27 June 2011

Dey see me rollin', dey hatin'

| johnboy
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lowered ute

GerryBuilt has snapped this tribute to automotive excellence at Belconnen Mall this morning.

Thoughts as to legality appreciated as always in the comments.

[Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it to images@the-riotact.com ]

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Thoroughly Smashed9:52 am 08 Jul 11

buzz819 said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Solidarity said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This is what I was told by both Rego ACT and an accredited engineer when I inquired for myself, rather than just relying on randoms on the internet and hoping they were right.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

Sure, I will correct you as you are wrong. I had a Peugeot with adjustable coil over suspension. The rego check was done at Dickson, you know, by the people who are in the know and are expected to know that kind of thing. As it was the correct ride height, no problems, it didn’t have to be hard wired in place.

Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, Toyota, Citroen, Audi and many other cars have suspension that you can change the height of, most of the time with the flick of a button.

If it is a hydraulic set up like this, it has to be engineered. If it isn’t it is against the law, if you are able to change the suspension when the car is moving, then it is illegal. I’m sure you will find with appropriate research and asking the right questions you will be enlightened with the right answers.

Let’s go back to this. I should have drawn a distinction between factory and aftermarket fitment. I’m referring only to the latter.

This is what I was told by the people at Dickson.

DeanStokes said :

Why thoughts to the legality??
Thats really poor form taking a pic of a blokes car at the mall while he is doin his shopping or what ever and then posting it on the web to question if its legal.
Legal or illegal…piece of s*** car or not thats just not on.

Why is it not on …….

The car has obviously been done up to get attention and be a “show” car ……… well now its got the attention.

You can’t do up a car with a view to get attention and then decide what attention people are allowed to give it. It’s in a public place, snap away people 🙂

Why thoughts to the legality??
Thats really poor form taking a pic of a blokes car at the mall while he is doin his shopping or what ever and then posting it on the web to question if its legal.
Legal or illegal…piece of s*** car or not thats just not on.

Just saw this ute about 2 minutes ago posted up on RA… still had its arse on the ground.

m_ratt said :

Saw this rather recognisable example of automotive excellence driving up Flemington Road roughly 20 minutes ago – still looking rather like it was just about dragging its arse on the ground.

Maybe it really does have worms. Or the owner collects bags of cement.

I don’t recall anyone complaining about the cold weather? Puzzled by that one. I like cold weather, you got to accept the weather will be cool-ish in winter, not sure what our Cole friend was on about there. If anyone’s passing the Canberra Zoo and Aquarium, maybe someone can pop in and ask him.

Saw this rather recognisable example of automotive excellence driving up Flemington Road roughly 20 minutes ago – still looking rather like it was just about dragging its arse on the ground.

EvanJames said :

If the Commode has its arse resting on the ground, please put up a picture of it.

Sorry, I tried a whole pallet of bricks in the boot, but the bugger just wouldn’t give… did look a liitle lowered, though…

cole188 said :

its cool weather u like it or not.

He just realised it is Winter?

EvanJames said :

cole188 said :

pal ur pathetic! i bet u drive ur mums excel to work. get a life n wake up poof. its cool weather u like it or not. welcome to the 21st century pal. E A D C

Is anyone here able to translate this, or do we need to enlist the help of a resident of the primate enclosure at the local zoo?

It means if you don’t like the pictured ute, you are a pathetic homosexual who drives your mum’s excel to work in the 20th century. Then something about the weather being cold. Oh, and EADC may stand for ‘eat a dick, c*&^. No doubt cole is this gobby in real life and enjoys getting smacked in the mouth.

cole188 said :

pal ur pathetic! i bet u drive ur mums excel to work. get a life n wake up poof. its cool weather u like it or not. welcome to the 21st century pal. E A D C

Is anyone here able to translate this, or do we need to enlist the help of a resident of the primate enclosure at the local zoo?

EvanJames said :

Gerry-Built said :

I drive a bog-standard white VZ Commodore, and not cause I’m a car enthusiast; and I have never thought of it funny enough to share with an online community. In all fairness, I’m happy to snap a pic and share it here, but I certainly don’t think it is as funny….

