Discussion
I can't help directly I'm afraid. But you could try asking on www.locostbuilders.co.uk if no-one else can help here.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Kevp
I have heard the same and stayed away when I SVA'd mine. One report I did hear from Southampton. The Westfield in question (Fully supplied kit based car) failed on brake power. This was rectified two months later when they realised they had used the information supplied for the Mitsubishi L200 previously tested - FFS.
It also failed on the radius of the locking wheel nuts!!!!!!!
Steer well clear if I were you.
Gillingham were great for me, even if I did visit them 5 times, but that is a long story and one I don't want to go into for fear of being ridiculled for years...
One piece of advice, the SVA centre will also MOT your car at the time, if you let them know in advance. A small charge is made, but well worth getting it done, unless if you are going elsewhere first. Take tools along for headlight alignment etc.
Cheers,
Mark
I have heard the same and stayed away when I SVA'd mine. One report I did hear from Southampton. The Westfield in question (Fully supplied kit based car) failed on brake power. This was rectified two months later when they realised they had used the information supplied for the Mitsubishi L200 previously tested - FFS.
It also failed on the radius of the locking wheel nuts!!!!!!!
Steer well clear if I were you.
Gillingham were great for me, even if I did visit them 5 times, but that is a long story and one I don't want to go into for fear of being ridiculled for years...
One piece of advice, the SVA centre will also MOT your car at the time, if you let them know in advance. A small charge is made, but well worth getting it done, unless if you are going elsewhere first. Take tools along for headlight alignment etc.
Cheers,
Mark
Alex said:
Doing the MOT first also gives you the opportunity of a legal blat before the SVA. Fun, and useful as a last minute shakedown. Still needs to be insured though!
Alex,
Beware, I do NOT think you are able to 'legally' drive to an MoT before an SVA and registration. You are legally aloud to drive to the SVA centre and back, but not as far as I am aware to an MoT.
I got pulled by the feds on my way back from the SVA and they were not happy but had to admit they were in the wrong. But I am not sure about the MoT, I think you should trailer it to and from before an MoT. Hence I got my car MoT'd at the SVA centre.....
Another point, once you have the SVA, you are not legally aloud to drive to the registration office, they need to come to you!
Kevp said:
Im getting near to requiring SVA.
Ive been advised not to take the car to my local centre (Southampton). They aparantly dont like kit cars.
1) Has anyone got experiance of this?
2) How long in advance to book?
Thanks for help.
Kev
1) DUnno about Soton, but I guess they get more imports to SVA being near the docks.
I'm not sure how they could "dislike" certain cars as it is a set of rules they are applying, it's not a fashion show. If your car adheres to them how can they fail it?
2) Dunno for soton specifically but it's typically about 6 weeks.
As for driving the car prior to SVA, it can be done as long as you have a pre-arranged appointment. So you can take it for an MoT and local garage for rolling road tests etc. before it's registered.
Ta.
Sorry to re-iterate what I have already said, but I put a lot of time and effort into knowing these things.
The Soton SVA centre is very hard on kit cars, I know of numerous cars that have failed there for poxy reasons that have gone on to cost the owners a lot of money. It is not a fashion show, but there are interpretations of the law.
Re the MoT - AFAIK you are not legally allowed to drive to an MoT before the car is registered, you need to trailer it there and back. Just like if you take a normal car to an MoT station when the old one has ended. If you have an MoT booked you can drive there, if you fail you are not legally allowed to drive home!
As for driving to a rolling road, no way is this legal. Believe me the BiB will throw the book at you if you do not do the right thing, they do not like the idea of you driving around without a number plate or trade plates on.
Mark B
The Soton SVA centre is very hard on kit cars, I know of numerous cars that have failed there for poxy reasons that have gone on to cost the owners a lot of money. It is not a fashion show, but there are interpretations of the law.
Re the MoT - AFAIK you are not legally allowed to drive to an MoT before the car is registered, you need to trailer it there and back. Just like if you take a normal car to an MoT station when the old one has ended. If you have an MoT booked you can drive there, if you fail you are not legally allowed to drive home!
As for driving to a rolling road, no way is this legal. Believe me the BiB will throw the book at you if you do not do the right thing, they do not like the idea of you driving around without a number plate or trade plates on.
Mark B
Traction said
"I'm not sure how they could "dislike" certain cars as it is a set of rules they are applying, it's not a fashion show. If your car adheres to them how can they fail it?"
