MEANXBCOUPE engine build up.

[MEANXBCOUPE]

Originally Posted by BlueKoop

What DB do you need to meet for the drive by test mate? Also what pipes and mufflers are you running for rego? Will be a nice feeling once you get the tick of approval thats for sure!

My stationary Db for exhaust is 96.
We got the car to about 95.5!
its running a custon set of 2" headers into a 4" collector into a duel 3" h piped sytem.
It has 2mufflers, 2 resonators and a cheater inside each of the exhaust. No probs there.

Its "induction roar" from the inley side thats going to test me. Oh well, just another engineering heardle!
It is reportably 94 Db at 7.5M going past the meter at 50 Km/H under full throttle..

[MEANXBCOUPE]

Hello!
Some photos of progress.


this is the new sway bar and mount. A billet alloy arm comes off the end and attaches to the lower control arm via rod ends (photos of this when i get some)



245/50/15 tyres, no rubbing and a perfect fit.

under side of scoop painted first, you will notice the bolt sticking out, after this is removed (for painting only)this will allow me to screw a long bolt in and using a bit of flat bar on the underside of the bonnet openning, hold the scoop on without drilling holes in the bonnet. ( only for rego!). The inside has been given a quick coat of stone guard before painting. a flat s/steel plate with a nut welded to it has been fibreglassed to the underside of the scoop.


modified bonnet scoop in base coat Limetime pearl



As above now with 4 coats of Kosmic clear 2K.



radiator resprayed after repairs. (fins were re blacked out too)


New QA-1 coil overs.

How it sits now


Also been doing a little bit on the new motor, though the bank balance doesnt allow me to finish it just yet, cause i really want the thing regoed first.


Got me some girdles for the rocker arms.


Got me some main studs and Pavtek main girdle. you might also notice the start of the alloy sump im making, also the stainless steel studs i made for the sump.

made a cam sync box to give the computer a TDC signal for full sequential ignition and fueling.


So thats it for the moment. I am waiting on a new reverse light switch from Gt ford performance and a bit of paper work for the start of the rego process.
So next week i should be able to book it in for a blue slip.... fingers crossed!

[cob115]

Out standing work my good man !

[MEANXBCOUPE]

Fanks Pat!
getting close now!

[fatasslandau]

gaz nothing you do really suprises me anymore.... i can only watch that typical gaz style .one smart cookie

[MEANXBCOUPE]

Kind of like a second story really..... the next section of this thread will be mainly concerned with the rego process in NSW.
Not much "building" of the coupe will be going on (i hope) but you never know, things may change and stuff may need to be modified for rego.

So...
with everything finished off car wise, I booked the baby in for a blue slip. this is the one you need to register an unregistered car in NSW. Basically a safety check(the old pink slip) but with a vehical ID check included..

Before i get too far, the following is the process, in order, for regoing my car in NSW, and approximate costs.
1. blue slip $60.00
2. Vehical ID check and new body number issued.$60.00
3. engineers report completed with new body number.$1300.00
4. noise tests complete (stationary and dynamic)$500.00
5 weighbridge certificate$40.00
6. Another blue slip.$60.00
7. Greenslip$450.00
8. Plates ordered.$440.00
9. Rego.$300.00

I need the first Blue slip to get a referal to the VIIU (vehical identity unit) to give me a new body number. The old number has been removed because of the shock tower removal. You cant just book with the VIIU. you ned a bluey.

Also the car has failed the blueslip because it has no engineer certificate or body number. I cant get an engineers certificate untill i get the body number.Anything that has been modified has been failed on an engineering approval basis.
inspection check list catagory's are
A. brakes - FAIL.
B. Steering and suspension -FAIL.
C. Wheels and Tyres - FAIL.
D. Body Condition -FAIL (not sure why)
E. Seats and seat belts - FAIL.
F. Lights and headlight aim - PASS.
G. Engine and driveline -FAIL.
H. Exhaust system -FAIL.
I . Dangerous protrusuions - FAIL. (bonnet scoop)

So safety wise its been given the all clear, just technical wise i have a maze of paperwork to get through.
I was at the blueslip station for about 4 hours....
TOTAL COST $54.90


these are the original number plates from when i brought the shell in 1995.






you may notice that the gearbox Xmember is different to an XB. it is out of an XE, this allowed me to put the 4" collector under there without hitting on the gearbox x member. the original XB one comes off the front subframe/torque box, where as an XE one is welded to the floor. This is the sort of stuff that made the whole build process take so long, consulting with RTA and engineers then going and figuring stuff out ect...
you can also see the subframe connectors finishing at the rear sub frame. i left then open so dirt and water didnt build up in there and the XE handbrake cable and mechinism (XF ghia rear disc's and calipers).



