Chassis change

[hemibum]

Looking at this Winters project. Remove all suspension, engine & drive train & ally from "cough" Locust ladder frame / plywood car and put into a Locost type space frame chassis.

What would be the legal position here? Simply a re-chassis job and inform insurance co. Keep original VIN?

Wouldn't need to SVA the thing , would I?

Ta

[tribbles]

hemibum said:

Looking at this Winters project. Remove all suspension, engine & drive train & ally from "cough" Locust ladder frame / plywood car and put into a Locost type space frame chassis.

What would be the legal position here? Simply a re-chassis job and inform insurance co. Keep original VIN?

Wouldn't need to SVA the thing , would I?

Ta

I did something similar with my Locust - although I retained the original chassis and built on it with an interior steel frame system, but kept the plywood exterior

Have a look at my build site - http://locust.tribbeck.com/

I have a feeling that yours could be classified as a radically altered vehicle as both the body and chassis will be replaced - both fairly key units in defining a car (although the overall shape would not change dramatically).

Now, it's probably unlikely for an MOT station to know the difference between a Locust and a Locost, so if you were to transfer the VIN and kept it registered as a Locust, then you'd probably get away with it.

[hemibum]

Thanks, looked at that option and thought about it for all of 5 seconds. The bloody thing would end up even heavier!!

I would be carrying over most of the bodywork: Nose Cone, Front and rear wings, and as much of the exterior Ally cladding as poss.

Surely it should just be an insurance notification.

[tribbles]

Fine - I build my cars for comfort; weight isn't something I've been terribly worried about.

Okay, from a strictly legal point of view you need to look here: http://direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingA...

If you keep everything except the chassis, then you'll be able to keep the registration - and I don't think you'll need SVA (unless it was a 2nd hand chassis you're using - new chassis is okay).

[hemibum]

Thanks Tribbles, See where your'e coming from. She's on a Q reg anyway and aren't interested in trying to change it.

The engine number doesn't tally with the VIN and that's never affected an MOT. So I just take the
"SABTVR" chassis plate off and stick it on an "upgrade" .

[tribbles]

Well, the engine number should always be on the V5; however the engine number and chassis number never need to tally up in a kit car (my recently registered Aeon has vastly differing numbers - as does my 1960 VW Beetle).