fellow builders.
Last week After my successful SVA pass I attended my DVLA office to register my car. i was informed I would need a build up inspection even though I had a 4 inch folder containing every and I mean every purchase made including a 25p clip receipt from halfords. I also had 70 photos of my build at various stages from unloading the chassis to the made up reg plate attached to the back for the drive to sva saying "on way to sva". Like many of you this is a grey area so during the last week (dvla kept all my bills /photos) I rang 7 of the dvla offices and asked Do you or do you not need an inspection.....4 said yes 2 said no 1 said erm I,ll get back to you.
SO today I visited the norwich office with my letter telling me to drive (for the 3rd time) to the sva centre for inspection.
I refused as this would cost ANOTHER fee of £21.00 to transfer insurance plus another days holiday plus the chance of being soaked in the process.
the lady (sally) understood my (our) frustration about this grey area but confirmed BY LAW YOU MUST HAVE A BUILD UP INSPECTION and any dvla office that does not insist they are breaking aforementioned law.
The inspector will now visit me at home and woe-be-tide if he does not climb under my car and check every part to determine the doner is as I have detailed.
You can have a build up inspection prior to sva.
Andy p
(another 3 months b4 i can drive her!!!)

[Edited on 29/9/06 by pointy]

Had to take mine to Peterborough for inspection . Took off bonnet so that engine number and chassis number could be checked. All over in less than ten minutes. Why can't this be checked at the same time as SVA?

Prepare to loose your rag! I got mine and had said that everything cam from a cortina donor....except mines the CAT and is advertised as being based on only ONE donor - a sierra....muppet that had a look obviously had no idea about cars. Just checked anything that had a serial number was as you said. Also checked my steering column had Ford stamped on it somewhere and that was it.....Ridiculous....luckily mine was done at the same time as SVA so not too bad....SVA man thought it was quite hilarious though kept his mouth shut, thankfully!.....Oli.

My build inspection was prior to SVA but i can sympathise with the frustration as i had to retrieve the paperwork to take with me for SVA and then resubmit with the SVA certificate to be given a number.

I also had an inspection from the DVLA during the SVA test.

Not sure what the normal format is and nobody seems to know at the DVLA or VOSA...

East Yorks area just use the local police for the inspection. Took all of 5 mins 2 weeks before the SVA, brewed up for them, had a chat about the world and he said my engine was not from a stolen bike so off they trot!

Couldn't have been easier.

Steve

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Not appy

Build up inspection, what's that ?

Didn't take the car but, 40 minutes tops at Cardiff, from taking the ticket out of the machine, to walking out with a reg. no.

Just remember not to convey your feeling of angst, you do still need silly DVLA man to tick his boxes and sign on the dotted line....better to cause a stir once your legal and on the road than before...they COULD make life very hard for you indeed! Good luck and remember to say anything under your breath and through gritted teeth! Oli.

It's different in every part of the country - i just had to read over my chassis number to the girl hiding under her umbrella - she didn't know a steering column from a brake pedal

Notts DVLA "seem" very helpful, asked them some time ago about pre SVA built up inspection, they said don't bother, book an inspection at their place when I get my SVA test date, they are just down the road and can fit me in on the way home.

Also Ok'd my home made VIN so I can get it applied pre-sva.

Mine was after SVA & I had to wait virtually a complete month to get my reg, at the inspection which was at my home they insisted on taking all the paperwork away - promising I'd get it back, when I finally got it back it was missing 2 copies of V5's from the bikes I'd taken the engines from, I'd made the copies so I could always refer to both engine & chassis no. of the original when ordering parts etc What did they think I was going to do with 2 copied V5's for Gods sake - nick a bike & sell it on a copied logbook!!!

Mine wasn't inspected, DVLA bloke said if it's passed SVA, then everything must be fine!

Nice bloke, from Sheffield.
Had to wait 2 hours to see him (take a ticket thingy) to find out I should have gone to the other window!

Oh well