No pass for you
I had to go do the yearly car test and renew the papers today and they wouldn’t pass my car. Last year I installed the lift and large tires on my Wrangler and I didn’t know what to expect during the car test since I couldn’t find any proper information regarding the legality of car lifts.
I got to the check up area and the inspector took a look at the car and wrote something down on the paper. He then called a second inspector over and told him that I have a lift and large tires installed. The other inspector told him whats it to you let the guy install whatever he wants and pass him. The first inspector then told the second one that he had already wrote on the paper that I had large tires installed. They discussed it among themselves for a few seconds but since he had already wrote there was a problem there wasn’t much that could be done. I asked them what the problem was and the second inspector replied back in very fluent English that the problem was that my tires were sticking out from the side of the car and that I should go over to the other inspection area on the other side and see what they would have to say there.
So I drove to the second inspection area where a guy came up to my car and told me I wasn’t allowed to install different rims and tires on the car. According to him the only way he would pass me is if I install the original wheels and go back to him. So now I need to see if the garage that installed my lift still has my original tires. If not I guess will have to pass by the scrap yard and see what I can find.
Print
Email
Related Entries
Come back Saturday
Ugly Tires = Pass
Bike is ready
The worst feeling
Jazeera Airways to Dubai
53 Comments, add your own...
1. dave | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:58 am
throw the papers in the bin, get new papers, call someone u know and go again. problem solved
2. Fawaz | July 22nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Mark, every one in Q8 modifies his/her car i don’t see a problem with what you did to your car, i think you should re-do the paper work and take it to a different passing station. Jabreya or the main one.
3. TanGo | July 22nd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
WASTA / habibi..
4. HeartBeat | July 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
You shouldn’t go alone ya Mark!
Only Kuwaitis are allowed to change tires, don’t you know that!!!
I have a 97 X car (just in case they are watching me) Supercharged with Spoilers and many other normal customizations that you can find all over the world. I could not let it pass first time in year 2000. Since then and for 9 years my car did not leave my house as I get the papers stamped and delivered to my house.
Now that is Legal !
5. Sfsa78 | July 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Logic and common sense is rare in Kuwait.
6. Burhan | July 22nd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
“Logic and common sense is rare in Kuwait.”
Nothing more needs to be said after that.
7. 3azeez | July 22nd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Mark, what they said is not something new and we all knew it. Its a very old old law.
any way, why bother with all this mess? all you need is wasta and your papers will be done with your car parked in your garage. there are couple of indians who work over there at someones office. i think they charge 45 to 60 dinars per renewal.
8. blushberry | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Made in Kuwait
9. Anonymous | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Happens to everyone from time to time… this is where you should use some was6a because 4 inch lifts are legal in Kuwait. I think you should also consider some wider fenders, people driving behind you because your wheels won’t throw back as much crap cracking everybody’s windows.
10. Armani Exchanger | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Your car can pass but of course with WASTA,,, other wise you have to obey the rules and regulation of the ministry of interior.
11. steve_leb | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Come on man dont play innocent.. you live in Kuwait just get a wasta and voila.. last time i didnt even take my car with me.. I swear..
12. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Anonymous: I did want to get wider fenders but so far this year two times the tires sticking out saved the car from getting hit:
1) I was driving on the left lane taking a sharp turn when a range rover sport cut into my lane. His front bumper hit my rear right wheel. If I had wider fenders he would have ripped them off
2) Nat was driving along on the right lane and a small white toyota on the left lane didn’t see nat somehow and drove into her lane. The side of the toyota hit the rear left wheel of the wrangler breaking the side view mirror of the toyota and denting it. If I had wider fenders they would have been broken or ripped off.
13. Pediatric Dentistry | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
heartbeat,,
It is not about being kuwaiti or not.
Yes the Wasta play a good role, but this is not about kuwaiti or not, if u r not kuwaiti and u have connection u can do it, if u r a kuwaiti and u don’t have connections it will never be done.
So it doesn’t have anything to do with kuwaiti or not, Stop ur hatred toward anything kuwaiti
14. cajie | July 22nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
You can’t be really surprised by this. I remember reading comments warning you that it is illegal when you first installed the lift.
15. Pediatric Dentistry | July 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
when u see how inspections going on in the States,, u will pray day and night that u r in kuwait
16. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Cajie: Its not illegal to install a lift. Its illegal to have your wheels sticking out of the fenders which is what I have. I was supposed to order the wider 6inch fenders but due to the safety comfort of having rubbers sticking out from the side of the car i never got around to it.
