At what point is an IVA not needed?
Discussion
I don't believe there is a volume requirement for type approval it's down to you to decide if your future sales are enough to cover the cost of type approval.
What you have to do is submit cars and parts of cars so that the various tests can be carried out. These tests will come to several hundreds of thousands of pounds.
After you have passed the tests you then have to demonstrate that your production processes are sufficiently robust and controlled to ensure that every car you produce would meet the tests that you have just passed.
As you are now a type approved manufacturer the cars have to be factory built so no longer a kitcar.
Steve
What you have to do is submit cars and parts of cars so that the various tests can be carried out. These tests will come to several hundreds of thousands of pounds.
After you have passed the tests you then have to demonstrate that your production processes are sufficiently robust and controlled to ensure that every car you produce would meet the tests that you have just passed.
As you are now a type approved manufacturer the cars have to be factory built so no longer a kitcar.
Steve
Don't know about the UK but within the EU there is no limitation regarding the volume one needs to produce in order to get a car type approved - as a matter of fact, there aren't any possibilities such as IVA in many countries. In Germany for example you won't have any other chance other than type approval - there is a special type of EU approval (RREG 70/156/EWG if you Need to know 
) for small volume manufacturers where you are limited to 500 produced cars per year.
) for small volume manufacturers where you are limited to 500 produced cars per year. Pretty much as the above replies.
Up to 300 cars over a 36 month rolling timescale is the maximum for our type of (IVA) Low Volume before you have to get in to "Big Boys" Low Volume type approval.
BTW. The hoops you will have to jump through to get full type approval will make the IVA test look like a stroll in the park. Type approval will require all the items in the IVA test plus many many more.
Up to 300 cars over a 36 month rolling timescale is the maximum for our type of (IVA) Low Volume before you have to get in to "Big Boys" Low Volume type approval.
BTW. The hoops you will have to jump through to get full type approval will make the IVA test look like a stroll in the park. Type approval will require all the items in the IVA test plus many many more.
Justaredbadge said:
Oh well.
i'll just have to IVA it all then.
If you are a manufacturer and want to build customer cars then you will find there are additional rules over and above IVA such as any car you produce must meet the very latest emissions requirements. So if you plan a kit that uses a donor (MX5 say) then anyone building the kit can use the donor engine. If you build the car then it will need a modern engine with cats to pass.i'll just have to IVA it all then.
Steve
Justaredbadge said:
So what happens in the not unknown situation where the factory puts a customer's car through the IVA test?
It is not uncommon for this to happen but the builder will have done the build and presented the paperwork to VOSA an by that convinced them that it is an amatuer build. We do them on a fairly regular basis. VOSA accept that people have lots of reasons for not wanting to present themselves....exam nerves, not being able to take time off work, or just that the facory can resolve issues they spot before presenting. The manufacturer or businesses like ours also have transport facilities which again makes sense when presenting an open car in poor weather.A factory also has a good knowledge of the IVA rules and may be in a position to challenge the way a tester is interpreting the rules. I had a car on test which was looking like it would fail because the doors did not have anti burst locks. However I could convince the tester this did not apply as they are side screens having lift off hinges.
Steve
Slightly off topic as far as the discussion but not the title . . .
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Stubby Pete said:
Slightly off topic as far as the discussion but not the title . . .
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Just a thought. With monocoque cars (which the MX5 is I think) there is no chassis as such. Therefore arguably all the structural bodywork is part of that monocoque and the removal of any structural component would require a full examination. I think the wings and doors might be excepted but all of the main structure would be part of the monocoque. The relacement of metal beams etc would clearly alter the monocoque.How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Steffan said:
Stubby Pete said:
Slightly off topic as far as the discussion but not the title . . .
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Just a thought. With monocoque cars (which the MX5 is I think) there is no chassis as such. Therefore arguably all the structural bodywork is part of that monocoque and the removal of any structural component would require a full examination. I think the wings and doors might be excepted but all of the main structure would be part of the monocoque. The relacement of metal beams etc would clearly alter the monocoque.How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Steve
Steve_D said:
Steffan said:
Stubby Pete said:
Slightly off topic as far as the discussion but not the title . . .
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Just a thought. With monocoque cars (which the MX5 is I think) there is no chassis as such. Therefore arguably all the structural bodywork is part of that monocoque and the removal of any structural component would require a full examination. I think the wings and doors might be excepted but all of the main structure would be part of the monocoque. The relacement of metal beams etc would clearly alter the monocoque.How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
Steve
Stubby Pete said:
Slightly off topic as far as the discussion but not the title . . .
How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
The MX5 is an interesting one as on the face of it it looks like a backbone chassis with a non stressed body place on top - similar to the old lotus elans. But the central spine to me does not look stiff enought to act as a stand alone chassis so the body then become a structural element (aka a chassis) and therefore changing it requires and IVA. Stu Mills (MEV) is probably the best person to ask on this front and worth having a look at the build pics of the new Replicar. Best to consider the MX5 as front and rear subframes loosely joined together until bolted onto the shell. How much chassis change will require IVA on a rebody?
I.e. If I was to rebody a MX5, I wouldn't need to IVA if panel removal and replace. But what if i was to remove the windscreen? I assume that there is an element of strength in the screen surround, would this be considered as part of the chassis?
However if you keep the panels and just replace the door skins/bonned/boot/wings (and possibly remove the screen) then IVA should not be required IMO, again have a look at the MX250 and MEVX5 and in a similar vein the new Z3 based Bertini (thread on here)and the MGB based RP251.
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