If the Commode has its arse resting on the ground, please put up a picture of it. If it doesn’t, and isn’t engaged in other amusing activities, then I for one do not need to see yet another white commode.

However an ugly ute with a long back and bad paint with its arse resting on the ground is pretty funny, as is shown by 3 pages of comments (and rumbles from the owner and his girlfriend).

pal ur pathetic! i bet u drive ur mums excel to work. get a life n wake up poof. its cool weather u like it or not. welcome to the 21st century pal. E A D C

I just saw the owner park this car, again at the Belconnen Mall, I called him over and asked if it was his car, he replied yes. He wasn’t aware of this forum at all, so I gave him the URL, he might pop in. He seemed like a nice young fellow, very pleasant and well mannered. He was driving very sensibly and wasn’t trying to attract any attention. It looks like he is in the process of making a very nice car, I suspect he may even show it at something like Summernats one day. Not a bad hobby considering the alternatives.

Gerry-Built said :

I drive a bog-standard white VZ Commodore, and not cause I’m a car enthusiast; and I have never thought of it funny enough to share with an online community. In all fairness, I’m happy to snap a pic and share it here, but I certainly don’t think it is as funny….

If the Commode has its arse resting on the ground, please put up a picture of it. If it doesn’t, and isn’t engaged in other amusing activities, then I for one do not need to see yet another white commode.

However an ugly ute with a long back and bad paint with its arse resting on the ground is pretty funny, as is shown by 3 pages of comments (and rumbles from the owner and his girlfriend).

The Traineediplomat5:22 pm 29 Jun 11

My vehicle of choice is a 1980s era Czechoslovak (when that country existed) tram…. Cars don’t mess with it. Mind you power blackouts have a tendency to stop it in its tracks …literally

Captain RAAF said :

More than 427!

Mopar, or no car!

440 or (shocked reverence) 518, Cap’n?

Captain RAAF4:01 pm 29 Jun 11

Diggety said :

Captain RAAF said :

Solidarity said :

I drive an old Ford with a 427.

Pfft, like that’s going to impress me. Come back when you get a few more cubes!

So exactly what capacity is your donk, Captain?

More than 427!

Mopar, or no car!

Hmm assuming (yes I realise its a mistake to do that but I will anyway) that most of the comments on here are from males. I just don’t get it – I don’t get why anyone would ever comment on women wearing impractical shoes for aesthetic purposes – when blokes seem to be able to get away with such stupidity on vehicles. I realise most of the comments are from people who also think this is a bit of a joke but whether its lowered or just hotted up – men do some frightfully stupid things to cars.

When I lived in Sydney I would observes queues of men lining up to get their expensive tires fitted at Tempe Tyres – stupid wide flat monstrosities.

Gawd its almost enough to get me onto a rant about the people (of 1 specific gender) I saw at a model show – I mean my son loves his spitfire but he’s not even 6.

Ok sorry got waylaid as no one at the model show would drive a car like that – but its just hobbies – extreme hobbies – so frigging weird.

Captain RAAF said :

Solidarity said :

I drive an old Ford with a 427.

Pfft, like that’s going to impress me. Come back when you get a few more cubes!

So exactly what capacity is your donk, Captain?

Roadrage77 said :

Haha I was driving behind this fella in Weetangera just yesterday. The dude at the wheel was in the obligatory eyes-level-with-the top-of-the-dashboard driving position. I got a giggle out of it.

Was it still dragging its tail (dog-with-worms-style) when in motion? Coz the defenders of this idiocy seem to claim that it is legally required to right itself when under way. I have my doubts …

Haha I was driving behind this fella in Weetangera just yesterday. The dude at the wheel was in the obligatory eyes-level-with-the top-of-the-dashboard driving position. I got a giggle out of it.

Captain RAAF8:40 am 29 Jun 11

Gerry-Built said :

I drive a bog-standard white VZ Commodore

You Sir, are a criminal, if not right now then probably tomorrow!

