ESC mandatory

[WKB]

I was talking to a kit builder yesterday and he believes ESC will have to fitted to ICV's within 5 years.

He also stated that the hot rod rules are being looked at as well.

ESC can be fitted to an ICV now, build a DRB 540 and use a doner falcon fitted with ESC.

Warren

[Classic Revival]

This is indeed a serious matter for all of us as it is a change to the Federal regulations & will impact on all vehicles in all states.
This has been instigated by the Federal Minister of Transport & he has stated that there will be absolutly NO EXCEPTIONS granted to low volume vehicles!
By way of illustration of the problem the ADR requires that the ESC be a computer controlled system that Is capable of applying braking torques individually to all four wheels and is operational over the full speed range of the vehicle, during all phases of driving including acceleration, coasting, and deceleration (including braking). This means ABS and traction control are also required.

The requirement is included in a new braking ADR (31/02) and no exemption is provided for low volume vehicles.

Individually constructed vehicles are currently allowed to be assessed for compliance using alternative procedures and exempted from the occupant protection ADR's (Crash testing) because the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has a scheme that allows low volume production cars to be complied in this way. That is, the state authorities that register ICV's allow the same freedoms allowed low volume cars by relying on the federal system. (This is set out in the Administrator of Vehicle Standards Admin circular 0-2-13, see RVCS website http://rvcs.dotars.gov.au/). This could be readily extended to allow an exemption from the requirement to have ESC fitted for these vehicles.

Somewhat perversely the ADR requires ESC to be fitted and for it to perform in a certain way when tested, it however permits a driver disable function. So it has to be there but the driver can turn it off!

I believe a concerted lobbying effort of the Federal Minister Anthony Albanese is required to request an exemption from the requirement to fit ESC for low volume vehicles.This will then flow through to ICV's.


Anthony Albanese,
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
PO Box 6022
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

It is only with concerted lobbying by a large group of people that will change this.

Ian

[Merv and Sharon]

Very interesting Ian. If fully implemented, this will further remove the Cobra from its classic car roots and 'Cobra-like" will be the only description that could be used for many of cars in the not too distant future. Even more worrying is that this is likely to be only the beginning of such regulations.

This is a fight that we cannot afford not to be engaged in.

Merv

[boxhead]

Ian, thank you as a supplier of a kit for putting your hand up and acknowledging that the suppliers do know of the concerns of current and possable future owners.

I do appologise if my last statement does not make sence as I have had a couple of drinks whilst watching the AFL grand final.

[Baz]

Great to hear from you Ian. I am glad that I may have aroused a little interest and my involvement only goes back to the commencement of this thread, so I must thank Liam (Zedn) also for starting it off.

It is not something that any of us can take lightly and each States Cobra Club should be raising it as an urgent Agenda item ASAP and working on strategies to oppose it.

Kit Car Manufacturers like Ian have an even bigger stake in the situation. They should be lobbying together as a combined unit to place pressure on the decision makers and not only relying on the Cobra enthusiasts to do the hard yards.

The Clubman and non Cobra - GT40 - Daytona manufacturers also have to be advised of the situation and become involved.

Maybe the message could be spread right throughout the Kit Car / ICV Industry by Robert Jacobs and his Australian Kit Car Magazine. I will speak to him on this issue at the Nationals next Sunday.

If we all work together, singing from the same Hymn Book we will get results.

Baz

[Merv and Sharon]

Agreed and yet these are registered! And we worry about wheel arch protrusion. Nice colour though - would look good on a Cobra.

Merv

[Zedn]

Good to see what is becomming of this thread, thanks everyone for getting involved. Especially Classic Revivials.

Do you think it would be worth while organising a partition to be on one of the stands at the nationals next weekend?

I have completely changes my whole build strategy and i am know planning to register a cobra with no bling, in primer with the bare minimum interior. Hopefully i can get it through before the ADR takes effect. I dont want to be the first to fit ESC to jag suspension!

Liam

[Classic Revival]

I must admit that I have not read through ALL the replies on here, so "boxhead" I am not aware of that comment.
The big issue with the ESC is that you will not be able to retrofit an existing system from some donar vehicle like you can with other systems.
If for instance you fitted a Falcon system, it would not function correctly because of the wieght & weight balance being different on the Cobra to the donar Falcon. This would almost be certain on even the 540 with the early Falcon running gear. Under testing of the system ( and it is to be thoughly tested to comply to the ADR ) it would fail.
So, every type of Cobra would need it's own unique system developed fo it. Bosch Aust have quoted an estimate of between 1 & 1.3 mil to develop a system for these vehicles!!! Now that is gong to increase your build cost slightly!
This is why ALL manufacturers & kit builders need to right to the minister to gain an exception. This regulation will effect everone no matter what vehicle they are building, Cobra, GT40, 450, Clubmans etc.

I notice that tere has been some 1800 views on this post - so lets get 1800 letters off to the minister.

