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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > Sammio Builds and discussions

Sammio Builds and discussions Sammio bodied car builds and specials

 
 
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Old 24th September 2017, 11:57
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Paul L Paul L is offline
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Default Vehicles of Historical Interest (VHI)

Way back in September 2016, I started this thread:
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...ead.php?t=6101

Which attracted nothing but this stuff blowing through it.



However, the Department of Transport have recently issued the results of this consultation.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consul...toric-interest

The long post below is my attempt to clarify the rules as I currently understand them.

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Note:
I’ve started this separate thread after seeing Gary making a reference to the proposal elsewhere.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lancelot link View Post
Part of the wording of the proposal to introduce rolling 40 year MOT exemption states that it doesn't apply to cars that have been modified to no longer resemble the original and also a power to weight increase of 15% or more ...the lighter and alternative body means S*mmio's and the like will not gain MOT exemption ..which really is not an issue for me ..who doesnt want their car checked annually for £40 ?

We still fall into the 8 point system , so no issues with that. Cars will still be re-registered as they are now and not subject to an IVA.

The guys who may have more of an issue are my Hot Rod buddies with modified running gear / chassis changes etc... It's been a growing issue for years and every few years or so , DVLA squeeze the hobby .... its an overlooked situation more often than not , but with owners having to tick a modified or not box when re-taxing and MOT stations potentially being prosecuted or penalized if they choose to ignore it ...things could be changing for any unaccepted modified cars built after 1988 .....If anyone is caught out not declaring their cars and claiming MOT exemption , they will be sent to an IVA test ...if you declare it as modified , you can bet your bottom dollar , you will be asked to explain mods ...as I said before , S*mmio-esque builds will be deemed as acceptable and not given MOT exemption , but not put forward for IVA either ...but if you fall into certain categories , I suspect SCS or a similar body will be inspecting the vehicle and some of those will be put forward for IVA...

It's one way of filtering out the awful Rat style rubbish thats been nailed together in recent years , but at the expense of some very well built cars ...

The stupid thing about this ruling is ..if you have , for example , a split screen Minor , you put a later Minor engine in it or a twin carbed MG engine or something ...that mod alone will lose your right to MOT exemption ...if you improve the brakes , suspension and steering to make the car handle better using later BMC parts ...you could be heading for IVA in your very stock looking and upgraded old Minor ....now that's not fair ...
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Tax Exemption vs. MOT Exemption
The new definition of VHI has come about to allow the harmonisation of tax and MOT exemption rules.
Currently, all Pre 1960 cars are MOT exempt and cars become ‘Road Tax’ exempt on a rolling 40 year basis.
However, in order to set up a rolling 40 year exemption for both tax and MOT a new (EU) rule was needed.
This was to ensure that vehicles that had been “substantially changed” would still require an MOT.
Therefore, from 2018, owners of cars over 40 years old will have two choices:
- Declare their car meets the VHI standard and claim their free road tax without an MOT required.
- Declare their car does not meet the VHI standard and provide an MOT in order to claim their free road tax.
This means that Pre 1960 cars which were previously MOT exempt will now need one if they are not VHI.
Note: There is a ‘Get out of jail free’ card for modifications completed before 1988.

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Rebody
I’ve read the rules several times and do not believe that changing the body shell has any influence over VHI status and I think the following quotes from the DfT back this up.

In the interests of clarity we have used in this document and in the proposed legislation the phrase “vehicles of historical interest” rather than the more commonly used term “classic car”.

It is a requirement of EU Directive 2014/45 that vehicles which have been substantially changed “in the technical characteristics of their main components” should not be exempt from roadworthiness testing.

To be considered as a VHI the vehicle must have been first registered over 40 years ago and the following components need to be of a design of which would have been fitted to that vehicle at the time of its manufacture.
- the original unmodified chassis or body shell (including any sub frames) or,
- a new chassis or monocoque bodyshell (including any subframes) of the same specification as the original
- suspension (front and back)
- steering assembly
- all axles
- transmission
- engine


So whilst logically a Classic Car may be defined by what it looks like, a VHI isn’t and clearly the body shell is not listed as a main component, Therefore, I believe that changing it should not exclude a car from the new VHI class for MOT exemption and, as far as I understand it, my Swordfish will be eligible for VHI status when it finally reaches 40 years old.

Obviously, what is good news for me also covers similar builds in the Sammio, Miglia, A352 & Formosa ranges.

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15% power to weight increase
Even if you have all the VHI components listed above, there are two other tests your car must pass.

Criterion 1 - If a vehicle has a power to weight ratio of more than 15% in excess of its original design, unless such a modification took place before 1988.

I’ve already raised an objected to this with the DfT on the grounds that regardless of what % is used, car owners would need access to a weight bridge (or similar), plus a rolling road to calculate their current power to weight ratio in order to declare whether their car was under or over this figure.

Note: The onus is being placed on owners to declare the answer and “I don’t know” isn’t an option.

In my case, my engine is pretty much standard apart from a pair of ‘pancake’ air filters, electronic ignition and twin pipe exhausts. Plus my ’Frankenstein Hillbilly’ approach to the build which used large chucks of a cut down Spitfire body shell and was generally so over engineered that it doesn’t actually weigh that much less than a standard Spitfire 1500.

So I don’t think my Swordfish breaks this ‘Criterion 1’ test and therefore it still counts as a VHI.

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Criterion 2
This covers any car with a Q plate and any kit cars/reconstructed classic cars on an age related plate, all of which will require an MOT to claim their free road tax.

The first point to note is whilst many people would consider the Sammio, Miglia, A352 & Formosa ranges to be kit cars, they do not fall under DVLA definition of a kit car.

Instead, they are covered by the DVLA section for ‘Radically Altered Vehicles’, where there is a points system in place to allow a car to retain the rights to the original donor car’s registration number. Basically if you score 8 points or more you are fine, but 8 point or less then you are ‘Radically Altered’ and therefore you need to pass BIVA and collect a Q plate which will mean failing ‘Criterion 2’.

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VHI vs. 8 Point Rule
Nominally, the DVLA 8 point rule is about vehicle identity and the new VHI is about safety for MOT exemptions. Therefore, there appears to be a subtle difference in the wording between the two list of components. E.g. If you change the original engine, you lose 1 DVLA point from the identity linked to the original registration number. However, the VHI component list just talks about an engine ”of a design of which would have been fitted to that vehicle at the time of its manufacture.” This means that the VHI rules are more flexible and would certainly allow a ‘like for like’ engine swap, as this is unlikely to break the ‘Criterion 1’ rule. Whether the VHI rules would also allow you to swap other components with period correct’ replacements remains to be seen.

I’ve asked for clarification from the DfT that my Moto-Lita steering wheel would meet their VHI definition. As, apart from my steering wheel (on the VHI list as part of ‘steering assembly’), my car is a standard Spitfire underneath, so my Swordfish should be 100% VHI compliant.

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End of Part 1…
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