Hot Rods Fender Exemption For Aussies

Well, not yet. Don't get too excited. But get motivated and be supportive of the guys that are starting a movement in Australia to lobby for an exemption to fender laws. It's early days but Richard Dabbs (elricho) has started a Facebook page garnering support for such an exemption. Go and have a look at the AHRA-Australian Hot Rod Alliance page.

There has been a lot of support shown to date with nearly 700 members. There will also be a lot of resistance to this campaign so stay positive and supportive. It is likely to need a sustained effort to achieve a positive outcome.

Please, be supportive of the group but don't use the page to post abusive or negative things about the authorities or as a protest platform to vent or tell us how much of a rebel you are. Richard is going about this the right way, professionally, co-operatively and maturely.

I'll provide an update when there is something more substantial to report.

#freethefirestones

 

Good luck on your quest.I always liked the fender crafting you guys have to do.

 

But Pete, I've already got fenders on my coupe and my T-bucket has had it's fenders for nearly 50 years. Only realised recently that the T was entered in the 1965 Melbourne and Sydney shows without fenders!

 

Now, what did I say about being a rebel Swifty?

 

We have a "fair weather" fender law in the State of Washington that works for the most part but has a 40 year cut off on it rather than a year model cutoff like 1935. I'd shoot for a definitive year model cut off rather than a progressing year model cutoff. That keeps the junkmobiles from running up and down the road with no fenders making everyone with no fenders look bad.

 

Still not enough motivation for me to sign up on faeces book. Good Luck! You're going to need it. It has been tried previously many times before by our existing organizations with no luck. Hopefully your getting them on board too to get behind you all.

 

We are going to broaden the channels of communication Brett. At the moment the main one is FB. I also resisted for a long time so I understand. Main thing is the support.

There is certainly some history around this issue and I'm certainly not across all of it. I do know the ASRF stated they would not pursue a fender exemption. If that is our representative body then I for one don't accept that kind of blanket statement. This is a long running issue that carries with it a lot of strong feelings. What is required is a well considered and persistent campaign to address the concerns of the law makers. No doubt it's a tough one. Being negative or defeatist gets us nowhere. Remind me of that in 2 years, will you?

 

If this works, next step is to get rid of "Nerf bars"........... Whatever they're supposed to do.

 

Best of luck with it, I hope the Aussy govt gets on board for you guys.
Cut of year for us over the ditch, is 1935.
Other criteria is you must be a member of a NZHRA club for two years, and you need the backing of several club members.
The exemption also only goes to the car owner, not the car, so technically, no one else can drive your car.

 

Well, I'm in the states, and don't have Facebook, but I'd support it!
Good luck!

 

Before people go bashing the ASRF for their attitude towards fenders maybe you should delve back into the dark ages and find out what the various Govt attitudes were towards hot rods in general, let alone those without fenders.............sure some cars look better without fenders but at least in general terms we can get cars reg'd, albeit with them......its been threatened to be much worse without the efforts of organisations like the ASRF, TAC, Street Rod Committees......don't like it.......join up & change it............andyd

 

can't find anything on FB, whats the page name

 

Andy. Not sure if you're referring to my comment about the ASRF. If so, you have the wrong end of the stick. I am a member and appreciate all of the very hard work done to get the NSRG up, a better system for SR permits, common sense changes like ability to run split bones. I am not bashing them. What I am saying is, as a representative body they need to represent the interests of the membership. Yes, I know this is a tough one, and maybe it would be fair to say "Now is not the time" or "We'll chip away at it" or even "These are the barriers so let's work out how to address them". A blanket "No" doesn't cut it for me.

I am yet to hear a valid reason why this could not happen. Just "because we say so" or "we tried before and failed".

 

AHRA-Australian Hot Rod Alliance

 

I reckon anyone who wants to change the fender rules in Australia is arguing an unwinnable case.
In the US hot rods have been able to be driven fenderless and it seems to have always been that way.
Australian rules have never allowed fenderless regardless of which state you are in, so there is no precedent set. If you want an American style car you will have to take a chance, If you want to drive early Aussie style it should have fenders.
Having said that the police don't seem overly worried about it judging by the number of fenderless rods at the Nationals at Easter.
I know we all want to drive our hot rods the way WE want to but given the government attitudes to modified vehicles in general I think we are lucky to be on the road at all.

 

Good luck with it,I don't do Fb but would support it however .The old guard don't seem to postitive about it whenever the question why not is asked.Nothing is unwinnable though,they used to burn witches didn't they!
I say this with great respect for the old school that made it possible for the likes of me to be able to build a car in my own shed at home then licence and drive it.
Once again good luck with it!

 

Good luck with it keep us posted

 

Will do Pete. Keep us posted of progress on this thread when you can. I hope you guys are successful.

Might be worthwhile to get hold of the NZ model as a basis for over here and also how they went about getting it in place?

 

Fenders, we don't need no stinkin' fenders.

I will give my support to this one.

 

the ASRF don't support it.... & in NSW the NSWSRC definitely don't support it..
I've been told directly by them that only a minority of rodders want to run fenderless so they won't fight the fight. on our behalf..
I guess I'm one of the minority.....good luck..

 

Best of luck with the fight!!

Just after I bought my T-bucket project I went to a hot rod club meeting. A guy there told me I would NEVER get it licensed in PA. Well a few years later the hot rodders tried again to change the law. So I wrote to my State Rep. I told him that the car they chose to put on the PA street rod plate to exemplify a hot rod, a fenderless, bumperless, hoodless T-bucket was illeagal in PA. I then said it would be easier to change the law than the plate.

I doubt my letter did anything but they did change the law. After several attempts.

Bill

 

Here is some history on how the exemption system came about over here in NZ ...

http://www.hotrod.org.nz/Fender_Exemptions_Explained.htm

I have a feeling that fenderless was originally legal in NZ, and was only made illegal in the mid-seventies (probably in the 1976 law mentioned in the link above), whereas it sounds like it has always been illegal for you guys.

There were some articles in the NZ Hot Rod mag around that time so I will see if I can dig them out.


Good luck!

 

We cant get every state to administer the NSRG the same way even though it's supposed to be a national document. Each state has it's own interpretation of it.
I hope you get it through and in the NSRG.
How many states in the US allow fenderless cars, from my understanding it's not many,anyone know?

 

*******************************************************************************

Iowa is one. Dropped the requirements for fenders and bumpers back in 2010, and no new requirements since then.

Roger

 

Go for it and don't listen to the bullshit about the past ! No matter how much trouble people go to to try and make them work, they look fucked !
Drop them off and keep you're car away from events where the self proclaimed hotrod police are and you'll most likely have no issues from the law.
Give it you're best shot guys, good luck with it and all the best.

 

Not the first though Thommo, it has been tried numerous times here in Vic. to no avail. Its just a lot of us have no idea what goes on behind the scenes as we are so far removed from it.

 

See our update regarding an Aussie fender exemption http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/update-for-aussies-fender-exemption.978607/