Older Bodyshell mods. and IVA?

[ChrisJ.]

Cars like the Crayford convertables, Lynx Eventer, Abbot estate conversions etc.
Are they legal and forever exempt from IVA, because they were built back in the day?

[rdodger]

Yes as long as they aren't still registered as MK1 Escort or whatever they were made from.

Even before SVA the DVLA should have been informed and the V5 changed to Whatever Special.

The was an amnesty a few years ago for older cars still incorrectly registered but I doubt that still applies.

I have heard that if you can prove that an incorrectly registered car was indeed built pre SVA it is still possible to get the V5 updated. Not sure if that is true.

[ChrisJ.]

Yes, that is the same conclusion I'd come to, once I'd thought about it a bit longer.
I did own a pre amnesty/SVA kit car, and had it inspected and correctly described in that brief period.

I guess these older body shell modded cars fall into the same class as the above, but I doubt any actually had their V5 descriptions changed.

Radford hatchback 1960s Minis and Trickett Mini Sprints are other examples.
You could build a convertable Morris Minor, or a 1960s style Mini Sprint today. In the case of a Mini Sprint, I doubt there would be anything on the V5 to distance it from a similar car actually built in the 1960s? Other evidence, yes, but....