Don't you believe it! In my (recent) experience, SVA tests seem to be more about the personal likes and dislikes of the tester than about applying a set of rules from the manual. My first test I failed on 8 points. On the retest, at the same centre but with a different tester, three of these points were deemed not to be test items, let alone failures.
the best example was my home made aero screen which is made from a fairly expensive shatterproof material. At the first test I failed because it did not have any markings showing a marking to indicate its resistance to shattering. I questioned whether it could be considered "a windscreen" and was told it was "a windshield"
At the retest, with a far more knowledgable and amenable tester, I produced evidence of the tests carried out on the aero screen material by the manufacturers, and was told there was no need as the aero screen didn't affect my line of visibility and could be made of any material. The testers present at the second test did a fair bit of face pulling when they saw the failure points.
Best bet is make sure you get them to tell you what item from the manual you have failed on in each case, and ask them to write it on the failure sheet.
But good luck anyway!
"I'm not sure how they could "dislike" certain cars as it is a set of rules they are applying, it's not a fashion show. If your car adheres to them how can they fail it?"
Don't you believe it! In my (recent) experience, SVA tests seem to be more about the personal likes and dislikes of the tester than about applying a set of rules from the manual. My first test I failed on 8 points. On the retest, at the same centre but with a different tester, three of these points were deemed not to be test items, let alone failures.
the best example was my home made aero screen which is made from a fairly expensive shatterproof material. At the first test I failed because it did not have any markings showing a marking to indicate its resistance to shattering. I questioned whether it could be considered "a windscreen" and was told it was "a windshield"
At the retest, with a far more knowledgable and amenable tester, I produced evidence of the tests carried out on the aero screen material by the manufacturers, and was told there was no need as the aero screen didn't affect my line of visibility and could be made of any material. The testers present at the second test did a fair bit of face pulling when they saw the failure points.
Best bet is make sure you get them to tell you what item from the manual you have failed on in each case, and ask them to write it on the failure sheet.
But good luck anyway!
Southampton DO have a poor reputation. I deal with complaints about them more often than (almost) all the other SVA test stations put together. They really don't like kit cars and as you have to go back to the same test station for the retest, it might be a decision you live to regret!
As for driving it on a public road unregistered, YES, it IS perfectly legal to do so for an SVA and, I also believe, for an MOT AND, to or from any place where work is to be carried out in order to enable the vehicle to pass either test. I can't quite remember the "letter" of the law off the top of my head but the principle seems to be that it's OK to drive it on a public road un-taxed and un-registered (but not un-insured!) for any purpose connected with getting it registered. As you can do this without visiting a rolling road, I doubt you'd be able to make that one work in court but if the place with the rolling road also happened to be booked to do some rectification work for an MOT or an SVA, I feel it would be a legitimate defence... To my mind, that also, therefore, means you can drive it to and from the VRO for their inspection too but I've never been brave enough to try it! One day I'll try to trawl through the relevant legal documents to see if there is any "case law" to set a precedent but it will take ages so until then, I'm just hoping someone will try it and let us all know what happens!
As for driving it on a public road unregistered, YES, it IS perfectly legal to do so for an SVA and, I also believe, for an MOT AND, to or from any place where work is to be carried out in order to enable the vehicle to pass either test. I can't quite remember the "letter" of the law off the top of my head but the principle seems to be that it's OK to drive it on a public road un-taxed and un-registered (but not un-insured!) for any purpose connected with getting it registered. As you can do this without visiting a rolling road, I doubt you'd be able to make that one work in court but if the place with the rolling road also happened to be booked to do some rectification work for an MOT or an SVA, I feel it would be a legitimate defence... To my mind, that also, therefore, means you can drive it to and from the VRO for their inspection too but I've never been brave enough to try it! One day I'll try to trawl through the relevant legal documents to see if there is any "case law" to set a precedent but it will take ages so until then, I'm just hoping someone will try it and let us all know what happens!
avocet said:
As for driving it on a public road unregistered, YES, it IS perfectly legal to do so for an SVA and, I also believe, for an MOT AND, to or from any place where work is to be carried out in order to enable the vehicle to pass either test. I can't quite remember the "letter" of the law off the top of my head but the principle seems to be that it's OK to drive it on a public road un-taxed and un-registered (but not un-insured!) for any purpose connected with getting it registered. As you can do this without visiting a rolling road, I doubt you'd be able to make that one work in court but if the place with the rolling road also happened to be booked to do some rectification work for an MOT or an SVA, I feel it would be a legitimate defence... To my mind, that also, therefore, means you can drive it to and from the VRO for their inspection too but I've never been brave enough to try it! One day I'll try to trawl through the relevant legal documents to see if there is any "case law" to set a precedent but it will take ages so until then, I'm just hoping someone will try it and let us all know what happens!
