My thoughts on LEGAL Turbo engineering (NSW BASED)

[Sean]

Hi All, lots of confusion on this topic lately, so I thoguht I'd post up what I have PM'd to a few people in the past.

This is not the be all and end all but my ideas.

[Sean]

Hey

just wondering if you car is emissioned tested and all that to legal road registration.
if so.. how you go about getting it done? I haven't found one person that has got a legal one on the road yet.

Hey mate, mine's 100% legal and engineered (when I run an airbox), but I'm in NSW.

I often run it without the airbox and just have a pod filter - this is not legal here, but when we work on it it's a bugger to do anything with the airbox and related piping fitted, so a lot of the time it's not there.

I can give you all the details for NSW but I'm not sure if they are relevant to your state?

In NSW, you can go a few ways:
1- AVO kit is pre approved (AVO have had the kit tested, but only the stage 1 kit) But AVO will only give you the certification if you buy a new kit from them and pay to have it fitted by them or one of thier registered resellers (a rort in my opinion if supplied and home fitted it should still be complied).

2- Do a complete engine swap - Like an SR20 etc. In NSW you need to fit an engine that is equal in age or newer than the original original engine and also fits into specific capacity criterea (but yes an SR20 is legal ) A 13BT is not currently legal here in NSW.

3- Custom kit where you do everything yourself and keep all of the factory ECU and emissions gear- Doesn't require emissions test if your engineer will sign off as it running all stock gear. A lot of cars down here are engineered this way, and then have aftermarket ECUs fitted, so technically they are not legal, but the cops/RTA need to know and prove it.

4- Custom kit with aftermarket ECU/modified emissions gear. This is the Mac Daddy of modification and engineering. Basically you you use the stock engine (or a newer one) as a base and go crazy modifying it, changing anythign you want, adding turbo etc, aftermarket ECU, big injectors and anything else you might want to do. The downside of this option is that you DO require emissions testing, the upside is that if you can get it to pass, she's legal pretty much forever - The best way to go in my opinion.

My car is reasonably tame in the engine department, but does run a medium sized turbo, and aftermarket ECU and fuel system. It's got Suspension mods, a bigger diff, custom shafting, brakes, front mount etc etc.

It's all above board and emissions legal at the time of engineering.

I'll write another PM shortly about teh process here in NSWfor a full emissions test/engineering.

[Sean]

OK, so in NSW we have the Police and the RTA (roads and traffic authority) who are the two lots of people who are responsible for defecting modified/illegal vehicles.

Basically the RTA are the technical experts and handle rego etc, and the police are the ones who largely enforce it.

The police can issue an on the spot \"Defect Vehicle\" notice/fine for anything that they think is clearly illegal. This includes mods that are not engineered (even if they could be legally engineereed).

A Defective vehicle notice means you have to take the car to an authorised inspection station to get it checked and they will then clear teh notice (costs $30odd bucks for the check and $70 per mod for the fine). The inspection stations work to a standard set by the RTA and are not meant to pass your car/clear the notice until the car is returned to standard - the big thing down here is to get a mate in the business and have him pass your car without really checking it - very common - very illegal.

Anyway, to do it legally.

1 - Find an enginner who is approved by the RTA.
2 - Call the engineer and or meet with him to discuss what you want to do, he will give you an idea of what he thinks the car needs to comply with the relevant standards and laws, this might include bigger brakes etc.
3 - Have the engineer inspect the car during the build process. For a simple turbo addition like the AVO kit most engineers will hapilly just inspect it once it's all finished, and a lot of guys will call the engineer and say, I've fitted XYZ kit to my car, will you enginner it, a lot of the time the engineer will accept minor mods that don't really effect the car and pass it with only an inspection on the finished product - But it's safest to check beforehand, My car was inspected by the engineer 3 times during the build.

4 - Once the engineer is happy, you book an emissions test with the RTA (there are only 2 sites in NSW that do this) It costs stuff all (a minor booking fee) and is known as the IM240 In service test. I understand the equivalent test in SA costs a few grand.

In the test they run your car on a rolling road (dyno) and check emissions. Then at the end they give you a print out which you take to your engineer. The engineer checks your emissions results to see if they meet the relevant standards -If they do, it's all smooth sailing from here, if not, your tuner may need to do some more work.

5 - EMissions passed you need to get a noise emissions test ($50 at most reputable exhaust shops) again give this to your engineer and he makes sure the car is below the legal noise limits.

