Thats it! All the stickers are coming off!

[Dr.Sumit Bhatti]

It seems that the RTO in Mumbai is implementing these rules from the Motor Vehicles Act, suddenly.

This Holi eve, I was flagged down next to PVR, Juhu, by a traffic cop. I must have been at 5 kmph, and he heard the rattle of loose baffle plates in my car's four year old FFE Endcan. He checked my papers, which were in order and showed me a rule book. The fine is Rs. 500/-.

As I argued with him, I also knew for sure that the tolerable noise level as per Law is 5-10 db above standard equipment, but he relented and let me off without a fine.

Just realized that Speed Run 2009 may be around the corner. It's possible this year, that modified cars might be targeted near and outside the venue.

P.S.: As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, any stickers on the number plate are also liable to invite a fine.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by arpandiv

Well according to the law a GPS must be approved too !

What can I say
no where do i go to register my GPS handheld?
I bet more than 90% of these wouldnt know what a GPS is

[SS-Traveller]

The modifications mentioned in the article are not really blanket bans. Some mods are allowed without requiring permission from manufacturer/RTO/MVD
The length of the car (wheel base) (but not the track / width if wheels are not projecting out of bodywork)
Bench seating as against bucket seats (but not bucket seats with belts where bench seats existed - such as bucket seats installed for driver and front passenger in an old Amby))
Laser lights (but not xenon headlights)
Electrically operated seat-cum-beds (manually operated ones are ok but not in the seat to be occupied by the driver - electric operated seats must be ARAI homologated)
GPS systems (if permanently installed in the car)
LCD TV (if screen visible by the driver)
Mini bars (if containing alcoholic drinks. Bottle/can chillers in the back seat are ok)
Dish TV (if antenna installed permanently on roof, with TV screen visible by driver/front passenger)
Sunroof (no objection if sunroof manufacturer is ARAI homologated)
Extra driving lamps (to be kept covered within city limits)

Hope this helps.

[Parm]

hey does the law also covers buying used ex army vehicles (jeeps and gypsy) and modifiying them according to one's needs and requirments?

but on the other hand, all these ex army vehicles do get registered after they are done up or modified anyway!

this law is damn confusing!

[SS-Traveller]

Ex-Army vehicles are not really modded - you're repairing them. You don't normally make a stretch limo out of a Gypsy - at worst, you plonk in a more powerful engine, off-road tyres, and Recaro seats - all of that's allowed anyway, and you need to register the vehicle with the engine data given to the RTO anyway. No nuclear engines, please!

[Ravveendrra]

Outrage against big-brother is understandable. The government is normally a busybody who is sticking its nose in things that it should be staying clear of. I too share this view. Unfortunately, I think that unsafe mods should be prohibited.

FFE's often increase the noise for residents and other road users - imagine our roads exclusively populated by autorickshaws sans mufflers! Body modifications often compromie the safety of occupants. Chassis/body/suspension modifications sometimes end up making the car unstable and unsafe for both occupants and other road users. Remember the last time that Volvo blinded you with his HID extra lights? The law requires that the specifications noted in the Registration Certificate be unchanged. This includes - fuel used, cubic capacity & wheelbase for cars. Any change in these items needs to be endorsed in the RC book.

These rules were framed for the safety of owners as well as other road users. The problem arises in the implementation of the law eg. who is to decide whether the mods are safe or not?

Mods are fine for non-street use eg. drag meets, hill climbs, track days etc. Let us not forget that here too club rules apply!

Cheers,

[mmmjgm]

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

Dabba gadi makeovers are illegal

Get your mods endorsed on you RC books...

What about the Jugaad's which are on rural roads ? what about them ?

Tau thaanedaar hai aur hum unke naati ? Reminds me of Vijay Raaz's character in Delhi 6, jo samajh mein aave woh jurm, warna ham pehra de rahe hain.

You can't have two sets of rules for the urban dweller and another for the rural brethren

It's injustice, a magistrate won't understand this needs a PIL to set straight, on the other hand, the rich have far more to loose than the poor, the rules are made for the rich, the poor, have hardly anything to loose.


GPS - I have a built in GPS into my phone, do i get it approved by ARAI or TRAI ?

[GTO]

We have to understand that there are two things we are discussing here; first is the ban on modifications. Second, the procedure to get those modifications approved (if at all). While I do agree that the latter leaves a lot to be desired, I do agree with the purpose of the first.

A badly engineered car is little more than a moving missile....a widowmaker. Car manufacturers understand the liability (including from the legal aspect) and spend hundreds of crores in developing a car and testing it for lakhs of kms. Who regulates the road worthiness of a modified car that has had significant structural changes? Does the 14 year old chai-sipping welder have any formal education? Has a modified car been crash-tested? Who decides whether it is road-worthy or not? Does the after-market modifier check its braking & handling ability? Is his skill level higher than a team of specially trained & well experienced IIT engineers who have the best engineering, testing and software design facilities at hand? Can anyone argue against the fact that after-market conversions hold the "wow" factor as the topmost priority and safety as the least? How many of you have driven a B16 turbocharged Honda City to gauge - firsthand - how dangerous it can be, at as little as 4,000 rpms? I'm all for better brakes, suspensions and branded high quality performance enhancements....however, these are expensive and form a small % of the mod market out there. Plus, there are some cars that simply aren't designed to handle that kind of power or structural modification. My regular understeering Indigo is the last car I'd want to be in at the time of an emergency manouveur. Can you imagine what a stretch Indigo will behave like in a similar situation?

