SA Historic Modified Club Rego

[Hobbo]

Hi Everyone, I am Not a SA Car Club Member at the moment but want to know if is possible to register my Modified FE on Historic Rego if I was a financial Club Member in SA ? I heard on the Grapevine that they were relaxing the rules in this area ? I have been a financial member of the Chrysler Restorers Club SA inc. for 12 yrs until I sold my Vintage Desoto thus didn't renew my membership. My FE has usual HR Ball Joint Disc Brakes, Red Motor, Std. HR Disc Type Steel Rims 165x13 Tyres, Std. Seats, Gearbox is Std. with No Floor Mods or Chassic Mods. My FE has had SA normal seasonal rego in my name. Hobbo

[Stewy]

Short answer NO ! 

Stinky is trying hard to get a modified reg. scheme happening.

Historic Reg. is very restrictive in that in FE/FC, grey motor, king pin front end and standard rims only. Any modifications risks the clubs ability to

use the scheme.

Cheers Stewy   

[Hobbo]

Thanks Stewy, I bought my FE stock standard but it would have cost a Bomb to rebuild the Grey motor, King Pin Front End and Brakes, plus still drive very ordinary. It drives, steers, stops and rides very safely now. I think they should allow some safety mods and replacement engines if they are not easily avail or too costly. Looks like I'll be putting full reg back on her soon. I would like to join the club but have been too slack to go to a meeting, I live in Surrey Downs TTG area.

[hsv-001]

I am from Qld and know nothing of your rego rules in SA . But I can understand your frustration . Many years ago I attended what was the first All Holden Day in Brisbane , I was working for the largest holden dealership in Qld and was invited to bring my old FE along . On arrival was told I was to nominate a class to enter the car in ,original or modified . I said survivor as she had non standard equipment, things that were changed out of necessity , the diff ratio as original tyre profile was not available , extractors, rear venetian was cut down from an old ford, rear parcel shelf was carpeted with a vinyl skirt to cover the top of the back seat to stop sun damage etc. The front seat was a EK seat that had been upholstered as a FE so it had steel ends rather than the plastic FE FC end that crack and bite you on the scrotum, the floor was carpet not original . Anyway I was asked to help with the judging but soon realised the problem was that if a car was a real survivor there would be modifications that would be necessary to keep it on the road . I would suggest a public debate with the people making these rules to expose just how little they know about these vehicles.[of course this is coming from a guy who disputed the judges choice at the most recent all GM day because the headlight wires on the junction blocks on a FE were in the wrong order ] My only advice is keep fighting.CHEERS

[Glen]

I had My FC on historic rego through a recognised car club in SA until this year. The rules have just changed. Before it was up to the club inspector to decide the vehicles eligibility for historic rego and my car is like yours with HR front red motor etc. When it first got inspected about 10 years ago it was pointed out it was supposed to be stock. I argued that every supposedly stock vehicle in the club had at least one small modification and my car was all genuine Holden parts over 30 years old. That was excepted and club rego granted which was a bit of a waste of money as I only drove it 4 or 5 times during that period. End of last year I got a letter from the club saying that now the owner had to do a statutory declaration that the vehicle is stock and a penalty applies if it found not to be. In other words the onus is now on the owner and not the club. Its a pain in the arse at any rate and your better off putting it on seasonal rego every now and then in 3 month periods.

What annoys me is the hot rod guys can build a car out of brand new components with not one single stock part and get historic rego. Like I said even so called stock standard cars will have at least a bolt not original so where do you draw the line. Whether the puritans like it or not the "hot Holden" from the 50's to the 80's is a big part of Australian motoring history.   

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

I partially agree Glen, but from your description the Club that passed your car in the first place was definitely in the wrong. It has always been factory stock except for some very minor allowances like Chryslers and their cast exhaust manifolds.
The Hot-Rodders seemed to get a sweet deal, but from my info they are very reluctant to pass it on to members (happy to be corrected).
I have been battling on behalf of SMASA and their Affiliated Clubs to get Conditional Rego for modified cars for a few years now, the problem is support, or the lack of it. I hear a lot of whining from Clubs and others but when I asked for support (signing a petition or filling a survey) everyone seemed to run for the Hills!

Conditional Rego will always be a better value for money option, paying for 90 days rego to use over a calendar year instead of paying for a 90 day block of rego.
It's not cheap rego for enthusiast vehicles, it's fair rego. 

[Glen]

You are correct Stinky, The club acknowledges they had non-compliant vehicles probably to boost membership which was highly successful. The change of rules I referred to is the requirement of the stat dec.They use a different inspection regime now, My brother is on the committee as he has Rods as well as an EH with XU1 spec.

I believe the problem is that Transport SA still has many 30+ year old vehicles on full rego and do not wish to lose the revenue if they were to go to historic, Plus the more cars on historic the more difficult it becomes to manage with log books etc. They don't realise that very few of these cars are used as daily drives, and to be frank why would they care.

One particular club official took issue with the level of modification to my car when I registered it historic, and when I looked under the bonnet of his so called "original" Drophead Jag coupe it had a BXUV-2 carb on it instead of the original SU. I called him out as a hypocrite, pointing out that at least my car had the correct carburettor, just more of them.

