:LOL:Now that is a belly shaker! I bust out laughin' so hard I was coughin' to catch my breath!:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
Good for you! So have another bowl of ice cream and know we're so happy for you!
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:LOL:Now that is a belly shaker! I bust out laughin' so hard I was coughin' to catch my breath!:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
Good for you! So have another bowl of ice cream and know we're so happy for you!
That's good news John.
I spoke with Justin at the NZHRA show.
He's an easy guy to get on with aye.
ps. I guess it will be Yellow like Willys COE truck.
.
Great news See Ice Cream fixs everything
Thanks people for the kind words/thoughts.
So many of these bureaucrats seem to be bullies of no intellect, full of education but no knowledge, who have never built a car in their lives, but have finally got themselves into a position of minor power where they can throw thier weight about and make everyone's lives that little bit more difficult.
I liken them to eunuchs in an harem; they know how it's done, they see it done every day, but are totally incapable of doing it themselves.
You're supposed to mellow as you get older; but I've become more irascable...where once I would have rolled with the punches, now I'm more inclined to say: "Back off! I don't have to put up with this s**t!"
Which very often doesn't help my cause any.
That's why I left this in Justin's capable hands; I'd likely finish up wanting to punch someone.
("How do you like your head...one lump or two?")
And I think I'll continue with the ice-cream...it seems to work!
:) :)
P.s.
I posted a wee box full of tea-bags to Justin today...it'll be a few days before he gets them and I get a response...
"Here's these few drinks I promised you.")
Tee-hee!
(Or should that be: tea-hee?)
.
It seems that the politician and his "officials" are standard nonsense the world over!
Yes, continue with the ice cream! I find my ice cream intake rises and falls with my stress level and leads to other issues, but...
I'm still smiling! And now you're another step further in the process and making headway! That's gotta feel good!!! 8-)
How apropros...................:LOL::LOL::LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
No news on the certification yet; but Justin got his teabags in the mail yesterday.
How do I know?
Because of the reaction I got!
I had written on the box: "Here are those few drinks I promised you".
The inter-web went mad!
There were even photos of the box of teabags and my attached note posted up for all to see.
He called me all sorts of names, and used words that with my sheltered upbringing and exemplary life I've never heard before.
:eek:
He reckoned that the whole office was in an uproar.
One of the best leg-pulls he's ever had done...
:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
But I'm still a mongrel.
:D
I think I'll stay away from the LVVTA offices for a while...
Tee-hee.
.
A well timed, and well played joke keeps things interesting for everyone, and enriches friendships. Paybacks, however, can sometimes be he[[ :LOL::LOL:**)
Got a phone call from Coxy today.
Noel MacMillen (the joker doing the certification,) had rung him wanting to know about various bits and pieces on the bus.
'Where did we get the second steering box and why are they mounted in tandem?"
"Willy Roach. And they're mounted that way because that's what Willy advised, it's the way he does all his."
"Why is there a new crossmember in the chassis?"
"Because it was automatic but is now a manual."
"Who built the driveshaft?"
Coxy reckoned this one floored him.
"Listen you dumb ar####le; you tell me! I called into your shop five or six weeks back with the driveshaft on the tray of my ute, you asked me what it was for, I told you, and then I asked you where to find his shop. Because I couldn't. And you gave me directions. So you tell me who made it!"
Coxy and I are very alike in temperament, and don't suffer fools.
Coxy also explained to him that it's a standard 2000 Chev lwb chassis, and the body (apart from the door modification,) is a standard Superior bus.
So from that I surmise that MacMillen has actually started doing the certification.
After three weeks or more of prevarication.
Sigh.
I console myself with the thought that good things take time...and another bowl of ice-cream.
;)
.
I got an e-mail from the certifier this morning.
It read as follows:
Hi John and Rosie,
Making progress on bus,
A VIN No has been issued and it has been classed as MA Class by NZTA.
