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There are several levels of checks for vehicles in New Zealand. A Warrant of Fitness (WOF) is required on most privately owned vehicles. Heavy duty and vehicles for hire require a Certificate of Fitness (COF). Most garages can issue a WOF but only designated businesses can issue a COF and WOF and can undertake a Vehicle Safety Inspection. It is permitted to drive to a testing station to get WOF if your WOF has expired. A WOF inspection is relatively quick process taking probably less than 30 minutes.
What changed in this instance of this car is that the registration lapsed on this car some years ago. It is therefore treated in a similar way to a used vehicle being imported and must go through a full Vehicle Safety Inspection before a WOF can be issued. The car cannot be driven to the testing station.
In order to facilitate this inspection, I first had to establish that the car was exactly in the form which it left the factory in 1975. That was a relatively easy process for the Vintage Car Club (VCC) of New Zealand in conjunction with the Land Transport Agency (LTSA) the authority which sets the standards in this county, have developed a process and a detailed form which when completed allows the VCC to issue a Certificate of Authenticity.
Before the inspection took place I asked the inspector what I could do to make the job easier for him. The trim panels in the boot were removed, the parcel shelf was removed and the carpets left out of the car so that he could check the bulkhead and the insides of the various panels. He was happy for me to leave the a-frame brackets on the front bumper.
The car was presented for its inspection with a Certificate of Authenticity. Along with that I had a letter from the LTSA, confirming that once the car had been through its inspection and had passed, a new VIN, vehicle identification number, could be attached to the car and the original registration plates reassigned to the car.
The car passed the inspection without any problems at all. A WOF was then attached to the car.
You may ask why all this fuss? Over the years a lot of second hand vehicles have been imported principally from Japan and the United Kingdom. Some years ago prior to the introduction of a Vehicle Safety Inspection some vehicles arrived from the UK which were later shown to have been “repaired” in an extremely unsafe manner. Some were “modified” without any consideration being given to the safety of not only the driver but other vehicles on the road.
I was perfectly happy to work through what the system requires for I know, and so does my insurance company, that the car is very sound and meets the current New Zealand standards.
Robert
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