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Old May 13, 2008 | 06:14 AM
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Question about new Australian vehicle law

Hi guys/ girls,

I am 15 years old and I own a 1990 series 5 Rx7, With these new vehicle power laws that have come in for the Learners, it states that you are not allowed a Rotary Engine 1.3Land over. Is there anyway I can get the Bore reduced so its in a 1.2L rotary???

Cheers,
Randall
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Old May 13, 2008 | 06:26 AM
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ouch, that sucks...but why would u want to purposely ruin a perfectly good 1.3L? just keep it as a track car...

at 15, you'd end up spending too much time and money trying to change out internals.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 06:54 AM
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wait, what? what exactly does the law say? 15 year olds aren't allowed to drive rotary engines?
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Old May 13, 2008 | 06:58 AM
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Not without swapping over to a 12a or 10a.....
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Old May 13, 2008 | 07:05 AM
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What does the new"law" exactly say and what state are we referencing????
I haven't heard anything down here but either way how can they tell anyone what car they can drive???? There has to be a way this new law is unconstitutional...

L8R
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Old May 13, 2008 | 07:28 AM
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hmmm, this is one of the oddest questions ive seen here in a while.....
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Old May 13, 2008 | 08:00 AM
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Is this even in the US? I know in Austrailia new drivers can't own a turbo or 8+ cylinder car, for example.

And to the original poster, no it is not possible to "de-stroke" it (there isn't a stroke.) The only way is to swap in a 12a which is retarded. The mounts are in a different place, and it is nearly impossible to convert it and you would end up spending more money than if you just bought an FB. If you really want an RX-7, just sell yours and get an FB with a 12a in it. Otherwise, keep yours and find another car to drive for now.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 08:06 AM
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For example, here is an excerpt of the Queensland, Australia new drivers law:
You are not allowed to drive high powered vehicles including
vehicles with any of the following:
• an engine that has a power output of more than 200kW; or
• eight or more cylinders; or
• a turbocharged or supercharged engine (except diesel
powered engines); or
• an engine performance modification that is not standard
to the original manufacturer’s vehicle specifications and
requires approval from an approved person; or
• a rotary engine that has an engine capacity in excess of 1146cc

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/reso...ensland_V3.pdf

Personally, I think its a GREAT idea. You may not think so right now, but most new drivers don't have the self-control or driving skills necessary to drive a high-performance car.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 08:15 AM
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Sounds like you can make a restoration project of it. Rebuild the engine, paint etc so by the time your old enough, you've got a cherry. In the meantime buy a pinto to get around in")
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Old May 13, 2008 | 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Mazda 001
Hi guys/ girls,
Is there anyway I can get the Bore reduced so its in a 1.2L rotary???
Must have one of those special rotary engines I herd about that runs on pistons
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Old May 13, 2008 | 08:32 AM
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First off why do you have a car at 15? Second, who really gives a **** about the law...get your parents to insure it and go down as a part time driver on theirs...its not like they're gonna be like..."Hey kid! How old are you? Your driving a rotary car!"
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:17 AM
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What's hilarious is they think the 1.3 rotary is a high performance car. Unless it's a 500 lbs go-kart, I don't think a 160hp car is going to be to much for someone to handle.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:37 AM
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^^^ agreed^^^


i got my 1st rx7 at 15, drove it through some trails and stuff till i was old enough to drive (not mud trails or anything, just flat dirt trails...i love my 7's)

what i'm thinking is, there is no such thing as a fwd rotary, and the law knows this.

maybe they dont like the idea of oversteer!?

and the rx7 is a well known sports car not recommended for many 15 year olds.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:48 AM
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Well, technically the 13b is not 1.3 litre. It is somewhere south of that number. I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's just shy of 1300 cc's. But, legally I suppose it is registered as a 1.3L.
It's too bad the law is written that way. A N/A 13b is not too much for a new driver to handle. A turbo'd car maybe.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:50 AM
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So you have to wait a year till you get your license. No big deal. Most people on this forum didn't own RX-7s until their 20s+.

In the mean time, make sure you have a clean driving record on some other car and save your money.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:52 AM
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Ok, scratch that thought. I was thinking about the 12A being smaller than the 1.2L claim. The 13B is 1308 cc's.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by hanman
Well, technically the 13b is not 1.3 litre. It is somewhere south of that number. I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's just shy of 1300 cc's. But, legally I suppose it is registered as a 1.3L.
It's too bad the law is written that way. A N/A 13b is not too much for a new driver to handle. A turbo'd car maybe.
Actually just slightly over at 1308 cc

And if this really is a "new vehicle power law" it would only apply to new rotary vehicles aka RX8. Sounds like BS
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Old May 13, 2008 | 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Sideways7
Is this even in the US?
Ditto, i wanna know, if so, what state, cause this sure sounds like something some jealous old politician came up with, cause he saw some young kid in a nicer car than him and thought ill show him! The Australian laws are cool, i would have been pissed when i got my learners but thats more by power output, its not like a 1.3l rotary hauls a$$ or anything. This is just dumb, most civics have a higher litreage than this.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by bob13bt
And if this really is a "new vehicle power law" it would only apply to new rotary vehicles aka RX8. Sounds like BS
I think he meant that the law is new, not that its for new vehicles
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Old May 13, 2008 | 10:17 AM
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This is retarded. 200KW = 274HP, which is loads of power and well outside what any non-turbo rotary is going to make easily. This law was obviously written by idiots who know nothing about cars in general. Cylinder count has fuckall to do with power except in the most general of terms, raw power doesn't matter next to power to weight ratio, and turbochargers? I guess you can't drive a turbo Smart Car with its ground pounding 75HP or whatever the hell it has.

Also, you're 15? Get a POS beater car that's safe in a crash, because you're probably gonna crash it. Not trying to insult you, it's just a statistical thing.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 10:20 AM
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Just another way to slowly erode the rights and control the people in their country is all it is.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 10:21 AM
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Handy chart. I couldn't find the one I wanted that breaks out year by year, but on that one the 16 is twice the rate of 17.

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Old May 13, 2008 | 03:53 PM
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wow what a great law... think of how many RX-7's and RX-8's are going to be saved by inexperienced drivers not being allowed to drive them.

Hell I think all states should have that... but make it graduated based on testing ability.

For example when you are 21, if you only get a 80 out of 100 on the drivers test you can't drive anything with more than 150HP.

But either way... what a great law. I would like to shake the hand of the people that came up with that one. Finally some state that takes driving a little more responsible.

And for those idiots that would claim that it is taking away your rights, and this is another example of imperial America (like AresB16A2Turbo)... Driving is a Privilege... not a a right. There are no passages in the constitution that say the right to drive. So get a clue.
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Old May 13, 2008 | 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by bob13bt
Actually just slightly over at 1308 cc

And if this really is a "new vehicle power law" it would only apply to new rotary vehicles aka RX8. Sounds like BS
It's not BS, it's in Australia as pointed out above: http://tinyurl.com/58yqkc
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Old May 13, 2008 | 05:02 PM
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He still hasn't come back to say where this law is, so maybe moving to the Australia section is a bit preemptive? I just posted the above info as an example.
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