Ezy said :

3) Everyone has different tastes. I don’t like Commodores and Falcons, but I don’t go taking pics of these cars to show my disgust.

I just found it comically funny, worthy of sharing. Not disgusting, not worthy of ridicule, just funny…

I drive a bog-standard white VZ Commodore, and not cause I’m a car enthusiast; and I have never thought of it funny enough to share with an online community. In all fairness, I’m happy to snap a pic and share it here, but I certainly don’t think it is as funny… Although I’ll get a slightly amusing sticker if that’ll make a difference…

If I see anything else amusing, and worthy of sharing, I’ll snap that too (like a sexually dubious owl sculpture or an overladen ute).

Classified said:

Once upon a time, car enthusiasts modified cars to make them perform better. In the process, various modifications were developed. Pride was taken in such modification, and the resultant car drew attention for its potential.

I say:

Frogsh#t. While I’m sure many did chase performance improvements, the Godfathers of car customisation culture (George Barris et al) put a much higher emphasis on making a “personal “styling” statement” by…..”making the car look “unique” and unlike any car that might have been factory finished.” (thanks Wikipedia)

That was certainly good enough for Hollywood who lapped up his cars including the Batmobile, the Munster Coach among others.

I do however concur that this ute/truck/whatever needs a tad more styling – perhaps it will be finished by the time Capital Jam rolls around.

Captain RAAF3:54 pm 28 Jun 11

Solidarity said :

I drive an old Ford with a 427.

Pfft, like that’s going to impress me. Come back when you get a few more cubes!

qbngeek said :

Ezy said :

1) I own a ‘minitruck’. On my rego form it states my Hilux as a ‘light truck’. Not a utility.

‘Light Truck as in a commercial vehicle. Still not a ‘Mini truck’. There is nothing ‘mini about them and they don’t resemble a truck in any way, shape or form.

If it is registered as a ‘light truck’ then call it that. My previous comment was based on my experience with 4×4 hiluxes which I have always seen described as a commercial 4×4 or a 4×4 utility vehicle but not sure of the rego class.

“Hey, look at that hotrodded ’34 Ford Sedan, it sure is a nice passenger vehicle”

“Hey, look at that ’64 Impala on wires and hydros riding low, it sure is a nice passenger vehicle”

Are you serious?

Ezy said :

1) I own a ‘minitruck’. On my rego form it states my Hilux as a ‘light truck’. Not a utility.

‘Light Truck as in a commercial vehicle. Still not a ‘Mini truck’. There is nothing ‘mini about them and they don’t resemble a truck in any way, shape or form.

If it is registered as a ‘light truck’ then call it that. My previous comment was based on my experience with 4×4 hiluxes which I have always seen described as a commercial 4×4 or a 4×4 utility vehicle but not sure of the rego class.

shadow boxer said :

As stated previously it probably makes the bikes and heavy equipment easier to load.

Seems a far more practical purpose than 1 G lateral cornering

Yeah . . . I suppose you’re right. Why bring any real world primary safety or engineering considerations into the equation that, you know, might have an affect on the way this thing behaves on the road. After all, nothing gets to 1 G lateral, right? Not even in an emergency evasive maneauver, ey? One thing’s for certain, though, that ain’t ever gonna get to 1 G lateral

And for the record, I see that thing around quite a bit and have never seen any dirt bikes in the back.

But, hey, each to their own. I can accept that.

Felix the Cat said :

If a car has a feature from the factory such as adjustable suspension then it doesn’t require engineering reports because the manufacturer has alread ygone through this process when they designed it.

Let up on Solidarity, if he wants to have airbagged suspension ute then good luck to him. From what he has said he has had the vehicle and the suspension mods checked out and approved by an engineer and ACT rego so there is no problem. It’s not a car that I would want but I can appreciate that not everyone shares the same taste and wants and needs as me and it would be a pretty boring world if we all drove stock standard white Camrys.

Not mine, I know who owns it though

I drive an old Ford with a 427.

bitzermaloney said :

On a different note… what’s with the remote door handles? What happen’s when you lock you keys (remote) in the low-lux or the battery goes flat? Spare brick next to the tire?

