Ontario By-laws on No Fenders

[Fordnutz]

When the lower mainland of BC had test stations, your inspection sticker was only valid until you drove off the lot. That way, if a part failed, etc. the same day and the car was involved in an accident the inspector was not responsible. They were saying that the car was safe at the time of inspection only, things change. That truly is a the way it should be. An inspector can't foresee parts failing. They can however see if a vehicle has fenders on it at the time of inspection. I would take pics too if I was inspecting rods. Pat.

 

[Lo Type]

Im planning a build of a replica 80's open wheel modified pinto including the nerf bars and era correct race car styling and paint. In your opinion, should I expect more heat from cops just because it "looks" like a race car tho it will have all other necessary street legal equipment like lights/signals/mufflers and cats?

 

[JAX40]

Looks like a race car - street driven

This picture is in Thunder Bay Ont.

 

[Firewalker]

"You guys just do not get it!" It's not the police you should be worried about!!!

In this day and age its the "Insurance company" and the "Other" or "Others" who may be involved! The second scares me the most....

you are all right when it comes to the police...many will not hassle you...they really do not care...hells it's only a ticket

The things you should be thinking and asking yourself is "If I'm in an accident, and my vehicle does not meet code in any way!"

-will my insurance company cover me?
-will it cover my passage?
-will it cover any or all others involved???
-Am I willing to lose my car? and all the money I put into it?

Have any of you stopped and read the fine print when you get your insurance? or are you like most who just sign your name and go? "We will worry about that if the time comes?"

if its anything like it is here in BC...then "NO" they will not! So you run a very Fine line in kissing all that money you put into your car away, along with your life savings

Now if the accident is deemed your fault be either the police or the insurance provider and there are injuries to you, your passenger and the occupants of the other vehicle......well now you can be up Sh^% creek with no paddle.

To top that, If either state that it could have been prevented and injuries could have been reduced (key Word) if the vehicle involved met code? (this case... had fenders?) Well now you can kiss you life savings away. Stop and think who we share the roads with...many out there would and will sue your ass off in a heart beat!! me included if it was your fault...the insurance coverage is never enough.....we all know it!

can you imagine if it goes to court! This is were the others involved come in and will use the code to their advantage! So I hope you have even more money!? Law is the law...the Judge will eat you alive and the insurance lawyers will be there to serve you up! Like I said earlier..this day and age The insurance provider will try and do anything not to pay!

I love fender less cars as much as the next guy. But after talking to my lawyer and having worked for an insurance company in investigations

...I put fenders on my 28!

P.S ask me some time about the accident I went to with a fender less car.

for ones who do and will run fender less. I wish you safe roads and endless highways. Be safe out there.

-FW

 

[Oldman]

Well said, Firewalker!! There is a local oldtime rodder here (old in age (70) and old in the hobby) who was stopped and raked over the coals by the local chief of Police> he put fenders on his car rather than risk his wrath again. I try to give the authorities zero reason to pull me over. Both my cars run both plates, fenders, three point harness ect. I try real hard to adhere to the posted limits, not too successful with that, I'm afraid.
Mike

 

[Lo Type]

Cool ride Jax. Thats kinda what Im after. Old race car look but street legal.

I do agreee with what Firewalker says, and it is a possiblity, but here in ontario we have the no fault insurance deal. (dont know what BC is). 2 years ago coming home from work with my wife driving our 2006 accent, a straight truck passed us going the other way. I saw the stone come up from the back of the truck and BANG!! into the windshield it went. I told the Mrs's to turn around and we did in fact catch up to him and spoke with the driver and the business manager. After a couple days, I find out he isnt at fault as it falls under the no fault insurance and my insurance will pay for the new windshield.

So, what would the ruling likely be in the same senario but with a fenderless rod instead of a straight truck??

 

[47convert]

Just pulled this up again. I really don't see how a lack of fenders makes a car unsafe. And I don't know about BC (although I've heard about your insurance laws and I think it's BS) but here you send an appraisal with pictures to your insurance company so they know what they're insuring and the question was about Ontario.

 

[Firewalker]

I really don't see how a lack of fenders makes a car unsafe

are you kidding me? or are you just trying to turn up the heat around here?

-FW

 

[Boyd Who]

are you kidding me? or are you just trying to turn up the heat around here?

-FW

I also don't see how the lack of fenders would make an early car unsafe. A skinny little Model A fender isnt going to help you much in a collision.

 

[bgbdlinc]

....I don't think it's an issue about your 'safety' but 'safety' of drivers following you i.e. road debris being thrown up by uncovered wheels. We've all been hit with junk thrown up by dump trucks, transports, 4X4's, etc on beautifully paved highways and some people are guilty of touching the gravel shoulders on occasion (not me, of course...hahaha).....
....the 'just a ticket' comment is mostly true, but the attending officer can also order you to a government inspection station....then the real fun begins i.e. questionable emission controls (if applicable), etc. They can even demand an x-ray of your frame to see welding faults and thus condemn your car to Purgatory until fixed......

 

[Firewalker]

bgbdlinc brings up a good start to your question.....

1.... not everybody reacts correctly when something hits thier windsheild! some "hit" the brakes causing all kinds of problems behind them. Others change lanes with out even looking!!!!

for "47convert" and "Boyd Who" I am going to put my rescue hat on and put my Hot Rod one aside for this!

its not all about "You and the road!" its about you "and" eveybody else on the road!

let me share an example for you...

real nice day and you are cruzing down the fast lane in your fenderless roadster/coupe, not a care in the world! When out of no were the car in the slow lane makes an erratic move to take your lane!!

instinctively you hit the brakes and cut left to save your car from the imminent collition ( and we all know just how well our model "A"s /roadsters coupes handle in this sanario )

.....but wait there is not enough room!!!

your front left tire hits the center concrete divider!

