I have a early 60s vw that I am fixing up, and have loads of repair panels to weld in. It's currently de-registered. It sounds like I am going to need a repair cert to get it back on the road.
I was hoping to just do a tidy job on the welding and put it through the re-rego check, but apparently that is not the way to go?
Has anyone been through this, or can anyone recommend a repair certifier in the Waikato or Bay of Plenty?
tub4,
Jun 26, 5:21am
Better to get a repair certifier on board from the start, ask around your local panel shops for a good one. There are some that will make you wish you never started while others are just a breeze to deal with as they're realistic down to earth guys
lookoutas,
Jun 26, 5:22am
Neal Miller, Frankton.
You probably need to talk to him.
laspaz,
Jun 26, 5:47am
Yep, I want one of the good guys!
Do panel and paint guys need to have their repairs certified? Or they would just know because they are in the business?
I talked to one certified from Hamilton, but he wanted $180 per visit (I live 45 mins away from Hamilton) plus $400 for the cert. I have heard of some guys being able to take photos to satisfy the certifier, and that would save me a truck load.
jason_247,
Jun 26, 6:04am
tried to get a repair cert in taupo for a slight chassis repair on a bmw that was dereg by insurance.
all possible people who were qualified had the same story. they will only cert it if they do the repair. sounded ok until i found out they all meant repair the entire car including sourcing new panels and repainting the front end. ~$5000
me thinks they have a pact going on for this sort of extortion.
im sure its different in other areas
tub4,
Jun 26, 6:08am
They don't need to crert insurance repairs only repairs on unrego'd cars
laspaz,
Jun 26, 6:12am
Sounds like a dodged a bullet with the Taupo certifier being away when I called today then!
laspaz,
Jun 26, 6:13am
Of course, I didn't think that through very well did I. lol
kazbanz,
Jun 26, 6:29am
My suggestion to you before lifting a finger is to do your due diligence. If its a labour of Love then hey cost etc --who cares? IF though you are working to a budget etc then I'd look at the cost of buying a car that's currently legal and using the other as a doner. You can put rego on hold and totally go for the doctor cleaning it up/rebuilding it and the WOF inspection is so restricted they cant dig into the car-unless they strongly suspect an issue. Also if going down the rebuild track. you need to know EXACTLY where you are allowed to join panels in. The type/depth/material you are allowed to use for welding them in. What corrosion protection is needed etc etc. Im also not sure just anybody is allowed to weld stuff in a car anymore (im talking about derego'd/fresh import cars not current rego ones) I think you need the appropriate welding tickets to be allowed. Im not for a second trying to put you off. But do your research first before spending a penny.
lookoutas,
Jun 26, 6:32am
You're not the only one who hasn't thought it through.
laspaz,
Jun 26, 6:35am
I hear you, and if I did it again, I might have waited longer to get one with a live rego. Although, that may have never come up available in my price range. I am on a budget for sure.
So far I have 8k for the purchase of the vehicle, 3.5k in repair panels and then an upgraded welder etc. So in fairly deep already.
Everyone said it was just a matter of doing the repairs, and then it goes through a stricter WoF, no big deal etc etc. More the fool me I guess.
So the repair cert is totally separate to a low volume cert right? So If I wanted to do new seat belt mounts as well, then that is $400 (plus $360 min for travel) for the repair cert, and the another $400 for the LV cert?
lookoutas,
Jun 26, 6:54am
That's why you need to sit down with the right guy, and work out a plan.
If you need to talk. Give me a ring. You'd be better off with a Mach 1 that's already VIN'd.
laspaz,
Jun 26, 6:57am
I wish!
No I was pushing my luck getting this ute. I might just have to close the garage door on it for a year and save some. As it is, I have stripped it and probably wouldn't get my money back if I needed to.
There is always a lesson to be learnt I guess.
lookoutas,
Jun 26, 7:07am
Hang on - it's a Ute? As in - looks a bit like a Datsun?
I know a guy who has one. Didn't think there would be many more!
Yea I went, Whaaaat, when you said mid 60s ute. the pic you posted is what came to mind as well. Geez if you do it right you will get ya many back and some.
lookoutas,
Jun 26, 7:31am
Bugga me.
I've met that Ute. Came from the same guy who has the Datsun style one.
laspaz,
Jun 26, 7:35am
Small world sometimes. Thanks for the advice.
tub4,
Jun 26, 7:35am
Theres a guy in New Plymouth with a panel shop called Rio that collects VWs that got a split screen one, maybe worth catching up with. A cert guy in Wanganui even though a long way away from you could be worth a phone call, Terry Price from Retos Unlimited. Both nice guys
supernova2,
Jun 26, 11:01am
My BIL has just been through this with the guys in Tga. He had to get a repair cert for some work that had been done prior to him buying the car and yes a LVV cert for the seat belt mounts.
Trying to get a cert on a perhaps 20 yr old repair is not easy. The stupidest bit was there were a couple of pin holes of rust in the floor pan. Just run a drill thru and shove in a rubber bung. Didn't appear to be any restriction on the size of the hole/bung either.
From my sideline observation the certifiers simply didn't want to deal with Joe Public - its like it was beneath them
The combination of VTNZ and 2 certifiers is something one wouldn't even wish on their worst enemy or even ex wife!
franc123,
Jun 26, 12:04pm
Its all a bit of a laugh really, well it would be if it wasn't being used as a cash cow by those involved. I'm all for safe vehicles on the road that aren't going to fall to bits and do my best to assist motorists in this area myself, but having seen all too often substandard work carried out by panel shops who clearly are used to doing things to a price, who are clearly not qualified welders nor even possess the right equipment like spot welders to care out OEM style repairs, it all gets a bit farcical. What experience I've had with LVV certifiers is also not confidence filling, most appear to be people who have built a few hot rods which suddenly qualifies them as structural and modification experts who are merely following their interpretation of rules in a manner no different to what a wof inspector does.
kazbanz,
Jun 26, 8:06pm
That isn't a factory ure is it ?(sorry not good with older dubbies.)
laspaz,
Jun 26, 8:32pm
Yep, sure is. There a quite a few here in NZ. Then they have double cabs too.
lookoutas,
Jun 27, 5:45am
That's right. I've posted on here before, that I myself have seen two different cars with structural mods done that I wouldn't do. But they have both been sanctioned, and passed.
It seems that the qualifications required to become an inspector, are nothing short of slack.
paulybboy,
Jun 27, 6:46pm
I had a 68 xt falcon that had new sills in and outer skins,new drivers floor and rear lower guards reraired,if you do a good job no one would even know,still had to get a repair cert for something that hadn't been replace because the guy at vtnz had no idea and thought that wasn't spose to be on car,
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