I’ve removed my rear seats, (along with the carpets and trim) and would quite like to throw them away, since I don’t have much storage space, and they are an awkward shape.
Do Taiwan vehicle regs require them to be fitted at the 6-monthly inspection, or (much less likely to be relevant) a registration tranfer ?
There are no rear seat belts (presumably not a requirement in 1986 when the vehicle was registered, so there HAS been some genuine progress) so I could argue that removing the seats is a responsible act.
Its seems possible, however, that the officials first reaction will not be “Oh goody, a ygolen with a logical argument, our favorite”.
[quote=“Ducked”]I’ve removed my rear seats, (along with the carpets and trim) and would quite like to throw them away, since I don’t have much storage space, and they are an awkward shape.
Do Taiwan vehicle regs require them to be fitted at the 6-monthly inspection, or (much less likely to be relevant) a registration tranfer ?
There are no rear seat belts (presumably not a requirement in 1986 when the vehicle was registered, so there HAS been some genuine progress) so I could argue that removing the seats is a responsible act.
Its seems possible, however, that the officials first reaction will not be “Oh goody, a ygolen with a logical argument, our favorite”.
Or at least, not in a nice way.[/quote]
If there were seats fitted to the vehicle when it was produced, then they need to be kept for inspection purposes. I had a previous customer who thought he could loose his seats, and later had problems putting his vehicle through the test. If you do throw the seats, then you may have to have the vehicle tested through a salesman, unless you are familiar enough with the facility.
Is it a sports car or it is more obvious that the rear seats are missing? I had a Porsche with rear-seats deleted and the area upholstered through safety inspection repeatedly in the states - they never stopped to consider whether the car even had rear seats to begin with. I also recall buddies who did the same thing with a Supra and a 3000GT.
Or you just put some money where the seats used to be and give the guy a little wink wink? :dunno:
My father in law sendt the rear seats to the garbage bin and on a recent viecle inspection he was told to put them back since this was registered as a pasenger car and not something to drive other stuff with.
The problems was solved by a pice of paper with red colour witch seamed to be folded and containing something.
I told them some nasty things about what I think about supporting corruption and doubt it went in.
OK, thanks all. That’s pretty much what I’d have guessed.
Less importantly (since it doesn’t involve an immediate decision), (and less predictably, I suppose) if I get stopped by the cops, is seat deficiency likely to be a prosecuted offence?
just leave a back support pillow, it does not take too much space or weight, and during ispection put few pillows from your couch as a bottom cushions. But thinking logicaly: it’s just a presamption that may not work with test center facility officials who have perfect taiwanese sense of logic
Ducked: that is what happen when ygoren buys short car but pimping driving style required to recline seats at 60 degrees…
Supplementary question which probably doesn’t merit a separate thread.
I removed all the interior trim (apart from the headlner and of course, the dash), and the carpet (and rear seat, as already discussed).
The door panels are something like heavy cardboard covered in vinyl/cloth and got wet. The plastic trim in the load area doesn’t weigh much or get wet but it was very brittle and was just going to get smashed in use. Ventilation is better without it, and metal is tougher.
I can’t say I notice it being much noisier, but it was pretty noisy before.
The bare door shells form useful storage bins. It also looks quite impressively ratty.
Apart from the rear seat (already answered), should I put the rest of this crap back, for the six-monthly inspection?
I suppose there are two separate considerations:-
(a) Are these things (carpet, trim) required by the regulations? (seems unlikey, but in Taiwan?)
(b) Even if they are not required by the regulations, is their absence likely to upset the inspectors and make them more picky on things they can fail?
If they notice, they will probably fail you because they’ve either never seen that before, or because only race cars have no interior, and everyone knows you can’t drive a race car on the road.
Note that the door cars are also there to keep the rainwater that passes by the window seals out of the inside of the car. They should have a plastic sheet as a waterproof membrane behind them so the cards themselves don’t get soaked. Without the cards in place you will probably get splashed with the water that drips off the bottom of the window when it rains.
[quote=“redwagon”][quote=“Ducked”]
(b) Even if they are not required by the regulations, is their absence likely to upset the inspectors and make them more picky on things they can fail?
[/quote]
If they notice, they will probably fail you because they’ve either never seen that before, or because only race cars have no interior, and everyone knows you can’t drive a race car on the road.
Note that the door cars are also there to keep the rainwater that passes by the window seals out of the inside of the car. They should have a plastic sheet as a waterproof membrane behind them so the cards themselves don’t get soaked. Without the cards in place you will probably get splashed with the water that drips off the bottom of the window when it rains.[/quote]
Yes, figures (in an illogical Taiwanese kind of way)
Re leakage via the door, I’ve lined the drivers-side doors with bin-bag plastic. Seems to work better than the original (damaged) membrane, but one loses the storage bin unless you get into some pretty complex shapes.
I hadn’t fully realised before that doors are rainwater conduits pretty much by design, though of course its inevitable. No wonder they tend(ed) to rot out when the drain holes clog(ged).
I’ll probably do the passenger side too eventually, but I don’t get many passengers. Go figure.
[quote=“redwagon”][quote=“Ducked”]
(b) Even if they are not required by the regulations, is their absence likely to upset the inspectors and make them more picky on things they can fail?
[/quote]
If they notice, they will probably fail you because they’ve either never seen that before, or because only race cars have no interior, and everyone knows you can’t drive a race car on the road.
[/quote]
Hey, first it was a sportscar, now its a race car. Pretty cheap upgrade
:dunno:
