UK SVA regulations/ban on modified cars

Road-race engines and ancillaries - general discussion
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

Ok, I can confirm this is true as I'm actually the one co ordinating the fight under the ACE ( Association of Car Enthusiasts )banner ! The information was made available to ALL enthusiasts mags but very few chose to publish anything. It has however been taken upsuccesfully by the aftermarket with CAT magazine and the ADF ( Automotive Distribution Federation ) running with it .

We are still in contact with DVLA on an ongoing basis and the NSRA , NASC and ACE are all on the main consulation list . Pressure is being applied to restart the whole process as the proposal only came about due to a Consulation Document relating to DVLA inspection processes.

Initial document http://www.dvla.gov.uk/public/consult/v ... ummary.htm

Response

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/public/consult/s ... edures.htm

Most worrying recomendation "

29. The Police considered the emphasis should be on vehicle crime and that the current procedures were open to abuse. They agreed that there should be a mechanism for identifying changes e.g. at MoT; that where a vehicle was modified from its original specification, it should be regarded as newly built and SVA etc be required. "

ACE reply document.

http://www.nsra.org.uk/editorial13.htm
Last edited by Kev Rooney on August 17th, 2006, 8:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

Julian, I regret to tellyou that only a car specifically designed to pass SVA , like a kit car or low volume production , will pass easily . If you are looking at pre 98 designed cars many will require major changes to make them conform to modern safety standards. For many older cars they will fail on being unable to get the correct specification front screen glass without even considering the actual design shape of the vehicle ie bumpers would fail on rear radius and even certain body panels may fail.

As part of ongoing negotiations during talks with VOSA it came to light that they had recently failed , during SVA ,a standard Beetle which was only there because the owner had declared it had been rebodied.
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/regrebil.htm

This lists the current legal requirements re vehicle details. As it stands changing brakes or modifying your engine , alone, would not create a scenario where your vehicle would be forced to go through SVA. However if you alter your monocoque in anyway the vehicle SHOULD be inspected and more than likely put forward for SVA.

The Consultation Document response shows that the Police would like like the MOT inspection to take on the task of identifying cars they feel are modified from OEM spec.

As you can see this could create the situation where the vehicle WOULD have to go forward for SVA where unmodified OEM components could cause it to fail!

We are currently trying to create ,with DVLA , a modified vehicle class where there would be a safety inspection , aimed primarily at the modified parts only with concessions made for pre 98 based vehicles .


We are also working with VOSA examining the reality of SVA applied to older vehicles.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Hi Kev

good for you. I read all that with interest and I am shocked how far it has gone, covertly aready. Among many other things I am particularly interested about stage rally cars moving on the highway between stages. I am also concerned because the government has a nasty habit of rolling out unsophisticated and poorly thought-through legislation in order to just stamp on the problem and thus clear it from Parliament's agenda.

There is a danger of their producing - like the use of mobile phones in cars issue, yet another law that is neither respected not enforceable.

And I am alarmed - once again - at the level of Police intervention and influence. And the last thing MOT garage owners need is to have to try and enforce this, predisposing that they have the necessary experience to make those judgements - which most, let's be honest, will not, after a lifetime of working on standard cars.

The SVA (speaking from a recent time-wasting experience of trying to help someone to prove the origin of his Fiat kit car engine) is that they simply are not up to this task, it will be a bureaucratic trainwreck and the upshot will be a lot of cars forced off the road.

As a prime mover, the Hot Rodders Assn should perhaps be engaging legal counsel, broadening their support, and there would be no shortage of support. I shall be writing to my MP Rt Hon Douglas Hogg QC in detail about this shortly but apart from that is there anything I personally can do?

GC
Kev Rooney
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Location: Portsmouth

Post by Kev Rooney »

Hi Guy, the problem is that the DVLA are a self governing quango and can make any amendments to their rules that they want. The only time we can bring MP pressure to bear is when / if they decide to go ahead with the clause 29 it will require amendments to statutes and that is when the force of car enthusiasts will be felt, but only if they are aware of it.

At the moment the greatest help that anyone can be is to spread the word and send on the above links to prove it's not all ' smoke and mirrors' .

The NASC and NSRA have both set up legislation funds and are placing al evy on people attending their shows so that all who benefit will contribute not just the wise few.

As I said early all the enthusiasts mags were contacted ( 76 in total ) with a very poor response . They were also contacted again to advise of the formation of ACE, asking for clubs wishing to participate to come forward so we could keep all up to date.

As with all things apathy wil be the downfall .


Many aftermarket suppliers were contacted direct with information but it required a follow up phone call to each and everyone to explain the situation . Especially that it could wipe out historic ( pre 98 ) cars overnight if allowed to go through. The attitude that seems to prevail is that "well the kit car boys don't have problems , so why should we ? ". Hence the move to the aftermarket press and major players

If they took the time to find out they'd see why it IS a big problem.
Julian
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Post by Julian »

Guy Croft wrote:The SVA (speaking from a recent time-wasting experience of trying to help someone to prove the origin of his Fiat kit car engine) is that they simply are not up to this task, it will be a bureaucratic trainwreck and the upshot will be a lot of cars forced off the road.
One could argue that this is actually the point. The government is desperate to see less cars on the road and more public transport. If they can find a way to quickly bring about the demise of older cars and thus force those that can't afford newer cars off the road they have achieved their goals through an unlikely means. It would of course be shooting themselves in the foot (and quite possibly getting themselves shot against a wall in the ensuing revolution) and the financial penalties it would inflict on the country do not bear thinking about but given the fanatical nature of many councillors pushing the green agenda it is not beyond the realms of belief.

