SO, you want to build a street rod?

Firstly, you need to decide what type of car you want. Go to the shows and runs, look at all the different types of Rods and talk to the owners about the good and bad points of their vehicles. Most owners are more than happy to have a chat about their rods and the building process. For example: Single no kids might be a pickup, or a coupe as they don’t have as many seats. Family = sedans and tourers, as they have more seats. Our hobby is great for families, and most events cater to the family lifestyle. It is much easier to be able to make time for a drive if you take the family with you. Each person builds or buys a certain type of Street Rod to suit their needs. Make sure you spend time researching exactly what your needs are. It’s a shame to spend time and money on something that is going to sit in the shed and not see the light of day.

Once you have determined your requirements, it’s time to weigh up the build or buy scenario. For this topic, we will concentrate on the building scenario. We will also briefly discuss buying vehicles from WA and other States of Australia, and the requirements for registration. At this point it is wise to obtain a copy of the National Guidelines for the Construction and Modification of Street Rods in Australia, often referred to as the National Street Rod Guidelines (NSRG), so that you are fully aware of the Street Rod requirements. The NSRG can be downloaded from this link: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au and type STREET ROD in the search box at the top of the page, or just Google Street Rod Manual..

If you become a member of the Western Australian Hot Rod Association (WAHRA) Inc we can then assist you with the application and inspection processes. You can join WAHRA via this site or by sending an email to membershipwahra@gmail.com or come to a tech inspection morning, 3rd Saturday of the Month, at 12 Cusack Way, Malaga from 8:30am to Noon. Another regular meet up spot is Hop-Dup Donuts, 3rd Sunday of each Month at 88 Archibald Street, Willagee and you can join then too or just mingle and chat to all the rodders.

When you are ready to begin the build process you need to complete the Street Rod Build Application - Part 1, available from this link. Current Build Applications are $300 and this includes the 1st inspection, subsequent inspections are $50 each and can be paid on the day of inspection.  Please submit the form with the payment to treasurerwahra@gmail.com. Street Rod Build Application - Part 2 is available from this link but make sure the Build Application payment has been made before submitting Part 2.

A chassis plan is required for all fabricated chassis, and this includes the use of reproduction chassis rails. The chassis plan does not need to be a fully dimensioned drawing but needs to be a neat drawing showing a plan view and side view, and must detail all major dimensions, and material sizes. It needs to be either a pdf file or drawn in black pen on an A4 sheet so it can be scanned.

Don't hesitate to reach out to the Tech team if you get stuck or are unsure.

When you have filled in all the relevant information on Part 2, email it back to tcwahra@gmail.com or post to the address shown on the forms.

When the Street Rod Build Application is returned to WAHRA, it is assessed for compliance with the NSRG, and any queries are resolved with the applicant. Once WAHRA is satisfied that the proposed Street Rod complies with the NSRG, the application information is transferred to a formal Department of Transport (DTMI) application document and forwarded electronically to the DTMI for approval in principle. When the DTMI has approved the application, WAHRA will receive a file copy, and a copy will be emailed to the applicant.

THE BUILD PROCESS

The approval has come back from the DTMI, and they have given you the go ahead to construct your dream car.

A Build Number will be issued with the approval, this will be of the format HRA00XXX, this is your build approval number. If you have a fabricated chassis, this is also your chassis number, which is to be clearly stamped onto your chassis, in a place which is easily visible when all body panels are fitted, as it needs to be seen by both the DTMI and any inspections carried out by WAHRA. If the vehicle is a replica, with both a fabricated chassis and a replica body, it will be given a full 17 digit VIN.

WHERE DO I GO TO FROM HERE?

It’s now time to start fabricating your chassis. We will not be going into this in detail as there are many variables in the construction of a Street Rod chassis, depending on the vehicle you plan on building. An important suggestion though is that you check that the components you are purchasing meet the requirements of the NSRG. There are parts available on the internet, at cheap prices, however, BEWARE those cheap parts may not meet the requirements of the NSRG and may not have the engineering approval to be used in WA. If this is the case, you may find yourself requiring engineers to certify these parts. Your cheap parts are suddenly not looking nearly as attractive as they were. There are plenty of reputable places to purchase the required parts within Australia but remember to ask if they comply with the NSRG requirements.

As you progress with the building of your Street Rod, inspections are required along the way. These are discussed below. Having paid the Build Application Fee, the first inspection is included, subsequent fees are payable for inspections two and three. Please check this website for current fees.

FIRST INSPECTION:

Having obtained a copy of the National Guidelines, obtained DTMI approval, and have fabricated a replica chassis, or modified the original, you are now ready for the First Inspection. Bookings are essential, email tcinspectionswahra@gmail.com

The first inspection is carried out when your chassis is at a rolling stage, including all suspension, engine and gearbox mounts. The chassis MUST be bare steel with all welding visible. Welding must not be ground down for the first inspection. (After the first inspection, be cautious in grinding any welding, especially on boxing plates as this weakens the area.)