WHY?

Why not?

If the battery goes flat, you take the tail light cover off, remove a tail light bulb and apply 12V to it – This powers up the locking circuit and enables you to unlock the car.

Diggety said :

He has just popped in to stock up on burittos no doubt.

Which reminds me, where the hell is Pommy bastard?

Sulking I think.

He has just popped in to stock up on burittos no doubt.

Which reminds me, where the hell is Pommy bastard?

1) I own a ‘minitruck’. On my rego form it states my Hilux as a ‘light truck’. Not a utility.
2) Airbag suspension not Hydraulic
3) Everyone has different tastes. I don’t like Commodores and Falcons, but I don’t go taking pics of these cars to show my disgust.
4) The amount of workmanship that goes on in the suspension is on par with hotrods and custom cars.
5) Why build a car to go fast only to loose control and hit a tree
6) I am guessing that the local minitruck club Low Intentions does more for the community and charity than the hordes of haters on these boards.

Having said all that, I invite you to come along and see these vehicles in the flesh when Low Intentions host their annual show “Captial Jam” which is held on the 1st of October at Patrick White Lawns (in front of the National Library). More info >> http://www.facebook.com/capitaljam

Felix the Cat1:39 pm 28 Jun 11

If a car has a feature from the factory such as adjustable suspension then it doesn’t require engineering reports because the manufacturer has alread ygone through this process when they designed it.

Let up on Solidarity, if he wants to have airbagged suspension ute then good luck to him. From what he has said he has had the vehicle and the suspension mods checked out and approved by an engineer and ACT rego so there is no problem. It’s not a car that I would want but I can appreciate that not everyone shares the same taste and wants and needs as me and it would be a pretty boring world if we all drove stock standard white Camrys.

shadow boxer said :

As stated previously it probably makes the bikes and heavy equipment easier to load.

Seems a far more practical purpose than 1 G lateral cornering

LOL I just coughed up my coffee laughing 😀

GretchenMetchen said :

Shut up you stupid haters its a style of car and if you dont like it then go back to having your ghey arzss toyota prius or mitsubishi 380 or nissan micra ghey as aids vehicles ok?

Once upon a time, car enthusiasts modified cars to make them perform better. In the process, various modifications were developed. Pride was taken in such modification, and the resultant car drew attention for its potential.

What’s so sad about this POS is that the modification doesn’t improve the performance, it just looks stupid, hence the reason people who appreciate modified cars think it’s retarded.

GretchenMetchen said :

Shut up you stupid haters its a style of car and if you dont like it then go back to having your ghey arzss toyota prius or mitsubishi 380 or nissan micra ghey as aids vehicles ok?

I think maybe you doth protest too much. Just Sayin’

GretchenMetchen12:49 pm 28 Jun 11

Shut up you stupid haters its a style of car and if you dont like it then go back to having your ghey arzss toyota prius or mitsubishi 380 or nissan micra ghey as aids vehicles ok?

GretchenMetchen said :

thats a bagged mini truck you fools quit your frickin whinging and stfu!

No it’s not. Its a Ute or Utility Vehicle, not a Mini Truck. The Ford F350 is a Mini Truck. This is quite clearly a ute.

BTW, Australia invented the utility vehicle and we have the right to name it, hence why it is a ‘Ute’ not a ‘Mini Truck’.

triffid said :

What’s it’s purpose then?

see post #9 (the “owner”), apparently you lower it to roll dirt bikes onto the tray.

shadow boxer11:37 am 28 Jun 11

As stated previously it probably makes the bikes and heavy equipment easier to load.

Seems a far more practical purpose than 1 G lateral cornering

GretchenMetchen said :

thats a bagged mini truck you fools quit your frickin whinging and stfu!

Rooly trooly? Are it? Wow! I dudn’t no dat!

