Car Modification Laws In Montreal / Qubec

A big G'day guys.

So very shortly I'll be leaving Australia and heading over to Montreal to freeze my butt off for the forseeable future. Don't worry I'm very much looking forward to it. One of the biggest things I'm looking forward to is having access to all kinds of cars we don't have here in Australia.

Anyway I currently have a 2002 Nissan S15 Silvia, it is all but sold right now in anticipation of my move. So my mind already is working on my next project.

I've got my sights on either a 2016 STi or new GT Mustang.

Anyway as I plan the possible project one thing comes to mind and that is I have no idea what the car modification laws are in Montreal / Qubec. Here in Australia car modification is heavily policed, there is nothing Aussie cops like to do more than ticket people for having an exhaust that is too loud or a car that is too low.

Anyway can anyone shed some light on what the Authorities focus on in Montreal, how is the modified car culture is viewed like by the authorities in Montreal and what kind of modifications I should steer clear of. I've heard in North America it is common for yearly emmissions testing (something that is never done here in Aust. ever) which limits just how much you can tune you car. What exactly is allowed and what isn't?


To give you an idea of what I'm looking for some of the laws in Australia are:

- The lowest point of your car must be a minimum of 100mm from the ground.
- A car may not have an exposed air filter (it must be in an air box)
- All Blow off Valves must be re-circulated they can not vent to atmosphere
- Exhaust volume can not exceed 90db measured at a 45 degree angle 60cm from the tip of the exhaust
- window tint can not be darker than 35%
- all wheel spacers are illegal
- tyres can only be 1.3 times wider than the widest option specified by the manufacturer
etc. etc.


Now all those laws are applicable in Australia however some are more policed than others (loud exhausts and ride height are the most common offenses) what is it like in Montreal? Are the laws pretty liberal where you can tune your car to how you want it, or are there some definite modifications one should stay clear of.

Welcome.

Before anyone starts talking about their own experiences and mislead you, here are two links to what the governement thinks about modifications:

http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/road_safety/vehicles/modified_vehicle/index.php

here is the ''guide'' to what you can and cannot do in PDF
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/documents/pdf/miscellany/modify_car.php

Wheel spacers are legal, you can blow your valve off wherever you please.

Cheers

Cheers mate, it is always good to get official documentation on what you can and can not do.

Is there anything in particular the police look out for on Qubec?


*Edit* I had a quick look over the PDF, many of the laws are pretty similar here, but many are quite vague as well. It didn't mention anything about ride height except the tyres couldn't touch the fenders, is that it? Also there was no mention of exhaust systems for in the volume or emissions. Tuning, aftermarket forced induction or really much to do with the engine. Can I safely assume it is pretty much up to the owner to do what they want? If so I think I've found my Nirvana.

In Quebec its called the HIGHWAY SAFETY CODE

heres the link to it

https://www.canlii.org/en/qc/laws/stat/cqlr-c-c-24.2/latest/cqlr-c-c-24.2.html

its heavy but it is very vague and lead to interpretation in most of the case which is a good things for the police officer but a bad one for the car enthusiast

ie:
-not any info about "lowest point",¸
-not any info about whats loud or not (all it says is :Every motor vehicle must be equipped with an exhaust system that conforms to the standards established by regulation.)

and list goes on

for the spacer and blow off parts your free to do as you want

Anything that makes your car LOOK modified with get you spotted by the cops and they could give you tickets.

I drove a +300whp turbocharged Honda Civic for six years and never got pull over once.

But it looked 100% stock.

If your car looks like this but has 600hp, you'll most likely be okay (as long as it isn't loud).


If it looks like this, you'll get fucked even if it has 70hp.

^^^^ hahaha I can imagine.

Vortx I can't believe how wonderfully (or perhaps not so) vague that Highway Safety Code is. Granted I didn't read it word for word but I had a good read for a bit. It seems one can pretty legally build whatever they like and like Quick said so long as it is tasteful you probably will be ok.

Because how the police in Australia react to modified cars I've always built my cars to be somewhat sleepers, at least clean and not riced out.

but for anyone interested this is what things are like here. Granted this is in New South Whales one of the worst states to own a modified car but you can see how police deal the culture.

Hence my post is really about what do the police and authorities look for?