Here is were it gets good!!!!!

Instead of rebounding off of the divider like your everyday car! BECAUSE IT HAS FENDERS! your front tire crawls the wall like an open wheel race car hitting another on race day.

you now have gone from driver to passanger and you and your car are rolling side over side looking for a place to stop....Oh did I mention so is everybody else who was behind you when this all went down!

This was just one incident! there are many others that have occurred to which brought in this law in the first place. Some have even died due to open wheel cars like the guy on the Coquihalla highway

Not every law out there has been placed into effect to punish HotRodders and make our world miserable!! Some have been placed to PROTECT us from all the other idiots out there!

again be safe out there! expect the unexpected!!!

-FW

 

[47convert]

So you think a model A fender is going to stop that from happening? I doubt it. How about fiberglass fenders on my Coupe. No benefit there but i guess it would be "legal" Fender laws were made for "Road Spray" and that's it. It's even written up that way in the Highway Traffic Act. If I drive my car in the rain or on a dusty road and get a ticket for it I'll pay it. There's no way a set of flimsy glass fenders or even stock steel ones are going to stop the problem you describe - they'd crack or buckle up immediately.

 

[Boyd Who]

So you think a model A fender is going to stop that from happening? I doubt it. How about fiberglass fenders on my Coupe. No benefit there but i guess it would be "legal" Fender laws were made for "Road Spray" and that's it. It's even written up that way in the Highway Traffic Act. If I drive my car in the rain or on a dusty road and get a ticket for it I'll pay it. There's no way a set of flimsy glass fenders or even stock steel ones are going to stop the problem you describe - they'd crack or buckle up immediately.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts as well.

If I was really concerned about my safety in my hotrod I'd sell it and buy a Volvo. I'd also never ride a motorcycle again. Life is full of risks, you just have to choose what level of risk you're willing to take.

As for stuff being thrown off the tires of a fenderless hotrod, it's pretty minimal unless you get caught in the rain. Comparing them with big trucks is silly...big trucks go into gravel pits and other places where the treads can pick up crap. Most hotrods never leave pavement.

 

[bgbdlinc]

...As for stuff being thrown off the tires of a fenderless hotrod, it's pretty minimal unless you get caught in the rain. Comparing them with big trucks is silly...big trucks go into gravel pits and other places where the treads can pick up crap. Most hotrods never leave pavement.

....thinking on this further, I have had to walk a distance on some highways and it's shocking sometimes to see the amount of metal (broken springs, cat converter covers, muffler bits, bolts, etc) and retread rubber from truck tires that have let go, lying on the roadway. It seems that the rougher the road, the more metal gets dislodged.
If any tire were to hit these things, I think they would get airborne real fast. Therefore, I would think that fenders (real fenders not cycle fenders) on any car would 'catch' or deflect the debris back to the roadway.And it not as if you can see everything on the roadway and take evasive action.
I'm a pretty attentive driver, however, there have been times when I'm simply motoring along (daily driver) and all of a sudden there is a loud 'bang' in the wheelwell when I've launched a projectile quite by accident....

 

[CDNflatlander]

Linc, you have mentioned the debris on the roads...yes, there is many items on the roadways that simply do not belong there!! Being with groups that do roadside clean ups throught the year, it is truely frightening the crap that is over our highways!
I do really want to agree 100% with you Al, (Boyd who), but the serious side of me knows that I can spray debris off my open wheeled hair straight back runnaway from getting older machine, and I don't want to be the reason for some one hitting the ditch avoiding a stray stone. My risk, of me or my passenger is assumed, just keep from affecting the 'general public' is my concern.
More later, my date is pulling my ear........
owww

 

[Firewalker]

Sorry I only speak form work experience. Your minds are set and no amount of reason will change your mind untill such a time either yourself or a close friend does. If you wish to speak with myself about MVI's and the physics of energy tranferences? I'll buy the coffee

This is why I wish you safe roads and hope you do not see or experience what I have seen.

But be rest assured.....with the release of the new Inspection Manual, and you decide to plead ignorance. Lets just say I hope nobody you know or others you may not.... pay for it.

again cruz safe and keep your shiny side up!

-FW

 

[wrascal]

I have read some of the new inspection manual and some of it is just overboard. Any LED bulb that replaces an incandescent bulb is illegal, a cloudy or fogged plastic headlight lense is illegal, higher output bulbes are illegal, if a headlight does not have the proper (read OEM) markings on it is illegal, if the casting marks on a newer headlight indicate it was for right hand drive, it is illegal...... and that is just part of the lighting section

Russ

 

[47convert]

That should effectively remove all street rods from BC.

 

[bullet]

That's why it's best to have your modified car re-certified by an automotive engineer to cover any 2nd & 3rd party liabilites if injuries or even death occures. Insurance company's will nullinvoid your coverage if the vehicle is found to have had unsafe changes made by you or someone that was not qualified. I am not leaving anything to chance, the Studie will be legally re-certified.

 

[Firewalker]

That should effectively remove all street rods from BC

no.....you can still have a fenderless looking car...but you are going to have to put a little thought into it...much like "Millners" coupe

-FW