Just a few problems on certification side,
(1) Sorting out seats and the fact that they are welded to the floor. Awaiting answer from LVVTA, but I think we will have to bolt and plate them.
(2) Paper work required for fabricated drive shaft.
(3) Steering shaft requires securing at bottom of column.
(4) High stop light required
(5) Speedo to operate correctly
(6) Steering to self centre
(7) Burst Proof Door lock on entry door? Awaiting answer from LVVTA.
At this stage these Items need rectifying and then we can road test and go from there.
We can sort these problems out for you if you wish.
Awaiting your reply,
Noel McMillin
Well that's not too bad...I can live with that...so I got busy to remedy what I could from here.
Taking the points he made:
(1) A stressed seat (as these are,) can be welded to the floor, but if he's not happy with it, then by all means drill eight holes and bolt them down with fender washers.
(2) Shot into town to the accountant's, got a copy of the invoice, and sent it off to him.
(3) I rang to clarify this; what's it all about?
It seems that either Coxy or myself, when installing the column, had neglected to nip a bolt up tightly...and it was only finger tight...easily remedied.
(4) Easily remedied too; get a stick-on one from Repco, wire it into the loom that goes to the light-up Ford trim across the rear door, and stick the suction cap to the rear window.
(And it's sure to fall off 'accidentally' once the paper work has been processed.)
(5) We can't set the speedo until the vehicle is legal; it has to be driven over a measured mile and then set.
(6) Get a wheel allignment...the chassis is set up for driving on the right-hand side of the road...we drive on the left...it's trying to handle a different camber to the road surface.
(7) I don't have the paper work for that; it's something Coxy sourced, but it is a proper motor-home door latch.
But I'll be surprised if Justin at the LVVTA insists on paper-work proving it's burst-proof; because it's adjacent to the steps, not to a passenger seat...the passenger seat is forward of the step well.
So I'm happy with that...a huge worry off my mind...you hear horror stories of some people getting pages of 'to remedy' things.
AND THE END IS IN SIGHT!
Once these minor things are remedied, and the certification is okayed by LVVTA (Should I send them some more drinks?...nah...better not!) I can get a warrant of fitness on it, get it registered, bring it home and tout it around a few paint-shops, and then to Thames to get the interior fitted.
Then back here for painting and sign-writing, and then...DRIVE IT!
So its debut at Muscle Car Madness or Beach Hop is looking to be a possibility.
Yeeha!
(If anyone has shares in the ice-cream manufacturer Tip-top you'd better sell them; their profit line is gonna drop!)
.
That is great news! The light in the tunnel is getting brighter! So relax and finish off that ice cream!:LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
So long as the light in the tunnel isn't a train coming at me!Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
When things like this start moving too smoothly you wonder when that fella with the hand-full of spanners is going to show up again.
And as for more ice cream...nah; my broad mind and narrow waist are thinking about trading places!
:D :D
But thanks, yeah; so far the news is pretty good.
.
Who is the Trimmer in Thames you are using John? Is he or she a rodder or a business you know or recommend. I would like somebody like Stitches or Goodwin Upholstery do mine but way over my price league I'm afraid.
I'm using Glen and Mathew Donaldson of TranztecRV.
They're not upholsterers per se; they have the franchise for Duralite, a laminated foam board that I've seen and admired.
They specialise in installing interiors in motor-homes.
As you came off the old Kopu bridge heading in to Thames, they were in a large building on your right, set back from the road just around the second corner.
Not too sure where they are in relation to the new bridge; I've not been up there since it opened.
For upholstery I'd plump for a local guy, Erroll Ward, who works from home just up the road from me in Okato.
He's good, and not over the top with his prices.
(And he's a character; as crazy as a cut cat.)
:D
.
Well, its been seven weeks since the certifier got the bus, I've not heard anything from him recently; so today I rang him.
They've just got it back after a wheel alignment, (and the alignment was an issue with it not centreing,) but now it appears that the steering is binding.