What’s it’s purpose then? Just aesthetics? Just ‘way bitchin fully sick cool’? Help us all to understand. Personally, I’d be sincerely interested in knowing what differences the mod brings to the spring rates and wheel frequencies, as well as any affect on the roll slope and roll couple and the overall balance of the vehicle. For instance, What does it do for the rear roll rate? Does it significantly change the mass transfers as you approach 1 G lateral when cornering? What affect does it have on the front castor angle? Does it alter the roll slope so as to require a rebalanceing of brake bias?

Or doesn’t any of that matter (‘cos its a totally rad fully bagged mini truck)?

GretchenMetchen11:12 am 28 Jun 11

thats a bagged mini truck you fools quit your frickin whinging and stfu!

Nice. Drop the front too.

This sort of modification to a car just leaves me cold. Pointless is what I say, but I do admire the engineering and dedication of the perpetrator.

My question to them is, “If you think lowering/modifying suspension is cool, then what do YOU see as a pointless modification?. What modification of a car or ute would make you have the type of (biased) opinions you read in this thread?”

Legality? Its clearly air bag suspension, which I heavily doubt the owner would’ve installed himself. Which means an engineering ceritificate. Why would you assume this is a chop job? The car seems to be in quite good condition. And finally, what is wrong with this kind of suspension being used to lower the tray height at stationary? There are 101 uses for this. I bet this was done by a bike shop or something. I don’t see any mocking photos of Action Buses sitting lowered to the ground at bus stops, why the double standard? Were you hoping the vitriolic, childish remarks of certain “adults” within this forum would deter yours and others’ future generations of children from repeating the same “mistakes” with their utility vehicles? Rofl.

IMO Riding low is pimp. Haters are gonna hate.

willo said :

Captain RAAF said :

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

and who exactly awarded you that title boofhead?
It is well known that I posess the coolest car on the riot, and it is raced regularly not hidden in a garage.

Fie on both of you. It is universally acknowledged that my 2003 Camry with the mighty 2.4 litre donk is the coolest car driven by any Rioter.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

NSW rego on this one… does that make a difference?… meh

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

It looks worse than it is because it’s so badly parked.

no. it really doesn’t… If JB put up the 2nd photo I just sent him, you’ll see a gap you couldn’t fit a closed fist under… That’s the reason I found it funny enough to post a photo of…

Henry82 said :

Pork Hunt said :

I like the chequered flag window decal..

Ummm thats the ute behind it.

Yes – K-Mart Auto ute… I rather suspect the owner of this car works there too…

Pork Hunt said :

I like the chequered flag window decal..

Ummm thats the ute behind it.

Pork Hunt said :

I like the chequered flag window decal.

I’m pretty sure that the checkers are not on the window, nor pixilation of the driver, but rather the tray of the ute parked behind…

KeenGolfer said :

Whilst it may have RTA approval for the mods it doesn’t stop it from being defected while parked like that. RTA inspectors/police can inspect vehicles in any public place and if the owner isn’t there it’s likely to attract a defect notice/fine which the owner then has to go to the trouble of clearing/disputing.

I always wondered about that kinda thing. The RTA can defect cars in car parks for having bald tires, or cracked windscreens, etc. So I imagine they can do you for having the tail gate dragging on the tarmac…

I like the chequered flag window decal.

Cheech & Chong used to drive around in cars with air suspension..

Whilst it may have RTA approval for the mods it doesn’t stop it from being defected while parked like that. RTA inspectors/police can inspect vehicles in any public place and if the owner isn’t there it’s likely to attract a defect notice/fine which the owner then has to go to the trouble of clearing/disputing.

Captain RAAF5:29 pm 27 Jun 11

willo said :

Captain RAAF said :

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

and who exactly awarded you that title boofhead?
It is well known that I posess the coolest car on the riot, and it is raced regularly not hidden in a garage.

Since I have more cubes in my starter motor than you have in your engine, that’s why!

Rawhide Kid Part35:21 pm 27 Jun 11

Wow!! In my days we use to raise the rear and lower the front….. How times and technology have changed. And so practical for loading.

Boring_Name said :

I sincerely hope that the photographer here has a mean spirited photo taken of them while they are engaging in something they are passionate about.

