MILESTONES

The Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association (LVVTA), the organization responsible for modified vehicle regulations on behalf of the New Zealand Government, is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year. In late June, the association achieved another great milestone: producing its 150,000th certification plate. The milestone plate was issued for a 2003 Ford Falcon owned by Auckland’s Scott Burmeister, pictured above on the right. Scott, the owner of Gray and Galpin Panelbeaters, converted a damaged 2003 Ford Falcon station wagon into the double-cab ute seen here, extending the wheelbase and adding a ute rear end, doing all the work himself. The modifications were done in such a way that the vehicle looks factory in all aspects, including the addition of built-in chassis connectors to reinforce its structure. Due to the monocoque design, plenty of reinforcement was required to ensure that the vehicle’s strength remained intact. However, Clint Field, the LVV certifier who inspected the vehicle, couldn’t have been happier with the structural integrity and standard of workmanship on the Falcon. In addition to the body and chassis modifications, the Falcon was certified for 20x8.5-inch and 20x9.5-inch wheels, a custom drop tank, and rear bucket seats. Scott’s vehicle is powered by a factory-optioned 5.4-litre quad-cam ‘Boss’ V8 engine backed by a five-speed manual transmission. Congratulations to Scott Burmeister for pulling off the build, and to the LVVTA for reaching such a significant milestone — 150,000 modified vehicles on the road can’t be wrong. We are grateful for the LVVTA’s contribution to keeping car customization alive in New Zealand.