Modifying your car now 'illegal'

[thestaggy]

Lol, so my car uses 185/15 tires. They're hard to find and expensive and the guys at Speedy said I should just use 195/15. Does that now mean my car is illegally modded? Same thing with my shocks. Manufacturer uses Gabriel, I've fitted Armstrongs. How now brown cow?

This is a retarded law which I don't see them being able to enforce at all.

No, I doubt that is what they mean.

195s are often a factory-fitted upgrade over 185s, so safe to say the vehicle is designed for that. However, 215s most certainly are not and they would impact on the vehicle in some way.

As for the shocks, that is a silly analogy. It isn't the brand, it is the alteration to the ride height and thus handling characteristics.

 

[Gnarls]

No, I doubt that is what they mean.

195s are often a factory-fitted upgrade over 185s, so safe to say the vehicle is designed for that. However, 215s most certainly are not and they would impact on the vehicle in some way.

As for the shocks, that is a silly analogy. It isn't the brand, it is the alteration to the ride height and thus handling characteristics.

Really? This seems equally daft.

Even seemingly simple modifications, such as wider or larger wheels and tyres, larger exhausts, or any fittings not clearly specified by the car’s manufacturer may now have a motorist running the risk of having a car declared unroadworthy.

The city’s traffic officers have been stopping cars they saw as having been modified and removing their licence disks, forcing the owners to go through a roadworthy process.

Sauce

Seems like a case of guilty until proven innocent.

 

[MrR]

What about "modifications" like xenon lights? Have you seen the difference between halogen and xenon? Major improvement.

What about anti-smash and grab window tint? Clear tint gonna cause problems? Better tell your insurance not to penalise you as it's illegal. I agree that an extremely dark tint could be potentially dangerous, but what about a 35% or lighter?

What about all the after-market Land Rover installations (roof rack/tent, gas bottle holders, jerrycans, winch, grills etc.)? What about bakkies that have their ride height adjusted or fitted with canopies? AndyCab, you going out of business? They sure as hell "break" the bylaws in the context of what they are saying now.

I think there's a lot that can be contested.

Good on the provincial government for realising there's a problem; bad on them for going about it in a stupid way.

 

[thestaggy]

Really? This seems equally daft.

From a technical point, every claim about a car (fuel consumption, performance, crash testing, etc) and indeed its testing is made/done with a specific set of equipment level and specs in mind. If you start drastically changing the equipment and specs you start changing the characteristics of the car itself, and it won't always be for the best.

 

[thestaggy]

What about "modifications" like xenon lights? Have you seen the difference between halogen and xenon? Major improvement.

What about anti-smash and grab window tint? Clear tint gonna cause problems? Better tell your insurance not to penalise you as it's illegal. I agree that an extremely dark tint could be potentially dangerous, but what about a 35% or lighter?

What about all the after-market Land Rover installations (roof rack/tent, gas bottle holders, jerrycans, winch, grills etc.)? What about bakkies that have their ride height adjusted or fitted with canopies? AndyCab, you going out of business? They sure as hell "break" the bylaws in the context of what they are saying now.

I think there's a lot that can be contested.

Good on the provincial government for realising there's a problem; bad on them for going about it in a stupid way.

I think folks should just calm down.

Pretty certain manufacturer options and specs will be taken into account. Additions offered by the manufacturer are tested and known to be compatible with that particular vehicle. Remember, these guys have warranties to uphold and reputations to maintain, so they will avoid putting nonsense on their vehicles that may bite them. If the mods are proven via crash and safety tests to be beneficial, then of course there could be no contest. Aftermarket offerings that fall in line with manufacturer specs may also be acceptable.

Smash and grab tints should already be governed, so nothing changes there except maybe actually enforcing it.

 

[Gnarls]

From a technical point, every claim about a car (fuel consumption, performance, crash testing, etc) and indeed its testing is done with a specific set of equipment level and specs in mind. If you start drastically changing the equipment and specs you start changing the characteristics of the car itself, and it won't always be for the best.

So I assume that all traffic officers will be experts in this regard too?

 

[thestaggy]

So I assume that all traffic officers will be experts in this regard too?

Well that is the problem. Good ideas on paper usually fail when the wrong people try and implement them.

 

[Gnarls]

Well that is the problem. Good ideas on paper usually fail when the wrong people try and implement them.

Agreed which is why I don't think that this has been thoroughly thought through.

 

[thestaggy]

I'm all for a smash and grab tint and a nice set of mags, but if you want to race go build yourself a weekend racer and hit the track on Saturday.