Sorry AVOCET, but I am going to have to disagree with you. I will try and find the details out today, but you are not legally allowed to drive your car on the road unregistered for any other purpose than going to and from the SVA centre, this does not include MoT stations, VRO offices or nipping to Halfords because you need to buy something to sort the car out for SVA. You need to trailer the car to and from anywhere prior to it being registered. This has been the law not only since SVA came into practice, but also before when only an MoT was necessary.
Having been pulled by the BIB when I was returning from one SVA, I know how they are not impressed with the practice. There little BIB book said, quite specifically about the SVA test and nothing else!
The VRO inspector will happily visit your home/garage to investigate your car, so don't risk the drive to their offices.
Hi Mark,
Yes, I'd be very interested to "put this to bed" once and for all! I'll have a root round and see if I can find the relevant legislation too. I'll post again if I get anything useful. Also, I know some VRO's simply don't do home visits so you've no alternative but to take the car to them. Others use the local constabulary to check the cars on their behalf. I was lucky when I did mine a good many years ago now. the Preston VRO sent a very nice chap round and it all went well but I've heard a few horror stories too!
Yes, I'd be very interested to "put this to bed" once and for all! I'll have a root round and see if I can find the relevant legislation too. I'll post again if I get anything useful. Also, I know some VRO's simply don't do home visits so you've no alternative but to take the car to them. Others use the local constabulary to check the cars on their behalf. I was lucky when I did mine a good many years ago now. the Preston VRO sent a very nice chap round and it all went well but I've heard a few horror stories too!
Can you drive to VRO.
I have been reading up on this (old kit car mags) and they clearly state - driving to and from MOT & SVA stations fine (pre booked on chasis no.).
The car must be insured.
Driving to a VRO is illegal.
When I registered my Westfield 10 odd years ago it was acceptable to drive to VRO after the MOT, and many un-registered kit cars were parked on double yellows waiting for inspection.
I have been reading up on this (old kit car mags) and they clearly state - driving to and from MOT & SVA stations fine (pre booked on chasis no.).
The car must be insured.
Driving to a VRO is illegal.
When I registered my Westfield 10 odd years ago it was acceptable to drive to VRO after the MOT, and many un-registered kit cars were parked on double yellows waiting for inspection.
Issue of driving to VRO recently came up with me. My Ultima went through SVA OK, paperwork lodged with local VRO (Aberdeen) when they decided the Ultima chassis no (as checked at SVA) wasn't adequate and I would have to stamp a 16 digit VIN no on it. They said I would have to bring the car to the office and they would check it - apparently this is OK. Anyway, I convinced them to accept the 12 digit ultima chassis no as a VIN and they registered the thing for me. At least they were open to negotiation. And SVA tester in Aberdeen was excellent (not much use if you live in Southhampton, unless you want a long shakedown trip).
>> Edited by gdr on Thursday 14th August 21:11
>> Edited by gdr on Thursday 14th August 21:11
Hang on a minute, I thought I'd got this straight but I could have it completely wrapped round my neck.
I thought the first thign was to get the SVA done and obtain a MAC (Ministers approval certificate)
Then you can take this with the completed V55 and payment to the VRO and get a reg no. and tax disk.
Stick them on and off you go!
So if I'm right, where does an MOT come in?
Hugely confused!!!!
PS, the SVA center here in Derby are booking for Oct 10th so about 6 weeks is right here.
I thought the first thign was to get the SVA done and obtain a MAC (Ministers approval certificate)
Then you can take this with the completed V55 and payment to the VRO and get a reg no. and tax disk.
Stick them on and off you go!
So if I'm right, where does an MOT come in?
Hugely confused!!!!
PS, the SVA center here in Derby are booking for Oct 10th so about 6 weeks is right here.
bertie said:
Hang on a minute, I thought I'd got this straight but I could have it completely wrapped round my neck.
I thought the first thign was to get the SVA done and obtain a MAC (Ministers approval certificate)
Then you can take this with the completed V55 and payment to the VRO and get a reg no. and tax disk.
Stick them on and off you go!
So if I'm right, where does an MOT come in?
Hugely confused!!!!
PS, the SVA center here in Derby are booking for Oct 10th so about 6 weeks is right here.
You also need the MoT before visiting the VRO for them to grant you with a tax disk!
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