quote:
Monaro202, ask the bloke who was selling disc copies of the HK parts catalogue on ebay whether Holden gives a rats arse about 40 year old product.
A parts catalogue is a different kettle of fish to spare parts. The parts catalogue is a GM-H publication and is subject to copyright. Vehicles and their parts are subject to design registration ... not copyright.
quote:
well said mate, and i agree, GM will jump on you, just as Ford has jumped on a well known reproduction joint in vic just recently, still waiting of the outcome of that...
Do you know the details of this? Ford has done nothing about parts reproduction in other circles of vintage car restoration so it seems strange they would bother with it now.
Up until the new designs act 2003 which came into effect in June 2004 you could register a design for a maximum period of 16 years, initially for 1 year and then 3 x 5yr renewals... an aftermarket company can reproduce parts if the design is no longer registered. Our early Holdens have long passed the expiry date on registered designs.
Under the new act a company can manufacture non-genuine spare parts for any vehicle manufactured after June 2004 without infringing registered design. Design registration is now a maximum of 10 years.
As for reproduction body shells.... they can legally produce them but it is illegal to use one to re-shell your car.
From Vic roads vehicle standards May 2006.
Reshelled Vehicles
The practice of re-shelling a damaged vehicle by using
either a body in white or a salvaged body shell is no
longer allowed. Re-shelled vehicles will not be accepted
for registration
SECTIONALISED REPAIRS
A sectionalised repair should be carried out in
accordance with the following guidelines. However the
vehicle manufacturers recommendations or
procedures plus industry codes of practice applying to
the repair will also need to be complied with.
Requirements
All repairs should be carried out by qualified tradesmen
in such a manner that the safety and structural
soundness of the vehicle is not adversely affected as
compared with its original standard of manufacture.
The section to be used should be:
A new section supplied as a service assembly by the
vehicle manufacturer or,
A suitable assembly removed from a new body shell THIS IS THE INTERESTING BIT
as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer, or
A suitable undamaged section salvaged from
another vehicle of the same make, model and variant
as the damaged vehicle.
The section must be of a similar age or younger, and in
a sound and generally undamaged condition with no
previous major repairs which could affect the strength
of the basic structure.
However, it seems you can leagally cut the cowl off a new body shell and use the suitable complete (from cowl back) assembly grafted onto your original cowl as a sectionalised repair.