Avoid loud exhaust, avoid over tinting, avoid Hellaflush'ish look, don't drive like a dingo and you'll avoid 99% of the annoyances with police and you'll be able to modify your car to taste.

height: tire can't touch any part of the vehicule in all their motion (rotation, max compression, max extension, and all that anywhere in the steering range.

and any car part shouldn't touch the ground either (max compression)

air suspension is illegal.

loud exhaust is illegal.

In reallity: if you follow what you are already used to in australia(that you mentionned): you should be good here.


Always funny that grass is greener elsewhere......I would love to have the car choice you have in AU.
Who car about a mustang when you can have a falcon with plenty of configuration and engine choice!

Nirvana my eye ! This f... province is the pits. Lousy weather, shitty politics for the last 40 years, g.....m feminists and you want to live here. Are you nuts ?
40 years ago I wanted to move to Australia but lacked the courage to leave friends and family. There worst error of my life.
Please come back to your senses, stay in Australia. Besides there is no room for you now. We are getting a bunch of goat f... I mean worshippers.
Cheers.

bmbob said:

Nirvana my eye ! This f... province is the pits. Lousy weather, shitty politics for the last 40 years, g.....m feminists and you want to live here. Are you nuts ?
40 years ago I wanted to move to Australia but lacked the courage to leave friends and family. There worst error of my life.
Please come back to your senses, stay in Australia. Besides there is no room for you now. We are getting a bunch of goat f... I mean worshippers.
Cheers.

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Hahaha, way to inspire confidence in the move lol. But in all honesty I'm moving for work and very much looking forward to it. I assure you things are nat all peachy here in Australia, in fact I doubt things are great anywhere in the western world with the current world climate. Anyway Australia has become an unreasonably expensive place to live, the average house price (keep in mind I said average) in Sydney is now over $1 million and our society has become such a nanny state it is hard to know what is illegal and what isn't it feels like a George Orwell novel at times. Either way I have a choice Montreal or Toronto and Montreal looks like the better choice

Rekkless said:

Hahaha, way to inspire confidence in the move lol. But in all honesty I'm moving for work and very much looking forward to it. I assure you things are nat all peachy here in Australia, in fact I doubt things are great anywhere in the western world with the current world climate. Anyway Australia has become an unreasonably expensive place to live, the average house price (keep in mind I said average) in Sydney is now over $1 million and our society has become such a nanny state it is hard to know what is illegal and what isn't it feels like a George Orwell novel at times. Either way I have a choice Montreal or Toronto and Montreal looks like the better choice

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Don't take this forum as a sample of Quebec... it's very very off for quite a few reasons. Enjoy your stay.

Rekkless said:

Hahaha, way to inspire confidence in the move lol. But in all honesty I'm moving for work and very much looking forward to it. I assure you things are nat all peachy here in Australia, in fact I doubt things are great anywhere in the western world with the current world climate. Anyway Australia has become an unreasonably expensive place to live, the average house price (keep in mind I said average) in Sydney is now over $1 million and our society has become such a nanny state it is hard to know what is illegal and what isn't it feels like a George Orwell novel at times. Either way I have a choice Montreal or Toronto and Montreal looks like the better choice

Click to expand...

It's funny you say that, cause people here always think life here is shit and everywhere else is so much better.

I guess neighbor's grass is always greener.

Hopefully we'll see you around the community in 2016!

To answer to a few questions you asked:

- The lowest point of your car must be a minimum of 100mm from the ground.

Maxpat82 said it all

- A car may not have an exposed air filter (it must be in an air box)

Yes you can have whatever you want

- All Blow off Valves must be re-circulated they can not vent to atmosphere

Same thing, no cares

- Exhaust volume can not exceed 90db measured at a 45 degree angle 60cm from the tip of the exhaust

Everything that makes more noise than the original exhaust system is illegal and exhaust tip shall not be longer than the bumper

- window tint can not be darker than 35%

Applicable for the front windows, you cannot tint the windshield. I must sound stupid but a lot of countries have tinted windshields for their own safety and protection.

- all wheel spacers are illegal

It is legal, be sure to get longer bolts/studs if you want to avoid loosing a wheel (happening way too often but I am sure you knew it)

- tyres can only be 1.3 times wider than the widest option specified by the manufacturer

No specific details about it except stretching tires is forbidden and you need to place a tire size specified by the manufacturer of the wheel. Again, your tires must clear the chassis.

Welcome to Canada, hope to see you in the scene.

