Can any of you Aussies tell me when the use of a catalytic converter on vehicles became law in Australia. Is there a cut-off date for vehicles manufactured before a certain date? Planning on importing a 1990 A14 Nissan bakkie to Perth at year end when we move. And what are the regs regarding import of a drag race only vehicle into Aus, any of u guys done it before?
thanks/cheers

Each state has it's own regulations, however unleaded fuel was required for all new vehicles first registered on or after the first of january 1986. To comply with the emission requirements, cat converters were fitted to all new passenger models, however commercial vehicles were not affected this way for a couple of years more.

Your best bet is to contact the W.A. registration Nazi's via the net & just ask them.

As for a race car, I don't see any problems. If it can not be registered, then certain duties, levies, fees, costs, imposts, or taxes should be reduced or even waived all together.

If you bring a "race only" car into Australia, It can not be registered at all anytime!

Cheers. Adam.

A car from 1990 will require a cat in all states this was in an ADR rule in the mid 80s.

i have seen a bakkie in perth. pulled the guy over. moved here from sa not that long ago. 91 model it was. lives not far from me actually. from my understanding comercial vehicles do not require a cat. if i was you and you could afford it i would sell your old one and buy a new one to bring. you have to have owned it for 12 months though (i think this is right). the reason being is i dont think you are really gaining anything. 1200 utes are easy enough to come by here. i would get the new one for the body and modern interior perhaps. and the new ones are efi i think! you would know better than me.

and fill the tray with 5 speeds :)

yes GX1200, I own 2 - one for work, a 1990 model, pretty damn standard; and another for drag racing with a 2L Mazda motor in it, barely street legal here, cops in Perth would probably die laughing if they pulled me over in it. Was thinking of bringing both, but the cat converter thing seems to be the bastard for the road registered one, so i guess I'll have to leave her behind...sobsob
UNLESS the "commercial vehicle classification" applies as Picko mentioned

On the other hand, you could actually FIT a cat converter for the registration inspection.
You could even leave it on if you want, but be carefull, I have heard that stock 1200's develop so much gas flow that they can blow the monolith right out of the cat, leaving just an empty shell.

I can see that you would be all broke up if that happened.

i wouldn 't think the cops would look sideways at your mazda piston powered ute... unless it is excessively modded and runs on methanol! (what times does it run) as fast cars are very much part of our culture there are quite a few of the on the roads!

Nah, won't even be trying to get her street registered,not worth the effort/begging/pleading etc.
It runs an 11 sec flat quarter on an unprepared surface, been an ongoing project for 5 years now, spent too much on it to sell. Fully modded vehicles here go for very little money.