Another succesfull SVA test

[Daan]

Yes, today I received the new V5 for my car.

With all the talk of legality recently, the landranger story and some other stories I decided it is time to go and do the decent thing and arrange the sva test. A lot of time is spend on this and other forums talking about it as well as inventing new reasons why you dont need to do it. In my situation, the vehicle being used in competition, and general utility vehicle and no means to tow it, it was pretty much inevatible. The SVA comes into play when you change a chassis or cut a chassis. I had done both, and was running a defender 90 chassis, shortened to 88" and run that on a 1974 reg, together with disco axles, engine, transmission and steering. In the past, I have clarified the engine on the V5, and of course I did pay tax.

The first time I actually walked in my local DVLA office was medio May, where I arranged a vehicle inspection.

This happened a few weeks later, were a woman did nothing more than check the engine and vin number, and looked at some of the invoices I had for some of the parts. the whole thing taking about 8 min tops. You will hear from us, she said.

About 3 weeks later, I got a letter, saying I was going to need an SVA test, due to the mods and would be allocated a Q registration.

The form was filled out and send to the VOSA, along with some of the invoices and some pictures.

I got a call from the VOSA some time later, a gentleman saying he needed more info. He basically wanted invoices of every major part of the car and he wanted pics of every stage of the build.

Some time went over this, together with some major research on my loft in boxes full of paperwork and pictures from years and years ago. I started the build of this car in 1998 and having found the engine and chassis invoice from that year already, I thought I was doing rather well. I moved house 6 times since starting build, 2 times changing the country as well! In a superhuman effort, Dave Ashcroft reproduced an invoice for the gearbox, which I bought of him in 2001, I owe you massive Dave!

Anyway, I made up a complete and official looking dosier, of 50 pages of info describing my car, and send it to the gentleman who I had dealt with previously.

He returned it within 2 days (did he actually read it?), with an allocation of the test centre, in this case Leighton buzzard. I would be classified as an amateur built vehicle, undergoing a commercial test. The original plan of classifieng it as a Left hand drive vehicle failed unfortunately, due to the severity of the mods.

About a month later I was due for the test.

I had already decided that I was going to the test with the car in the current spec. So as is, 2 winches, rollcage, simex tyres, snorkel, the bloody lot. Even the junglewires were still on it, just to prove the point that it can be done. I had fitted new wings tough, just to make it a bit more presentable (like wearing a tie on an interview). You also need an aluminium plate stamped with the new VIN number, and having the weights on, being the axle weights and the gross vehicle weight. I used the data from the defender 90, which technically the closest to what I have. You also need the VIN number stamped in the chassis, by an MOT station or dealer, with the neccesary paperwork signed for it.

A very reasonable chap turned out of his office and was testing my vehicle. He spent a long time underneath the car and looked at brakes, mechanical and structural parts, nothing unlike an MOT really.

The only thing he saw underneath were 2 propshaft bolts being too short, which meant the nyloc nut wasnt making full use of locking bit. Inside he saw a few loose wires which needed to be tied down properly and taping the ends of. He then took it for a brake test and hit the brakes hard, whereby the rear wheels locked up first. This was also a fail. The retest could be done within 3 working days, which was lucky, because I wanted it to be right before driving to scotland for the tay challenge.

I fitted a wilwood brake bias adjuster in the rear brake line, and removed the knob after adjusting it right. For the test, it is not allowed to have it adjustable, you need tools to adjust it. the other points were solved easily.

And that was basically it as far as the test goes. The only thing that was mentioned by the tester as well, was the lack of trailer weight on the aly plate; this means you cannot legally tow a trailer. Since I do tow occasionally, I changed this for the retest. The trailer load is 3500kg for a 90, while the gross weight is 2400 kg. this brings the trainweight to 5900 kg . All this is stamped in the alu plate and has been agreed by the tester on the retest. He did want proof of this in the form of a landrover publication, which I got via this forum (thanks white 90 and Western).

On the subject of weights, the weight of my vhicle is 1820 kg, with 2 winches, waffles, strops, groundancher, 5 simex 35 inch wheels/tyres,toolbox, cage, full bodywork,full tank everything. It also includes britains most comprehensive road atlas.

After you passed the test, you receive a document called the ministers certificate. You take this back to the DVLA office with all the invoices of the major parts which are then stamped to mark them with the reg no. and you get a tax disc (OK, it took me 4 goes due to some personel at the office not quite up to date with the procedures). A few days later you receive the V5. So, all in al it took me 4 months.

I am glad it is behind me and I can drive the car without fear of problems from the old bill. I would like to thank Les Brock for all my endless phonecalls and emails asking the most ridicilous questions about the subject. Also thank to Tim benton (filthyboy) and others who I asked for their advice. This forum has been a great help I have to say.

In all the actual test meant very little. It is an extended MOT really. With the MOT being 43 pounds and the test 63 pounds, the severity translates to roughly that kind of difference. there is nothing to worry about if your car is mechanically sound.

