Bj”rn Forsstr”m (2:203/614.61) wrote to Steven Horn at 10:30 on 24 Feb 2004:

 SH> four aluminum rims for $1537.00 CAN.

 BF> I didn't like the GM site either and 1537, is that per rim? :-) 

Nope.  It would be $385 per rim.

 BF> When the car is 3 yo. we have to visit a "car test" in order to get
 BF> a new "tax-reciet"
 BF> to put on the rear plate and if the car doesn't follow the "rules"
 BF> you don't get it and
 BF> then the police can see that you don't have been to the test and
 BF> will stop you. The
 BF> police even have "flying" controls on the road and checks the car
 BF> and if they find
 BF> an error you might even have to tow the car to a garage to have it
 BF> fixed. They even chech if you are having proper tyres. At least 3
 BF> mm left on winter tyres
 BF> and here it's a *law* to have approved winter tyres during winter
 BF> if it's snow on the road.
 BF> The police have even access to the "car-test:s" database to see if
 BF> there is any problem with the car.
 BF> So, if I should have rims on my car that isn't approved for 4 WD by
 BF> the manufacture
 BF> I'm in a big trouble at the "car-test" and by the police and I
 BF> think even by the insurance
 BF> company if I was in an accident.
 BF> Not even all tiresmarked M&S (Mud&Snow) are approved here in
 BF> wintertime as winter
 BF> tyres. USA have another rubbermix in their M&S tyres that doesn't
 BF> stand the minus deg
 BF> so for use in Sweden they have to make another rubbermix and this
 BF> the police have
 BF> a list for and if you are using wrong tires they give you a ticket
 BF> for driving on summer
 BF> tires even if you are using M&S tires.

British Columbia had mandatory testing but the end result was not that
sophisticated.  As for tires, no jurisdiction makes winter tires mandatory
although there are moves in that direction.  Tires do have to meant certain
standards before they can be sold but unauthorized rubber is not easily
available.

 SH> But is a battery that isn't as good as new unsafe?

 BF> Of cause not. I meant in general.

If I lived 50 km out of town, that's not much of an alternative.:-(
Take care,

Steven Horn (steven_a_horn{at}yahoo.ca)
Moderator, ALASKA_CHAT 
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+