Hello from New Zealand

[Junty]

Thanks to everyone offering such valuable assistance and advice in these threads. I'm very excited that my RHD 818 is ready soon (in only a few months). Shipping to NZ is expected to cost a bit and take a while - however all going really well by mid 2014 (our winter) I will be well and truly enjoying the FFR building challenges.

[David Hodgkins]

Junty,

Welcome. Feel free to ask any questions you like and jump in on a few threads.

I'm looking forward to watching you build up your RHD 818!

[68GT500MAN]

Welcome to the forum. It should be fun to watch the build of a car with the steering on the right!
Doug

[Martin]

Welcome Junty.

You should look up Flamshcakle on the forum as well. He is a NZ'er that has been following the 818 since it's inception. He should know a lot about making it street legal.

The only thing I have been able to find is the Hotrod club of NZ have a guide book that you can get a printed copy of if you meet someone in person. I don't believe it is published as a book, and got the impression it was mainly just guidance, rather than an official government backed standard.

I'm keen to folw your build and how you get on. I'm trying to make mine road legal for the UK and NZ market (it isn't easy).

Good luck.

Martin

[Junty]

Thanks guys,
I contacted Flamshckle last week - I saw that he registered his location as Aotearoa (Moari name for NZ). I did a lot of research about 16 months ago - when I first registered my interest in 818. Within our NZ market the whole process appears to be really easy compared with many of the forum posts for the USA market. We can construct what is known as a 'Scratch Build' kit car. Locally all they are really concerned about for example is that once finished the doors don't accidentally fly open whilst cornering - so as a scratch build all the things preventing such from happening have already been approved by the original donor car. Essentially by using pre-approved donor components for door hinges, catches and handles, the car merely needs a quick approval once nearing completion, no emission control or anything extraordinary from preventing full road legality. I guess as a kiwi - we complain that much of these things are becoming too PC, but I guess they are keeping us all safe on the road, which is good. And after all - being a New Zealander (Kiwi) we have a philosophy of doing it yourself your own way, this is deeply ingrained in our culture - many of you will know some of the great kiwi DIY motorsport names - 'John Britten' who hand built his own Superbike the v1000.
Looking forward to starting my own sometime in early 2014...

[Martin]

I think there are issues around the height of brake lights, the need for a third brake light at eye level etc. At least that is what I have been told.

Martin

[Junty]

Thanks Martin, In NZ this specific requirement relates to the need to have a 'High stop light'. This is a regulation for all passenger cars within NZ. Many years ago someone published a research paper to show that vehicles with a central brake light in the middle (usually top) of rear window enabled people several cars back to see the stop light. What this is supposed to help with is that you can see the brake light for the car in front of the one you are following! thus enabling you to start braking sooner and hopefully avoiding collision. This piece of legislation was great when we all drove Ford Falcons or Holden HQ's - but the last 20-30 years has seen a huge development in the shape of cars, SUV's and MPV's. So the original concept no longer has the same effect as we can rarely see clearly through the vehicle you are following. However there is a quick and easy fix for 818's - either a cheap enclosed stop/brake light mounted on the rear engine lid(centre) or my preferred option is to install a rear spoiler with the light already included inside - nearly all sport hatches or convertibles in NZ already have this included OEM.

[riptide motorsport]

Welcome to the madness!!