I can't for the life of me think of anything that could cause that, and told him that if he thought it was to do with the twin steering boxes then to ring Willie Roach.
Willie knows of the bus, and he is 'The Man' in NZ for this type of thing.
(And I've known Willie and he's known me for over forty years...he's a local, an Opunake boy.)
The only other problem is an engineer's report on the seats.
I had contacted the manufacturer, Starfish Interiors, asking them to send him a copy (of a report,) but they haven't.
Bugger!
So I told Noel to contact them directly; and give them a rark-up.
Either send him a copy or get their engineer to do so...but ensure it's done!
Sigh.
So it's still not certified.
Frustrated?
Hell yeah!
(I might have to buy another container of ice cream!)
.
Just got a message from Noel McMillin: 'Ring me'.
So I did.
It seems that the steering is still binding, so he's talked to Willie Roach, whose advice was to get both the steering boxes and the pump calibrated together; it seems that it's possible for one or all of them to be slightly out of sync, which will affect the operation of the whole system.
He reckoned he didn't understand it properly, but when Willie explained it it seemed to make sense; and of anybody it would be Willie who would have the answers!
Just ******* do it!
Also; it seems the seats were not what I had specifically asked Starfish Interiors for; they're for an hgv, not for a 'light' vehicle, and will therefore have to be strengthened...at a cost to me of around $800...it will take about a fortnight and they will lose their recliner action.
Just ******* do that too...I'm getting ****** off with the delay.
Sheesh!
It's ten weeks as of today since the vehicle landed ar their workshop; and they still haven't got it sussed...I am not impressed...and I'm not happy!
And I rather think that message got through.
I have deliberately refrained from making contact with any involved in this Certification debacle; because I know damned well I couldn't refrain from venting...and I'm aware too that when I eventually get to pick the bus up I'm going to have to keep a tight rein on my feelings.
But if someone were to make a smart-ass comment...
('Scuse me; I've gotta go...off to see the Bank Manager to arrange another mortgage...and to buy another tub of ice-cream...)
.
Ice Cream will calm you some, but I think I'd be holding back some $$$ if they can't get the job done.
As of last thursday its been fifteen weeks since the bus landed at Nostalgia Motors in Hamilton.
And it's still not certified.
So on Friday She and I fired up the '47 and drove the four hour trip north to talk to the man.
I've been patience personified over this bureaucratic debacle, and now I'm going to be demanding answers.
I didn't get them.
The short answer is: we've 'over' engineered it by putting it on a chassis that's heavier than the bus requires...the chassis is rated by GM for 6.5 tons, and the bus will weigh in at a gvm/gvw of well under 4 tons.
But the bureaucrat-with-the-clipboard from LTSA (Land Transport Safety Authority,) maintains that the factory chassis rating is the only figure he can judge the vehicle by...and that the 6.5 rating puts it into a heavy goods vehicle class.
If it had had 'caravan-type' stuff in it he could potentially have rated it as a motor home...a different class entirely. But it didn't have anything in the back; so he insists it's a heavy goods vehicle.
(If I'd have outfitted it as a motor home prior to certification they'd have insisted on ripping it apart to check the internal structural integrity...a Catch 22 situation.)
I took all my documentation and my scrap-book with me and was able to show everything we'd planned, and what we proposed to Noel McMillin, the proprietor of Nostalgia Motors.
He got his office girl to photocopy the lot...about 100 foolscap sized pages, detailing our trip back to Billings Oklahoma, and quotes and estimates from the people I intend to get to fit the interior, and all things in-between.
"This might just persuade the b*****d," he said.
I surely hope so!
A meeting of minds and a punching of heads can sometimes be almost the same thing.
And so back home to another tub of icecream.
So here's hoping!
.
