thanks, I read that and I think you should post it in the open forum. You have some great points and since you have done safeties in the past you know what you are taking about
Thanks Steve. Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner, but its been a busy past couple of days for me.
Let me start by saying that I'll give you my take on this, and its just my opinion. If anyone has anything else to offer, I'd be happy to hear it.
The way I see it, is that these "new" regulations are being put in place to update the current regulations that are used by Ontario motor vehicle inspection facilities, when you have an inspection done on a vehicle, in order to get an Ontario Safety Standards Certificate, for when you're buying or selling a vehicle. The current regulations have been on the books for many years now (probably around 40 years now), and in that time, new technologies have been introduced, and other systems upgraded. Also, the wording in some of the existing regulations could be considered somewhat vague, and open to several different interpretations, depending on the vehicle, and the particular situation.
To me, it looks like the wording in many of the new regulations has been "tightened up", in order to avoid creative interpretations of the regulations, and to make it more clear.
Another thing that I noticed, is that there are a number of new regulations, that address newer technologies such as LED lighting, alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid vehicles (particularly with respect to having wiring in good condition), ABS systems, stability control systems, tire pressure monitor systems, etc.
For most, if not all of us, most of these newer vehicle systems were created and installed on vehicles that were built long after our '78-'88 A/G body vehicles were built, so in that regard, it really doesn't affect us. As long as your '78-'88 A/G body vehicle is in reasonably good condition (and not a complete shitbox, as Blake pointed out), then I don't believe that these new regulations are going to affect us much.
As for the wording in the new regulations that specifies that parts and repairs must be to "O.E.M." standards, once again, I think that this wording is aimed more at newer type vehicles. I'm not saying that a substandard part or repair is acceptable on any vehicle, but that its particularly important on newer vehicles, given the level of sophistication that's out there now.
The way I see it, the "O.E.M." standard for a newer vehicle isn't quite the same as it would be for a vehicle that was built say, 30-40 years ago. Again, as long as the vehicle is in overall good condition, and the parts on it are of reasonably good quality, then I don't see there being any major issues with getting through the inspection, even with the updated regulations.
The 2 areas that I see, where there MIGHT be a problem, would be with vehicles that have had radical changes to their suspension ride height, and vehicles with excessively large tires, that would contact other parts of the car (body parts, frame, steering linkage, or other suspension parts). In some cases, there might be an issue there.
Also, keep in mind that the Safety Standards Certificate is a statement that the vehicle meets the government standards AT THE TIME AT WHICH IT WAS INSPECTED. This stipulation is there to protect the people who do these inspections, because the certificate is valid for 36 days, from the date it is issued. If a vehicle owner changes/adds parts on a vehicle, or there is some damage that occurs on a vehicle after the inspection is done, then the inspection facility/technician is not liable for that.
All of what I have covered so far, pertains to the vehicle, and its mechanical condition. Anything concerning emission systems operation or legality is a completely separate issue, and is regulated by a different Ministry of the Ontario government.
I don't think its the end of the world for people with hobby type vehicles. As long as we're responsible (and I think most of us are), then I think we're OK. As of yet, I don't see there being an issue with any type of annual or roadside inspections. We should be vigilant though, so that we can try catch anything like that as it comes along, so that we can respond to it.
As I said at the top, if anyone has anything to add, please chime in. I'd like to hear people's views.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to make sure that I covered everything that was on my mind on this subject.