The controls as described above wouldn't remove all those cars in one go - only as they needed repair so the impact would be buffered somewhat but the issue remains. The main issue is that it seems intended to make yet more people criminals - not through ill-intent but simply because the police wish to entrap a minority so by making everyone guilty they give themselves the means to catch as many as they see fit.

Thus far everything I've been told about is in keeping with the rules posted on the DVLA site and as such they hadn't been of massive concern - the point that there is no concession to older vehicles being retested had admittedly been lost on me and I can certainly see the relevance now.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Members:

I put this thread in to determine what is going on, and if necessary to bring a degree of prominence to it. I have written to three magazine editors already asking to read this and do what they can to make the issue public.

Can we please now, knowing what we do from Kev's post, not so much debate it, as do-what-we-can to get it into the motoring/motorsport public domain so that at least some pressure group (s) are geared up to represent the 'modified' sector in an even playing field. Which it will not be the way it is going.

Members, in order to keep this thread concise, please write here ONLY if you are doing something actively to find out more from first-hand authority or are lobbying by way of approachs to motoring, motorsport media.

Thank you,

GC

Highlighted in bold (briefly) for the awareness of some!
Last edited by Guy Croft on August 17th, 2006, 10:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
sumplug
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Post by sumplug »

I see the DVLA are targeting the unlicenced car and driver as well. Good for them. Each untaxed/uninsured car adds ‚£30 approx to all our insurances. But do we see any revenue put back to improve our roads and safety??
Once again the Government are targeting the easy catch in the Modified cars.
If they want to target modified cars, then why dont they target the poor companies that screw people out of cash for substandard or bogus power claims?? This is where the industry needs tidying up badly.
I for one would welcome legislation that stopped a lot of potential death traps going on our roads. But that is a tiny minority. The modified industry brings ‚£ millions into this country and employes thousands of people throughout as well. It needs tidying up and trading standards need to act now. I think we all know at least one company we all would like to see done or removed from trading.
As for the SVA test, having read the rules, some of them are so laughable How can the underside of a car be dangerous??. And how many kit car owners change the door/wing mirrors after the test??

Andy.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Members:

I put this thread in to determine what is going on, and if necessary to bring a degree of prominence to it. I have written to three magazine editors already asking to read this and do what they can to make the issue public.

Can we please now, knowing what we do from Kev's post, not so much debate it, as do-what-we-can to get it into the motoring/motorsport public domain so that at least some pressure group (s) are geared up to represent the 'modified' sector in an even playing field. Which it will not be the way it is going.

Members, in order to keep this thread concise, please write here ONLY if you are doing something actively to find out more from first-hand authority or are lobbying by way of approaches to MP, papers, motoring, motorsport media. And now that you have read the material here -I hope you will.

Thank you,

GC
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

As another part of this concern, which interlocks , there is currently an ' Across Europe Harmonisation of Motor Vehicle Taxation ' . Part of the worry of this proposal is that the restriction on use of historically registered vehicles that pervades Europe may be brought over here .

The FBHVCC are working on this and are already lobbying and have detailed information , of a financial impact nature, gleaned from questionaires given to their member clubs.

This is the reason why ACE are trying to negotiate a modified / restored vehicle class with DVLA .This would enable two current classes to be combined and for an APPROPRATE safety test to be used.

If you wonder why re the 'restored class' the Police are also asking that vehicles can only be registered using this class is all parts are genuine pre 73 ? The safety issues raised by this have obviously been overloooked.

We have several replies from MP's stating that they 'have no intention of a new test for modified cars '. That IS correct! What the current discussions refer to is widening the scope of an existing set up, the SVA.

Currently SVA lanes are running slowly as the 'Grey Import ' market is stagnant.

If anyone needs calrification of certain points or how best to proceed whilst showing a united front then I can be contacted direct via PM.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Going back to SVA and modified cars Kev, I am concerned that probably no-one involved in doing that kind of thing, firms or individuals, was consulted initially, but now the proposals are, er drafted (?).

So we are de-facto in an 'intervention' phase now, which usually means no amount of written/spoken comment will have any influence.

Am I right?

GC
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

Yes Guy, as you stated the organisations that the Consultation Document would impact on where not aware that the items under discussion would in any way affect them as it was primarily assessing DVLA's current inspection processes. It was only once responses were in that it became apparent that the concerns of the NSRA / NASC were confirmed. Luckily by reading bewteen the lines we ( NSRA / NASC )managed input into the initial document.

That document has closed and the DVLA are currently considering the views of the respondees hence why ( when questioned by MP's ) they say there are no 'proposals' that will affect modified cars BUT they are currently reviewing the recommendations, from their response document and will formulate another document for discussion , so they say.

We have tried to ensure that by continual input from interested parties direct to DVLA that this WILL happen and that they are VERY aware of the strength of feeling surrounding these matters.

Currently I am co-ordinating the fight for both NSRA / NASC and also ACE which has slightly different aims but whose umbrella the other two national organisations fall..
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