I wish you luck as sometimes you just can't get them to understand..But on the good side there that dependable ICE CREAM
The logic of bureaucrats is often so skewed from the rational that one cannot see the path they've followed to get there. It seems obvious that regardless the capacity of the chassis, if the bodyworks mounted weigh less, and there is not cargo space built to carry freight loads then the vehicle rating follows the load carrying capacity that can be accommodated, in this case a few passengers and their provisions. To go by the chassis capacity would lead one to say that if GM used that chassis for multiple applications, say from "heavy goods" to pickup trucks to city buses they would all be classed to the chassis max. I sympathize with your situation and hope that you get a nice Christmas surprise of a new certification in your stocking, if not before.
Along with the other well wishers.. sigh.. I'm not sure what to say other than "THOSE B _ S T _ R D S!".... I think eventually "we" here in the states will have the same situation and bureaucracy as you folks do now.
And yes, I rue the day and guess I'll buy stock in Ben & Jerry's.....
Or Remington Arms Company, LLC......Quote:
Originally Posted by 34_40
Thanks Charlie!
Roger: you're right with your assumption that GM used essentially the same chassis for different applications; they just lengthened or shortened the chassis rails as needed.
To you and me to apply the highest potential rating where it's obviously not applicable in a particular usage of the chassis is a no-brainer.
But to get that viewpoint into the head of some idjit with a modicum of authority...
Sigh.
.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
Amen Brother!! Amen!!
Oh boy!Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
I hear ya on that one!
:LOL:
.
This is not an update; there's nothing to update.
Its been seven months come next Sunday since the bus went to Nostalgia Motors for certification.
And it hasn't happened yet.
.
That's just terrible! I don't know the words that could make you feel better... Gov't. Bull Stuff!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
John,,what the ##@**&^$ is going on up there??Is it because it's a heavy motor vehicle(just)??or are the boobycrats just dickin you around?? or what?? What can Justin do??if anything??I suppose he cant rock the boat too much..**) Or is Noel just fiddlin with it?? I have NEVER heard of so much excrement over a certification..:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
I smell trouble,,just read ya Ramblings,John.. Go....Leakers.. Wanna be there and watch..hehe...
It's time for a bribe
It's a b***dy farce.
Justin can do nothing...it's well out of his sphere now...LVVTA (Justin's crowd,) are completely out of the picture, Land Transport are controlling every facet of it now.
I can't blame Noel McMillin; he can only do what LTSA tell him to do.
And it appears to me that one fella in LTSA has a snitch on either Noel or myself.
We have never before had a vehicle take more than three days to go through certification.
First off was their (read 'his',) insistence that it had to be classified as a 'heavy goods vehicle'.
Okay, I don't like it; but I can live with it.
Just let it be certified!
But no.
The next 'requirement' was the pink slip for the pick-up truck that the donor chassis came from.
We managed to get it.
Okay; now certify it!
But no.
The next 'requirement' was the FMVSS (Federal Moto Vehicle Safety Standard) sticker from said truck.
I'd got shot of that cab over two years ago, but managed to track it down.
Thankfully it was still intact, and I was able to get photographs of the FMVSS tag.
But why oh why would such things be needed?
The body now on the truck chassis does not resemble in any way, shape, or form the initial body.
So the FMVSS is now totally irrelevant.
And essentially, in New Zealand, the pink slip is meaningless.
Prevarication?
I drew my own conclusions.
So now certify it!
Sigh.
The K member we put in to support the gear-box has been okayed.
And the drive-shaft loops.
The jury's still out on the steering.
And that's where things stand. (Stand being the operative word!) It's still not certified.
I'd thought of contacting my local Member of Parliament about it, with LTSA being a Government entity; but was told by those that know and understand how the 'system' works that that would actually prove to be a negative move.
My hands are tied...there's nowt more I can do...until the next stupid demand sends me off on another meaningless wild goose chase.
Its gone past ice cream...we're in rum territory now!
And doubles at that!
.