Now if the guy there tells me lifts are illegal thats the problem, they’re not but try explaining that to him. Luckily he told me just to swap the tires.
17. Musty | July 22nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Go to Ahmadi and get it done there….i heard they r the most easy going officers u’ll ever find in q8….try yr luck…all the best!!
18. cajie | July 22nd, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Mark: This is Kuwait. As long as the Inspector tells you that you are not allowed to install different rims or tyres on the car, that’s the law :)
19. SWOS | July 22nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
wasta, and just do it from home without even taking your car and wasting your time.
20. Simmy | July 22nd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Mark, I suggest you get up to the Amghara scrapyards and buy the cheapest regular size tires you can find (get the guys who you buy them from to fit them). Get the car passed and then put the bigger tyres back on.
21. HeartBeat | July 22nd, 2009 at 4:44 pm
@Pediatric Dentistry
i don’t disagree with you but given the case of Mark where his modification relatively are minor. Do u want to tell me if a Kuwaiti was there he couldn’t have passed? it happened with me million times and when a dear Kuwaiti friend goes with me it goes like a charm and most of the time my friend did not have wasta there just casual conversation.
and definitely I am talking about minor issues like Mark only.
22. HeartBeat | July 22nd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Mark your car license got punched at the door right?
you cant change the papers now without Wasta.
23. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
nope, don’t think so at least. need to check. i am not looking for wasta. will just get the wide fenders and make the jeep street legal.
24. Abdulla | July 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Well if you’re interested in going there and only a stock set of rim and tires are holding you back, you can take the ones I have to finish your inspection. as I already bought the set to use when driving from/to Shalehat or Subbeyah, no point of burning my 35″ M/T’s on high-way miles :))
25. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hey you’ve got a Wrangler with 35’s?
26. a.o. | July 22nd, 2009 at 6:54 pm
mark i got a 4door jk with 35″ and 4″ lift with front bumpers and xenon fenders basicly i ve changed my wrangler to an unkown vehicle…so last week i was driving down the highway when a chrysler 300c with blue lights flashing at me was following me and asking me to stop..so i stopped and the guy came to me wearing a dishdasha and showed me his ID…guess who he was !? hes the “mosa3id modeeer il mrooor” which is something big !! so he told me hand in ur keys and call for anybody to pick u up…i was wtf why !? he told ur vehicle is not stock and its against the law..i told him about the pickup trucks with the 100inchs cruising around kuwait..he told me when i see them ill catch them !! i told ok but why r u making it a big deal !! he told me that ur vehicle is dangrous to the people in the road !! wtf hes doesnt even make sence !!!! so he got out his walkie talkie and starting calling any “dawriya” near by…so the “dawriya” came the policeman whisperd and told me…quick call anybody now and ill buy some time for u…so i started calling and i got the same reaction with everybody “MODEER IL MOROOOR ? GD LUCK WITH THAT” !! so i called my uncle and he came and started talking to him..talking and talking till he came to me and me that im gonna let u go now but tomoro moring at 10 am ur gonna come to my office with ur vehicle turned back to stock !! wtf !! stock !! so basicly i have to remove the bumpers, xenon fenders, system exhust, lights, trektop etc. !!
27. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
lol thats a fucked up story what the hell.
28. Pediatric Dentistry | July 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
heartbeat,sorry I was offended by ur first post,BUT window tinting is much more minor than large tires or lift,,,, my car didn’t pass before I removed it (even though i was told it is legal when I installed it in autozan),,, I am a kuwaiti guy,, and I hold a good position in a hospital,, and the guy rejected my car pass and he asked for my phone # in case he needs wasta,,but still he rejected it, and I accepted it as it is against the rules.. for me , my patients really want to serve me but I never ask for wasta,, and I never use a wasta, it is a deal that I have made with myself. that is my opinion,,
29. The Kuwaiti Godfather | July 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
HEY mark,
Without Wasta nothing works in q8. If you want things to get done without wasta just following rules and regulations are enough but just change the tyres. Do not remove the lift because then you know the police men will play you as they usually become uncorporative when you take the car back to stock mode especially when they have seen your papers. P.S. Zains systems are still not functioning. Its been one week.