The hardest bit, by far, is the paperwork. Where our comfort zone is to knock a few quid off an axle in a field in newbury, which we then butcher onto our machine at home in a cloud of smoke, the comfort zone of the DVLA and the Vosa is paperwork, and lots of it. That is were the problem lies really.

Once you passed the paperwall, the rest is relatively easy. It is hassle, but compared to building an entire vehicle, it means nothing really. All I can advice is ask for invoices and keep them for later, cause you need them.

Daan

[Boothy]

Congratulations and well done,

Is it caged?, if so how did you manage to keep the weight so low, mine came in at 2225Kg's with only 4 wheels and no spare, that's in full rig ready to compete.

[western]

Excellent result Daan, very pleased to see my info helped you secure a great success.

[wkw90]

Well done

[steve_d]

Well done.

Just to expand on something you mentioned.

They are getting very hot on you demonstrating your 'Amateur Build' status so you need to make sure the photos you take reflect this. You need to avoid shots that may imply a professional workshop and concentrate more on shots that include, but not in any particular order, the dog, the wife, kids sitting in or on, other cars registered in your name, pictures of you working on it etc.

Steve

[Daan]

Congratulations and well done,

Is it caged?, if so how did you manage to keep the weight so low, mine came in at 2225Kg's with only 4 wheels and no spare, that's in full rig ready to compete.

Yes, it is fully caged. How I got it so light? Lots of time in the garage, and the grinder and drill is your best friend!

Daan

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Very well done, a weight off you mind knowing you've done the right thing and are now legal

Nige

[Turbocharger]

Excellent result, and a testament to your build quality (and your patience with the paperwork too!)

[Anderzander]

That's an encouraging and informative read. Thanks and well done.

Can I ask what the implications of not having a receipt or two would be?

I've been given some fairly major parts and don't have anything for them...

[pugwash]

Nice one Daan

guess it helped to get a commercial test!

[LR90]

Superb result Daan, well done and as ^^^ thanks for the informative post.

[Mo Murphy]

Excellent result Daan, well done !

Mo

[Les Henson]

Congratulations Daan

I see you mention reciepts - I don't have one for my engine

I traced it back to Equicar, but unless I can supply them with the original reciept number - they can't give me a duplicate of it.

Les.

[filthy boy]

Daan

Congratulations and well done. Glad to have been of any help, however small.

Your all up weight is an even more amazing feat!

Tim (Bentley actually)

[V8CAMEL]

Congratulations Daan

I see you mention reciepts - I don't have one for my engine

I traced it back to Equicar, but unless I can supply them with the original reciept number - they can't give me a duplicate of it.

Les.

as for all the details they hold about you under the data protection act.

[gav-]

Congratulations, its given me a bit of hope so i can get mine sva'd now.

cheers

[white90]

Superb write up Daan

excellent job well worth the effort

and surprised buy the weight of it all.

[Daan]

Thanks for all the encouraging words.

Apologize to Tim Bentley...

Basically, you need something of all major parts.

Major parts are:

engine

transmission

chassis

suspension

steering

axles

I did not have anything for the suspension, but claimed that I bought the axles complete with suspension.

Something else that is acceptable is using parts from a donor vehicle. In this case, you have to show a copy of the v5 from the donor vehicle.

I had invoices for the above and the DVLA will stamp the originals with the registration no., to stop you using them for another build. For some reason they did not stamp the invoice for the steeringbox, so I am not sure that is called a major component.

If there is an invoice missing, not sure what that means in terms of passing, but I made sure everything was ok.

There are no exact rules for this I dont think, but the chap from the DVLA main office told me that they are specifically punctual with Landrovers, because so many are being stolen at the moment, and they dont want to assist in putting stolen parts back on the road. Hence the awkwardness of it all.

Daan

[Les Brock]

Well done Daan,

I did say the easy part was the SVA, the difficult bit was dealing with the DVLA

Glad I could help, if only in a small way

It's always best to speak to someone who has been through it and who knows the score,rather than someone who "thinks" they do !

[steve_d]

My Dakar passed its SVA yesterday.

Now its the paper trail through DVLA.

Steve

[Tractorboy16]

well done,

i may well need some advice as i try to get mine done in the next few months.

James

[Darren Roberts]

Daan,

Well done. I'm in the process of building a bobtail Rangie so was a little concerned about some of the stuff I saw on other threads here. I've brought a lot of my parts through ebay over the course of many years - hence no reciepts - is anyone else in a similar situation ?

I'm hoping that the bob will SVA ok when I finish it (only just started in anger) because apart from the 15 inch diet on the rear everything else is standard Range Rover parts from a later model.

cheers

Darren

[western]

Can you not present the paypal payment statements or are most of the bits cash paid.?

[dollythelw]

you car's fatter than my dog Daan

good result fella

[Daan]

The last piece in the puzzle has now been completed: insurance. Not looking forward to get the Q registration insured, My insurer has now agreed to keep the existing insurance policy and change the registration no. at no extra cost. I thought that was quite a result.

Daan