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How HEALTHY is the "Tuner" Hobby in T&T?

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Sanctifier
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How HEALTHY is the "Tuner" Hobby in T&T?

Postby Sanctifier » October 11th, 2009, 9:11 am

This was posted in another Forum but is too important not to discuss further...
dragmaster wrote:
Sanctifier wrote:Yuh think I want anybody to bounce my car... or even worse, to hurt or even KILL my wife and family with a bogus Evo because he is a CHEAP azzh0le?

I agree with the Mitsu God. Rolling around with "bogus" chassis concoctions are usually undetected until an accident occurs, then PRESSURE!!!! Esp. if there's loss of life. Manslaughter and criminal charges will follow, whether or not the owner of the machine is completely right in the accident.

For the ambitious guys who are doing the conversion, kudos and thumbs up...As long as it's done using the proper safety protocol i.e. brakes (rotors, callipers, booster. etc.)
BTW, Sanctifier your contribution is always welcomed.(at least by me)
Thanks for the compliment, dragmaster but I'm no "Mitsu God"...or "expert"...or whatever. :oops: ...I just want to continue LEARNING about cars to improve performance (especially brakes & handling) for MY family's safety.

There's another IMPORTANT REASON for my opinion too... I want to continue enjoying my hobby!
If 2nrs continue to put bogus (illegal) "RORO" (foreign used) chassis on the road...get into accidents...and KILL people with NO INSURANCE coverage; this WILL happen...
Sanctifier wrote:Eventually the authorities will solve the problem by BANNING ALL modifications, swaps, upgrades etc. etc.
Sounds impossible???... Check what happens in Singapore, other countries and in some US states right now!!!

There is a better alternative. It's BEST for all 2nrs, now and in the future to be proactive...
Sanctifier wrote:WE 2nrs should push for regulations to GOVERN and CONTROL auto modifications.
If WE don't... THEY will...with little or no concern for our hobby!!!
The random road-blocks have ALREADY STARTED!


ALL MINOR UPGRADES (rims & tyres, exhaust, seats etc.) should be inspected by the LICENSING OFFICE and/or recognised INSPECTION STATIONS...
They are all inactive right now but are already in place!!!... so it's a "no-brainer." "MINOR CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES" will cover "Minor Upgrades" which will reduce the tendency of corruption at Inspection Stations too.

The more technically advanced installations (engine swaps, suspension redesign, brake swaps... even Imported (and currently "banned") KIT CARS etc.) would be covered by a Certificate of Engineering Approval issued by a QUALIFIED, KNOWLEDGABLE Automotive/Aviation or Mechanical Engineering Firm.
[I wouldn't mind building a "Lamborghini Diablo" or "1963 Shelby Cobra" Clone in future, at all. :wink: ]

Either one or the other (not both) of these should be approved BEFORE THE INSURANCE CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED. That way ALL cars will be developed to a satisfactory standard of SAFETY and "road-worthiness."
This WILL ALSO PREVENT any fraudulent Insurance Company from EVER DENYING YOUR CLAIM IN FUTURE :!:

The accidents caused by bogus mechanics WILL ALSO be reduced...
:idea: Think about THAT one... YOU CAN THEN SUE MECHANICS FOR BOGUS WORK..."backed up" by the Licensing Division and the INSURANCE COMPANY :!:

And 2nrs...AND the general public will be SAFER and ALL will be protected by VALID INSURANCE COVERAGE.

Eventually, the illegal drags on the street... AND THE ROAD DEATHS will put even more MEDIA PRESSURE on the Authorities to ACT against us; especially if an INFLUENTIAL PERSON (or their CHILD) gets killed.
Sanctifier wrote:THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST ALL TUNERS :!: It's just a matter of time. :roll:

The alternative eventually may be a BAN OF ALL UPGRADES... Good, bad or indifferent...with NO exceptions!

Is that what we want?... I for one, prefer to help to set logical limits that will allow me to enjoy my hobby for the rest of my life...(or until the oil & gas runs out.)
Sanctifier wrote:BTW, if ALL 2nrs Organisations display such MATURITY...then maybe the Gov't will be MORE INCLINED to give us a LAND GRANT for MotorSports.
This too will REDUCE the carnage on the roads... and further HELP OUR CAUSE :!:

:idea: Something else to think about :!:

My $0.03¢

So... do you agree or disagree with anything here? Comments and suggestions will be appreciated...

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Alpha_2nr
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Postby Alpha_2nr » October 11th, 2009, 6:47 pm

WE 2nrs should push for regulations to GOVERN and CONTROL auto modifications.
If WE don't... THEY will...with little or no concern for our hobby!!!
The random road-blocks have ALREADY STARTED!


I agree totally.

But this, would imply that there would need to be proactive measures, and open-minded thinking on the part of the authorities.....which of course......is practically non-existent to date. Their modus operandi is one of mass-stereotyping and generally un-imaginative measures (e.g. fighting road crime, one tinted car at a time)....which only serve to further oppress the motoring population....very incrementally of course. Very soon, this will also apply when dealing with "modified" cars.

Of course, seeing that he law is itself vague, you can be pulled over at will, for whatever reason is nice at the time (them headlights ent looking original....exhaust mods are illegal etc etc).

So yes......there should be measures put in place to have definitive and categorical rules set out to allow certain mods (e.g. catback exhausts within a certain dB rating??????), instead of pressuring the general motoring population, and destroying a hobby b y extension (and this can very well come to pass eventually).