On arrival at our Malaga Inspection Station, it is not necessary to remove the chassis from the trailer or truck. The chassis will be inspected on the trailer. During the inspection two of our DTMI authorised examiners will check numerous items as per the First Inspection Checklist.

SECOND INSPECTION:

Having taken your chassis home after passing the first inspection, you may keep moving along with the build process. The next Inspection will be required when the whole car is completely together.

The car does not have to have trim, glass, paint or run. However, it needs to have all components in place, including seats, gauges in the dash, seat belt mounts visible, guards on, all lights etc fitted. This is basically a complete car ready to pull down for painting and trim.

To put it simply, after the second inspection you will spend a significant amount of time and money finishing off the car, painting and trimming etc. There is no point coming back for the final inspection, only to find that something done after the second inspection isn’t right, and that you must start cutting and changing things because they were not there in the previous inspections and now don’t comply. So, ensure that for second inspection the car is essentially complete. The examiners can’t sign off if it is not complete. So, to avoid costly heartache we recommend you get as much as you can on, and in the car before the second inspection.

Don’t forget, bookings are essential, so email tcinspectionswahra@gmail.com to book your inspection.

FINAL INSPECTION:

Now that you have gotten this far, the fun really begins. You have successfully completed the first two inspections and are now ready to finish the car.

For the final pre-registration inspection, the car is to be completely finished and in such a condition as you would expect to present it to the DTMI Inspection Station. This includes wheel alignment, tuning etc. If you are not happy with the way the car drives or it’s missing something, it isn’t ready for its final inspection. The car is to be driven or trailered to the Malaga Inspection Station. As part of the inspection process a road test by one of the examiners will be needed, the vehicle will require a Temporary Movement Permit to be driven on public roads before the test drive can be carried out. These are available online from the DTMI website. If there is no permit the vehicle cannot be test driven, and therefore it will not be passed. The Final Inspection Checklist is available from tcwahra@gmail.com on request.

It cannot be stressed enough that the vehicle must be completely finished when presented for its final inspection.

We strongly advise that the vehicle has a full comprehensive insurance policy at this stage. The amount of time and money you have invested to get to this point will have been considerable.

Once your vehicle has successfully passed its third inspection our WAHRA examiners will lodge the paperwork with the DTMI for final approval. As soon as the final approval is received back from the DTMI, the WAHRA will email it to you. You can then present the vehicle and paperwork to the DTMI Station for registration. When presenting the car for registration you will need a copy of the final approval, a weighbridge certificate showing the tare weight, a temporary permit to drive the vehicle, and some form of proof of ownership.

Once your Street Rod is registered, it will be given full registration, which means there is no restriction on when it can be driven. From there you may apply for registration under the Concession for Classics (C4C) scheme. WAHRA is an approved car club for the purposes of C4C and more information can be found on wahra.tidyhq.com

Bookings are essential for each inspection. Please email tcinspectionswahra@gmail.com to arrange a suitable time and date, inspections are generally held at our inspection centre in Malaga at 12 Cusack Road, the third Saturday morning of the Month. Our Technical advisory team do arrange regional inspection days if there is enough interest. Please email the team to see what we can help you with.

SO, YOU WANT TO BUY A STREET ROD!

If you decide to buy instead of building, you have three choices: buy a currently WA registered Street Rod, buy an interstate registered Street Rod, or by an unregistered Street Rod. The process is different in each case.

• Current WA Registration: The registration is transferred by the usual DTMI process, and the technical team at tcwahra@gmail.com can assist in transferring the approval to your name.
• Interstate Registration: It is necessary to complete the Build Application to obtain DTMI approval in principle. The vehicle is required to undergo a Final Inspection, after which the DTMI provides a final approval, and the vehicle is presented for registration with the same documentation required as for a newly built Street Rod.
• Unregistered Street Rod: Contact the technical inspection team at WAHRA tcwahra@gmail.com as requirements can vary depending upon how long the Street Rod has been unregistered, or if in fact it has ever been registered. An unfinished vehicle will need to undergo all three inspections, while one that has only had a recent registration expiry may only require a final inspection and then be presented for re-registration. In all cases WAHRA will need to submit a new or revised application to DTMI to have the Street Rod approval reissued in your name.

There you have it, not very complicated is it! It’s ok to be overwhelmed and confused but we are here to help. Just remember to spend time at events, talk to rodders about the pros and cons of their vehicles. Street Rod / Hot Rods are an expression of your personality, other than conforming to the build process and government licensing rules, anything goes!

Below are the links to the forms mentioned above.