Ariel cars in New Zealand (am importing a Nomad)
Discussion
Start of the trip at Fraser Cars
Lots of this type of traffic ...
... and these blue skies
Apart from one day, that is, when it heaved down and I needed a break after a while under a handy flyover
Journey's end by the lake in Queenstown (well, Frankton, to be exact)
The roof rack Ariel made is super-handy
After my second time off off-roading, where I had to turn back after crossing the Arrow river six times because the seventh time it just looked wayyyy too deep for the Nomad. But a fun day ...
Lots of this type of traffic ...
... and these blue skies
Apart from one day, that is, when it heaved down and I needed a break after a while under a handy flyover
Journey's end by the lake in Queenstown (well, Frankton, to be exact)
The roof rack Ariel made is super-handy
After my second time off off-roading, where I had to turn back after crossing the Arrow river six times because the seventh time it just looked wayyyy too deep for the Nomad. But a fun day ...
Congratulations!! You must be thrilled, and hats off to your perseverance. After some 18 years my project was finally completed just last week (although there are some minor electrical gremlins to work through). It has gained LVVTA approval and I am taking it for its first certification inspection on Wednesday. Then, all going well, on to the final official inspection for its wof and registration. Wish me luck.
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|https://thumbsnap.com/rJVWbgfb[/url
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|https://thumbsnap.com/rJVWbgfb[/urlCR6ZZ said:
Congratulations!! You must be thrilled, and hats off to your perseverance. After some 18 years my project was finally completed just last week (although there are some minor electrical gremlins to work through). It has gained LVVTA approval and I am taking it for its first certification inspection on Wednesday. Then, all going well, on to the final official inspection for its wof and registration. Wish me luck.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/rJVWbgfb[/url
Look like a lot of fun! [url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/rJVWbgfb[/url
[quote=CR6ZZ]Congratulations!! You must be thrilled, and hats off to your perseverance. After some 18 years my project was finally completed just last week (although there are some minor electrical gremlins to work through). It has gained LVVTA approval and I am taking it for its first certification inspection on Wednesday. Then, all going well, on to the final official inspection for its wof and registration. Wish me luck.
Wow - the GT40 has always been my dream car, and yours looks spectacular. That you have spent 18 years working on it fills me with awe and inadequacy ! A huge well done, and I have every digit crossed that you sail through the final bureaucratic hurdles with ease.
Wow - the GT40 has always been my dream car, and yours looks spectacular. That you have spent 18 years working on it fills me with awe and inadequacy ! A huge well done, and I have every digit crossed that you sail through the final bureaucratic hurdles with ease.
RobDickinson said:
Mad b
d lol good work.
Afik unless things have changed the drive out to macetown the first crossing by arrowtown is the deepest. I've not done it for a few years though.
I was by myself and learning the route as I went along. After the first 5 or 6 crossings near Arrowtown - where I managed to find shallow enough paths across - the track just disappeared into the river, and when I got out to find out where it went, it did not appear to re-emerge for about 60 or 70 meters. I couldn't see any other route, but as I said, I was winging it ! I got out and waded into the river to have a look-see and there were sections in that 60-70 meter stretch that just looked a bit too deep for the Nomad. It will happily go through a foot or more of water, but some of these bits looked to be nearer 2 feet, and I did not want to flood the engine after less than 2 weeks of ownership ! When I am back in QT for more time I will join a club and learn the best routes (and hopefully head out with people who do not mind bailing me out in the event of a disaster!). d lol good work.Afik unless things have changed the drive out to macetown the first crossing by arrowtown is the deepest. I've not done it for a few years though.
A Hermit said:
When I am back in QT for more time I will join a club and learn the best routes (and hopefully head out with people who do not mind bailing me out in the event of a disaster!).
I think thats the main point of 4wd clubs, they just take turns getting stuck and towing each other out!