Let me put it this way : Say your parents are riding a motorcycle, would you want the car following it to be a stretch Scorpio? Would you trust your family in a sedan-converted-to-a-convertible on the highway? I think I know your answer.

[thedreamcatcher]

Now, this is giving me sleepless nights. Please tell me how valid is this. I am planning to modify my car and now am scared that some rule does not come in tomorrow where we end up being the losers.

But I also agree on how the cops are ever going to know that a passing car has an FFE, a Turbo etc. Do they ven know what all this stuf is?

[thedreamcatcher]

I know that if you want to add a car engine to your bike you need to get approval from an RTO.

A guy from Chennai added a car engine to his bullet and had to wait for RTO approval before using it.

But for cars. Wow!!!

[vinaydas]

sunroofs also illegal?
what about body kits ?
i agree engine mods are dangerous but looks of a car wont kill any one.
tomorrow we might be stopped for having a TBHP sticker on our car because it might be distracting the person driving behind us
The legal system in india is a JOKE

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by GTO

We have to understand that there are two things we are discussing here; first is the ban on modifications. Second, the procedure to get those modifications approved (if at all). While I do agree that the latter leaves a lot to be desired, I do agree with the purpose of the first.

A badly engineered car is little more than a moving missile....a widowmaker. Car manufacturers understand the liability (including from the legal aspect) and spend hundreds of crores in developing a car and testing it for lakhs of kms. Who regulates the road worthiness of a modified car that has had significant structural changes? Does the 14 year old chai-sipping welder have any formal education? Has a modified car been crash-tested? Who decides whether it is road-worthy or not? Does the after-market modifier check its braking & handling ability? Is his skill level higher than a team of specially trained & well experienced IIT engineers who have the best engineering, testing and software design facilities at hand? Can anyone argue against the fact that after-market conversions hold the "wow" factor as the topmost priority and safety as the least? How many of you have driven a B16 turbocharged Honda City to gauge - firsthand - how dangerous it can be, at as little as 4,000 rpms? I'm all for better brakes, suspensions and branded high quality performance enhancements....however, these are expensive and form a small % of the mod market out there. Plus, there are some cars that simply aren't designed to handle that kind of power or structural modification. My regular understeering Indigo is the last car I'd want to be in at the time of an emergency manouveur. Can you imagine what a stretch Indigo will behave like in a similar situation?

Let me put it this way : Say your parents are riding a motorcycle, would you want the car following it to be a stretch Scorpio? Would you trust your family in a sedan-converted-to-a-convertible on the highway? I think I know your answer.

Totally agree with your point GTO, but you will also agree that most of the people here on T-Bhp know what they're playing with. Infact just look at my Mondeo which can be considered as heavily modded. But I can vouch in every aspect it would be better then a stock one.

Modifications WRT structure and other physical aspects is plain stupid like you said, and should be done under expert hands. Any said job done here locally can be more or less termed as nothing more then a "Jugaad" instead of going after indivisuals they should set up somekind of licencing for people who do this, who could maybe crash test chassis virtually and they would be at no significant cost and would be very desirable to get work done at such "licenced" places.

I wonder if any of DC's work is actually ARAI approved!

[Dr.Sumit Bhatti]

I wonder how many Team BHP members have had a chance to visit:
ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India), Pune.
VRDE (Vehicle Research & Development Establishment), Ahmednagar.

I have had an opportunity to visit and have a guided tour of both ARAI and VRDE in the past and would recommend a visit for every modification enthusiast. I do not know what is the current protocol for organizing a visit to these institutes. ARAI may be more amenable to a visit than VRDE, which is under the DRDO ( Defence Research and Development Organization).

[f50xj13]

There exist rules in India for modifying of cars. Most of those rules are archaic and seem outdated but some of those are very essential, some of which include body/structure mods and mechanical mods.

I personally feel that there should be regulation for these modifications. any auto company spends an obscene sum in designing a car, it is really not easy for a roadside mechanic or any professional modder to carry out these serious structural/mechanical mods in the car. Testing and certification should be a must, not only for the owners safety but also for the people on the road he is travelling on. And i agree that there are many people doing this in India and succesfully too, but having a certification facility offering HASSLEFREE and quick certification/testing will be most welcome. (Me thinks ARAI does offer testing/certification but the waiting period is too long.)

Afterall it is better to spend a small sum for the certification in order to ensure self and others safety, not to mention peace of mind from the traffic police.