Manitoba - Letter writing Campaign!

[robbieg]

Right now in Manitoba if you have a JDM car you need to change ALL of your lighting to DOT/SAE marked lighting. This includes headlights, tail lights, signal lights, 3rd brake light. Also, you need to change your seatbelt to DOT marked, and (for real) your brake lines. Tires also need to be DOT.

If you're a Winnipegger, you'll know about the VIU, vehicle inspection unit. Basically an SUV with a trailer that will pull you over and inspect all these parts of your car to make sure that they are 'compliant'.

Well, this is pretty much crap. A lot of our cars don't have North American equivalents that we can just swap parts with. The parts we are REQUIRED to put on are then not as good as the ones we are taking off.

This is junk.

So, let's start a letter-writing campaign. Here's the details:

http://www.righthanddrive.ca/blog/2011/ ... -manitoba/

Email or snail mail a letter to the people in charge, and your MLA. Get the word out!

rob

[jessef]

Right now in Manitoba if you have a JDM car you need to change ALL of your lighting to DOT/SAE marked lighting. This includes headlights, tail lights, signal lights, 3rd brake light. Also, you need to change your seatbelt to DOT marked, and (for real) your brake lines. Tires also need to be DOT.

Tires = DOT - just buy tires here
Headlights = DOT/SAE - just buy the E-Code LHD headlights from one of the JDM parts suppliers or buy DOT driving lights with flashers and mount them on the bullbar.
Tail/signal/brake lights = They are SAE/E-code stamped (stock one's)
Brake lines = almost all North American vehicles have Asian made brake lines without a DOT stamp. HA !

You have nothing to worry about if you're compliant. Same here in BC.

[robbieg]

Tires = DOT - just buy tires here
Headlights = DOT/SAE - just buy the E-Code LHD headlights from one of the JDM parts suppliers or buy DOT driving lights with flashers and mount them on the bullbar.
Tail/signal/brake lights = They are SAE/E-code stamped (stock one's)
Brake lines = almost all North American vehicles have Asian made brake lines without a DOT stamp. HA !

You have nothing to worry about if you're compliant. Same here in BC.

Hah. If only it was that easy. Manitoba doesn't (but officially does, but doesn't....? Ask 'winnipeg sue' here on your forum about that) accept e-code headlights.

And this is also for other vehicles that don't have parts that fit. I have a Daihatsu hijet (minitruck) that I could never find DOT stamped signal lights for....

I'm pushing for a BC-like compliance. So yeah, the list of stuff you mentioned makes sense... but what Manitoba currently wants does not make sense.

[jessef]

You can get away with the DOT driving light, signal light combo sealed lens and have it mounted on your bull bar. That is legal to use on road vehicles as a legal driving/signal light in Winnipeg. I checked. Same for vehicles with attachment snow plows,etc...

You can buy DOT side marker lights from Canadian tire both amber (front) and red (rear).

You can buy DOT 3rd brake lights from Canadian Tire as well.

You can buy DOT rear brake light assemblies from USA for the L300 body equivalent = USA sold Mitsubishi Vanwagon from 1988-89.

Brake lines you can buy for North American (Canada and USA) Mitsubish Montero 4cyl 1987-1989.

There you go ! You are now compliant.

[thedjjack]

seat belts still might be an issue...not sure the NA Misu Van had DOT on them or not?

Courts are probably the place to fix this....

[robbieg]

There you go ! You are now compliant. **

** On a Delica, in BC

The problem extends past Delicas, and we need a more general solution. Again... tail lights are needed in Manitoba... there's nothing that would ever fit into my hijet.... now what?

Manitoba should follow BC's lead in this... that's the whole point of this letter writing campaign.

[thedjjack]

Taillights and headlights could be included into the bumper using LEDs...

I support the letter writing campaign however I assume the problem is lobbying from the Dealers association is the problem and this might be harder to overcome.

Legal action might be the best approach attacking all cars on the road without DOT approved lights, belts, brake lines ect....

[jessef]

Like Smart cars. All E-code, no DOT

[thedjjack]

I just read the letter?

Why are you calling the vehicles GREY MARKET VEHICLES? That makes it sound semi-legal. These are legally imported vehicles to Canada by the letter of the law.

I think the wording of this letter will do more harm than good.

Legally imported specialty vehicles or something....Basically it reads with have illegal vehicles or questionable legal vehicles and the government is making it hard to drive them?

No you have legally imported vehicles that meet the safety guidelines that all vehicles need to meet. This is E-coded or DOT approved equipment and if E-coded equipment no longer meets the requirements here is a list of cars that need to be removed from Manitoba highways at once or you will be taking legal action. And if E-coded does meet the requirements you expect legally imported vehicles such as the Delica not to be singled out or again you will be taking legal action.

