Rego'd trail rig vs Truggy?

Joined: 22 Oct 2002 Location: Melbourne

Okay, I'm up to the stage where the Rangie key starts and drives. Core things such as ECU, ignition, fuel, charging, etc are sorted.

In order to restore it to a registerable and roadworthy state, I will still need to fix the rest of the electrics, heating, windscreen, and possibly other miscellaneous time consuming stuff. The heat affected metal needs to be de-rusted and resprayed before the interior goes back in. So it's still gonna be lots of time and money required yet. The upside to this is that I can get engineering easily and street it.

However, a heavy porker Rangie doesn't excite me. Doing away with the sheet metal rearwards of the firewall would shed lots of weight and increase visibility. A trail buggy (like the FJ62 pictured) would be cool. At the moment, I'm only about $2500 into this thing, so I'm happy to go either way. But it's a good base for a truggy build up. I see myself going truggy in the future anyway, after I've damaged the body some more.

So the question is, do I...
a. Go through the effort to make it roadworthy now, even though it's time and money consuming.
b. Go straight to truggy, despite the restrictions of not being able to drive on the street.

Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: BrisVegas

First vote... Registered rig !

Nothing betta than a mean machine cruizin along main street !

Joined: 22 Oct 2002

Mad Cruiser wrote:

First vote... Registered rig !

Nothing betta than a mean machine cruizin along main street !

Yep nothing better than getting that yellow slip 2 weeks latter in the mail!

I think with the way comps are progressing you should be able to get away with it as un registered. Also when you play on the weekend who cares if its registered or not.

Also i find it heaps better to throw it on a trailer take it out and wheel HARD then you don't need to worry about NOT been able to get home.

Joined: 26 Jul 2003 Location: Brisney Land

POS makes some good points..
i guess it depends what sorts of comps you're going in.
if you seem pretty set on rock crawling; go the truggy.

Joined: 22 Oct 2002 Location: Melbourne

agreed adrian. i should've said that i do not plan on streeting this thing much at all. i have other vehicles for daily drivers. also, i know that an engineer's certificate is not the protect-all shield many believe it to be. to some cops and TMU, it means nothing. you will be done if they feel like it. i wasn't seriously considering engineering in the first place. i'm very much leaning towards truggy now.

the only risk i see is that park rangers may fine you big time for having an unregistered vehicle. the way around this is to get it RWC and renew registration every year. at least they do not have the authority to defect cars. that would be the main reason holding me back.

Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: BrisVegas

There also is a big problem nowdays with public liability..... Most 4wd parks are now not willing to let unregistered 4wd's into their lands !

So basically both ways is tough....

My next 4wd will be trailered everywhere

Joined: 24 Nov 2002 Location: bacabugari

rego it then truggy it....do you have to get roadworthy every year?
if not...keep it rego'd.

Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Location: Newcastle

Rego it. What if you can't trailer it everywhere, easier to jump in and drive if you need something done to it and should save you fines and sh&t.

Joined: 21 Oct 2002

NAM your in VIC, rego it then muck with it until you are told to take it off the road as long as you yourself treat the whole thing with commonsence. You know where you have to trailer it too, if so do it.

I am like you in some regards have a normal fourby would luv to have a machine just cant get it off the ground. DO IT and drive the fugger you will soon know what your own needs are. So far what you have out there is a half modded Suzi, just do it then work it out.

No offence intended but NAM nuff is a nuff go for it and use your experience to help others without the balls to just do it (me included)

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

I think the way its going, its gettin harder and harder to keep a serious trail rig on the road AND legal...

The only issue with a trail only rig is you need something else to tow it with... then leaving your rig and trailer in the bush while ya out wheeling.. :(

I say go a weekender rig...

