VSB14 National Code for Engine Swaps

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Thought this might be useful, this is the link to Vehicle Standards Bulletin 14 (VSB 14), National Code of Practice for Light Vehicle Construction and Modification (NCOP)

https://infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb_ncop.aspx

And this is the weight/capacity chart.  Note this hasn’t (yet) been adopted in SA, or I think Tasmania.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

It says “recommended”, some engineers take it as gospel and some will go beyond those numbers as long as the whole car is built properly. It’ll depend who you talk to

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

That’s def my experience too.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Heron SSV wrote:

It says “recommended”, some engineers take it as gospel and some will go beyond those numbers as long as the whole car is built properly. It’ll depend who you talk to

Yep, you can get around it, but its costly. Very costly….

Basically you have to prevent a case to VICROADS (for victorians) with all your mods etc… then hope that they approve it. Only way you can get around the Weight Guidelines is if the chassis has been reinforced and strengthened. The works its self isnt cheap and then there is the $2500 Torsion test needed once finished.

In most cases they will want the test numbers prior to the approval.

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

There’s arguments about the weight of the cars as well, some will say it’s based on your exact vehicle model (in my case a VK SL), others say to use the heaviest vehicle variation in your model (in my case probably a Calais) to determine engine sizes. The last set of rego papers for my VK show the weight as 1250kgs so i just scrape in with the LS3.

[VRSenator065Participant Adelaide SAVR Senator LSx454 1960 Kombi (project) 1921 Nash Hot Rod (future project) View build HERE Member since: February 17, 2015 Posts: 5 777]

Yea my experience (in SA) is it comes down to the engineer.  Basically if you can convince him that its safe and built properly they will support it.  But yep even then the powers that be have the right to say no.  I have heard of an engineer over on the east coast recently being picked up for being to lenient, rumor is they are going back and rechecking cars he has passed, and knocking some back.  Not sure how true it is though…

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by  VRSenator065.

[Judge1 FrazerParticipant new zealand1983 VB LSA MG9 6060 6 speed View build HERE Member since: February 5, 2016 Posts: 775]

Heron SSV wrote:

There’s arguments about the weight of the cars as well, some will say it’s based on your exact vehicle model (in my case a VK SL), others say to use the heaviest vehicle variation in your model (in my case probably a Calais) to determine engine sizes. The last set of rego papers for my VK show the weight as 1250kgs so i just scrape in with the LS3.

 

That seems light when I had  my vk I had that corner weighted and was 1430 without me in it full, electrics and v8 ??

[Judge1 FrazerParticipant new zealand1983 VB LSA MG9 6060 6 speed View build HERE Member since: February 5, 2016 Posts: 775]

we are lucky here in nz they are really tough on there processes but we can have a big cube turbo s/c etc and drive it on the street don’t have to have certain days or anything and we don’t need  emission’s so could put  carb 6-71 chevy hemi in a 2015 car and be street legal as long as it passes brake test and all safety features stay

[Heron SSVParticipant Central Coast NSW2009 Pajero Exceed 84 VK SL LS3 View build HERE Member since: May 5, 2015 Posts: 585]

Judge1 Frazer wrote:

Heron SSV wrote:

There’s arguments about the weight of the cars as well, some will say it’s based on your exact vehicle model (in my case a VK SL), others say to use the heaviest vehicle variation in your model (in my case probably a Calais) to determine engine sizes. The last set of rego papers for my VK show the weight as 1250kgs so i just scrape in with the LS3.

That seems light when I had my vk I had that corner weighted and was 1430 without me in it full, electrics and v8 ??

According to Google and a few of the links found, VK’s weigh between 1220 and 1366kgs. the SL has bugger all electronics and stuff in it so it’s pretty light. An LS3 weighs around 50kgs lighter than a 308 as well.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

It goes off the heaviest vehicle in the range as per the weights vic roads has. Despite the likelyness of it being on the light side.

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