Rwc help please!!!!!

[maccaz69]

Yeah but its not a bomb and i've owned this car for 10 years! When I bought it the parcel shelf was no problem with rwc...... (the car referred to at the start of this thread is a different car to this one - this one is an A1 example i've had for ever where the one in the 1st post was a temporary transport that i probably shouldn't have wasted my time with!)

 

[ari666]

because of a mere few centimetres of extremely thin gauge sheet metal cut around a speaker?

the parcel shelf design in these is an integral part of body. even though it is only .6mm steel, it is pressed in such a way as to allow significant strength. it holds the boot lid and rear windscreen in place and secures the vertical section between the 2 C-pillars. the roof position, boot position, 1/4 panel position and rear seat position all rely on its presence. weakening this point in turn weakens all the other points.

the car is designed to fold up in a heavy accident to absorb some of the impact. modifying the parcel shelf (even 2cm's) is altering the stuctural integrity of the vehicle, thus it requires an engineers cert to assure the RWC tester and vic roads that the modification will not adversly affect the design characteristics.


and yes, i have replaced a parcel shelf before. in my VK. its actually not as hard to do as you may think.

 

[maccaz69]

Thanks for the detailed explanation you have gone to.

I agree that the parcel shelf has a role to play but at the same time cannot see how a couple of cm's will have any notable affect on it's strength at all (and my opinion is that there is very little strength there anyway!).

This car is also on straight gas with big beams securing the tank to the car; I cannot comprehend how a tester could believe this car is now unsafe.

Especially when an engineer listed on Vicroads agrees.

Surely if this problem arises this much and an engineer is so adamant it is not a problem then Vicroads requirements are overkill and should be amended to provide further guidance than simply any modification at all requires an expensive engineers cert. Talk about expensive red tape.

ps whilst speaking of structual integrity I jacked the car up last night and put the front on jackstands and when lowering the jack I had forgotten how much flex is in the chassis the front drooped down notably and the doors were difficult to open! In a car this weak I find it a farce a couple of cm on the parcel shelf matters.

Oh and I happen to be a cyclist too and have lost count of the number of ppl who have carelessly nearly run me over. If Vicroads were so concerned about road safety i think they have totally misjudged the problem here!

 

[ari666]

so i will address your issues, 1 at a time:

I agree that the parcel shelf has a role to play but at the same time cannot see how a couple of cm's will have any notable affect on it's strength at all (and my opinion is that there is very little strength there anyway!).

so i am safe to assume that your opinion is based on the many years spent at university studying engineering?

This car is also on straight gas with big beams securing the tank to the car; I cannot comprehend how a tester could believe this car is now unsafe.

the "big straps" you are talking about work as an X-frame and support the 2 quarter panels, roof and rear windscreen? are you saying that having two strips of 30mmx2mm steel bolted to the FLOOR of the boot with 4 bolts will somehow perform the same function as a parcel shelf?

Especially when an engineer listed on Vicroads agrees.

agrees, and yet wont give you a cert....

Surely if this problem arises this much and an engineer is so adamant it is not a problem then Vicroads requirements are overkill and should be amended to provide further guidance than simply any modification at all requires an expensive engineers cert. Talk about expensive red tape.

see, here's the thing. it arises so much because so many people have chopped their parcel shelf over the last 20 years (instead of using speaker spacers) that its become a a pain in the rectum for most RWC assesors. everyone is like: ooooh its only 2cm its no probelm.. when in reality, it IS a problem. so much so that RWC inspectors are required to check and fail if they find the modification has been performed.

ps whilst speaking of structual integrity I jacked the car up last night and put the front on jackstands and when lowering the jack I had forgotten how much flex is in the chassis the front drooped down notably and the doors were difficult to open! In a car this weak I find it a farce a couple of cm on the parcel shelf matters.

wait till you see what happens in an 80kmph smash

Oh and I happen to be a cyclist too and have lost count of the number of ppl who have carelessly nearly run me over. If Vicroads were so concerned about road safety i think they have totally misjudged the problem here!

no idea what this means.




anyyyyway, try taking to another RWC tester.

 

[maccaz69]

so i will address your issues, 1 at a time:


so i am safe to assume that your opinion is based on the many years spent at university studying engineering?


the "big straps" you are talking about work as an X-frame and support the 2 quarter panels, roof and rear windscreen? are you saying that having two strips of 30mmx2mm steel bolted to the FLOOR of the boot with 4 bolts will somehow perform the same function as a parcel shelf?


agrees, and yet wont give you a cert....


see, here's the thing. it arises so much because so many people have chopped their parcel shelf over the last 20 years (instead of using speaker spacers) that its become a a pain in the rectum for most RWC assesors. everyone is like: ooooh its only 2cm its no probelm.. when in reality, it IS a problem. so much so that RWC inspectors are required to check and fail if they find the modification has been performed.


wait till you see what happens in an 80kmph smash



no idea what this means.




anyyyyway, try taking to another RWC tester.

I think u misunderstand - the engineer will pass it but will charge 300 for the cert! And I too cannot see how this flimsy sheet of metal will affect the car either - the only collision that could affect it is side impact of rear qtr but there are other cross sections distributing a side impact force too and I believe the parcel shelf would only buckle anyway its so weak. Mate a collision at 80k in an early girl commodore and ur toast regardless!!!

 

[ari666]

And I too cannot see how this flimsy sheet of metal will affect the car either

like i said: this is based on your years at uni studying engineering?


although this vid is called "old school commodore crash testing" its not actually a commodore. its a hyndai. but maybe this will shed some light on how the rear parcel shelf performs in an accident.

then maybe youll just STFU and pay the 300 bucks.

 

[maccaz69]

like i said: this is based on your years at uni studying engineering?


although this vid is called "old school commodore crash testing" its not actually a commodore. its a hyndai. but maybe this will shed some light on how the rear parcel shelf performs in an accident.

then maybe youll just STFU and pay the 300 bucks.

Yes a stronger rear parcel shelf would definitely have helped the occupants in this crash.

Easy for u to say ur not wasting the 300.

Ps that vid has been around for years it was testing a new facility at 100 k/h and boot was full of sand. Not sure of its relevance?

 

[Sabbath']

If you want the car on the road, pay the $300.

/2 year old thread of you complaining about not being able to get your roadworthy cars through tests.

 

[AirStrike]

So basically after reading all of this I have worked out:
Vehicle A - Is a heap of crap and shouldn't be on the road
Vehicle B - Has been modified in such a way that it cannot pass a RWC as is without providing an engineers certificate, which you can't afford

I think you should stick to riding your bike, owning vehicles just isn't for you.

 

[ari666]

*edit* i give up