64 replies to this topic

[Steve@RetroDash]

Yeah, that would be called a ringer if you built it up. It's not allowed to just buy a logbook and turn it back into a car by buying parts. If the logbook is for a car that was previously registered with that shell then you would still need two other original major components in order to retain the identity, and a roll cage doesn't count!

The rules are trying to get to a point where it's OK for a car to evolve over time but not OK for it all to be replaced with second hand parts of dubious origin at the same time, as parts of any machine will always wear out and need replacing so a car could never remain as it came down the production line forever, if they tried to apply that ruling then we'd all be driving ringers as soon as they were serviced.

ok so that shell is best left for a track car then i suppose. thankyou for your input Dan much appreciated, and the rest of you guys

[mini1976]

If a mini would never get through an sva test how did the one thats on scrap heap challange pass its one. Its a very simmilar shape and deffinately pass one

[pikey7]

i expect it was done before the rules changed (It is over a year old now!)

Other than that. No idea!

[mini1976]

but someone said they didnt think that a mini would pass an sva due to the shape of the shell. Surely the requirements of the actual test havent changed just what constitutes what used to be the points system to maintain the orriginal identity of the vehicle, or have i got this completly wrong?

[pikey7]

maybe because it was still the original shell (well, one of them was!) aswell as subbys, it met the old "points" system. Like I say, I'm not sure how they did it!

[mini1976]

If they did have the shell and subframes for the points woundn't the subframes have to be standard? just they fitted some vauxhall diesel engine i think so if it was a mini subframe it must have been modified. Did a modified subframe still count or did it still have to be in orriginal condition/state

Thanks

[minimole]

to be totally honest i wouldnt really mind having to have a q plate ok it makes a few things like insurance bit of a pain. but would a non metal mini actually pass a sva test or not. alot people say it wouldnt but i dont actually think anyone knows the real answer.
does anyone know anyone who does sva's

[Dan]

Of the top of my head...
One with standing body seams can't pass (as in not a deseamed shell). If it has bumpers from pre-96 (have a look at twin point bumpers, they've been adapted at the ends to stop you being able to get your fingers into the ends of them) it can't pass. The standard number plate lamp (Mk1 or later type) can't pass. The fuel filler can't pass. The glass type front indicators can't pass I think. There are many other bits too.

As for the Scrappy Races cars, I don't know how any of them passed. The thing is that that show is about three years or so old now and it would have been shot up to 12 months before that and I think there used to be a split level SVA testing system when it was first introduced. There were certainly a few classes of testing and certain vehicles like Trikes were exempt for some reason. They wouldn't have passed a full kit-car type SVA as they all had body protrusions and stuff like that, and if you watch some of them do I think get told to make modifications to pass the test. The changes to the kit and radically altered car regulations have only been in force for a short while now.

SVA testing has made it much easier to insure kit and home built cars as they are now supposedly just as safe as type approved cars and just as unlikely to injure padestrians in an accident.

Edited by Dan, 15 March 2006 - 12:56 AM.

[Alburglar]

but someone said they didnt think that a mini would pass an sva due to the shape of the shell. Surely the requirements of the actual test havent changed just what constitutes what used to be the points system to maintain the orriginal identity of the vehicle, or have i got this completly wrong?

would need a collapsable steering coloumn too!
I've seen two minus V5s where the shell swap was declared to DVLA. On one it said Make : Mini Minus on it The other said Austin Mini. - the austin Mini one came with original letter to and from DVLA from back in the 80's / early 90's ish when the shells were swapped and the V5 had the minus shell number on it. Apart from that it was no different so who's gonna know? Especially if you keep your tags from your metal shell. If it ever came to anything, you could say that you bought the car like it and the DVLA were informed years ago. They would not be able to proove otherwise and you avoid the tricky SVA.

Not that I'm suggesting , that anyone should tell fibs or anything.

[mini1976]

I was just thinking about the roof seams/gutters. Shorly you can still have these even if sva tested as so many cars other then the mini had them and I think the new deffender still does have them. Also if things like the fedender can have thoes air filters strapped to the side of the vehicle to prevent water getting into them and grills over the lights which are no more than a large mesh shorely you can have the fuel cap stick out of the side? I dont see why not. I thought it had to not be sharp or for you to be able to catch yourself on it. If your just not allowed anything that sticks out whats the deal with wing mirrors? Just generally dont understand why you wouldnt be allowed a few of thoes things. One other thing, why wouldnt the standard numberplate light pass? Cause it doesnt work well enough or just cause it sticks out? As again i cant see how you could catch yourself or hurt yourself on it?

[Jammy]

I don't think the number plate light would pass because if he backed into someone it could do some serious damge! I think modern wing mirrors are now designed to fold in when hit, so they don't really pose a threat to a pedestrians safety!

With things protruding; SVAs look at things that cause a pedestrian harm, they would see the seams on a mini as a thin edge that would cut into a body and do serious harm, where as things like the air filter ducting on land rovers would only cause mild bruising (kinda!)

[mini1976]

But what im saying is the new defenders still have roof seams so they still have thin sticky out bits. Or do they not count as they are high up?

[minimole]

a minus does not have the seams or sticky outy bits would it be possable for a minus to pass a sva? obvisouly on a q plate which would be so bad.

EDIT: Which wouldnt be so bad
I really should proof read

[pete]

A standard mini shell will pass an SVA test if it has the plastic trim covering the roof gutters and sill join. These give it enough of a radius to pass the test.
A minus will also pass as long as it is assembled to the correct guidelines. I know this because I am currently building another bike powered minus that is not registered and have obviously looked into this before going ahead with the build. Certain items will have to be altered such as the steering column but this isn't that difficult.

Pete

[Dan]

Precisely, lots of cars HAD gutters. How many NEW designs have them now? How long has Defender been around in one form or another? It was type tested ages ago, if it's passed a type test then it doesn't have to be re-tested during production. No Defenders, Freelanders or anything come with a snorkel as standard, they are aftermarket fitment so don't get tested. Same with lamp gaurds. The SVA means that a car has to be roughly the same standard as a production car, production models are type tested to a certain standard and then lots of parts that wouldn't pass are fitted after manufacture which is why we have dealer fit options. Jammy is right, the number plate lamp sticks out too far and has sharp edges. Wing mirrors are collapsible and rounded all over (if they have an approval mark which they would have to have to pass the SVA). The rules are something like that nothing on the outside can have a 90 degree corner on it anywhere that can come into contact with a 100mm ball. Any corners have to have a radius of at least 6mm (or 8 maybe). I know that you couldn't realistically get injured by these things but then I didn't write the rules now did I? There's no point in taking issue with the rules here mate, the rules are the rules. If you don't like them talk to your MP about them.

Yes a Minus probably could pass the test, but I think you might need engineering documents that refer to the body shell manufacture or something like that. One of the good things about the SVA though is that you don't always get a Q plate on a kit car. I think that if you can proove all the parts are new or fully re-conditioned rather than second hand then you get a new (as in this year) number plate. If you can prove that all the major second hand parts and the shell are the same age then you can get an age related plate (as in the age of the car). I think you only get Q plates on cars of undeterminable identity or age now. Also it means that your car is as good as any other new car, including no MOTs for three years!

Edited by Dan, 15 March 2006 - 08:57 PM.