Advice please, on recovery/tow points on a Gen 3 Outback

[ABFoz]

Hm i did is legal. So before i go to MOT inspection i will need remove all that all lifts all led bulbs , everything. Doesnt mean you will be stopped in middle of road with those mods and they will look under car, i mean whos testing your cars there so much? Insurance? I go to insurance i tell model year and engine, they dont even know how my car looks.
That front recovery tube system is just bolt on nothing welded to frame.
I mean system is poop if steel bumpers can be certified for safety.. i mean just think about it, you hit person with pure metal, dead.
First gen is when first time outback name appeared on car as name.

Yes, we have a similar testing system here called the Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and it's yearly for vehicles on or after MY2000 and every 6 months for MY1999 and older. There is a tolerance as to which modifications one can do to his/her car. Beyond those tolerances, an LVV certificate will be needed to pass the WoF.

In some cases, the police can pull over extremely low vehicles or souped up 4x4s randomly and they may look for illegal mods. If they find something illegal, the vehicle will either be impounded or stickered, depending on the level of offence.

Not here - it was "Subaru Outback" from day one; I had one.

Yes, it was Outback in OZ, (I still remember that funky font), Legacy Outback in the US/North America and Legacy Grand Wagon in JDM and international markets. I think it was called Outback straightaway because of the Legacy/Liberty issue Subaru had in OZ before. I found that these brandings were confusing and just adopted the Japanese way of using the chassis type. Haha.

 

[scalman]

Yes, we have a similar testing system here called the Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and it's yearly for vehicles on or after MY2000 and every 6 months for MY1999 and older. There is a tolerance as to which modifications one can do to his/her car. Beyond those tolerances, an LVV certificate will be needed to pass the WoF.

In some cases, the police can pull over extremely low vehicles or souped up 4x4s randomly and they may look for illegal mods.

Ouch scary place you live in haha.

 

[ABFoz]

Ouch scary place you live in haha.

True. They discourage vehicle modifications here. People still break the law but many still get caught because the police, insurance companies and city councils work together.

 

[NachaLuva]

This generation dilemma is a bit like how the VAB WRX STI is named now. It used to be Impreza WRX STI up to the GRB/GVB chassis type. Here WRX STI is still just a sub-variant/model of the Impreza up until 2014 when Subaru decided to remove Impreza and just name it WRX STI. We don't call the 2014 VABs first generation WRX STIs, right?

Yes exactly! The US never got the WRX version of the GC Impreza, does that mean the GD WRX is a gen 1? If so, what is a GC8 WRX in other countries, is that a gen 0 or a gen -1?

This is why I never refer to models by the gen, only the model. If someone asks me for a lift kit for a particular gen, I always ask them to clarify which model they have first

 

[Kevin]

every 6 months for MY1999 and older.

Wow that's a bit rough!

 

[Dave Hansford]

Just to clear up the Gen thing, there is NO gen 1 Outback.
It was never made & doesn't exist!

The first Outback is a Gen 2. The current model is a Gen 7 Outback

If you want to disagree, please provide a photo of your VIN plate.

This is a compilation of gen 2-6, I don't have a photo of a Gen 7 Outback VIN plate yet.
3rd line down:
The letter (B) means the Legacy/Liberty/Outback line (S = Forester; G = Impreza; X = XV/Crosstrek)
The number is the gen
"A" denotes the Outback variation

View attachment 3953

Weird...

 

[Dave Hansford]

"Those anchor points are always sweet and useful. Unfortunately, here in NZ we will need a low-volume vehicle (LVV) cert on almost any modification involving the body and the structure. If we install anchor points like that in our cars, there is a chance the inspecting engineer may not approve of the certification because they really cringe when they see anything bolted to the frontal structure/crumple zone. If the engineer will approve it, it will cost around NZD1000, at least. Our system tolerates some bolt-ons but anything related to the suspension or structure will need to be certified."

That's an excellent observation... imagine the grief of going to all that trouble then failing a warrant.

 

[ABFoz]

Wow that's a bit rough!

It is. Imagine having 2 GC8s, one is MY1999 and an MY2000. They are essentially the same vehicle but the MY1999 one will be scrutinised more as it is just past the year threshold. I was told it's the government's plan to modernise the nationwide fleet as we have the oldest among all OECD countries.

I won't even call MY1999 old. For me, cars from 1997 on are modern because they have EFI and that was the year when manufacturers started reinforcing their cabins. Not much has essentially changed vs later model vehicles. Newer ones may have more efficient engines but savings are always offset with the maintenance costs. I won't call Auto Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control advancements because they are just band aids to modern drivers' distractedness. Android Auto and Apple Carplay from aftermarket double DIN units trump those in default infotainments.

That's an excellent observation... imagine the grief of going to all that trouble then failing a warrant.

True. This is more common now with utes/pick-up trucks than lowered cars. There are many failed WoFs because of body lifts. You can pick them up for NZD200 on TradeMe and install them rather easily but when it comes to WoF time, they fail and will have to get a NZD600 WoF. Some garages cheat and approve illegal modifications but we had a recall by NZTA of around 1,300 vehicles to redo their WoFs because of the crackdown on these garages. When illegal mods are caught by the police, some give out fines from NZD160 to NZD400. Around our area, one kid received a '95 Surf from his father and the kid installed just a 12" light bar on his hood. He was stopped by the police and was handed out a fine worth NZD250.

Most accessories body and suspension accessories that can be bought online will need certification. Many vendors do not give the warning. If in doubt, you can always visit your local VTNZ centre and they are always happy to tell you whether or not whatever you will install will need certification.