Cheers
David

[robbieg]

Why are you calling the vehicles GREY MARKET VEHICLES?

Because that's what they're called?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market_vehicle

And if E-coded does meet the requirements you expect legally imported vehicles such as the Delica not to be singled out or again you will be taking legal action.

Vehicles like Delicas _are_ getting singled out, and they _are_ trying to take legal action. This is another arm of this battle. Again. Look up the battle 'Winnipeg Sue' had. It's here on your forum. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to find it.

rob

[thedjjack]

I would still not use that term....Wikipedia to me is not a real reference for terms or words....I think "Grey Market" carries negative undertones. It is your letter so why use a word that can be viewed as negative?

How many MLAs do you think know the meaning of the term?

Here is the definition for GREY MARKET (same poor source back at you): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market

You can see the negativeness of the word. I would assume the people you are fighting THE DEALERS are the ones that keep using the word

Why not call them legally imported special interest vehicles or something?

I have read Winipeg Sue's stuff before and commented here is the link since I think you might want to make this easy on the forum users?

http://www.delica.ca/forum/court-case-t ... 10540.html

[robbieg]

Ok... better reference then.

http://www.riv.ca/vehicleadmissibility.aspx
"These are vehicles that were originally manufactured for a domestic market other than the United States."
So, JDM <> USDM

Don't get me wrong. I see your point, that there is negativity for the term, but it's the term. Sorry. And honestly, not all the vehicles are specialty. Is a Legacy Wagon a specialty vehicle? Or a Hilux Surf, Pajero...

If you start using the words 'specialty vehicle', then 'daily driver' falls off the table. It's the most general word, and it's the word I used, and it's already in the hands of the MLAs in question. End of conversation. Sorry. If you wanted to get in earlier, the discussion has been open on ivoac.ca for some time now. You missed your chance to edit the paper. It's been done. End of debating the term 'grey market'.

You know... delica.ca is the place that people banded together to help change BC law a few years back, and I was hoping for more of a 'well done, we're behind you all the way' than this razz. Honestly, I'm wholly disappointed in the lack of backers that have Delis.

[jessef]

delica.ca is the place that people banded together to help change BC law a few years back, and I was hoping for more of a 'well done, we're behind you all the way' than this razz. Honestly, I'm wholly disappointed in the lack of backers that have Delis.

Not quite. It was the JDM movement on ivoac.ca that created the BC backlash against ICBC. Delica owners were a small percentage of that. Most were Nissan/Toyo owners.

Most Delica owners don't have an interest in the RHD politics in Canada, so long as it does not affect them directly.

As soon as it does affect them, they move over to ivoac and start the storytelling process.

It's not limited to Delica owners. It spans over all RHD's. It's the way of the person, not the vehicle they drive.

You will also get a lot more support locally through other JDM groups, skyline, kei, etc... compared to the delica.ca membership which is predominantly BC/western Canada owners.

I sent my standard letter to minmit@leg.gov.mb.ca for this campaign. Being a BC resident doesn't carry and weight, however it does add an extra number/letter to their pile. That's the best I can do.

[nxski]

You know... delica.ca is the place that people banded together to help change BC law a few years back, and I was hoping for more of a 'well done, we're behind you all the way' than this razz. Honestly, I'm wholly disappointed in the lack of backers that have Delis.

I'll give you a thumbs up for fighting for a good cause! I live in BC where this is not an issue (Unfortunately I believe that Jesse is right about the fact that most people with Delica's live on the west coast and don't have the same problems as you and therefor do not care). In my case, as much as I'd like to back you fully, I don't want to bring too attention to my many potentially illegal mods

[thedjjack]

I have written letters to MLAs in PEI, Quebec, and Manitoba...wrote to ICBC asking them to take down their RHD study that is proven wrong or modify the results.

Take or leave the advice but it is not a word I would use or highlight in my title,,,,especially since a put money on lots of the MLA having car dealerships in their families...

Yes everything but the Subaru is a specialty vehicle since it has a diesel motor that was not available in the North American Market. Most people are paying way more for a 15 year old vehicle (which goes against the grey market definition). I could go out and get a 15 year old Jeep XJ for 1/4 price of my Delica in the same condition. I have the Delica due to the Diesel and cabover design = Specialty.

So there is a HiJet equivelent in this market

Sure it is in the hands of the MLAs but it is also the template of further letters. It is a bad term and I think it will not help.

THIS IS NOT A RAZZ you are taking criticism personally.

Other people have tried to give you a way around by DOT the vehicles (which is the easier road to take, but the administration will attack on another level).

Personally I would go to the Media and show the E-Code lights on Mercedess/BMW and then take them a for a drive in some RHD vehicles and show them how safe they are. Take an MLA out for a drive.