Fight DVLA SVA proposals

[02GF74]

Fight against the DVLA's proposals to modifying classic cars.

and the letter to print, sign and send.

[Les Henson]

Blimey O2, you sure that first pic is big enough, it looks like I just redecorated the living room wall with carp wallpaper!

Les.

[FridgeFreezer]

For those who want to copy & paste into Word and print:

Clive Bennett

Chief Executive

DVLA

SwANSEA

SA6 7JL

Dear Mr Bennett

I am writing to you with grave concern over the DVLA's prospective actions. As a classic Land Rover owner and car enthusiast I am contacting you in order to make ensure that owners of classic cars are properly represented.

My concern centres around the recent DVLA consultation document "Responses to the Consultation on the Review of the Inspection Procedures of the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency". There are a numberof recommendations in this document that will restrict the use of classic cars, as well as severely affecting the livelihood of specialists and businesses all over the country.

My first concern is with the recommendations for the Reconstructed Classics category, which allows cars to be restored without having to wear Q-plates. This category is vital for keeping our motor heritage and is meant for people who want to restore cars and do so legally. Abolishing this category would be a mistake and could force car restoration "undergound" to avoid the negative stigma of wearing a Q-plate. This would result in the complete opposite of the recommendation's claim and would instigate more vehicle crime, not less. I suggest that the Reconstructed Classics category is sustained in its present form and that a separate Modified Classics category is added.

Secondly and even more serious are the rules on Radically Altered Vehicles. While I understand that there is a safety concern with modified cars, I do not believe that Type Approval or Single Vehicle Approval is the way forward when it comes to inspecting classic cars.

Both of these tests are designed for modern vehicles, and would be virtually impossible for a classic vehicle to pass - despite many modifications actually improving a classic's passive safety. Thsi will effectively force modified classics off the road and would also mean that hundreds of specialists and suppliers up and down the country would go out of business. This move alone has the potential to cause thousands of job losses. I propose a "Super-MOT" for modified classics, where any modifications can be checked for proper execution.

It is vital that you consider these points. Modified classic owners are law-abiding tax payers who contribute to the UK's economy with their hobby. We should be allowed to pursue it in freedom.

Yours Sincerely

[minivin]

Surely the FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs) must be doing something about this, which IIRC they are!, why isn't the magazine et cetera getting behind a proper political lobbying group and letting them do what they know how to, rather than just flooding the DVLA with letters which they will just put in the bin as each one is the same.

Typical magazine hype and sales method

[simonr]

I suspect this, like most other protests, will fall on deaf ears - however, I whave written on behalf of X-Eng to support the cause.

This, in one fell swoop will put most of the LR (and other cars) parts suppliers out of business - so it's quite important!

Si

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Double Yikes :

1. The pic size was so big it pushed me printer off the desk when I opened the link....

2. Yikes I'll be writing

Nige

[Tom P]

ffs and ive just had a roll cage put in.

[Les Henson]

At most of the shows last year there was someone with a stand asking people to sign a petition against this sort of thing.

Copied and will be posted this pm anyway.

Les.

[landrover598]

I really don't see a problem with the SVA system

If you radically modify a vehicle, then get it SVA'd and Q'd, simple

But the question is, what will they class as radically modded ?

If they get silly and say +2" springs n shocks are not standard then it'll be a rightol mess

My landy will be back down the SVA center every few months in that case , everytime i change/modify/add something

[steffUK]

Let me give you an idea how it works outside the UK and you'll see that what we have here it is very much worth fighting for. In Germany and Austria every modification to your car has to be "TUEVt". This means that if you put a smaller steering wheel on your car, or a snorkel, or a 2" lift you have to got to your local TUV (=MOT) station to get it approved and registered into your V5 equivalent car papers. Well a TUEV station will only do that if you have a certificate from the manufacturer that the steering wheel is tested and made for this model. Same with springs etc. (BTW, orange springs are not certified and are illegal in Germany, OME are certified). To get these manufacturer certificates they have to spend a lot of money and therefore only a few are doing it. If you modify your car and do not get the TUEV on the modification your insurance and registration become invalid. Tried to get my BFG 255/85 registered and it took 5 MOT stations to do, forget 35" Simex, they only laugh at you.

So now my car is registered here and I thought i'm safe and here we go again...

Steff

[RPR]

The "homologation" system elsewhere as described by steff is a nightmare. My guess is that > 95% of vehicles used offroad in the UK would not pass the homologation system used in many countries on the Continent. Bad news.

[BlackTJ]

Before you all get excited about the Governemt picking on a little classic car owner just think on this.

The Steve Lloyd monster truck with Unimog axles, kevlar body, TVR engine and a budget close to that NASA used for the first Moon landing is a "Classic Range Rover" as far as the log book is concerned.

This blatant abuse has meant that the current loop hole that lets in the Model T Ford dragster custom cars arriving as vintage Ford cars from the States is why the "advice" came in.

I am sure with the money spent that Steve lloyds vehicle is perfectly safe and probably over engineered but the average Mr Chav vehicle isn't.

[02GF74]

Double Yikes :

1. The pic size was so big it pushed me printer off the desk when I opened the link....

2. Yikes I'll be writing

Nige

oops!! sorry about your printer, have you not welded it to your desk? unfortunately smaller scan meant you coould not read the wriiting,

re: SVA; if it is the same as the one I am working to for kit car, then it could be quite interesting on a series on landy, froaxample internal projectiotn - the toggle siwtches would fail etc:

this has repurcussion on insurance, in not a good way, I am sure.

thanks for typing it out!

[dollythelw]

knickers, they didnt listen to 403,000 of us walking through London so writing letters I fear will fall short of making an impact, all the same I will print and post

methinks it will be time to dust off the foreign plates soon..

[Hillbilly Raider]

Little fishes in a big pond?