DVLA planning to ban modding ?

[free spirit]

Found this too late to respond, but DVLA have been (quietly) surveying to find who - if anybody - should be allowed to modify cars.
And who should pay for the revised SVA style test required afterwards!

DVLA survey (now closed) at :
www.dvla.gov.uk/public/consult/veh_inspec/vi_summary.htm

original link found at:
www.gtr.co.uk/forum/upload/showthread.php?t=24969

[Bodo]

Is that a bad idea?

[LuS1fer]

In Germany, they have a TuV test. You simply aren't allowed to modify your car in any way except with parts that are TuV approved and tested. Needless to say, this costs money and they're very strict.

I'm not for the Big Brother state but you have to admit that there are hundreds of cars on Britain's roads that have dangerous aftermarket protrusions that would never pass a safety test. Why should Ford have to spend millions conforming to regs and then Johnny Scrote sticks a six foot razor blade on the boot?

When the abuse becomes widespread, such modifiers really bring it on themselves and the rest of us.

[FunkyNige]

The kit car lot aren't too happy about it either!
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=30&t=112810

I'm confused though, does the cehicle have to pass an SVA every time it's slightly modified now?

[m-five]

[quote=LuS1fer]In Germany, they have a TuV test. You simply aren't allowed to modify your car in any way except with parts that are TuV approved and tested. Needless to say, this costs money and they're very strict.]/quote]

That's correct, although most tuning firms in Germany get TuV approval for their products and then sell them rather than the end-user having to go through the TuV every time a part is added - and the cost of the mods is not much different than here, so I guess all this excess cost is absorbed into the price!

[JonRB]

m-five said:

although most tuning firms in Germany get TuV approval for their products and then sell them

Ah. That would explain things a bit. When I was investigating supercharging the Corrado a few years ago, I pulled out of negotiations with a tuner because he wouldn't provide a guarantee on the installation, only the supercharger itself. He tried to convince me that things would be fine because the part was TuV approved.

[wolosp]

LuS1fer said:

.... Why should Ford have to spend millions conforming to regs and then Johnny Scrote sticks a six foot razor blade on the boot?

Or Bull Bars and a dopey horse mascot on the front of a 4 x 4

[Tahiti]

MOT should pick up on dangerous mods surely?! Would it be retrospective though? I mean, there are many thousand cars that are already modified out there already!