Even if it's against the advice given, I think I'd be in their office Monday morning to have a nice chat and see just exactly what the problem is with getting the vehicle certified. You've been more than patient on this, and from what you've posted you've spent several thousand unnecessary dollars changing things at the whim of these jerks. I would not be able to remain patient, and would be in their office, being very polite but also very firm that I am their new office mate until I had an understanding of what's needed to get to the finish line. I'd probably not go armed (not sure), for fear I'd put some bureaucrat out of his misery!! A friend of mine was told by a lady at our DMV, "You'll not get that car registered in Kansas without a court order directing me to register it with that Iowa title." Three weeks later he walked in with the signed court order, directing her to honor the paperwork, and certify the application for title. She glared at him, approved his application and told him to get out of her office! ;):LOL::LOL:
John,,what about that other dude from Hamilton,or where ever he lives?? Clive Farquhar,I think his name is..The guy with the Bedford bus/Ford front panels,and the 572BBC,etc,in it..Same deal,,HMV... Track him down and talk to him..(if ya havent already) See what he went through..
Good thought but...
Farquhar's bus is a standard J2 or 3 Bedford with a NZ Motor Bodies body, with the front fenders and hood from an F1 Ford bolted on, and a bbc in the engine bay.
It was built as a right-hand drive originally; and has had no alterations to the body (apart from the front clip,) or chassis, so his bus has no relevance to our circumstances.
I was talking with Justin at a Mavericks' event last Saturday week; he informed me that it will eventually go through...and under no circumstances should I rock the boat.
But that does nothing to alleviate my frustration or reduce my blood pressure!
.
Roger: I did turn up unannounced at the LTSA offices last Friday week with the intention of asking (politely) what were the problems as they saw them, and what I could do to mitigate/remedy them.
Unfortunately, on the very day I called, all field staff were out in the field.
Bugger!
(Unfortunately too we can not bear arms in New Zealand...totally forbidden...if you bear arms you'll find yourself in a place where the walls are extremely hard, there are no door handles, and your sunshine is striped.)
.
I had a problem a few weeks ago about a lost title. The KID behind to counter had no idea how close he was to meeting his maker. We aren't suposed to carry here with out a permit, and are not allowed in gov. buldings. He had me so upset I would have pulverised him if I didn't mind spending a lot of time in a room with no light and little food. I guess you just have to figure out how to be patient. Good luck over there.. I went today talked to a young lady and got the title problems all worked out at a cost of $36.00 as uposed to dimwits $2600.00. Have some Choclate Ice Cream.
That's exactly the kind of visit I would be making, and while I'd prefer to show up unannounced so that they don't have time to prepare some story if the guy you need regularly leaves the office I'd probably set an appointment - low key, "...going to be in the area on Friday and wondered what's a good time to drop by for a short chat about my application?" My reference to arms was tongue in cheek, and a bit of bad taste. I simply know your frustration, and the desire to throttle someone. I'd say forget the f#*^'n ice cream - break out the single malt and knock back a couple.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnboy
Hi Johnboy, any of the issues been resolved yet?
Ummmm...no.
As of today, the tenth of June, it has been ten months!
At this point I don't want to say too much publically.
But... there has been a line drawn in the sand... by myself.
When that line is reached (and it's not too far off,) there will be a totally unexpected reaction from myself and a mate.
Or three.
They won't know what hit them.
Because this scruffy uneducated peasant from the Taranaki bush does have friends in high places.
And they're about as p****d-off as I am.
Well well!
5:31 pm and Noel McMillin and I have just hung up the phone.
He informed me that the engineer has told him that everything has passed, and all the paperwork will be on LTSA's desk Wednesday.
He also told me that he has informed LTSA that: "This joker is highly p****d off and is talking about some very serious action."
He didn't say what the reaction was; and I didn't ask.
But: 'meanwhile a little boy waits'.
Or do I: "Cry 'Havoc', and let slip the dogs of war!"
It ain't over yet...
id go to war johnboy!
they need to know they can't do that sort of stuff and i can't see them changing there mind and not passing it
put the boot in mate.
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