Eu backs down on madness of 'Roadworthiness' change to vehicle testing.
Not sure how many members were aware of this prpsed change, but it would have essentially prohibited an owner of any older vehicle from fitting any non factory spec, manufacture supplied part to their vehicle (including cosmetic changes).
Utter madness, unenforceable and without any logic or merit - but no great suprise given total lunacy of the EU.
Anyway, the good news is that Stephen hammond (Conservative Roads Minister) has negotiated an option for the UK which means that its down to the MOT tester to determine whether the modification is safe.
I won't have to move to New Zealand after all :-)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/9758494/EU-backs-down-over-thre...
Not sure how it is going to affect our members who reside in other EU countries.... I think germany already has something similar in place?
The sooner we are the hell out of the EU, the better!
On a similar note but not EU and perhaps common knowledge to many here, but clearly not me :-) the LR defender is going to become a commercial vehicle only - hence the entirely new version - due to the inability of getting it through the crash test/conformity requirements.
So he's getting a new one - he's a builder so has a 2 seat SWB anyway. I seem to collect a lot of talk on here recently about the defender always having a 3000kg towing capacity so that it can claim commercial status (thread about safe towing).
Anyway like em or not, looks like the 'iconic' defender is about to become a rarer sight new!
Ta
Simon
Not only Germany... but Spain as well. We have mirrored the German TÜV system over here and it is illegal to fit anything to your vehicle that was not there when it left the factory. Examples are: a bullbar, towing pin, a snorkel, a winch, tyres taller in 3% than those factory fitted, even modified bumpers! The stupidity is such that I considered converting my rear drum brakes into discs and I will not do it because I refuse to pay a registered engineer to charge me € 180 for the pleasure of giving me a piece of paper stating that the conversion is legal...
That's why I decided to sell by bullbar and that's why I have to remove my snorkel to pass the annual MOT....
Stupid, really.
Does this include roof racks !
My guess is that it would have, yes.
Absolutely.
Anything that protrudes the bodywork does.
Fantastic Pictures :)
Alot of this is due to the CO2 ratings. The vehicle is rated by the factory in a particular spec and the tax is levied accordingly. If you alter the vehicle you are changing the CO2 and thus the tax band.
Some of the guys at work have tried to have a tow bar fitted, by Audi for example, and they have refused because it would allow the vehicle to tow and therefore change the co2. Same thing with a spare tyre and a roof rack. Refusal to fit by manufacturer.
Crazy in the extreme. What about golf clubs in the boot?
Hmm.. I wonder what theyd' think of the OM606 I'm building..
I'm planning to produce a lot of CO2 with that - doubly determined to now that I know that this was the motivation :D
Judging by the 100's of aftermarket modifation firms at this years 4x4 show in Bad Kissingen, the Germans certainly don't appear to worried.
Seems more the case of anti EU "stir the brits up" journalism, possibly the odd mixed up fact as well, just to make it sound good. Always good. And the article refers to historic vehicles, built before 1960. That doesn't mean there aren't some facts in it though, lol ;)
Be honest, when I fist heard this I thought it was just another straight bananna story, and so it seems.
Roly, after mi regained bachelorship I am carrying a box of condoms in the glovebox. Does this count?
I Germany as in Spain you can make as many alterations as you want, provided that you have a certificate of conformity issued by a licensed engineer. In practice they charge you a lot of money for signing on the dotted line and they bear no responsibility whatsoever!
Thank you Gav. You can find many more here: https://picasaweb.google.com/mortinson3
JOIN THE GWOA
This website and forum are provided for the benefit of enthusiasts and owners of all Mercedes Benz off road vehicles, in particular the G Wagen. The costs of development, upkeep and provision of the site are met entirely by the annual subscriptions of club members. If you are using the site and are not a member of the G Wagen Owners Association please consider joining. You will have access to areas on the site that are not open to non members, to club trips and meetings and to technical assistance. In addition your contribution (only £25 annually) will help us maintain and develop our website for future users.
Who's new
- Jaffa_JIM_23
- Wrabstar
- GG
- KTMSCANIA22
- 280ge
It would have taken my vehicle off the road completely.. suspension, body, engine, brakes, fuel system, cooling. wheels, steering, lighting.. all have been upgraded to higher spec parts or systems.
Of course this is the crazy thing about it - often a change is made to achieve a significant improvements to the original manufacturer supplied solution.
Obviously for classic cars where parts are no longer made the problem is even bigger.