I don’t see any people in this photo. If you’re gonna pimp your ride and drive/park it in public, expect people to comment or have an opinion.

Not making any assumptions about this owner specifically, but half the reason some owners of cars like this do it is for the attention, not necessarily the performance, practicality or otherwise.

Captain RAAF said :

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

Probably will do it by itself if it drags it’s bum around like that, like a dog with worms ……… lol

Nah, if it’s engineer approved, RTA approved and meets all the required rules and regs, good luck to him. Each to their own. Me personally, I can think of better things to spend heaps of cash on to do up a nice car 😉

Captain RAAF said :

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

+eleventyseventy

Mopar (more power, get it?) to you, Cap’n.

As something of a dedicated (yet amateur) student of things suspension related, and the owner of a vehicle with coil overs (completely of my own design, specification and construction) — which car being essentially a race car with number plates (and completely road legal) — I can appreciate the engineering that goes into things like that ‘lolux’. Yet I also see — oh — just so much so very wrong with it at the very same time.

The driver is pixelated . . . two sizes too big flat brimmed cap worn askew and pulled down over the ears a la Jessie James / Ken Block / Travis Pastrana perchance? Wicked! (bbbaaahhhhhh)

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Solidarity said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This is what I was told by both Rego ACT and an accredited engineer when I inquired for myself, rather than just relying on randoms on the internet and hoping they were right.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

Gee that will make it hard to register that Land Rover Discovery we have been eyeing off as a replacement for the Mitsubishi. I wonder how wll the other ones on the road get registered with height adjustable suspension from factory. And they are adjustable about 2-3 inches from Offroad mode to Access mode for easy access when they are parked.

Not sure who you spoke to but I can’t see all the Land Rover and Range Rover owners out there buying a new car then getting it engineered as safe just to get it registered.

Captain RAAF said :

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

and who exactly awarded you that title boofhead?
It is well known that I posess the coolest car on the riot, and it is raced regularly not hidden in a garage.

bitzermaloney4:19 pm 27 Jun 11

On a different note… what’s with the remote door handles? What happen’s when you lock you keys (remote) in the low-lux or the battery goes flat? Spare brick next to the tire?

WHY?

Captain RAAF4:00 pm 27 Jun 11

Well, as the Rioter with the coolest car I feel I am best qualified to make an assessment of this piece of enthusiasts auto stylin’ and I say….

…Kill it, kill it with fire!!!!!!!!!!!

buzz819 said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Solidarity said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This is what I was told by both Rego ACT and an accredited engineer when I inquired for myself, rather than just relying on randoms on the internet and hoping they were right.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

Sure, I will correct you as you are wrong. I had a Peugeot with adjustable coil over suspension. The rego check was done at Dickson, you know, by the people who are in the know and are expected to know that kind of thing. As it was the correct ride height, no problems, it didn’t have to be hard wired in place.

Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, Toyota, Citroen, Audi and many other cars have suspension that you can change the height of, most of the time with the flick of a button.

If it is a hydraulic set up like this, it has to be engineered. If it isn’t it is against the law, if you are able to change the suspension when the car is moving, then it is illegal. I’m sure you will find with appropriate research and asking the right questions you will be enlightened with the right answers.

Re the adjustable suspension thing, its allowable.

Re the 100mm thing, neither ADR43 nor the local state & territory regs stipulate that the vehicle has to be moving. IE: the vehicle cannot have any part of the body structure under 100mm.

I will post links if required but for now I dont have time.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

Solidarity said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This is what I was told by both Rego ACT and an accredited engineer when I inquired for myself, rather than just relying on randoms on the internet and hoping they were right.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

Sure, I will correct you as you are wrong. I had a Peugeot with adjustable coil over suspension. The rego check was done at Dickson, you know, by the people who are in the know and are expected to know that kind of thing. As it was the correct ride height, no problems, it didn’t have to be hard wired in place.

Subaru, Land Rover, Porsche, Toyota, Citroen, Audi and many other cars have suspension that you can change the height of, most of the time with the flick of a button.