So with a failed blue slip in hand (called a white slip now that it a failure) off i went to my local RTA to book an ID check. Now there's 5 hours of my life i wont get back!.
It just so happens that they are so busy at ID check stations i went onto a waiting list for the waiting list.

Coupla days later, i had to go back to the RTA to do the acual book in. So now im all set for the 22 of November for a chassis number.
TOTAL COST $58.00

Also spoke to my ginger beer about completing the noise tests before the chassis number thingo goes ahead, but he seems to be a little busy right now, so the christmas deadline i set for myself for rego is dead in the water... again.

tune in next time for the chassis number and ID process and its outcome.


Same Bat time.... Same Bat place.

[BlueKoop]

holy crap ....... What a freaking process!!!!

[Bearman]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for sharing, this is great info and will be a huge help for others going through this down the road.

What a process, that is some beaurocracy!! God damn!!

[Tha Jack]

Geez!!! How frustrating is the beaurocratic crap you have to go through.
Do you have to go through all this to put it on club rego?
VIC is getting the club permit scheme where you can drive your car for 90 days next year Im not sure if NSW is the same?

[MEANXBCOUPE]

ther is club rego, but my car doesnt really fit in with the rules here in NSW. You still need to do all the crap anyways to prove is safe, you just save a bit on the acual rego part i thinks, so id rather be able to drive it whenever i feel.
On club rego, it needs to be an advertised event or rally, or, you need to give a weeks notice to drive it.

[motorcycles4eva]

best of luck with the ordeal. i remember having a chat with you at ford day eastern creek and this car looks amazing in reality as it does in pics.. wish i heard it rumble but another time..
cheers and good to meet you..

[fatasslandau]

also with club rego the car can only be modified to that era...............

[MEANXBCOUPE]

yeah, thats the bit that my car wont fit into.

[MEANXBCOUPE]

well after a long and frustrating day at the RTA vehical ID unit, I now have a body number

Sounds easy when written in one sentence, but I managed to get the inspector from hell and what was to take a 20 minute check turned into 4 1/2 hour ordeal, with the inspector, upon seeing my coupe, telling me he would make sure this vehical wont be registered in NSW ever!
To cut a (very) long story short, after i had informed him i knew the rules and regulations inside out and back to front, as well as having 15 odd years and around 100K invested in the car that i would make sure it would be regoed, even if i had to go to court over it, as well as a younger inspector talking some sence into him, I got the new body number.

I knew right away i was going to have issues when he told me i had the wrong papers and needed a passed blue slip completed before comming to his inspection unit ( it failed the blue slip cause it didnt have a body number )


Original plates on the car for ID (and a $80.00 fine for not handing them back 15 years ago!)




Car is taken behind those colorbond doors for inspection (no your not allowed behind there while this happens)

Also i was told that i had commited a criminal offence because the odometer is now reading 27 miles instead of the 240,000 it had when i took it off the road! He made this a point that must be rectified before it can be passed. Oh yeah it also needs another inspection after the number is stamped ( i get to do this) and a engineers certificate and passed blue slip is obtained- another $58.00 is payable at the front desk im told with a smile. $118.00 to screw me around and issue a number!

Anyways, its done and now to the next step, get an engineers certificate.
Im waiting to get a booking date.

Ill keep ya informed.

[Bearman]

Bloody hell!! I wonder what that Inspectors problem was??

Can't stand it when someone decides to go power tripping and decides you will be his victim. Why the hell should anyone decide to ruin your day just because they can??

And then to ping you for the number plates and the odometer. What a douche!!

Good luck for the remaining process, hope it all goes well. Thanks for sharing!!

