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Has anyone detuned their VF or WN V8 to meet P Plate power restrictions?

Skylarking

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... Maybe a few large lead weights bolted in the boot? I's certainly big enough!
Haha, yes the boot is big enough but the car‘s classification would be based on manufacturers tare weight, not your vehicles actual weight...So 9/10 for effort but still a fail :p

Me, I hate dealing with bureaucracies :mad:
 

Skylarking

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I know of some earlier mid 90s Commodores that had been reprogrammed to have two modes ("fun" and "legal/performance limited" for when the car was in for a service, tyres, etc), and I'm sure at least one of them was via the ignition key ID. I wasn't sure if anyone had tried it on the latest GM management systems. I thought it was at least worthwhile asking.
Most cars I’ve had, had a valet key that wont unlock the boot or glove box. It was a security thing when leaving the car with service, car wash or parking garage.

I’m not aware of any “normal“ cars that have a valet mode which reduces engine power or limits top speed. Supercars, yes, but not run of the mill cars which includes my VF Commodore Motorsport and the other LE variants. I believe GM has an electronic valet mode that does the same security boot/glovebox thing but does it electronically though our Holdens didn’t get this (unless) feature.

Come to think of it, didn’t a Ford Focus come with key personalisation where the parent could set the max volume on radio and set trips to be data logged and not deletable, all for a given (child’s) key... It was poorly marketed as a child friendly feature where parents could ensure their kids played nice when driving...

So buy a supercar for the family and ask for an exemption,... if COVID has taught us anything it is those with money can get all tne exemptions they want or need :eek::p
 

vc commodore

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She will have her own car that will be an approved one, but it would be good if she could at least drive the family car too - we do a lot of driving holidays around Australia.

I can see what you are trying to achieve, but if the regulations state she can't drive the car you are wanting her to drive, there isn't much you can do to change their minds. You might get away with it, if she was pulled over interstate, but it's a chance you'd have to decide whether to take or not....

I believe if it was the only car you own, she could drive it, but it seems as though that one would be difficult to get around, considering what you have written.

It sucks, but that's how the gov't have made it...
 

shane_3800

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I haven't applied yet, but I will (I haven't got a WN yet, and they need vehicle detials on the form). I figured it would stand a much better chance of being accepted if I at least attempted to meet the requirements.

Apparently she would be fine to drive it in ACT, WA, NT and Tas, but banned in SA, Vic, NSW and Qld. So much for national rules.

In ACT the licences used to be unlimited speeds for L and P platers lol. Now I think they're 90km limited.
NSW cops hated it because they tried to fine P platers but they would get throwen out by the RTA.
 

_R_J_K_

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Now I think they're 90km limited.
They're not speed limited in the ACT, possibly has changed for outside tho.

OP, Police and Rego will only go by listed numbers as there is no way they can verify this any change (without engineering), and really it's not worth their (or your) time which is why they use a numbers system on factory specs - rego authorities don't have a dyno (and TBH that's probably a good thing) and cops on the side of the road will just go by the listed acceptable car (because what else are they supposed to do) which will mean lots of back and forth to the RTA to clear up any fines/points. It's such an uncommon way to get around the P plater restrictions that I think they would just fine you and ask you to contest it with the evidence instead of dealing with it on the roadside. Realistically there is also only so much you can detune a car before the performance and economy become uneconomical too. For the amount of time your daughter might drive it it's not worth the cost or hassle.

The reasoning that L platers can drive high performance cars and P platers cannot is not totally backwards, the idea being that the teaching driver is supposed to be watching them whereas P platers can be impulsive by themselves. Statistically L platers are supposed to be some of the safest drivers whereas P platers are statistically some of the most dangerous which probably played a part in this - having said that I still don't believe speed limiting P platers achieves anything except pissing off a lot of people behind them.
 
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