6 - Now you're past emissions and noises and close to being legal.

7 -Take the car to a weighbridge and have it weighed and get an official printout of the weight with the car's chasis number on it. Again take this to the engineer.

8 - The engineer assessess all of the paperworrk for emissions, weight and noise and if they are all acceptable and he is happy with the overall safety and legality of modifications he will write you a certificate of modification (engineers certificate). The certificate is your get out of gaol free card and lists what you have modified in great detail and also has copies of all the relevant tests attached to teh back of it (mins close to 20 pages long).

9 - Take the car and the engineers certificate to a registeted RTA inspection station that can do blue slips (about 1/4 of RTA inspections stations are allowed to do this type of slip).
They will inspect the mods and car in general to basically make sure what the engineer wrote is accurate and reflects the car's real modifications. (Cost is about $55)

Once they have confirmed the certificate is accurate they give you an RTA blue slip - You're almost home free now!

10 - Go to the RTA office with your rego papers, engineers certificate, Blue slip, weighbridge, emissions and exhaust noise results.
Ask the kind lady or gent behind the counter to kindly alter thier records accordingly. (and at no cost!)

[Sean]

Just considered something else I thought was REALLY REEALL REALLY important.

I see a few people saying, ah stuff it, just do this or that, who cares if it's legal.

I used to think like that in the start, but changed my mind fairly quickly.

Problem is if the car isnt done legally and you are involved in an accidnet you are up poo-poo creek in a massive way.

Medical bills are not cheap, the car you run into is not cheap, and I'd hate to be bankrupted and have to live with the knowledge my car and me were the reason for somone being seriously injured or I had ruined a $200,00 mercedes and that my insurance was voided and won't cover it.

[SpeedRacer]

Thanks for the useful information.

Certainly is a lot of effort (and $$$ no doubt) to get it done legally! Would be worth it in the end though

AVO kit sorta sounds like a little less of a rort if you can avoid all the inspections.

[The Pupat]

Jeez emissions testing is cheap in NSW. I remember hearing it was crazy dollars in SA and I don't even know if you can get it down in QLD.

You would think if they made it a fair simple process like that Nation wide more people would do the right thing.

[Sean]

Thanks for the useful information.

Certainly is a lot of effort (and $$$ no doubt) to get it done legally! Would be worth it in the end though

AVO kit sorta sounds like a little less of a rort if you can avoid all the inspections.

It's more time than money, and IIRC the AVO kit is passed with stock exhuast

[bjones]

Sean

This one of the best posts in a long time well done mate.

See all those years me saying get it engineered finally sunk in....Now we have to work on your sense of direction, or have you bought yourself a navman...

BJ

[Sean]

Sean

This one of the best posts in a long time well done mate.

See all those years me saying get it engineered finally sunk in....Now we have to work on your sense of direction, or have you bought yourself a navman...

BJ

Yeah TomTom is a good mate these days

[whitena6 II]

Great write-up Sean, I'm looking at going down the turbocharged route with an na6 and this really demystifies the whole engineer's certificate aspect to it. thanks!

[dave2221]

Save money

Buy a SE or SP

Profit.

[PaulF]

Save money

Buy a SE or SP

Profit.

Forgive me if this is naive, but wouldn't you then have to go through much the same thing if you did any work to the SE/SP?

[dave2221]

not necessarily

If your comparing a AVO turbo kit to a SE/SP

then basically your buying the street legal ready made product.


As for engineering exhausts ect, i am not sure how far those sorts of things go, but i would figure half would fall under "minor modifications" which in NSW do not require an engineers certificate.

So... as long as your modifications fall within the relevant ADR's after your done, you can do exhaust, air intake (as long as its enclosed), recurculated BOV, and intercooler to a SE without an engineer. This shuold keep it within the emissions level/exhaust noise limit.

My point more is..... for the same money as it would bring a NON-TURBO MX5 up to a SE spec (gearbox, suspension, LSD and Engine) LEGALLY with engineering, it would probably be cheaper to start with the SE.....

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_06_-_guidelines_for_light_vehicle_modifications_nov_2007.pdf

[MY91MX]

Great write up.

I just got an emission test on my car from the rta testing centre in penrith. They no longer charge a booking fee. It completely free

[dave2221]

update

I have emailed the technical department of my query on upgrading exhaust, intercooler and air induction on a turbo car, and the requirement of an engineer (assuming all ADR's are met)

When i get a response ill post it up.