So I've lived in Alberta way more than I should on British Columbia plates. It's looking like I'll be here for a few years still, so it's time to switch the license plates. The thing I am not excited for is the out of province inspection. I just know that wherever I go they will try to make me pay through the arse for all the things they find "wrong" with my truck. Now, i know that the front windshield is fubar'd (end to end crack from a rockchip i didnt fix in time), so I am ready for that cost, but I am just scared of what else they will tally up for the 'runner. Anyone in Calgary have any recommendations of where to go, or possibly even the means to help out a fellow yotatech'r?

 

You shouldn't be afraid of the inspection. Safety inspections are actually a good thing, and keep people off the road who don't maintain their vehicles and put us all at risk. I'm not sure of the way it works in Canada, but in most of the US (depending on which state you live in) you usually do inspections once a year. Most of what I have seen deals with safety... making sure you have proper seatbelts, working lights, good brakes, good tires, etc. Most states have "independant" inspections, or inspections done by repair shops. By law, you are not obligated to use the repair facility that does your inspection (though they will do their best to keep you there). And there is usually a grace period of 30 days to get the repairs done. Hence, you go, get the inspection, and walk away with a list of stuff of fix. Then you can fix the stuff yourself, and go back to the same inspection station, and if everything checks out the next time you are free to go. I've also just walked up and asked to see what is on the list they use for inspection, that way you can get the list even before they look at your vehicle. My 2 cents.

 

Don't go to Heninger Toyota is the biggest piece of advise I can give you. They quoted me $6000+ to fix my '78 celica (cost me $700, and that included new tires), and another $6000+ to fix my 4Runner. And the only things they could actually tell me(for sure) was that I needed a new CV boot, ball joint and wheel bearing.

I'm taking mine to Kal-Tire tommorow for an inspection. They did a good job on the folks-mobile.

 

i lived in cow town for a year (was planning on moving there but decided against) but never bothered to switch plates.

if youre junk is in decent shape ie no major rust holes in the body/structural panels, all lights working, mudflaps if youve got big tires etc etc, then you shouldnt have anything to worry about. they just mostly check over safety aspects of your truck. horns, lights, wipers etc. if they see mechanical repairs that might be needed, they should suggest that to you, but it wouldnt be necessary to repair to get a clean inspection...of course unless your wheel cylinders are massively leaking or something like that.

any decent shop thats certified to do em should be suffice and shouldnt ding you for unecessary repairs.

btw, hope youve shopped around for insurance. when i was looking in AB, i was getting craazy quotes according to the (sugar coated) history i gave them...with the bad record i had back then, paying ICBC what they wanted didnt seem so much...

 

I've got a clean record with ICBC, so that might help a little. The whole being under 25 and having a penis thing I know will not work in my favor getting insurance that isn't going to bleed me dry. I'm only running 31x10.5's, so the stock mudflaps with the flares I've got on the truck mean they don't buldge out. Apart from the cracked windshield, one of my front headlights has a nice crack in it as well. The front turn signal is a total redneck job as well. I purchased the truck with the front driver side bumper a little bit quashed, meaning the front turn signal is smashed out. Right now I've just got the little light harness zap strapped to the holes left over from where the turn signal covers screw into. It's totally ghetto. Whenever I go to turn left at night it lights up a good 10 foot radius around my truck. I could maybe rig up a turn signal cover somehow, but with both hangers bent, it would be more trouble than it's worth. Mechanically though, the truck is sound.