New Zealand Datsun Club

Thanks for the info, no worries with brakes or suspension. Its always had excellent brakes.

The seatbelts are the ones that have been in since new, diagonal/lap style. Im pretty sure the regs say that high stop brake lights have to be installed in cars registered in NZ for the first time after 1 Jan 1986 (or 87), which is why Jap imports have to have them installed if not there already.

The main rust is at the top of the rear guards at the top of the fin behind the back window, its a bit pitted, but not through to holes. The flange that the rear window rubber seals against is fine, and no rust around the front window either. It does have a little rust in the bottom of the door outer skin on 2 doors, but has never been an issue with a wof before. In around the door hinges etc all still looks like new. One thing that was mentioned for the last wof about 8 years ago, was to keep any eye out on some surface rust on the underside of the body where it has been stone chipped. It lived on a shingle road for the first 20 years of its life.

I shall find out this week if its going to be a pass or a big fat fail

went to VTNZ in Ashburton today and they cant do it till the 16th Feb. They want it there at 8am and even then they cant guarantee they will even get it done on that day, in which case it will have to have a wee holiday there.

Is this normal for VTNZ? Why do they need it for so long? When I got it back on the road in 1992 (yes i know it was a million years ago) you didnt even need to book in, and they did it there and then, although in those days, you got a wof for it, and they checked all the numbers, chassis, engine etc and sighted the original ownership papers from 1962, then you went to the post office and handed over the dockets from the wof and check, and you paid them more money and they gave you the new plates. Bring back the old days.

nzmax wrote:went to VTNZ in Ashburton today and they cant do it till the 16th Feb. They want it there at 8am and even then they cant guarantee they will even get it done on that day, in which case it will have to have a wee holiday there.

Is this normal for VTNZ? Why do they need it for so long? When I got it back on the road in 1992 (yes i know it was a million years ago) you didnt even need to book in, and they did it there and then, although in those days, you got a wof for it, and they checked all the numbers, chassis, engine etc and sighted the original ownership papers from 1962, then you went to the post office and handed over the dockets from the wof and check, and you paid them more money and they gave you the new plates. Bring back the old days.

No where else you can take it? has to be vtnz?

no, you dont have to take it to VTNZ.
there are other companies as well.....but they may tell you a similar story depending on how busy they are.
getting new plates isnt anything like getting a WOF nowadays. So the people that are legally allowed to do them are usually busy, and will need to be booked in.

Seatbelts.....be careful.....make sure your current seatbelts are in good condition, and isnt any reason for them to fail them.
they can fail you on seatbelts if they are not up to WOF standards......and if they do fail.....you will be required to install new seatbelts that comply with todays manufacturing standards.
If they are in good condition, then they will let you keep your original belts as they were designed way back.

Have you got a repair cert for the rust fixes? (any structural rust they can find you will need one.....and thats about $400 for a guy to look at it and say its ok).

none of the rust has been fixed at all. None of its near any stuctural points, and having a full chassis, helps I guess. Chassis has no rust at all. Suppose it depends on the mood of the guy looking at it at the time.

Yep the seatbelts are in good nick.

VTNZ is the only place in Ashburton that does it unfortunately. I could always take it to Chch, but if its not done that day and it has to be left there overnight, ive got no way of getting home. At least in Ashburton I can always borrow my parents car.