#Rig of rod police car mods install#
#Rig of rod police car mods manual#
#Rig of rod police car mods plus#

It was at this point that I should have remembered a modification that I had done the the car over a year ago. And even if an item like this does pass, you’d have to do it all over again in two years’ time, so it’s almost always better to switch the part back to stock. You can try and bring the OEM part and do a side-by-side comparison during the inspection as proof, although this comes with no guarantee of a pass.

#Rig of rod police car mods install#

“Wait until after the inspection to install those, as you can’t have them on for the test,” warned Kano.Īnything that is deemed critical in regards to car safety (think brakes, engine mounts, driveshaft, upper arms, etc.) must either be OEM, or have the supporting paperwork to prove their legality. Surprisingly, there are a ton of these sort of loopholes that shops and enthusiasts use to pass inspection, and I was about to get a crash course lesson on most of them.īefore leaving, I spotted a set of Cusco upper control arms in Veruza’s used parts pile that looked perfect for refurbishing and fitting in my car. Once the inspection was over, removal would also be quick and painless. It was a gamble I’d likely lose out on, but there was a very quick and cheap fix – I could simply slap rubber fender moldings around the rear wheel arches, instantly gaining an additional 12mm of body width without having to add a wide-body kit to the shaken list. Kano warned me that depending on the inspector’s mood that day, he would either overlook the small violation or fail it. Like most countries, in Japan your wheels aren’t allowed to protrude past the wheel arch, and mine were poking out 2mm (yes, I measured). “The rear fender may pose a problem,” he said, pointing to the right-side quarter panel.

#Rig of rod police car mods manual#

The car started out life as an automatic, but the R33 5-speed manual conversion has been officially recorded on the car’s shaken paperwork, so there’s no problems there. This means that come shaken time, I’m able to reverse any modification that might fail. Given that Project Rough is a bit of a budget build, I’m sure you can guess what option I went with… I’ll Take Option 3 Pleaseĭuring the two years that I’ve owned my ER34 Nissan Skyline GT-T, I’ve held on to every original part that I’ve replaced with an aftermarket equivalent – especially the questionable ones. Just for the inspection, taxes and mandatory car insurance called jibaiseiki, you’re looking at around ¥60,000 (US$550), but if you take matters into your own hands that’s all the shaken will cost. The third option comes with the biggest headache of them all, but is significantly cheaper than option two, and that’s for an owner to do everything themselves.

#Rig of rod police car mods plus#

But this is not cheap, and the set fees plus service starts at around ¥100,000 (US$915 at current exchange rates) depending on the shop, the car, and what’s actually required in order to pass the test. As Dino has mentioned previously, a lot of shops in Japan make their living by handling the whole shaken process on behalf of their customers.

The second option comes with a lesser headache. Some people would rather not deal with the headaches of returning their cars to shaken-legal status or making any necessary repairs, so simply offload them to someone else. The first and cheapest is to simply get rid of your car. Vehicle owners in Japan have three options when it comes to the shaken inspection. I’ve just been through this with Project Rough, and brought my camera along for the ride. Yes, there are times when the police do take the initiative and crackdown on modified cars, but compared to many other countries around the world, Japan really is a safe haven for tuners.Įvery two years though, that safe haven is challenged as all vehicles are required to undergo an extensive shaken inspection. And for good reason, too – here in Japan there are no shortage of vehicles slammed mere millimeters off the ground, and with exhaust systems so loud that it makes the bosozoku seem tame. How is it possible for Japanese car enthusiasts to get away with that? It’s a phrase I’ve heard countless times on various social media platforms.