What is the situation re locosts and building your own car in New Zealand?
I might be going over there for a few years, and I would like to build one while I am over there.
The situation here in Australia is too difficult and expensive for me at the moment, with a post '97 engine being required at the moment.
Are you allowed to use any engine so long as it passes the rego emmisions check? What about engineer's reports? Chassis strength tests?
Anyone in New Zealand out there?

I think Westfield have an agent in Australia - they are likely to know the situation as they've probably been asked this before.

good source of donors out there, last time I was in NZ (last christmas) there were more cortina's than you could shake a stick at. hmmm, might have to go back and get some, sell em back here!

if you try the land transport safety authority at http://www.ltsa.govt.nz they should be able to help you out.

there's a couple of kiwi's on here - somewhere, so it must be possible to build one, as to how much it cost's to get registered though..... knowing the nz govn. its probably through the roof

[Edited on 11/10/03 by flyingkiwi]

Can't be any worse than the Australian government! It is crazy!
You can't build a Locost for less than $10,000 here.

bloody government. Mind you it probably cost on average £2000 to make one over here which would make well $7000 odd Kiwi dollars, so yeah it is a lot. Talking nutsack again

I am starting to think the cheapest way out is to get a written off Nissan Micra or something, as nobody wants the engines off those, and use a 120Y for the rest.
I am starting to understand Guy Fawkes.

I have emailed LTSA, and they haven't got back after a couple of weeks!
Maybe I should just get a Japanese hatch instead (only joking of course, that would be a TERRIBLE thing to do. )

Ltsa still haven't got back to me, so I tried a couple of hotrod builders, as they face the same problems.
One of them gave me a link to the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association website http://www.lvvta.org.nz/index.html
The website has heaps of info if anyone from NZ wants to build a car from scratch, and it seems that it is not hard, and there is no requirement for new engines (HOORAY!!!!!) so I am happy now and looking forward to going there.
Thanks to everyone who helped. The LTSA website was intersting, even if they don't reply to email.