Question about modifying older cars & registration

[Big_Jase]

Hi everyone,

I have a general question about buying a second hand car. Below are two extracts from the Canberra Connect website. My query is, if I purchase a 2nd hand vehicle (lets say 2000-2004) and it has ACT plates and it has been modified in someway, my interpretation of the below says that the car will have to go over the pits and therefore everything will have to returned to stock otherwise I will get defected.
If I buy a car from interstate, it will need a roadworthy and identity check but don't need to take it over the pits?
I saw a nice car for under 10K but it had been extensively modified but it was a 2005 model and would never pass the pits!

Am I missing something here? It seems like a headache to buy a second hand run-around car! Can't find anyone else posting about this sort of thing, but am sure other people buy modified cars all the time.

Thanks in advance

Jase

All vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes and more than six years old and all imported vehicles currently registered in the ACT with green or yellow compliance plates need to be inspected to ensure they are roadworthy before the registration transfer can be completed. This can be done at the ****son Motor Registry, or by an authorised examiner in the ACT.

If you acquire, or become the operator of, a vehicle registered interstate, you must establish the vehicle registration in the ACT within one month of the purchase date. An establishment fee and stamp duty is payable. For further information about stamp duty refer to theStamp duty payable upon registration or transfer of a motor vehicle page.
Roadworthy, identity and LPG inspections may be required before a vehicle can be registered in the ACT. Bookings are essential and fees apply. To determine which inspections you require and for information about booking an inspection refer to the Motor vehicle inspections page.

[Sunny43.5]

Here in Qld some modfications are approved by a system of authorised officers who get approval from QLD Transport , any mod that is done and is listed in the appropriate codes then has a modification plate fitted to the car . Interstate can be very different as I found out some years ago . I used to fit sunroofs and there were no approvals needed in QLD but if any of those cars was reregistered in NSW we had to supply a letter from the manufacturer / distributor to say that we had fitted the sunroof to the manufacturers specifications then they were happy . You would need to have the cars original options so anything that might have been changed matches or does not exceed those specs . You could approach an auto engineer who would charge a fee but they would be able to tell you whats legal or not . Some things may pass no worries but others may be too far away from legality .

[jamesatfish]

Any used car more than 6 years old that you want to register in the ACT requires a rego inspection from an authorised inspection station. Doesn't matter if it has current ACT rego, interstate rego or has been sitting in a barn for 40 years - the inspection is the same.

The inspection criteria are about being roadworthy not being factory spec, so if the car has modifications that don't affect roadworthy-ness then you should be fine. For example, an inspection will test the efficiency of the brakes but not if they're the factory spec rotors, and they'll check the height of the car but probably won't care if you have coilovers fitted rather than the factory springs.

You don't need to go to the ACT Government run station in ****son if you don't want to - there are plenty of authorised stations and you'll find their strictness will probably vary from station to station.

[feenix74]

Also, keep in mind that if the vehicle is less than 10 years old and purchased privately (ie not from a licence motor dealer) interstate then you will also need to do a vehicle identity check at the ****son inspection station. You can get your roadworthy done at an authorised inspection station and then just do the vehilce identity check at ****son.

In my limited recent experience (with the 2007 Golf Mk5) the mechanic at the authorised inspection station apologised to me that he had to defect the window tinting as being darker than legal. Reading between the lines I believe he felt he had to do the roadworthy check by the book because the ACT Roads inspectors would effectively be checking his work when the vehicle went to ****son for its vehicle identity check.

[Big_Jase]

Also, keep in mind that if the vehicle is less than 10 years old and purchased privately (ie not from a licence motor dealer) interstate then you will also need to do a vehicle identity check at the ****son inspection station. You can get your roadworthy done at an authorised inspection station and then just do the vehilce identity check at ****son.

In my limited recent experience (with the 2007 Golf Mk5) the mechanic at the authorised inspection station apologised to me that he had to defect the window tinting as being darker than legal. Reading between the lines I believe he felt he had to do the roadworthy check by the book because the ACT Roads inspectors would effectively be checking his work when the vehicle went to ****son for its vehicle identity check.

Thanks for all your help, it is appreciated. So when I start looking for a car and find one I see I could take it to P**ford Racing engines or similar (there is a large list on the ACT Govt website) and get them to do the inspection, pay the stamp duty and ensure I take out insurance on it. I know one or two mechanics who are not listed, but can get them to look over the car before purchasing it.

Now just need to start saving!

[Eaglen00b]

Meanwhile on the other end of the spectrum, in WA every 6th car you see on the road is a ****box on wheels that's about to fall apart.

[ian]

Meanwhile on the other end of the spectrum, in WA every 6th car you see on the road is a ****box on wheels that's about to fall apart.

That sound like. Queensland You can own a car for 20 years and never had an inspection. In nsw it's every year after the car 5 years old.

[feenix74]

Here in Canberra there are no annual roadworthy inspection. Roadworthy inspection only occur on change of ownership or establishment or re-establishment of registration. Although ACT Road Safety Inspectors do random checks (they tend to hang around carparks in the city).