[cob115]

god dam that sucks,reading your post i started to feel sick as i had a problem over here in Sadelaide with a simple ID check,congrats for going this far,will all be worth it when your hooning around in the beast

[XC GXL]

That XB looks the bØllox. Probably safer and better engineered than most of the Chineese and Asian cars coming into Australia at the moment.
Good luck with the next stage and I hope it goes well for you.

I can't understand the problems in NSW. I took my XC Coupe for a blue slip and was told that I may have problems getting rego but the car is near perfect. Got a Blue Slip in the end (and after that fiasco never even bothered with the GXL and that is in even better condition than the coupe) and didn't register it after the first year due to the attitudes of the police and authorities.
I come over to the UK (with my XC Coupe and XC GXL) take them down for an MOT (equivalent to a Pink Slip) go to the DVLA (equivalent to the RTA) give them the MOT £300 ish and hey presto Rego and off I drive. No body number checks (appart from the MOT station) no nothing. I must point out though that the MOT test is a mandatory 45 minute safety check which is logged on line back to the DVLA for the duration and they check everything (and I mean everything).
Over here you only get stopped because the authorities want to know what it is and are interested in the car.

Wayne

[NET351]

What a righteous pri&^k! I don't understand why someone who is NOT a car enthusiast would work at a place like that! He's obviously not a people person and hates his job- I wonder what he does for fun? Crosswords??? Also, the odometer comment is ridiculous - what's to say those miles weren't moving the car on/off transport or at events where rego is not necessary? Or you have a big backyard! Good luck with the rest, I hope it's a lot smoother sailing for you. As XC GXL said, the engineering in your car is top notch.

[Geez Louise]

WOW! I can't believe how much you have had to go through Gary...Keep at it! It will all be worth it in the end.

[ZcAmbo]

As a licenced RWC tester myself i can understand to some degree why he is being harsh I do inspections on alot of custom cars hot rods etc and ive seen alot of shady stuff (by looking at your coupe its one of the best examples of how things are done right) what alot of people dont know that if i miss something and it is involved in a accident etc.. i can loose my buisness my house my coupe the lot so i am very picky when a car come in for a RWC not because i want to be a ***** but to make sure its safe for the road.

[Bearman]

Originally Posted by ZcAmbo

As a licenced RWC tester myself i can understand to some degree why he is being harsh I do inspections on alot of custom cars hot rods etc and ive seen alot of shady stuff (by looking at your coupe its one of the best examples of how things are done right) what alot of people dont know that if i miss something and it is involved in a accident etc.. i can loose my buisness my house my coupe the lot so i am very picky when a car come in for a RWC not because i want to be a ***** but to make sure its safe for the road.

Very good point you've raised. Wouldn't you have some sort of professional indemnity insurance to cover that situation should it arise??

[XBCoupeNZ]

Originally Posted by ZcAmbo

As a licenced RWC tester myself i can understand to some degree why he is being harsh I do inspections on alot of custom cars hot rods etc and ive seen alot of shady stuff (by looking at your coupe its one of the best examples of how things are done right) what alot of people dont know that if i miss something and it is involved in a accident etc.. i can loose my buisness my house my coupe the lot so i am very picky when a car come in for a RWC not because i want to be a ***** but to make sure its safe for the road.

And do you say to the owner upon seeing the car, that it will never be registered. Or wait to make an informed decision after inspection.

Inspectors like the one MEANXB got, should be publicly flogged.

[74xbkoop]

Originally Posted by ZcAmbo

As a licenced RWC tester myself i can understand to some degree why he is being harsh I do inspections on alot of custom cars hot rods etc and ive seen alot of shady stuff (by looking at your coupe its one of the best examples of how things are done right) what alot of people dont know that if i miss something and it is involved in a accident etc.. i can loose my buisness my house my coupe the lot so i am very picky when a car come in for a RWC not because i want to be a ***** but to make sure its safe for the road.

You do make a good point. But this bloke seem to be just an a*@hole. Yes thing have to be safe to be on the road but why in a country this size do why we have so many variations between states. A friend of mine 3 year ago built a GT40 had it engineered all the way through the build and in constant touch with the RTA for advise. When he went to get it rego'd It came down to one bloke (who had the final say) in Sydney that doesn't like kit or modified cars. What a load of crap. After further investigation Vic roads had no problems with it being rego'd. This was brought up with this guy and he comment was that if it was rego'd in vic and driven in NSW it would be illegal and this is the case with a lot of cars!!! The car was rego'd in Vic and moved back to NSW some time later. There has been no problems with anything since ie rego or police wise. If it is done right and safely (to regulations) what is the problem. It is amazing how some people cant handle authority in their jobs it just goes to their heads. It just doesn't make sense.

