FE-FC Sedans "Real Weight"

[Moon]

Hi all,
I was talking with a couple of VASS approved engineers the other day, about what is actually allowed these days, engine size wise. The first guy pointed me in the direction of, & to check out the "Vehicle Standards Bulletin 14 (VSB14)". Reading through there, I saw the table that is used to calculate engine size allowable, & it says;

All vehicles originally weighing between 800kg and 1100kg / original mass x 4.0 = max.capacity in cc.
All vehicles originally weighing more than 1100kg / original mass x 5.0 = max.capacity in cc.

Now from everything I have come across both online & manuals & such, the FE-FC comes in around the 1080kg mark, which makes it apply to the rule of between 800kg & 1100kg, which if I'm wanting to fit a 5lt, it wouldn't be allowed.

But after speaking to the second engineer, while talking to him, he was looking online at FE's & FC's just so he was clear on which model I was talking about, & also spoke of the same formula as to working out engine capacity, he then said he had done work on a FC before where a 350 chev had been fitted, & looked at his records on it. He then told me that, although that car had fallen into between the 800kg - 1100kg, he said those figures were basicly only "Rough Estimates & Not Exact Figures!" What he did was, he got someone with a complete original driving FC & had them put it over a weighbridge, which gave him a weight of 1140kg. So from that he was able to apply the second rule of weighing more than 1100kg / orig. mass x5, which meant he could approve the 350.

So what I am REALLLLLLY hoping for, is if someone who has a driving stocker out there, could get or has a "REAL" weight from a weighbridge, & to let me know what it exactly is? I'm guessing there would be slight variations in weight from car to car, depending on things like tyres, rims or even spare wheels & jacks in car maybe. But I would love to see or hear from a few people to see how much of a varying weight there really is between stock vehicles & to see if they are closer to the 1140 kg mark. As it stands at the moment, I'm liking what this second engineer is saying to me & will probably go with him  .
Cheers all,
Moon.

[VAN059]

Moon,

I'm in the same boat, and am about to send my engineer a wish list to see what I can get "approved in principle".

I have read the same VSB14 and have noted - For certification purposes under Codes LA1, LA2, LA3 and LA4, the recommended maximum capacity (swept volume) of engines for passenger cars and passenger car derivatives is outlined in Table LA1 below.

I want to run a LS1 in my van, so I'm hoping to utilise the next paragraph in getting my engineer to pass it - Table LA1 does not apply to commercial (ADR Category NA and NB1) or four wheel drive off-road (ADR category MC) type vehicles such as commercial vans, light trucks, small buses, etc. for which there are no set recommended limits. 

Keep us informed with how you go.

Cheers
Marc

[ardiesse]

Moon,

When I got my Standard sedan blue-slipped, the vehicle weights listed in the shop manual were not considered "authoritative", so I had to take my car over a weighbridge.

1050 kg.

Rob

[MalFE]

The official weights (pre metric) for NSW registration were,

All FE & FC sedans 20.5 to 21cwts depending on the model.
FE & FC wagons 22cwts.
FE & FC panel vans 21cwts.
FE & FC utes 20.5 cwts.

Mal.

[Harv]

I hit a similar problem with my EK ute, which I registered on Monday. NSW RMS holds a list of official "weights" (Tare? Gross? Supposed to be GVM but who knows) that they use for rego... they would not accept any other numbers. They even had a correction for a towbar being fitted. The number was pretty high though - 1600-odd kg for a ute - workshop manual says 1139kg kerb weight. Might pay to check to see if the rego authority has an "official weight" for an FE/FC sedan... the extra 1/2 tonne would make a decent V8 doable.

Cheers,
Harv

[Keith H]

Hi mate
100% original with jack, handle, wheel brace and 1/2 tank fuel.
On certified bridge was 1090kg.
Cheers
Keith

[Keith H]

Forgot to add
1959 special sedan
Cheers

[Moon]

Thanks for the feedback everyone & thank you Keith for that last number, I was thinking a real number would be somewhere around that area. So Long as the engineer I spoke to, thinks I can get a 304 5Lt into the FE, I guess I'm just gunna go with "his weights" & advice to accomplish the build. If he's willing & able to sign it off, then so be it.