Track Car MOT Help

[motorhole]

Hey guys,

Been looking for a particular Special Notice from VOSA with regards to MOTs on modified cars? I believe it was issued around March/April this year, but I can't find it on any of the previous threads I've found or on the VOSA website. Have definitely seen it before, it contained text along the lines of the following:

[i]Modified Vehicles

Where a vehicle has been extensively modified or converted, Reasons for Rejection for components missing where fitted as standard should not be applied, for example:
a car converted for rally use (i.e. rear seats removed and fitted with a roll cage and full harness seat belts etc.) may have been converted so as not to require a brake servo or power steering
a car converted to a stretch limousine may no longer be fitted with curtain airbags

Additionally, Section 5.1 of the Manual will be amended to state: "An adult harness belt comprising a lap belt and shoulder straps bearing an FIA, British Standard or European approval marking (an upper case ’E’ or lower case ‘e’ and a number) is an acceptable alternative to any of the seat belt types listed"

It is also worth pointing out that Section 6.2 of the Manual, on Seats and Doors, already contains a note in the Information Column which states: "Original design characteristics and specialised modifications (e.g. to enable wheelchair access) are to be accepted"

It must be remembered however, that modifications can only be accepted so long as they comply with the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles (Lighting) Regulations 1989 as amended. In this regard a hydraulic parking brake is not permitted on vehicles first used on or after 1 January 1968 and will therefore remain an MOT failure.

I hope this information has assisted you with your enquiry, but if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us again.[/i]

If anyone can help me out that would be great, thanks!

[mrmr96]

Proabably some stuff in here:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/tgi00000001.htm

Or here:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m3i00000001.htm

They are official gov docs for MOT Testers which I found from here:
http://www.motester.co.uk/mot-trade/mot-trade-info...

ETA, the special notices are listed here, but I can't see the one you're referring to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/vehicl...

Edited by mrmr96 on Wednesday 28th August 12:30

[motorhole]

mrmr96 said:

Proabably some stuff in here:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/tgi00000001.htm

Or here:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m3i00000001.htm

They are official gov docs for MOT Testers which I found from here:
http://www.motester.co.uk/mot-trade/mot-trade-info...

ETA, the special notices are listed here, but I can't see the one you're referring to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/vehicl...

Edited by mrmr96 on Wednesday 28th August 12:30

Thanks bud. I've already had a look through the introductory sections of that tester's manual and couldn't find anything - and again, on the special notices page - perhaps the manual has already been updated to incorporate it (as per one of those special notices regarding future updates), but I can't seem to find it.

[Masher964]

What is your question?

Race harnesses will pass an MoT - mine do.
Replacement front seats... Fine so long as the mountings are solid and suitable, which I guess you'd want anyway.
Rear seat delete... No problem.
Roll cage, fine.
Bigger brakes, additional turbo... No issue.
What modification are you worried about?

[motorhole]

Mainly "servo not present when one fitted as standard" as the standard braking system has been completely overhauled and replaced with a floor-mounted pedal, dual master cylinder setup and bias bar.

This would've been a failure in the 2012 manual but the note I'm looking for specifies exclusions for track/rally/race cars, as seen from the text in my first post.

[s10mph]

Many track/road cars don't have brake servos and they are tested on the MOT brake tester the same as any other car, if it passes then good, the brakes will still stop you Servo or not. I think you are worrying too much about "Planned MOT Changes" which don't always come about and often hyped up about on motoring web Forums.

If you still are not sure then ask your local MOT tester when you book the test, they are nice geezers really.

[motorhole]

s10mph said:

Many track/road cars don't have brake servos and they are tested on the MOT brake tester the same as any other car, if it passes then good, the brakes will still stop you Servo or not. I think you are worrying too much about "Planned MOT Changes" which don't always come about and often hyped up about on motoring web Forums.

If you still are not sure then ask your local MOT tester when you book the test, they are nice geezers really.

Yep, appears your right bud! Had a chat with the tester at one of the local garages, he spoke with VOSA on the phone and it's all above board. Booked in next week

[Daniel1]

Thread revival...

I'm in the process of stripping my track car and I'm fine with the seat belts and seats but I've got a little issue with the airbags.

The only airbag is in the steering wheel which is to be replaced with an aftermarket item. The airbag control module is to be removed also. My local mot tester said the airbag removal isn't a problem, but the airbag light could be a fail (I couldn't get him to commit).

Any body have any experience with the new mot and airbags / airbag warning lights?

[s express]

yep - had same experience.
Get the right sized resistor fitted to the airbag wires to fool the ecu & you should be ok then (I was).

[GC8]

If you have removed the controller then remove the bulb from the dash. There seem to be too many MOT testers deciding whats acceptable and too few calling the helpline.

[Goldenb19]

Hi all thread revival!!

I'm currently in the process of stripping out and building a trackday Vectra Supertouring I'd like to keep her road legal if possible so I can drive her to a few of the yearly Vauxhall shows

However Iv been told that.....

1. My non airbag suede wheel is a fail

2. My bucket seats will fail as Iv removed the seatbelt pre tensioners :/

3. Not sure where I stand on the airbag light as it won't have one as I'll be fitting an ex vectra challenge car pi dash 2 and rigging up only the essential lights for the mot

[TooMany2cvs]

Every MOT query answered in one simple tester's handbook...

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4i00000101.htm
If it ain't in the "Reasons for Rejection" column, it isn't a fail.

[Goldenb19]

Well that sucks dont it :/ so what does everyone do then just go non road legal??

1.

[Goldenb19]

So how do rally cars get around this for there road stages??

[Goldenb19]

Well just found this it at the VOSA site and it seems that competition rally cars are excempt under the new rules :/

We are often asked what level of modification is necessary before a vehicle can be classed as a rally car and therefore qualify as a ‘modified vehicle’ as defined in the Introduction section of the MOT inspection manual.

Put simply, the vehicle must be a competition rally car that needs an MOT to be used on the road between stages. Track day cars or vehicles with ‘boy racer’ modifications are not competition rally cars and do not therefore qualify as a ‘modified vehicle’. So if a vehicle like this is not fitted with original equipment items such as a brake servo, airbags or any other SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) equipment, it must fail the MOT test.

[andyiley]

OK, I have very different experience of this from only last month.

e36 328 coupe 1998, cage race seats, harnesses, aftermarket (non-airbag) wheel, no dash at all, VERY obviously no airbags with a fresh new MOT.

Tester's view:

There are no airbag/SRS warning light faults, the light comes on when the key is turned on & goes off when it should & does not come back on. This was achieved with 2.2 ohn resisters across all inputs & then had the codes reset, no faults & no issues for the MOT.