Typically, people who sh*t on the city haven't lived anywhere else in the world. Sure, the grass can be greener on the other side but it's all a matter of perspective and what you make of the place you're living in.

Regarding your questions, though some of the laws seem to be ambiguous, I think that the type of car you're driving has an effect on whether or not you'll be targeted.
I was running mildly stretched tires (I could see the lip of the rim stick out when I'd look in my side mirrors), aftermarket suspension, aftermarket exhaust, no third brake light, no amber front reflectors etc. on my 993 and even though cops would follow me (and I have a hunch that they'd run the plates as well), I was never pulled over.

Aside from worrying about the cops, make sure you've got a nice and secure parking garage.

Good luck with your move *tu*

tbh Im all about hoodrat shit. As long as you can handle the cops, youll be fine. I've only ever got one serious talkin to, for stretch tires. If its v8 straight pipe, no fucks given lol. Just keep it reasonable and they wont even bother looking.

Cops in quebec don't really give a shit about muscle car, you can have a blower sticking out of the hood and wide as fuck tire they will give you thumbs up

Modifing your car is not a good idea in quebec lol

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You should move to Ontario, not Quebec, if you want to improve your lifestyle.
Quebec is probably the worst province in Canada for the car scene. (Speeding, modification, import)

My opinion.
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Warplane: Well I'm not moving for lifestyle only (otherwise I'd probably stay in Aust no winter here) I'm moving for work and need to be in East Coast time so it really comes down to Montreal or Toronto and Montreal seems more like my kind of town, even though the taxes seem insane.

Subaru WRX STI: There is no way it is worse than here in Australia, no way. I'm used to building tasteful understated cars that turn heads and put a smile on your face evey time you drive it. Without getting too much police attention.

ExaudiMeam: When I was referring to wider tyres I didn't mean stretching tyres (which is illegal here) I meant by law your tyres can only be 1.3 times wider than the widest factory option for example if your car comes with 215 wide tyres the widest your allowed to put on the car is 275 wide tyres (215 x 1.3 = 279.5). Is it a case of whatever will fit in Qubec? Or is there a law for something similar?

PS: I'm really sorry for spelling Quebec incorrectly in the title, I'm surprised no one has torn me a new asshole about it.

From what I've gathered these are some of things you can get away with:

- Exposed air filters like a POD filter are 100% legal (do they have to be securely attached with a bracket? some states in Aust allow POD filters but they have to have a bracket and can't flap about).
- BOVs are fine
- Ride height is whatever you want so long as your wheels and tyres don't rub on anything.
- V8s get away with more (just like here)
- Tuning your car seems fine with flash tuners and aftermarkets ECUs. Emissions doesn't seem like a big deal.
- Any after market exhaust is illegal that is louder than stock (hard law to measure) but if you have a reasonable one you should be ok.
- 75% window tint is the darkest legally allowed, How heavily policed is this law? I run the darkest legal tint for Australia which is 35% and even that seems too light.
- Any kind of smoking of lights is illegal even if you replace bulbs with brighter ones. Again if you go a light smoke with brighter bulbs what are the chances of getting ticketed?
- Seems like most other modifications are legal.
- I'm not planning on running a big turbo car but is it safe to assume screamer pipes are illegal? (external waste gates that vent to atmosphere)
- What about oil catch cans? do they have to be recirculated back into the intake? Or can they vent properly to atmosphere?

I won't get into get more of the laws here, but honestly apart from your exhaust law you guys have it pretty freaking good in Quebec. While it isn't too hard to modify your car in Australia as you can probably guess there is a law for everything and I could go on for days what is illegal and what isn't.

What happens in Quebec when you do get ticketed? Do you just get a fine and told to fix your illegal mod? Or do you get sent to an inspection place that will go over your car in fine tooth comb?

I only ask because here it varies so much an illegal mod can set you back anywhere from a $150 fine and told to fix it (with no inspection) like you would get for having your car too low to $10,000 in 28 impound for not having cat converters.

They can fine you. Or send you to inspection.
For tire width you can be 2 feet wide as long the tire is not outside of the body (shorter rearend like drag car)
Tint in front they are a pain in the ass about it, i'd suggest don't tint the front windows but you can tint the back ones limo (90%tinted)
Smoke lights you can get ticketed for that even with brighter bulbs
There is no emissions test

Thats what i know of (been ticketed for in the past)