BTW, if ALL 2nrs Organisations display such MATURITY...then maybe the Gov't will be MORE INCLINED to give us a LAND GRANT for MotorSports.
This too will REDUCE the carnage on the roads... and further HELP OUR CAUSE


Motorsport (no I am not a contributor/competitor....I lack the skill to do such), is taboo in this country. The misdirected reporting by the media only serves to worsen the situation, and make the acceptance of motorsport a progressively remote possibility.

Modding cars (performance wise), is an extension of that......and even those who do it as a hobby, will be branded along with reckless drivers and "Corss" racers.

And then, to take it further, drivers of perceived "fast cars" (even if they are stock!!!) will also be branded and persecuted as such......the insurance companies can also pitch in and raise premiums / deny new policies (well...we're already at that stage re: insurance)......


At this point, all I can recommend (in addition to that which Uncle Sanct posted above) is going with more "sleeper" modifications!! (e.g. understated looks, well hidden under-the-hood mods) etc etc. Other than that, unless there is a person in Gov't/power who can promote SAFE motoring hobbies (see the influence of Sir Ellis Clarke on Horse Racing in T'dad), then our only chance lies with actions of the individual.
Last edited by Alpha_2nr on October 11th, 2009, 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Postby Monk BANzai » October 11th, 2009, 7:46 pm

I now come from a luncheon/car detailing session where this VERY thing was being discussed. But the PoV was more from a "we've done that and now that we've moved on, would we go back to that state"?

(well really it stemmed from on of us talking about a Skyline walking away from him at 130mph plus while he was on his R1 bike...and wondering if that person driving that car was responsible enough to understand what he was drving...)

"Tuner" hobby has become muddied though. A definition of what a Tuner Hobby is needs to be clarified before contnuing.

Unkle Santicifer has covered all of the issues surrounding the "MOTTING" of Trinidad and Tobago's roads. But what we wer discussing is the possibility of a new registration system where a different kind of plate is introduced for vehicles that are modded to that extent are regulated in a different way from "simple modifications".

It really deters the yuong and upcoming driver (while it may instigate maturity and discipline) from experimenting with their cars the way we did if you lump all modifications under on regulation class.

While Knight1 said voluimes with this statement,

Modding cars (performance wise), is an extension of that......and even those who do it as a hobby, will be branded along with reckless drivers and "Corss" racers.

And then, to take it further, drivers of perceived "fast cars" (even if they are stock!!!) will also be branded and persecuted as such......the insurance companies can also pitch in and raise premiums / deny new policies (well...we're already at that stage re: insurance)......


we have to remember that the range of mods that we're talking about has to be classified in order that proper insurance classing takes place. It may require that the car undergo "proper dyno testing" to determine its HP range, and as you gys stated, a look as to what brake/suspension upgrades may be done to facilitate this "power increase".

In other countries...it takes stuff like this....

Image

to cause the government to start talking about teh same "plates" issue i was reffering to earlier.

But good discussion. Would love to hear other opinions.

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Alpha_2nr
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Postby Alpha_2nr » October 11th, 2009, 8:53 pm

we have to remember that the range of mods that we're talking about has to be classified in order that proper insurance classing takes place. It may require that the car undergo "proper dyno testing" to determine its HP range, and as you gys stated, a look as to what brake/suspension upgrades may be done to facilitate this "power increase".


True....and in an ideal case, that would be the most logical...and fair-est method of handling the whole deal. However,doing this requires some measure of understanding of automotive tech., and mods, by authorities and insurance agents.

That ain't gonna happen. They are not going to take the time to understand it.....it's far....faaaaaarrrrr easier to brand all modifications under one banner.......of course, the "severity" of which, is decided upon by the authority / insurance agent at that instant (think about it.....you can see it happening....ent??).

As such, because of this lack of understanding, as I said above...even "stock" performance car owners will feel the pinch, and will be branded along with the street racers and like.


(case in point, I had an insurance agent contend...almost to the point of arguing....that my Primera had an aftermarket intake. Of course, the car was BONE stock...and had a small, but clearly printed nissan "etch" on the panel filter box :roll: The Primera was not a performance car btw!!!!)

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Postby Death-Row » October 11th, 2009, 9:17 pm

EVILR34 was a baddddd scene :cry:


i say, in terms of bogus chassis etc, allow older cars to be imported by individuals, busss some extra taxes, no seen lol.

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Postby Morpheus » October 11th, 2009, 11:02 pm

I think it also comes down to the people themselves. Maybe all mods will have to be done by certified garages,etc. Not under some mango tree with a laptop checking DIY websites(shudders!).

We also have a way of chinksing and taking shortcuts at the expense of safety and road worthiness.

ALSO there need to be a way to get delapidated vehicles OFF the road!!

Serious rough up for driving without headlights,etc. That is the new fad :evil:


Man it kinda hopeless, cause we cant even govern/prevent these little things so how they gonna govern vehicle mods?? I dunno nah.

Maybe as Uncle Sanct said.....is one BIG broad brush dey gonna use.. :|

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Postby honda hoe » October 12th, 2009, 12:08 pm

interesting

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Postby turbo_boy411 » October 12th, 2009, 12:37 pm

The reality of the situation is daunting...

But there are alot of countries worldwide that have STRICT regulations on modified cars!

How many of us can pass an emissions test???

How many of us still have their catalyst converters still installed???

Times are changing... :(

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