hi all, now where do i start think maybe a few legal issues first. sva/iva question, never owned a kitcar before but i am looking around for one been scanning tinternet for kitcar sights and came across an amercan sight where members are building roadster style cars using fwd donors to build mid engined roadsters, hey this is a cool idea i thought as the list of donors is endles unlike rwd. so my question is if i brought an sva,d haines style roadster could i change the design of the chassie without re-sva ing the car and who would know . does dvla keep detailed records of home build cars? my second question is if i buy an older build car (funds being tight and all that) does the iva test cause any problems here, ie is there anything i should be aware off before i buy something that is going to be a real headache. any sugestions would be great

My suggestion would be to understand properly how the IVA system works. You dont need to IVA a car that has already been registered and tested, only MOT.
Also, by changing the fundamental design of a chassis without IVA retest is frowned upon as not only will it no longer resemble what is on the V5C (which will make it near impossible to sell for a decent price) but also isnt encouraged as its not within the regulations designed to promote safe kit cars. By modifying the original chassis in such a drastic way without re-test, isnt good publicity for the kit car fraternity IMO.

You have four ways of getting into kit cars;

1. Approach one of the kit car manufacturers and buy a kit in various forms from them
   
2. Buy a ready built, ready tested kit and play with that by changing the engine etc
   
3. Build from scratch, making your own chassis as well
   
4. Buy a part build and finish it off to your own standard
   

Plenty people here building middies, have a browse through the Mid-engined section
of the forum.

SVA is no more having been replaced by the stricter IVA and we have a forum for that too !

When you say "buy an older build car" are you meaning an unfinished project or an on-the-road
car ? If the latter then IVA wouldn't be an issue.

yes buy a completed car, wasnt sure if older kits need to go through some kind of iva test, read somewhere of a chap who still had the original id from the donor car on his logbook, he had been using this car for years but now has to have the logbook changed which also means an iva test. didnt want to walk into something like this. didnt want to rebody an existing production car as this defeats my objective, dont want all the crappy bits, just seat wheels ass if you see what i mean no mod cons. are there parts availible to use a fwd engine on rwd? the reason i ask is i have owned my honda for many years and it never ceases to amaze me how reliable it is. as its now getting old (20) and starting to show its age on the bodywork, was thinking could i use this car as a donor? this is all new to me, i like the idea of a simpler car that i am familliar with every nut and bolt

quote:

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Originally posted by MakeEverything
My suggestion would be to understand properly how the IVA system works. You dont need to IVA a car that has already been registered and tested, only MOT.
Also, by changing the fundamental design of a chassis without IVA retest is frowned upon as not only will it no longer resemble what is on the V5C (which will make it near impossible to sell for a decent price) but also isnt encouraged as its not within the regulations designed to promote safe kit cars. By modifying the original chassis in such a drastic way without re-test, isnt good publicity for the kit car fraternity IMO.

You have four ways of getting into kit cars;

1. Approach one of the kit car manufacturers and buy a kit in various forms from them
   
2. Buy a ready built, ready tested kit and play with that by changing the engine etc
   
3. Build from scratch, making your own chassis as well
   
4. Buy a part build and finish it off to your own standard
   

Failing that, a cheaper option is to go for a shell change on an existing car, such as This, or one of the supercar replicas youll see at Stoneleigh this weekend.

[Edited on 29-4-11 by MakeEverything]

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quote:

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Originally posted by littlefeller
think maybe you missunderstood my direction, i was trying to figure out how kitcar law operates, say for instance i brought an older car ( say early 70s) is it ok to rebuild the chassie to carry a more modern engine, im assuming the chassie has a number like a vin plate, can this simply be transfered over or does it need to be examined, inspected. its all abit confusing as the way it appears to me is abit like triggers broom (how many parts stay original on any car).

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when you say modification, how would i stand with say engine mounts which are part of the chassis

[Edited on 29/4/11 by littlefeller]

Modding engine mounts would not be a problem.

would prob be easyer if i ask what cant i change without a retest