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

I think you'll need to have it registered as the way things are going for nsurance issues it will need to be registerd and "road worthy" to compete in most events. I know at the moment that there are some events where you don't need to be regoed bt down the track i reckon you will. Get it sorted ot and regoed and rwc so it is in the system then mod it. As long as it can maintain a sembelance of road worthiness like functioning lights, flares covering tyres, mud flaps, clean lights and licence plate. If it looks right you will be less inclined to get pulled over

Joined: 20 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

Well, it seems to be a split decision ATM 50/50

Which way will you go ?? Twisted Evil

Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Location: melting gears

I voted truggy Nam, but here's a few things to hunt down / think about:

1. what is the fine for driving an unregistered vehicle (when off road)?
1.b and if fined - is it going to be taken from you (i would hope not)
2. how much is the cost of getting it to the registered state
3. how much more will it cost you to make it engineerable
4. are you going to run it on-road in that engineered state (i.e. if you are going to run swampers, wheel spacers etc - then it isn't really engineered or roadworthy when you are using it anyways.

Think about on-road costs per year:
1. rego - $500
2. insurance (3rd party) - $500

Now offset the fine(s) for driving an unregistered vehicle around, and the hiring of a trailer for the amount of times you are taking this car out per year ($60 per day) - which one comes out on top?

Joined: 20 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

greg wrote:

I voted truggy Nam, but here's a few things to hunt down / think about:

1. what is the fine for driving an unregistered vehicle (when off road)?
1.b and if fined - is it going to be taken from you (i would hope not)
2. how much is the cost of getting it to the registered state
3. how much more will it cost you to make it engineerable
4. are you going to run it on-road in that engineered state (i.e. if you are going to run swampers, wheel spacers etc - then it isn't really engineered or roadworthy when you are using it anyways.

Think about on-road costs per year:
1. rego - $500
2. insurance (3rd party) - $500

Now offset the fine(s) for driving an unregistered vehicle around, and the hiring of a trailer for the amount of times you are taking this car out per year ($60 per day) - which one comes out on top?

BUT What happens when you or a passenger is involved in an accident in your truck when you're driving your unregistered buggy on public roads...ie Toolangi or Gembrook or Disappointment...???? Who is going to cover the costs of a potential C4-5 quad for the rest of their life ????

I'll take a bet that TAC won't have a bar of it ! Just ask Hayden (AlpineOffRoad) who would pay his bills if he wasn't in a registered vehicle !!

Joined: 22 Oct 2002 Location: Melbourne

thanks for the input guys. armsup

i'm listening to the wise... rego then truggy it. we don't have mandatory yearly inspections so it will be fine until i get defected. then i'd end up where i would be anyway - unregistered.

when that happens, i will plaster the car in sponsorship decals and claim to be an interstate competitor.

btw singo, my zook wasn't half modified. it was fully sick! i've just unmodified it. Wink

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

greg wrote:

I voted truggy Nam, but here's a few things to hunt down / think about:

1. what is the fine for driving an unregistered vehicle (when off road)?
1.b and if fined - is it going to be taken from you (i would hope not)
2. how much is the cost of getting it to the registered state
3. how much more will it cost you to make it engineerable
4. are you going to run it on-road in that engineered state (i.e. if you are going to run swampers, wheel spacers etc - then it isn't really engineered or roadworthy when you are using it anyways.

Think about on-road costs per year:
1. rego - $500
2. insurance (3rd party) - $500

Now offset the fine(s) for driving an unregistered vehicle around, and the hiring of a trailer for the amount of times you are taking this car out per year ($60 per day) - which one comes out on top?