If it is a hydraulic set up like this, it has to be engineered. If it isn’t it is against the law, if you are able to change the suspension when the car is moving, then it is illegal. I’m sure you will find with appropriate research and asking the right questions you will be enlightened with the right answers.

Citroen models have this feature. I dont see an issue here, apart from being poorly parked 😛

tbh an addon like this, that has a purpose, is much more useful that a lot of mods you see around the place. It probably doubles as a security feature too.

Gungahlin Al said :

Gerry-Built said :

you can easily picture it in your mind, driving like that; a dog with worms

LOL!

I’m sorry Solidarity – I’ve had a lot of tricked up cars over the years, and some may have been more of an ‘acquired taste’ than others, but there is nothing tasteful about this “style”. And the base vehicle itself? Isn’t it kind of like spending money on a Bongo Van?

Doesn’t need to please anyone except for the person who built it…..

Classified said :

Looks retarded.

+1

Classified said :

Looks retarded.

Looks real easy to get a load into or out of. I imagine pushing a dirtbike into that tray would be easier than the average ute too.

Assuming that he hasn’t welding the gate shut.

Gungahlin Al1:35 pm 27 Jun 11

Gerry-Built said :

you can easily picture it in your mind, driving like that; a dog with worms

LOL!

I’m sorry Solidarity – I’ve had a lot of tricked up cars over the years, and some may have been more of an ‘acquired taste’ than others, but there is nothing tasteful about this “style”. And the base vehicle itself? Isn’t it kind of like spending money on a Bongo Van?

Gigantor said :

The lowing at a speed limit is awesome, Ive never thought of that but am going to research that immediantly for my ride

Yeah, Subaru liberties from early nineties to late nineties (at least that I am aware of), came (or could come, it might have been an option) with the adjustable suspension from the factory. The couple of extra centimetres was great on rougher terrain, and it provided a certain amount of self levelling when you put a load in the back or a trailer on. The idea behind dropping over eighty was the assumption that if you were doing that speed you clearly didn’t need the clearance, and fuel efficiency was more important.

DrKennethNoisewater1:25 pm 27 Jun 11

I would have gone with a nice red oxide. It’s my favourite of the primer colours.

Thoroughly Smashed1:24 pm 27 Jun 11

Unless the situation’s changed recently?

Thoroughly Smashed1:23 pm 27 Jun 11

Solidarity said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This is what I was told by both Rego ACT and an accredited engineer when I inquired for myself, rather than just relying on randoms on the internet and hoping they were right.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Correct, more or less. Again, from what I was informed by people who would be expected to know, to be legal in the ACT coilovers need to be set at a legal height and then lockwired in place for rego.

SgtSlaughter1:15 pm 27 Jun 11

You know I don’t care whether it’s legal or not I menas it’s an old craptin 2 wheel drive Hilux or should it be called a Loluax but I only have one question: WHY??????

Queen_of_the_Bun1:03 pm 27 Jun 11

It looks worse than it is because it’s so badly parked.

harvyk1 said :

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Really??? I had a subi which was factory fitted with adjustable ride height… I pressed a button near the steering wheel and the car would raise up a little bit, the car would drop back down if you exceeded 80km/h

It had AU compliance plate, and was first purchased in AU…

Furthermore I seem to remember some Action Buses have or had the ability to drop the left front wheel down to make it easier for wheelchairs \ prams… I’m pretty sure such mods won’t done in me neighbours brothers garage…

Maybe you shouldn’t sprout stuff you don’t know about…

As for the topic at hand, I’ve seen it around, looks stupid, but I can see how it would be a massive advantage for loading \ unloading things like bikes etc…
The only thing I’d do different is make it so it only dropped down when required for loading \ unloading…

The lowing at a speed limit is awesome, Ive never thought of that but am going to research that immediantly for my ride

Solidarity said :

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

This *is* an opinion site, in case you are not familiar with it. It says as much in the page header… 😉

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Really??? I had a subi which was factory fitted with adjustable ride height… I pressed a button near the steering wheel and the car would raise up a little bit, the car would drop back down if you exceeded 80km/h