I live on a main road. Friday and Saturday nights sound like the Mineshaft at Kyalami with all the boytjies hammering their modded doof-doof Golfs and Polos up and down.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Yes, but those variations are usually small. 185 for a baseline, 195 for a sport, for example. They are not dumping 215 or 225s on them as an option unless it is a factory-built high performance variant. Spacers. Some folks add wheel spacers to further increase the width of the stance. Jury is still out on the safety of those and they most certainly have a negative impact on turning circles, for one.

Wider tyres and a wider stance also make for a less responsive, ''heavier'' handling car if the steering and suspension is not upgraded accordingly.



I've heard of people getting into trouble with software upgrades as well. Pretty sure a big turbo on your N/A car will ruffle a few feathers as well. Did you upgrade the internals to deal with the added heat and pressure? I think we'll agree to disagree here.



So you are saying manufacturers will fit things as an option not knowing whether it will impact their claimed performance figures and safety standards? Again, manufacturers offer things they know their vehicles can handle or are designed to handle.



Please read what I said again: "Obviously Bilstein don't make nonsense off the shelf products".

Comparing Audi Sport's custom made components and engineering process to Average Joe's custom job using a universal component is not the same thing. Bilstein make good products, but it does not mean it is suitable for Average Joe's car nor does it mean said component has been installed correctly or in an optimal way.



Supaquick operate to factory specs when carrying out alignment using verified equipment. They are not altering your car beyond its tested and guaranteed specs.

I think the point here, is that while there are stupid and frankly illegal modifications that are performed by a few, they are the minority, and tarring the rest of us that perform non-harmful modifications to our vehicles with the same brush as those jokers is unfair.

I'm all for proper policing of poorly maintained or modified vehicles, as road safety is paramount. I think that they are going about it the wrong way by lowering the definition of what defines a transgression to enable them to target an softer group of people, possibly with the aim of making more money.

 

[dlk001]

I presume they are not going to look for mods on commuting cars - but they now have a justification to impound vehicles caught street racing.

and they have justification to solicit bribes from commuting cars with mods. there is a lot of money to be made from this.

 

[Maverick Jester]

and they have justification to solicit bribes from commuting cars with mods. there is a lot of money to be made from this.

Not just bribes, but fines and forcing people to perform multiple roadworthy tests.

 

[thestaggy]

Not just bribes, but fines and forcing people to perform multiple roadworthy tests.

If you mod your car beyond standard then why shouldn't you have it checked again?

 

[daveza]

If you want to commute use a car.

If you want to race, go to a track.

 

[ToxicBunny]

If you want to commute use a car.

If you want to race, go to a track.

so what do you do about people like me...

I have a fair chunk of aftermarket stuff on my 4x4... its ALL passed a roadworthy and the vehicle is safer than standard.... would I still get pulled over and have to fight with cops because of this?

 

[akescpt]

so what do you do about people like me...

I have a fair chunk of aftermarket stuff on my 4x4... its ALL passed a roadworthy and the vehicle is safer than standard.... would I still get pulled over and have to fight with cops because of this?

not fight just pay a bribe. the south African way apparently.

 

[USZA]

so what do you do about people like me...

I have a fair chunk of aftermarket stuff on my 4x4... its ALL passed a roadworthy and the vehicle is safer than standard.... would I still get pulled over and have to fight with cops because of this?

I seriously doubt that yours is the type of vehicle that they're looking for.

The cops aren't competent to assess that anyway. The best they could do is to refer you to a vehicle testing station.

 

[USZA]

not fight just pay a bribe. the south African way apparently.

Not sure if it escaped you but Cape Town people aren't so quick to pay bribes. Or they might pay it but then they will report it afterwards. Not sure if it's a provincial thing but I love the culture of this province.

It might be a South African thing but it's not necessarily the right thing, and it would soon come to naught if more people stood up against it.

 

[xrapidx]

Not sure if it escaped you but Cape Town people aren't so quick to pay bribes. Or they might pay it but then they will report it afterwards. Not sure if it's a provincial thing but I love the culture of this province.

It might be a South African thing but it's not necessarily the right thing, and it would soon come to naught if more people stood up against it.

...and then the speedsters will argue discrimination.

....one day the govt will drag you kicking and screaming away from anarchy into the first world.

Neither the ANC or the DA will do that.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I seriously doubt that yours is the type of vehicle that they're looking for.

The cops aren't competent to assess that anyway. The best they could do is to refer you to a vehicle testing station.

But they're stating all modifications... my car is heavily modified for 4x4... raised suspension, toughened suspension, bullbar, rear bumper, rock sliders, etc etc...

The only thing I haven't done yet is put larger tyres on, purely due to the cost of the tyres.

**EDIT** If they're not competent to assess, then why are they confiscating peoples Vehicle Licenses?