puzzigully
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 02:02 AM |
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A bit of History please?
Hi guys,
here in OZ, we have a Government hell-bent on destroying our fledgling kit car industry.
I know you guys went through something similar a while ago, but somehow you banded together to put forward or got introduced the SVA, which now is the
IVA.
Over here, they are expecting kit cars to meet full volume manufacturer requirements - this includes Stability Control, crash testing, ABS - and the
list goes on.
Obviously most of this is impossible - but that's what they want.
Currently we are begging for exemptions, but it cannot continue.
We need a National set of rules similar to your IVA's.
Somehow saner heads prevailed over there in the UK, and I was interested in contacting someone who was involved in the process so that we may be able
to use a similar approach.
Any help greatly appreciated!!
Russell
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keithice
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 02:55 AM |
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I am probably wrong,(someone will be along to tell us why soon), but I believe the kit car scene started with "specials" in the fifties
and early sixties. these were re-bodied cars to make them lighter/faster in a britain that was still under rationing.... the sixties saw the arrival
of dune buggies and variations on that theme that eventually developed into a kit car scene with magazines, clubs and racing.... that meant that when
they talked about regulation, led by the EU... there were enough people screaming that the government listened... the problem in Oz is, I would
think, a lack of numbers to do the screaming... not sure if this has been any help.. 
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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puzzigully
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 03:31 AM |
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Any input is most welcome - thanks!
You are right, we do not have the numbers that exist in the UK.
However, we can use the same arguments...
The kit car industry DOES provide employment for people in the Automotive industry (exhaust, parts suppliers, tyres, oil, electrical, paint etc
etc)
Usually Governments listen to job creation industries AND Job losses caused by stupid legislation...
We need the correct approach, we are getting organised and I'm charged with the best approach. So i'm hoping to learn from your
experiences.
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keithice
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 06:26 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by puzzigully
Any input is most welcome - thanks!
You are right, we do not have the numbers that exist in the UK.
However, we can use the same arguments...
The kit car industry DOES provide employment for people in the Automotive industry (exhaust, parts suppliers, tyres, oil, electrical, paint etc
etc)
Usually Governments listen to job creation industries AND Job losses caused by stupid legislation...
We need the correct approach, we are getting organised and I'm charged with the best approach. So i'm hoping to learn from your
experiences.
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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keithice
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 06:30 AM |
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I believe the magazines got involved but I'm hoping more knowledgable members will be along soon....
where in Oz are you based...
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 07:49 AM |
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The worlds best country and the idiots go an ******* it up with stupid health and safety ideas and stupid rooles.
probably makes ZIMBABWE the freedom capital for kit cars in the world
[Edited on 6-7-11 by mangogrooveworkshop]
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russbost
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 07:59 AM |
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There was certainly lobbying over here from the kit car mags - & I'm sure that having some relatively large (by kitcar standards) &
relatively wealthy firms such as Caterham, Westfield, Ultima etc who would also have been lobbying & getting their MP's to pose questions on
their behalf would have made a substantial difference.
If you can show that removing the industry costs X no. of jobs governments are far more likely to listen - if you don't have a "home
grown" industry then removing it simply means less imports which unfortunately the govenment are not likely to be bothered about!
I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator
headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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dhutch
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 08:35 AM |
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Would any of the UK mags be interested in putting some weight behind it? Or atleast running an artical to rasied awareness?
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snapper
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 09:07 AM |
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Also look at this site and talk to these people
http://www.the-ace.org.uk/
They are more into the regulations than we are
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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Dick Axtell
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 09:45 AM |
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Independent Auto Builders
Way back in the late 19th/early 20th century, the majority of vehicle builders were all enthusiastic amateurs, or semi-pro. Over time a whole host of
these guys fell by the wayside, leaving those who progressed towards a more professional set-up. In recent years, I thought that this process might
have been reversed, in the UK.
As has been observed above, the Eurocrats felt obliged to justify their exhorbitant pay packets, and urged the UK govt to institute some form of
regulatory control, for small scale auto builders. Which is not necessarily a Bad Thing (see Sellar and Yeatman "1066 and All That" , as
it encourages more acceptable product standards. Hopefully!
As to your request for support against blanket regs imposition, why not seek dialogue with the guys at http://www.lvvta.org.nz/. They may
have been thru something similar; check out that Hobby Car section. It might prove useful.
More of use will be the "About Us - LVVTA History". This records the way in which hobbyists got themselves organised, to represent their
interests to their Govt.
[Edited on 7/7/11 by Dick Axtell]
Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!
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puzzigully
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| posted on 6/7/11 at 11:00 PM |
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Guys,
thanks for the input, some good links there..
I've tried to contact the UK magazines, but no response as yet...
We don't have the Caterhams/Westfields over here - any of the local "manufacturers" sell less than 5-10% of what the big guys do
over there in the UK.
We used to have 3-4 main Oz-based manufacturers, with a couple of other "back yarders", now we only have 1 locally manufactured
product.
In terms of clubmans, Caterham have a rep, but they would be lucky to sell 1 or 2 a year. Birkin get imported as do Westfield and they probably sell
3-4 a year now.
In the mid 80's we were selling 50 kits per year, now we are lucky to get to double digits!
All because of the ridiculous rules imposed by Government bodies!
The Cobra and GT40 guys are in the same situation.
I'm sure that form where you guys came from, the SVA/IVA seem pretty tough - to us, they are a godsend and we'd take them in a
heartbeat!!!
I'm really trying to find who was behind the lobbying and what arguments they used to bring about the SVA/IVA rules.
I'm sure there was some presentation put forward, I'd love to be able to take a look.
Once again, thanks for the help, much appreciated
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