1. you shouldn't be driving offroad, things like Rocky trk, Vic range etc are still considered to be roads and as such are under all the same road rules. I think it is around $1000 mark and yes there is potential for vehicle confisacation

and as Besty said an unregistered vehicle is not covered in anyway by insurance whereas an unroadworthy vehicle is in the grey area where at least there is a chance of coverage especially if another person is at fault. You need to do as much as possible to cover yourself for any possible outcome. In an ideal world it would be a fully engineered legal, road worthy vehicle. Wink

Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Location: Wangaratta

grimbo wrote:

greg wrote:

I voted truggy Nam, but here's a few things to hunt down / think about:

1. what is the fine for driving an unregistered vehicle (when off road)?
1.b and if fined - is it going to be taken from you (i would hope not)
2. how much is the cost of getting it to the registered state
3. how much more will it cost you to make it engineerable
4. are you going to run it on-road in that engineered state (i.e. if you are going to run swampers, wheel spacers etc - then it isn't really engineered or roadworthy when you are using it anyways.

Think about on-road costs per year:
1. rego - $500
2. insurance (3rd party) - $500

Now offset the fine(s) for driving an unregistered vehicle around, and the hiring of a trailer for the amount of times you are taking this car out per year ($60 per day) - which one comes out on top?

1. you shouldn't be driving offroad, things like Rocky trk, Vic range etc are still considered to be roads and as such are under all the same road rules. I think it is around $1000 mark and yes there is potential for vehicle confisacation

and as Besty said an unregistered vehicle is not covered in anyway by insurance whereas an unroadworthy vehicle is in the grey area where at least there is a chance of coverage especially if another person is at fault. You need to do as much as possible to cover yourself for any possible outcome. In an ideal world it would be a fully engineered legal, road worthy vehicle. Wink

The way it was told to me by a Traffic cop, was that even in an unroadworthy but registered vehicle TAC still "works" (if you get what I mean) but it is likley you could face some sort of criminal charges in court (up to manslaughter) in the event of an accident and a person or persons being seriously injured\killed due to an accident with your vehicle, if your at fault or not. (this is for vic anyways) ..

I would at least have it rego'd even if it was not engineered

Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Location: Collinsvale, Tas

Do you have any sort of "restricted rego" like we do down here? Because that would be the way to go, just paying for 3rd party so you pay bugger all but are still insured, but it can still be driven on the road when you need to.

Joined: 24 Oct 2002 Location: ACT

you just have to make a decision based on wether:

A: you have enough places to drive it unregistered to make it worthwhile. and don't mind running another vehicle to drag it to and from these places.

B: you want it registered enough that you will compromise your design and build, and pay all the extra cash (and time & effort) for rego, insurance, certification, that could otherwise be spent on the vehicle itself.

Question

Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Location: melting gears

Sorry Nam - evidently i should have added a few "IMHO"s at the start of my email - and something like a "just my 2 cents" at the end of it. Confused

p.s. Graham and Andrew - Oxygen, rocking chairs and portable padded sells are on their way - keep away from sharp objects til they arrive Confused

Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Location: Wangaratta

greg wrote:

Sorry Nam - evidently i should have added a few "IMHO"s at the start of my email - and something like a "just my 2 cents" at the end of it. Confused

p.s. Graham and Andrew - Oxygen, rocking chairs and portable padded sells are on their way - keep away from sharp objects til they arrive Confused

Its Ok gerg .. you will get to go 4wdnig in a few days .. the mood swings will go away for a while then .. in the meantime try some evening primrose oil .. it seems to do wonders for my wife Very Happy

Joined: 21 Oct 2002

N*A*M wrote:

thanks for the input guys. armsup

i'm listening to the wise... rego then truggy it. we don't have mandatory yearly inspections so it will be fine until i get defected. then i'd end up where i would be anyway - unregistered.

when that happens, i will plaster the car in sponsorship decals and claim to be an interstate competitor.

btw singo, my zook wasn't half modified. it was fully sick! i've just unmodified it. Wink

Fully truggy was it. Mm Kay then if you untruggied it then no probs with this current machine just do the same but of course you weren't talkin about modded to truggy were you it was Just Razz

Fulllly siiiiick maaate.

Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Location: Sydney

does vic still offer rec vechile regos for like dune buggies etc, i know some freinds had a rallycar/buggy , registered in victoria as a rv and they could legally drive it in state forests etc