Gary well done with persisting!!!

[MEANXBCOUPE]

Thanks for the replies people.
yeah i did have a very hard time and i got angry, upset and emotional in the time i was there.
But as much as he was a pain to deal with, i dont know that I would be getting stuck into him via name calling, to me he seemed misinformed and was used to clearing stat writeoffs ect, instead of what I presented to him.
I understand completely the point ZcAmbo raised, reguarding losing jobs and stuff, but it was more the poor attitude that i was shown. Demanding and demeaning.

Probably more of a shock, was to hear about the speedo thing as nobody has ever said anything at all before ( 3 seperate engineers have worked on the car and the blue slip guy), infact in the code of practice book it gives information as to where your gauges have to go if you mod your instrument cluster....
I dont know if it is worth fighting over, i'll just wind it over to any given number i suppose to keep him happy, would have been nice to keep track of the miles since the rebuild though. could allways return the odometer to 27 miles after the inspection!

What i hadnt said previously was that one of the first comments were that he had "done my apprenticship on these things", reading off the compliance plate that the car was a onyx black 3 speed auto with a 250 six originally..... try a blaze yellow, tbar, 302 falcon 500!. oh well....
Once again thanks for the support, i kind of knew it wasnt going to be plain sailing and to a certain degree, things have progressed a lot better than i had originally prepared myself for.

see ya on the streets (eventually!)

[Rebel220]

Originally Posted by ZcAmbo

As a licenced RWC tester myself i can understand to some degree why he is being harsh I do inspections on alot of custom cars hot rods etc and ive seen alot of shady stuff (by looking at your coupe its one of the best examples of how things are done right) what alot of people dont know that if i miss something and it is involved in a accident etc.. i can loose my buisness my house my coupe the lot so i am very picky when a car come in for a RWC not because i want to be a ***** but to make sure its safe for the road.

But he didn't have to have attitude from the get go. I think you did well Gaz for handling the situation the way you did, lucky he didn't meet the missus, because I wouldn't have been as pleasant to deal with. We will get there and soon enough we will be driving around in the beast enjoying all your hard work.

[fatasslandau]

Originally Posted by Rebel220

But he didn't have to have attitude from the get go. I think you did well Gaz for handling the situation the way you did, lucky he didn't meet the missus, because I wouldn't have been as pleasant to deal with. We will get there and soon enough we will be driving around in the beast enjoying all your hard work.

ABSOLUTLY...... the last person you'll want to mess with is his misses

[fatasslandau]

hey gaz the speedo thing is a croc but then you already knew that when i put my new speedo in it was on zero n didnt have any issues with engineer blue slip guy or rta [ when i got seriously defected before the engineers] but i think i was lucky as the rta guy was awsome ........ the same guy that looked at yours must have been the same guy that defected me he said the exact same thing and added that he was discusted that i could modify it............but not to worry you'll be on the road in no time he just doesn't know the persistance of us coupe owners

[ZcAmbo]

One of the main problems as mentioned is every state is different IE in qld they are cracking down on fibreglass cars there are no T buckets allowed to be registered in qld until further notice as they are trying to outlaw them for saftey reasons.

As far as insurance cover goes as i also do bus inspections when i have issued a certificate i am liable not only the company so if that bus crashes the company who holds the licence and the tester who signed the paper work and liable to be sued charged or whichever that is why im very carefull on what i test ive told people kindly to take there cars away as i was not happy with some of the work and to take it to another shop but at the same time you still have to treat the person with commen manners too.

[Rebel220]

Originally Posted by fatasslandau

ABSOLUTLY...... the last person you'll want to mess with is his misses

Last time I lost it Col, I stabbed myself in the leg and ended up in hospital...ask Gaz about stabby Joe!! LOL FYI - im not into self harming.

[EF]

hahaha my dads factory is right across the carpark from taleses work shop lol always seeing super hot cars goin in there