New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association Inc.

The 4WD TRP is a group of four wheelers with experience in mechanical engineering and other aspects of modifying and building 4WD vehicles. The group is currently chaired by Peter Vahry (past-president NZFWDA) and consists of people from around NZ networking via online conferences. Others in the 4WD community are consulted too and email is an important tool.

The TRP is represented at most meetings of the LVVTA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), who rule on what's permissible for those innovators wanting to produce alternatives when modifying or building vehicles for road use.

Both the TRP and TAC are advised of questions or issues that have come to the attention of the LVVTA, usually straight from NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). Those with implications to four wheel drive type vehicles can be considered by the TRP and its conclusions reviewed by the TAC.

The TRP worked directly with the TAC and LVVTA to produce the Hobby Car Technical Manual (replacing the previous "Hot Rod" manual) setting out acceptable practice and guidelines when building or modifying a vehicle to be used on the road. The Hobby Car Technical Manual provides a basis for certification of a vehicle.

Parallel with this process, has been the development of "standards" that become NZTA "rules". Such standards apply to almost all sections of a vehicle and include rules on things like roll-bars under the "Internal Projections" Standard.