A Hermit said:
When I am back in QT for more time I will join a club and learn the best routes
Awesome! Glad to hear you got it in eventually! I run a club in Auckland that goes out on monthly drive outs (usually early morning) to go have fun on the roads ending with a cup of tea/coffee. The club is for WRC homologation cars and actual rally cars, however if you're free this Saturday AM and want to come for a drive let me know, we're going to do some Targa Tarmac stages around Huntly and Hamilton and we'll have a Group-N Evo 4 Ex-works car leading the charge.Mansells Tash said:
Awesome! Glad to hear you got it in eventually! I run a club in Auckland that goes out on monthly drive outs (usually early morning) to go have fun on the roads ending with a cup of tea/coffee. The club is for WRC homologation cars and actual rally cars, however if you're free this Saturday AM and want to come for a drive let me know, we're going to do some Targa Tarmac stages around Huntly and Hamilton and we'll have a Group-N Evo 4 Ex-works car leading the charge.
Thanks MT, but i'm now back in the UK, unfortunately, so won't be around on Saturday. I'll be based down in Queenstown normally, so not that local, but if i am back at your end of NZ I'd love to meet up. Enjoy the drive on Saturday ! A Hermit said:
Thanks MT, but i'm now back in the UK, unfortunately, so won't be around on Saturday. I'll be based down in Queenstown normally, so not that local, but if i am back at your end of NZ I'd love to meet up. Enjoy the drive on Saturday !
I'm so coming over when I'm in New Zealand! Sounds like so much fun 🙂mudnomad said:
I'm so coming over when I'm in New Zealand! Sounds like so much fun ??
Mudnomad - please do get in touch when you are going to be over there. I'm still trying to sort out my life in the UK, so doubt I'll be back in NZ much before the end of the year at this stage, but let's keep in touch here or on FB. A Hermit said:
The biggest issue with the Nomad is the suspension set-up, and of course that is completely different to the Atom.
Once I have got my one over all the hurdles, it should be a lot easier for anyone else to bring a Nomad in.
I just read this on the LVVT Facebook page...Once I have got my one over all the hurdles, it should be a lot easier for anyone else to bring a Nomad in.
“The LVV Suspension Systems Standard is now open for consultation. For this, LVVTA seeks open and honest feedback from the vehicle modification industry, and the enthusiast sector including suggested amendments, alterations or additions.
The current LVV Suspension Systems Standard can be found here: http://bit.ly/LVVsuspension
Submissions should be addressed to:
submissions@lvvta.org.nz
Or:
LVVTA Submissions
PO Box 50-600,
Porirua
Wellington 5240
Submissions must be received prior to 5 August 2019.
All submissions received will be analysed and where appropriate the submissions will be incorporated into the LVV standards.
Please note, while we encourage discussion on Facebook, comments made here do not constitute a submission.”
Too late for this Nomad but perhaps the right submission can save others having to go through a modification process.
Hi there Atom Johnny. I was sent an invitation on the consultation as well. I plan to contribute, as I think that if a car is not scratch-built, but is made by a recognised, homologated OEM from ex-NZ it should not need to meet the same tests. I recognise that the LVVTA has a job to do, and their rules are there for a reason, but when there are >100 examples of a vehicle driving around a number of countries and none have had suspension failure, the current system does seem a bit excessive.
That said, if they keep the rules as they are my car will remain a rarity in NZ (if not unique), which should help keep its value up ! Not that I have any intention to sell for a loonngggg time, but it's nice to know it is not depreciating like a brick.
That said, if they keep the rules as they are my car will remain a rarity in NZ (if not unique), which should help keep its value up ! Not that I have any intention to sell for a loonngggg time, but it's nice to know it is not depreciating like a brick.
What a horrific process that sounds like it's been!
I moved out here in March, always loved the Nomad but if I was in a position to get one, I'd struggle to justify it in the UK, but here, ever since I moved here and saw the number of gravel roads leading up spectacular mountain passes, I always thought the Nomad would be a dream car out here - though after seeing the process for getting it legal, maybe not so much!
My VX220 is still on the mother's drive in the UK, with it being 2 years off of 'classic' status I think I'll wait for that to roll around and do a bit more homework to see if the 'modified' suspension stands a chance of getting through.
I moved out here in March, always loved the Nomad but if I was in a position to get one, I'd struggle to justify it in the UK, but here, ever since I moved here and saw the number of gravel roads leading up spectacular mountain passes, I always thought the Nomad would be a dream car out here - though after seeing the process for getting it legal, maybe not so much!
My VX220 is still on the mother's drive in the UK, with it being 2 years off of 'classic' status I think I'll wait for that to roll around and do a bit more homework to see if the 'modified' suspension stands a chance of getting through.
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