Ok so since I bought my 2nd FD may last year I have been hard at work peicing the jigsaw back together after it was stolen and every panel massaged with a hammer with numerous parts either stolen cut or broken.

I listed my build on here and I had finished it but then there was compliance so I can legally drive it on NZ roads. They found a few small things wrong which was expected anyway but they also picked up on an old accident, this is where the money started getting sucked out of my wallet thanks to a guy that found chassis machine marks under my car.

Now firstly, here in New Zealand if a car is deregistered, to drive it on the road again it must be re-registered and go through compliance this is $400 just for them to check it and I have 20 working days to fix any probs or it is another $400. Secondly I had to have a certifier coem and check the damage ($350) he than made me put it on a chassis machine for a 3D measure ($220) and it turns out the car is 8mm too far back so I have to replace the chassis rail ($2000) so it is within spec and safe. So today I spent my time afer work stripping out all of the lights, panels, bumper, radiator and everthing infront of the engine. I had a mate come over and help me pull the dash and engine bay/cabin loom out and tomorrow we will be pulling out the engine and box. Once the repairs have been carried out I still ahve to pay the ABS diagnostics guy $150 for checking the system and $120 for a wheel alignment. So the initial $400 check will have cost me $3640 or there abouts, not to mention the new oil, antifreeze, brake fluid etc I have to re-replace!

I guess this thread is to show the process of repairing a damaged FD as I will be going to the panel shop and posting pics of the progress up here until it is finished, um again and legally driving on our roads once more!

This is a truly gutting experience for me as I have done everything to this car myself bar applying the top coat and now the chassis rail. I have spent countless hours paneling, researching, painting, doing mechanical work and putting the puzzle back to even better than it looked originally.

Has anyone else had to do what I have to do? I will post pics in the morning as its dark outside right now.

 

Man, I would be so pissed if I was you.. I hope once you put everything back together (again ) that you run into no more problems. Good luck.

The NZ government has been coming up with some stupid new laws/regulations or whatever lately, havnt they?

 

Thanks to Uncle Helen she is trying to F*ck up NZ even further with her stupid laws to get older cars off the road! It is not only screwing the business side of things but the average person like me even more so! I would hate to think how it is affecting the lower income earner here and I cant wait for a new government! If she gets back in I am moving to another country! Seeing as from next year we cant bring anything older than 2000!!

Here are some pics of what we did last night and one of it before i took to it with my tools again, oh what a shame!

 

what a mess bro.. this something i normally see in us hardcore 2nd gen guys. good luck with the work man. i dunno how rare 3rd gens are in NZ, but if not to expensive, it might be worth buying a new roller and swapping. in any case good luck sir

 

looks like a tough job, goodluck

well a lower income earner wouldnt be buying an FD for starters I think its a great move by New Zealand, i expect Australia to follow suite

 

ok so I have the engine and box out of the car, the wiring loom, abs pump, brake booster, brake lines, clutch lines etc. I have also stripped out the carpet, seats dash and any wiring in the front end. This has been a huge task already but hopefully in a couple of weeks I will have the car back and I can start to re-assemble it yet again.

Thanks for your input but I wasnt suggesting that low income people are going out and buying FD's but more that now it will be harder, much harder for them to buy an "average car". I can fully understand that we want to be seen as good ol clean and green NZ but one of the problems is that we are taxed a big amount and for most people the wages do not reflect the cost of living here. The price of things/living keeps going up but our wages are not. The average Kiwi can no longer afford to buy a house for example!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, here are some pics of my car stripped again. I will be taking more pics as the car is picked apart so I will try and make daily drop in's to the panel shop for progress reports. I will also be doing as much as I can to help and to save myself a bit of cash so keep watching...

 

that's harsh. you guys always had good relaxed import laws

 

Tell me about it bud!!

 

Looks like a nice project, good luck!