That's another thing I have heard of happening here. They are slowly re-wording things around repairs to add in bits about wear and repairs having to meet manufacturers specifications or be within acceptable tolerances. So something like wear in king pins could start becoming a problem in the future. Where is it written down what's acceptable? What are the factory specs? I haven't seen an example of that yet but people say it's coming.
One I do know people have been failed for in the past is end float in front wheel bearings on some cars. Modern inspectors don't seem to know it needs to be there in some cases. There have always been exemptions for older cars but these are getting fewer and fewer as they march towards getting 'old' cars off the road. From March last year for example all cars imported into NZ, new and used, now need to have ESC to be allowed in. Good for the general fleet, making cars for the unwashed masses safer and all that but as the fleet gets more modern and the number of 'old' cars gets smaller and smaller it'll get harder for us with vintage/classics to keep them going.
It seems other car groups in NZ are also starting to see issues. This was a piece by the SIV group (special interest vehicles): https://www.sivanz.co.nz/sivanzarmageddon/
And even the hot rodders, who the car constructor manual was written for, are starting to have issues it seems. Supposedly we now have outlaw hot rodders about the place not bothering to have their cars certified but still driving them on the roads illegally. That won't end well.
Also interesting is that the LVVTA (the low volume inspectors) always used to be separate from NZTA (Waka Kotahi - the crown entity in charge of land transport in NZ) but last year they signed a 'contract for services' between each other, i.e. the LVVTA people now get money from NZTA. They say that means LVVTA can keep their costs down since previously it was funded only by the fees they charged which is probably a good thing but I can't help wondering what the long term unintended (the cynic in me is saying intended) consequences of this could be too.
It's also important to note that a lot (most?) of the 40 or so certifiers are themselves in the business of modifying cars. So you do hear stories of cars being taken in for inspections and the owners finding out there is a lot of work needed to be done on them. They also get to choose what work they take on which is causing some people issues in finding someone who will even inspect their cars. Also not all certifiers certify the same things. I rang the LVVTA and for a special body there are two in Wellington. One is in Levin and one in Carterton (neither actually being in Wellington). The Levin chap I already spoke to and he didn't seem interested in vintage cars at all. He told me the vintage car people made it harder for the hot rodders. He's about 25km away. The Carterton guy is 120km away. I suppose he's the next one to try assuming I even get the letter from NZTA saying I am allowed to.
To steal that Niemöller quote, 'First they came for the special builders.....'
Simon
One I do know people have been failed for in the past is end float in front wheel bearings on some cars. Modern inspectors don't seem to know it needs to be there in some cases. There have always been exemptions for older cars but these are getting fewer and fewer as they march towards getting 'old' cars off the road. From March last year for example all cars imported into NZ, new and used, now need to have ESC to be allowed in. Good for the general fleet, making cars for the unwashed masses safer and all that but as the fleet gets more modern and the number of 'old' cars gets smaller and smaller it'll get harder for us with vintage/classics to keep them going.
It seems other car groups in NZ are also starting to see issues. This was a piece by the SIV group (special interest vehicles): https://www.sivanz.co.nz/sivanzarmageddon/
And even the hot rodders, who the car constructor manual was written for, are starting to have issues it seems. Supposedly we now have outlaw hot rodders about the place not bothering to have their cars certified but still driving them on the roads illegally. That won't end well.
Also interesting is that the LVVTA (the low volume inspectors) always used to be separate from NZTA (Waka Kotahi - the crown entity in charge of land transport in NZ) but last year they signed a 'contract for services' between each other, i.e. the LVVTA people now get money from NZTA. They say that means LVVTA can keep their costs down since previously it was funded only by the fees they charged which is probably a good thing but I can't help wondering what the long term unintended (the cynic in me is saying intended) consequences of this could be too.
It's also important to note that a lot (most?) of the 40 or so certifiers are themselves in the business of modifying cars. So you do hear stories of cars being taken in for inspections and the owners finding out there is a lot of work needed to be done on them. They also get to choose what work they take on which is causing some people issues in finding someone who will even inspect their cars. Also not all certifiers certify the same things. I rang the LVVTA and for a special body there are two in Wellington. One is in Levin and one in Carterton (neither actually being in Wellington). The Levin chap I already spoke to and he didn't seem interested in vintage cars at all. He told me the vintage car people made it harder for the hot rodders. He's about 25km away. The Carterton guy is 120km away. I suppose he's the next one to try assuming I even get the letter from NZTA saying I am allowed to.
To steal that Niemöller quote, 'First they came for the special builders.....'
Simon