Donor engine age.

[HSVREDSLED]

Hi people,

Can someone please explaing to me the donor engine age issue for cars to be registered in NSW.

cheers...

[Churchy]

Hi HSVREDSLED,

As I understand it. You can use an engine that is compliant from 3 years prior to when the new standards come in.

So, right now, in Holden engines, you can use a post 2004 LS1 (Euro 3 spec), an LS2 (Euro 4) or the current L76 (Euro 4) You have up until Decmber 2008 to use the LS1, then you can not use it anymore.

The rules changed on January 1 2006. That means that the post 2004 LS1, was still compliant up until Decmber 31 2005, hence the 2008 date that you can use them. Any Euro 4 spec compliant engine can be registered now, hence the LS2 or L76 as they are current engines..

I think I have this right. I do know that the engine I have, which is a 2000 model, will not pass. So it might be the spare, that has some *stuff* done to it, and maybe make it into the Cobra one day.

Cheers

[Tenrocca]

Heres the info you need:

Registration and engine choice in NSW

I still need to make a call to clarify a few things, but this is the basics. Donor vehicle must be less then 3 years old when vehicle is presented to the RTA. Im assuming though that provided the donor vehicle is from a series range that is less then three years old - then its OK (one of the points I need to clarify)

Cheers

[boxhead]

For the gys who allready have an engine, could it be easier for you to travel interstate (where rules arent as tight) and register your car, then transfer into the State you live.

As I think once it is registered and has a Vin, all you need is a roadworthy certificate?

[sambo]

Which name/address would it be registered under? I thought you had to provide that information?

[hodson]

Boxhead
I have been going through the situation of purchasing a car interstate (NSW) that was currently registered and bringing it back into Queensland for registration. After a couple of phone calls to the Dept of Transport (Qld) I found that it wasn't as simple as just getting a roadworthy (or safety certificate Qld). The DOT Qld require you to submit a request for reciprocal registration to them, then submit the original engineering papers as well as the current "state of registration" papers. This is then sent to the DOT engineer in Brisbane where he/she decides if the car is OK for registration in Qld. Advice from the local engineer here in Townsville is that the DOT consider each car on its engineering reports & Merits. This all starts to get very hard particularly if you are spending a lot of money on a maybe that it will get the nod for registration. I gave up and am currently looking at a car already registered in Qld (then its only a roadworthy / safety cert)

[HSVREDSLED]

I can see some traps for young players.

Heres one...
There are many examples of people who have had LS engines replaced for various reasons under warranty (piston slap, oil etc) Later it was revealed, the engines replaced were not from the current model and they were older donks. (Some several years).

Heres my point, the donor car you buy (lets say a 2004 damaged SS with LS1) may actually have a LS1 build date 2000, therefore..non compliant.

The above scenario can apply to any model.

[BMK]

Mmmmm Boxhead has 61 Cobras in his garage...

[Beejay]

I am pretty sure you would be OK.

They refer everything back and cross check with the original donor vehicle.

Cheers,

Ben

[Plums]

Originally Posted by HSVREDSLED

I can see some traps for young players.

Heres one...
There are many examples of people who have had LS engines replaced for various reasons under warranty (piston slap, oil etc) Later it was revealed, the engines replaced were not from the current model and they were older donks. (Some several years).

Heres my point, the donor car you buy (lets say a 2004 damaged SS with LS1) may actually have a LS1 build date 2000, therefore..non compliant.

The above scenario can apply to any model.

I have heard this and it makes sense. If you had a current model car, they are hardly going to pull the latest motor from the production line as a replacement for you. They will get a spare motor which may be a year or two old. I would be bloody dark though if they put a 2000 engine, (LS1) in my 2004 car that had come with a second generation LS6.

The only way to tell what model engine you have is to look at the first two digits of the engine number.
Check the engine number, it will start with VF03xxxxxxxx if it's a 2003, if it's a 2002 it'll be VF02xxxxxxxx etc. etc.

There were some 2006 LS1's (VZ), though these would be VF05xxxxxxxx.

If you are buying an LS1 from a wrecker (or secondhand), check the engine number to ensure you are getting what you paid for.