guys are Aussies. I learned in Vietnam that Aussies don't take prisoners, don't take sh@t and are the definition of "party!" Why in the world would you put up with that kind of safety reg writing moron? Put them on a boat for an island somewhere! (Perhaps Antarctica.) I suppose the safety nazi's also don't let you install fans in front of the radiator just in case a pedestrian turns into blender fodder?


Terry

[Aussie Mike]

The safety and emissions reggs down here make it hard work to get a Cobra on the road. Unfortunately it only seems to be getting worse.

Cheers

[PCC]

In Oz I think the moral of the story is:

Comply - Register - CHANGE

[boxhead]

Yep, here in Australia I think the build process is
1: Make it legal
2: Register it.
3: Modify to how you want it (keep all bits to return to standard for annual inspection if required)

[BMK]

Boxhead

Now who does that??..

Bernie

[newmexico]

It would be interesting for us Yanks (this one at least) to know the registration and renewal process down under. What do you call your DMV? Who or what is this engineer guy? How many $$? How long? Etc? Just curious- in case New Mexico decides to follow on.

[ledge]

Well i will give it a go
Im assuming DMV is department of motor vehicles ? , Over her it is called Motor Registratons . To be able to get a cobra registered so you can drive it legally on the road it must first be tested by an Automotive Engineer , He basically goes over the car with a magnifying glass to make sure it is safe for the driver and passengers and also to everyone else on or near the road thus the stuppid law about scoops ,All our brakes ,suspension, steering, seats, lights ,infact absolutely everything must pass all the ADR (Australian design Rules) for the year in which you want to register your car . That is why none of our cobras can have a carby engine let alone a 427 , So most guys over here have no choice but to use an ls1, At least until someone can get the new Boss motor to fit .
After the Engineer has approved the car then you take it to Motor Reg who also go over the car then finally you get it registered .
In Some states you have to get it rechecked every year but in my state (South Australia ) this is not required. It costs about $700 AUD to register a cobra in my state others may be slightly different .
Hope this is what you wanted to know

Paul

[David Hodgson]

newmexico

Now can you make us all jealous and tell us how easy it is or isn't to get a cobra on the road over there. I hear as it is a 60's replica you can use a 60's engine and emmisions?, 'cept for say the likes of California and a few?

[newmexico]

Thanks for the explanation Paul. Is it $700 each year or only one time and then some sort of other fee annually? I take it, from the descriptions on this forum, that there are a few changes made after registration? Not unlike here in some ways- 'specially smog stuff.

David- CA says, to my best knowledge, that the engine and car (roller) must come from different sources. Other than that you can pretty much have what ever you want. In New Mexico, I bought the SPF and Roush engine in Arizona. Never had the car in this state yet, registered (titled) it as a 2004 replica of a 1965 Cobra with a 427 engine and never even showed them a picture of it. This state has smog laws only in Albuquerque (biggest city and county). I do think this is not representative of most states but none are to the level you describe. BTW, annual fees here are about $50 US. Cost around $1800 in tax to register initially. The Roush engine drove the selling price, on which the tax is based, up.

If you guys ever plan a trip to the States, be sure to let me know and schedule a stop here in the Old West.

[Aussie Mike]

It can be a fairly expensive process. An engineering report can run $800-$1500.

The car is registered as a new car and the government want their slice of the pie so you have to pay stamp duty on the car which is %4 in Victoria. They base this on market value so when you go in to first register your car you have an aditional $2000 to pay on your $50K Cobra.

Some of the things not allowed under the ADRs are not very Cobra friendly ie you are not allowed any chrome or pollished surfaces facing the driver as they might impair vision. this includes the bezzels around the guages, steering wheel, windscreen frame, T handles on the bonnet etc. Seat belt anchors must be at a certain height above the shoulder which is difficult to achieve in an open top roadster. There are plenty more rules like this and a lot of them come down to how fussy your engineer is.

As Ledge mentioned the car has to meet all of the current Australian design rules and this includes emissions. This does limit your engine choices somewhat. You can get an older motor registered proving you can prove that it meets the current emissions requirements. Making an older motor meet the current reggs is very difficult and the testing is very expensive so this is an option very seldom used. Most people prove they meet the current emissions by using a motor, emissions equipment and electronics from a car already known to meet the requirements.

As Boxhead infered most Cobras are built legal for rego and then tweaked after the fact. But the same could be said for many cars on the road. How many 4x4s would pass the requirements for pedestrian protection and crash safety once they have been fitted out to go bush?

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

Registration in Victoria is about $530 per year but this can vary depending on hao close to a big city you are. It's cheaper to register in the country because the 3rd party personal injury insurance premium built into the rego is cheaper.

Thankfully in Victoria there is no anual inspection it only needs to be checked on change of ownership. However you can be pulled over and deemed unroadworthy by the police or Vic roads and then you have to get your vehicle re-inspected.

Cheers

[newmexico]

Thanks for the education.

[Bathrone]

I dont agree with the idea of modifying it after getting rego. Ok some mods you can get away with because its hard to test them afterwards (emissions) but you have the problem of driving an unroadworthy vehicle if you get slapped with a yellow canary or worse, a red sticker.

If you have an accident while driving an unroadworthy vehicle, especially an accident involving damage to persons and property it will get pretty ugly.

Cobra's arent all that ballistic anyway - what would be typical mods that arent compliant? Sidepipes? I dont think the quick pit jack point things are needed on a street car.

This is one of the main reasons why Im completing and selling of my Mazda RX7 project - the liability.

Also engineering for 1.5k could be pretty cheap depending upon the nature of what needs certification - some have paid double that on project cars Ive seen.

[boxhead]

The main modifications after passing inspection are,
1 fit working side pipes.
2 remove all black tape from bezels, windscreen frame etc
3 fit spinners to rims (classic revival atleast)
4 lowering suspension
5 fit harness style seat belts
6 change intake system, air filter box and throttle body/manifold
7 fit modified engine and software to ecu
I am sure there are more things but just cant think of them right now.