Ian

[strida]

Great thread Liam,

Like you I am in the early stage of my build so ADR changes are of a similar concern to me.

Baz gave the NSW club members an insight into some of the problems we face as ICV constructors at a recent club meeting (July I believe).

Although I am enjoying the build process there have been times when I have wondered if I would have been better off buying a completed/NSW registered cobra.

It's a shame this thread didn't pop up a few months earlier, as the Nationals would have been a good time to involve Canberra in the weekend when we will have so many national cars in the one place at that time so that the Federali's could see how much money these cars contribute to the national economy.

Regards,
Dennis

[strida]

Baz,

you have PM.

Dennis

[mcdonald]

The pro,s and con,s on SR rego which my cobra is on and has been for 10 years ask your self when are you going to won,t to drive your car for example to and from the Natianals or other car events to club meeting and club events you can maintain the car by road testing you can drive it to work so you can work on it but .you cann,t take your wife shopping .and a good thing is it is only $100 a year and no Engineers report just a brake test and a noise test and your on the road .

[Baz]

This afternoon, I sent a comprehensive email to Robert Jacobs, Editor of Kustom Kit Car magazine in South Australia. I have asked him to run an article in his great little publication so that ALL Kit Car Manufacturers, not only Cobra people, become aware of this ridiculous ESC Amendment ADR 31/02.

Baz

[Zedn]

Good stuff Baz,

There was actually a comment in the most recent magazine, but from memory it was very little. That is what sparked me to search the net and then start this thread.

Kit Car mag would be a good avenue to use. Any idea of how many readers they have?

I am going to write a letter to the minister in the next couple of days as per Ian's post. I just dont know if it will get read though.

Liam

[Baz]

I received an email back from Robert Jacobs, Editor of Kustom Kit car Magazine and he is running an article on this topic in the next Issue No. 8. Thanks Robert.

Tonight I sent an email to John Staszynski in S.A. requesting information from him in relation to a similar campaign he ran a while back.

I am mid way through drafting Representations to the NSW Shadow Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian. We have a State Election coming up shortly and it would appear that she will be our new Transport Minister, so the time is right.

I will also be writing to the Federal Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese in Canberra requesting an urgent amendment to the ESC ADR 31/02, exempting ICV's, Replica's and Kit Cars.

I urge each reader of this Thread to write to their respective State Transport Ministers requesting the introduction of the new 'Replica Category' for Registration purposes, along with all the exemptions afforded to the Street Rod fraternity. A further letter of Representations should also be sent to the Federal Minister for Transport, Anthony Albabese at the address shown by Ian from Classic Revival in Thread No. 82.

In order to keep us motivated and to provide some measure of participation, please indicate on this thread or send me a PM when you made those Representations and to whom on what date?

Cobra Club Presidents in each State should also organise their Committees to make similar Representations. A record should also be made either on this Thread or by PM to me as to who was contacted and when.

Thanks for your support.

Baz

[Baz]

Rebel 1 supplied me with John Staszynski's email address. I used it to send him and email, but it came back 'undeliverable - address not known'.

Could someone in S.A. send me his new email address by P.M. please.

Baz

[Rebel1]

Baz, Gudonya Mate, I will draft letters tonight as you suggest.

I will inform you when these have been sent as requested.

[Rebel1]

Originally Posted by Baz

Rebel 1 supplied me with John Staszynski's email address. I used it to send him and email, but it came back 'undeliverable - address not known'.

Could someone in S.A. send me his new email address by P.M. please.

Baz

Baz, just double check the address I sent you to the one on the following Snakebite site:

http://www.snakebite.com.au/club_listing.html

Should be the same ... if so John has changed address.

[Zedn]

Here is some more info from Anthony Albanese site.

http://www.anthonyalbanese.com.au/fi...XNW/index.html

"I have now signed into law new regulations requiring this life saving technology to be fitted to all new models of passenger vehicles from November 2011 and all models from November 2013."

So obviously car manufacturers have 2 years to phase it in.

How do we get this thread as a sticky?

The document is here.
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legi...4?OpenDocument

I have just drafted a letter to Anthony Albanese. I am thinking about doing up a partition to take to the nationals on Saturday to get signatures. Is there any one on here with a stand that i might be able to leave it on?

Liam

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Rebel1

Baz, just double check the address I sent you to the one on the following Snakebite site:

http://www.snakebite.com.au/club_listing.html

Should be the same ... if so John has changed address.

Les,

That is the same one that you gave me. I will try and ring him tonight. Thanks for your help.

Baz

Les,

I spoke with John on the phone tonight. Will be catching up with him at the Nationals on Sunday.


You have a PM

Baz

[NASSTY]

Liam, Baz, Les,

Could I suggest that if you guys post a standardised letter on CC, with which all we needed to do was change address details then forward to our state and federal representativies, then I think the takeup of the cause on CC as well as other cobra club members would be greatly increased. Keep up the good work.