It had AU compliance plate, and was first purchased in AU…

Furthermore I seem to remember some Action Buses have or had the ability to drop the left front wheel down to make it easier for wheelchairs \ prams… I’m pretty sure such mods won’t done in me neighbours brothers garage…

Maybe you shouldn’t sprout stuff you don’t know about…

As for the topic at hand, I’ve seen it around, looks stupid, but I can see how it would be a massive advantage for loading \ unloading things like bikes etc…
The only thing I’d do different is make it so it only dropped down when required for loading \ unloading…

Holden Caulfield11:57 am 27 Jun 11

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Plenty of people with coilovers breakin’ the law out there.

Thoroughly Smashed said :

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

It auto-levels to a predetermined height (determined by the engineer and signed off by the RTA) when the handbrake is released, and is legal.

If you don’t know, don’t comment.

Thoroughly Smashed11:32 am 27 Jun 11

The suspension is height-adjustable, therefore not legal.

Boring_Name said :

Obviously the ute isn’t designed to be driven like that. I hope that your implication isn’t as much.

Trouble is, a fvcktard when stationary is likely still a fvcktard when in motion. Deserves all the derision we can muster, and then some.

to be fair, the photo was taken purely for the yak value…

He has, like a bazillion pipes in the tray, which obviously are used to raise to ride height; but that still looks damned funny – and you can easily picture it in your mind, driving like that; a dog with worms 😀

It’s used for moving dirt bikes, has Territory steelies on it because the 20’s are illegal and no good on dirt tracks, it’s engineered and passed by Dickson in order to get registered, the tray is in primer because its just been shaved.

Has full ACT rego and is comprehensively insured by AAMI.

Thanks

Classified said :

Looks retarded.

Looks real easy to get a load into or out of. I imagine pushing a dirtbike into that tray would be easier than the average ute too.

Classified said :

Looks retarded.

Especially with those wheels.

The real question is if the (rather obvious) vehicle modifications have the appropriate engineering approvals.

Which is quite likely does, since it is the sort of vehicle (at least while parked) which draws attention to its self. I guess it would be a simple thing for the person who snapped the photo to send it with the rego number to the RUS and have them check the rego records for the Engineers Cert.

Obviously the ute isn’t designed to be driven like that. I hope that your implication isn’t as much.

Honestly, is this how you operate? It seems to me that you believe anyone who doesn’t share the same interests as you deserves to be ridiculed in a public forum for their said interests.

I’m not an enthusiast, but I know that these kinds of modifications tend to be quite expensive and require an engineering certificate to be driven on the road. I’m not going to speculate as to whether this vehicle in particular has been engineered or not, but it would only be a matter of time before it would have to be, lest the owner wants to be stung for lack of registration, as well as a defect notice.

These modifications also tend to make the vehicle much heavier, and thus much slower. Throw in the amount of money it costs to fix and re-engineer damage to a vehicle modified like this, and you’ll find that the owners are generally more careful when driving on the road. Compared to some of the other (and more prolific) ways that a vehicle can be modified, this is actually making the vehicle less dangerous to other road users, but clearly that is not the thought of the camera wielding, ivory tower dwelling photographer.

I’m no fan of this kind of modification either, I have very little interest in cars period. But I can at least appreciate the effort that somebody has put into their own interest, weather I share it or not. I sincerely hope that the photographer here has a mean spirited photo taken of them while they are engaging in something they are passionate about.

Looks retarded.

Has airbag suspension. Will be pumped up when driven. Not illegal.

Disinformation9:55 am 27 Jun 11

A lot of them have remotely adjustable suspension, so as long as they’re legal ride height on the road, it’s rather irrelevant what they’re doing when parked.. Unfortunately, looking stupid at any time isn’t yet unlawful. I can appreciate the engineering required, but I still think the end result is one of the dumber automotive fashions that have appeared.

Either hydraulic or air bag suspension – allowed to do this while parked however still need to adhere to the 100mm ride height limit while moving

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