There you go. There is always a way. I have a friend James Davey in Worcester that does the same thing for me when dealing with intransigent UK companies.

The nice thing with their buckle is that it has the turned up end on the flap which I think looks great.

 

Cass,
I replied to your PM and would be grateful for your help as I have no issue paying for the postage, etc. FYI, I asked them if I could pay more for them to send it to the US and their reply was, "Sorry no only UK"

 

There is no way that most of the changes listed above would get through a registration check in any state of australia except maybe qld. They are strict and stupidly inflexible. They also want the vast majority of things you have mentioned (even down to 3 point seatbelts) fitted professionally and then certified by a certifier licensed in that particular area of change. To give you an idea i wanted to get 3 point retractables fitted to an early 60s sport car and the bloke quoted me a price of close to $1000 by the time he “certified” it. Almost every other change that primaz described would actually be illegal. Sure you could put them on a race track if the local race club inspected and certified it but almost impossible to get road registered or historic registration. You would get away with fitting a 420 front end (with multi piston callipers) and another jag engine reasonably easily cause most inspectors wouldnt know they had been changed unless they checked the engine number.

 

Wow! WBO. When I lived there (NSW) the company just gave me a new Holden Berlina & I pocketed the balance of my car allowance. So I have zero experience of this. (I soon learned in my expat career ~ adopt local norms & buy local & you will fit in fine)

 

A friend of mine and his son in Perth (WA) converted a Toyota to pure electric. It involved changing just about everything. They are both professional engineers, so it may be that they were allowed to self certify? They also have a good friend who restores classic cars. Perhaps, if you know a professional engineer or someone appropriate, they can guarantee your work. Also, as you say, most inspectors don't know what they are looking at, but it's risky to rely on that.

 

A chat to one of the major classic car restorers in Aus. may be time well spent.

 

A lot of the conversions/kits running a round the UK are technically illegal. You see them at car shows all over the UK.

We have strict rules for people who convert old cars to modern running gear, changing engines, body work and drive chains but these rules only affect those that adhere to them. Let me explain.

If you say convert an old Jaguar to a Cobra kit or a Kougar kit you have to take it in for an IVA test (Individual Vehicle Approval) to make sure the work has been done correctly, safely and that the new vehicle conforms to the Road and Traffic regulations. In most cases it will be given a new registration plate beginning with a "Q" which signifies it is a vehicle made up of old parts.

Now if you on the other hand take your old Jaguar and do the conversion in your garage, upgrade the engine to a beast, change the suspension, running gear, gearbox, brakes, chassis then stick the old Jaguar registration plate on the car, do not register the car as a Cobra or Kougar on the log book or inform DVLA (Driver vehicle license Authority) you can get away with it 99% of the time as no one will check. This way you can insure it cheaper, pay no tax and not have to have an MOT (Annual vehicle test for vehicle over 3 years old but exempt if the vehicle is historic ie over 40 years old). That is until you have an accident or a Traffic Police officer with the knowledge of kit cars and older vehicles pulls you over.

This car is totally illegal but is running on the roads in the UK. It has nil tax, MOT exempt and possibly Historic car insurance but has been radically altered from its 1960s origin. Built in someones shed, the work is very dodgy, unfinished, poor quality and called a "RAT ROD" because the builder did not have the skills to build it to a high standard. Death on wheels.

 

We have spoken about this crazy car before on the Register. Even stock that engine ~ an XKR supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III R direct-injection V8 has a maximum power output of 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) at 6,000 to 6,500 rpm and 680 N⋅m (502 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,500 to 5,500rpm.

I just wish they would not call it a Mk2. S Type rat rod indeed!