30. Atsaw | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Whats all this talk about wasta !?, Mark, you obviously did not tell them you are 248amtheBsides guy. :)
31. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
lol but seriously thinking about it now, the guy who spoke very fluent english might have know my blog? damn i should have asked!
32. Abdulla | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Does Wrangler with the LS-1 engine ring a bell :))
33. Mark | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
ah lol yes it does. did you upgrade your brakes by the way? I’ve had my eyes on the vancos for ages
http://www.vancopbs.com/
34. gman | July 22nd, 2009 at 11:51 pm
come on, you should have enough wasta with your blog. A friend has his car 5 years here….. it has never seen the test. It’s perfectly technically fit, but not original. The rules here are so stupid because nobody cares at all :-) otherwise people would complain….
35. A.Albaz | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Mark does your wrangler have the same color scheme as your Tamiya truck?
I like the idea!
36. Abdulla | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
nah, don’t use brake on the trail that hard anyway. I rather put my money on other mods before going there.
Night,
37. Mark | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 am
wow, you’ve got 35 inch tires and an LS-1 engine and you’re driving with stock brakes? How the hell do you stop dude?
38. Ramez | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:52 am
WASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
39. BoBader | July 23rd, 2009 at 4:07 am
Vehicle inspection is a joke. My car dealer friends in Kuwait rent clear glass when they get cars with tinted glass. They basically go to a glass repair shop and replace the tinted glass with clear one and do the inspections then come back and replace the tinted one back.
The inspector who told you to go will put the current tires once you get the approval. The whole thing is a joke and this is why many states in the US don’t require inspection.
Few years ago I bought sedan from the States and took it for the first inspection when it arrived to Kuwait. The inspector spent 15 min going in circles and at the end told me it is rejected because it doesn’t have spare tire!! I came the next day with my brothers Suburban spare tire in the trunk (it won’t even fit!) and they approved it!!
40. texan | July 23rd, 2009 at 5:03 am
Unfair….discriminatory in nature. How is that you bear with these?
41. bo_dander | July 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 am
Kill shay bil was6aH e9ir eth2 ma3indik a7id call me yum il a7id aswiha hath ra8miY
99992112
42. Melly | July 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 am
What is wasta???
43. Sami | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Texan no 40 Like there is no discrimination where you come from you can you bear with that??????
Mark you should find a Wasta and do what No 1 Dave told you to do.
I am not sure about the fact if expat are not allowed to modify their vehicle never heard of it. I could ask a friend if i get an answer i will post it
44. Mark | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Will check the yellow pages under wasta
45. HeartBeat | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
For all of those who cares and keep asking him to get Wasta .. why don’t you offer him that damn wasta !!
Something like : Mark meet me next Sunday in Hawallay Traffic Department and make sure you got all your new papers ready!
46. Bruno | July 23rd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
This is Kuwait which corrupt as hell…. just slip the inspector 5KD and be done with it
47. Atsaw | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Bruno, you don’t really know much about Kuwait do you?
48. Mohammad irfan | July 24th, 2009 at 3:46 am
nice ride :) gathering on friday 24th at mishrif exhibition hall 8 parking lot :) time is 5:00 pm…. this casual get together is arranged on completion of 2 years of http://www.ratemyq80ride.com
cheerz :)
49. mike | July 24th, 2009 at 7:57 am
thats right california baby
50. Sami | July 24th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Sorry Bruno !!! But Kuwait is not as corrupt as you might think.
I have seen more and on a much bigger scale corruption then this.
It is though in some certain matters corrupt, and monopoly runs through its equations but not to the extreme extent of a average readers mind..
After all its for the mutual benefits and doing a favor, having a favor done in return…
Mark how long have you been in Kuwait??
51. zuech | July 25th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
lovely !! there are allot of laws that we dont know abt and no one knows abt except the inspectors in the car test, so u guys have to gamble and take ur chances :Pp
ba3deen wasta !! in kuwait ?!!!! naaaaaa there is no such thing !!
5alha 3ala alaah
52. Bruno | July 27th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Atsaw,
Ive lived in Kuwait for 5 years which is long enough to know how corrupt this country is. Every law here is under negotiation with enough money and wasta. Ive seen thieves (that have stolen as much as 90,000 KD) get out of jail in 24hrs on wasta and drug dealers get out in under a month.
Supposedly Kuwait is a strict Muslim country but really its full of hypocrites with fully stocked bars of liquor in their homes and chinese prostitutes on speed dial.
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed