Question about modifying a road legal quad

[Wing Commander]

Hi,

If one was to seriously modify a road legal quad bike, ie put a body on it, hack about with the chassis etc, what is required in terms of DVLA intervention, if anything?

A good example would be this:

http://www.windupcar.co.uk/pages/build_brief.html

He has taken a road legal quad, 150cc, modified the chassis etc, and popped a body on the vehicle. Would he have needed to contact the DVLA for an inspection of any kind? The complication, in my eyes, is that this is a "heavy quadricyle" rather than a conventional vehicle so IVA/SVA are not relevant.

Any guidance from anyone who is more knowledgeable than me would be great

[Racing8]

Its the chassis mod that would get them interested, if you kept the chassis standard, then it would be an MOT rather than an IVA

[Wing Commander]

Racing8 said:

Its the chassis mod that would get them interested, if you kept the chassis standard, then it would be an MOT rather than an IVA

But as it is a quadricycle rather than a "normal sized vehicle", it doesn't come under IVA/SVA at all, as far as I understand it? I guess I am trying to find out if the MSVA works in the same way, ie chassis modifications need a new test?

[Russ Bost]

As soon as any significant mods to the chassis are made the vehicle will require IVA/MSVA.

If you just put a body on a quad (already road legal), & changed suspension & wheels (& even the steering providing you don't start chopping the chassis about to do so) then I don't believe you need to do anything other than notify the DVLA if you're calling it something other than it's original name or if it has changed from "open sports" or whatever is on the V5 for a quad to something else (eg coupe) - insurers would probably require an engineers report &/or MoT

[Wing Commander]

OK, thanks

So at what point would I need to stop saying that it is a "modified quad" and get an inspection, assuming the chassis was untouched but other things were adjusted, and a body placed on?

[Russ Bost]

Providing you've made no significant changes to the chassis - & I think by significant they mean cutting/welding, if you've simply bolted a few brackets on I believe that would be ok - then I think your only issues are with informing DVLA of the changes on the V5 & informing the insurance of what's been done. I would emphasise that the whole thing is a bit of a grey area, but to give a good example when Top Gear did that horrendous electric car they used a TVR chassis & hence avoided IVA, because they were using an unmodified chassis from a vehicle presumably with an existing registration IVA not required!!! (Tho' I think in that example it certainly needed some sort of inspection!!!)
All IMHO of course!

[Racing8]

As Russ says...its the modifying of the chassis where you would come in to IVA territory

[Red16]

Sorry I can't help much with the questions but that little quad/van thing is class!

[Furyblade_Lee]

The main issue is whatever you manage to get past the IVA or DVLA, that pales into insignificance if you insurance is voided. You have to be 100% sure, not 99% sure, your insurers know exactly what they are insuring. I would absolutely have sent letters, photographs and reports to them so that is clear what I have done to the vehicle. If you are in an expensive smack and your insurers have a loophole to get out of, they will, and you with be up the creek without a paddle.