The point I'm making is that if its got to be original its got to be bolt perfect, and very few are. The modifications we do make them a much safer vehicle. There's quite a few blokes over Port Lincoln way who would be pro-active in Lobbying for change, very difficult to band everyone together as you pointed out.

Edit. Quite a few PEOPLE over Port Lincoln way. Forgot the wife's got her VB Commodore on historic rego. Its compliant. my FC's not.

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Having personally met with officials from the Premier's Department and DPTI only a couple of weeks ago, their concerns are that only enthusiasts are using the scheme and not "Mum and Dad" daily drivers so in a round-about way it is about revenue.
There is about 23,000 pre 1979 cars on full rego (from memory).
There has been some good support from the West Coast, I met with the local Liberal Member a couple of months ago.

[Glen]

Thanks for the info stinky. I'll be de-mothballing my car soon so my interest will escalate then. let us know how we can lend support.

[RET]

For what it's worth, in NSW the rules are very clear that Club Plates are only for stock vehicles, and only "period modifications" are permitted. That sounds like a pretty grey area (if you'll pardon the pun), but it doesn't have to be.

Our club operates on the rule that an acceptable period modification is one that was advertised in contemporaneous motoring magazines. In other words, twin carbs and headers would be acceptable on the basis that Kleinig and Myers equipment for grey motors were advertised in Modern Motor, Wheels etc of the late 50s. Disc brakes or bucket seats obviously do not qualify.

Thankfully, there are also moves afoot in NSW to introduce a limited use scheme for modified vehicles.

cheers
RET

[FC_Driver]

Hi Ret
Would it be possible that a voucher system...say 90 days per year is being concidered for all vintage, classic and  moderfied vehicles........This would suit us and other country members  who live quite a way from some of the club activities.........(However I must add that in our case there has been plenty of activities south of Sydney for both Jan & I to attend).
Cheers   Bruce & Jan

[RET]

Bruce,

It will be a cold day in hell before the CMC agree to the 90 day permit system. It has been discussed there numerous times and comprehensively voted against. With no other bodies engaging with the RMS on this topic, it ain't gonna happen. (However, the mooted modified scheme might work differently, that's the work of the ACMC, a different body, that includes modifieds, 4x4s and other groups. Still an umbrella organisation for car clubs though.)

To be honest I'm really surprised that Victoria have introduced this 90 day system, having had the opportunity to see the South Australian experience with it.

The main problem (and to be fair, this is definitely exacerbated by the SA Rego system where regular roadworthiness inspections are not required) is that people join car clubs, get their 90 day permit, and are never seen again. A lot of clubs hate it. By comparison, the Queensland system bypasses the clubs completely (as I understand it), and is a limited-use registration arrangement between the owner and the DOT. Whether that person belongs to/participates in a club is their own affair.

In my professional capacity selling the OurCarClub software, I've had some international clients figuratively roll their eyes at the whole Daybook/CRS system we have here when I describe it, but I'm firmly convinced it strikes a good balance between limited use, club benefit and highly economical registration/road tax/insurance. Of course, if I wasn't involved in a car club, and was an independent enthusiast with a rarely driven car, perhaps I'd have a different perspective.

Sorry Glenn, we've gone off on a bit of a tangent with your topic :-/

cheers
RET

[FC_Driver]

Hi Ret
Thanks.....That answers my question, sorry Glenn..
Cheers Bruce and Jan

[customFC]

In my personal experience I think the current system sucks in NSW. I say this as a modified car owner who isn't catered for in any way. The 90 day scheme seems to make so much sense, yet the bofins vote against it. My personal ride is modified, but the newest piece used in the mods is from a HQ, the 202 red. So the parts used on my car are 40 years old or more. I could register a HQ on club plates no problem. The mods are engineered and she passes inspection yearly. I like the Qld idea where we don't have to deal with politicians, just bureaucrats.
Regards
Alex

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Frustrated Alex? How about last year's decision by the SA Government to allow eligible pre '48 "Street Rods" onto our Historic Rego Scheme.
It has since been renamed to the Conditional Registration Scheme, I guess someone saw the problem there at least 
Technically, you could build a "Street Rod" with parts less than a year old and get it Conditionally Registered. I some ways I agree with this though as it supports the enthusiasts who will only be using these cars on the odd weekend, I am dead against the discrimination of all the other modified cars (inc pre '48 non "Street Rods").

[RET]

Alex,

I don't disagree with you that the current system is pretty exclusive, and I'm pleased to see there is a conversation happening at long last with the RMS about a limited use scheme for modified vehicles. We've all griped about its lack of existence for longer than we've participated in the CRS scheme, but the biggest problem has always been the lack of a focused umbrella organisation catering to owners of such vehicles. The CMC have done the legwork to make the CRS scheme happen, and it suits their purposes. But until the ACMC herded together the disparate street machiner, 4x4, customiser, and automotive industry groups together for a common voice, nothing was likely to happen.

From what I've heard, there is progress in the talks between the ACMC and the RMS.

cheers
RET

[Glen]

No apologies necessary at all thanks RET, Bruce and Jan. Its all good discussion. Its Hobbo's. thread anyhow.