Re-body Inspections
 

Hi
Was going to ring Gary about this one but thought it might benefit others who will have to go through this;
I tried to book an appointment with my local DVLA, (Borehamwood Herts) to arrange the body change inspection. You can't get their direct number to speak to them only a number that goes to Swansea. So I called it, after 10 mins of option1 then option 4 then option 2...... finally got to speak to someone, who frankly knew nothing about it, even after I'd explained what other people i.e Gary and others had said on here, He had to go and ask a supervisor 3 times, and three times he came back with different answer. Once telling me, I need to get Mot, proof of insurance, form this and form that, first registration fee, receipts of all parts bought etc. I said no I don't I just need a free visual inspection, in the end the best he could come up with was for me to send my V5 in to the local DVLA office with a covering note, listing the change of body type and if they deemed it necessary they would write to me requesting an inspection.
Sorry this is so long (This IS the edited version) but all I want to know is (Gary) HOW DO YOU ARRANGE THE INSPECTIONS AT YOUR LOCAL DVLA! ?:frusty:

Sorry please hold......................... are yes you need another department, aaarrrgggghhh F*%&$.
It's VOSA you need, PAT

It would be good if it could be done by post... :noidea:

Hi Paul my experience was - tried phoning Swansea was given the wrong info so went to Chelmsford [minus] sammio with all paper work including receipts for parts purchased one of the senior guys made me an appointment for the test it was about a month later.
On the day of test an inspector came out hadn't seen a Sammio before was more interested in the engine number and VIN plate and didn't even look at chassis in fact I kept most of the car covered with a tarpaulin.
Two months later new V5 turned up.

I don't think I would have been able to book the test without actually showing my face. Good luck!

Paul , as is probably becoming obvious , different offices do it differently !!

It is virtually impossible to do this by phone ....

JW , we can never get anyone out to inspect , even when they have made mistakes ....you are lucky there !
Advantage of our office is that I can get an inspection withing 2-3 days , so its swings and roundabouts I suppose !

You need to get a form ...V671 , I think , and fill it in ...its the kit rebuild form but we use it as well....

I think I can submit an application in Bournemouth and request the Inspection elsewhere....if thats the case , and it always used to be , if you want me to submit it here , I can ...they will then write to you with an appointment and details etc....advantage is , BOURNEMOUTH DEAL WITH THE CLERICAL AND JUST FARM OUT THE INSPECTION ...They have done about 10-12 now and know the score....

Failing that , you can ask them to call Bournemouth VRO and speak to Keith on inspections , who can explain the procedure to them...

I am going to add a new page to my website with a pre-filled in V671 form and full instructions for the blank parts ... ie. your details , engine and chassis number , everything else will be pre-typed for people , if we can set it up to be printed out , I will - I have been thinking about this for a while and need to get it done....would be useful if it was a sticky thread on this forum as well....

I will try and get this done next week , but in the meantime if you want me to post you a pre-filled in form , email me your name , address , chassis , engine and reg numbers and colour of car , then I can do one for you....

Thanks for the replies guys

Hopefully I can get hold of a number for VOSA then! or I'll have to drive to Borehamwood to book it (which I was trying to avoid :icon_sad: )
keep up the good work everyone!

Although some inspections are done at Vosa sites ....its not a Vosa matter - you have to go through the licencing Office , SORRY

I must have been typing my reply when you were replying Gary, didn't see your response till after I'd posted
Thanks for the info, may take you up on the offer to arrange from your end, but will call to discuss, don't want to add to your busy schedule if I can help it though.
Cheers

Whilst on the subject of registration it would be good to know at what stage the build has to be taken before this hurdle can be crossed. If it could be done at early stage one could then carry out any modifications to chassis etc. that wouldn't be acceptable for registration. Is it necessary to bond the floor in? Anyone with any views or experiences on this one. I suppose as the chassis no. is not on the chassis, could it then be exchanged for a spaceframe arrangement??? Sorry just thinking rules are for interpretation just as they do in F 1.

Froggyman, I believe (looking through older posts/ pictures on here) you just need the body loosely fitted on top of the chassis and no requirement for it to be driveable, this is why I need to get mine done soon, as I want to change the rear end to the MX5 subframe setup and fit the engine from the MX5 too, which will be easier done without the body fully fitted.
:whistle:

I may be wrong........but then you'll have built a Radically Altered Vehicle with a modified chassis. It will then be required to go through the IVA test.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.g...le/DG_10014199

peterux, officially your right, but once registered as a Sammio, not very many people would be aware of what should be underneath it, if you get what we mean! My MoT man said as long as the engine, chassis and registration numbers on the log book (V5) tally up with what's on the car he's testing, that's all that matters to him.

Hopefully this link will show what I want to do with the rear end, which I think you could argue is welding on additional brackets rather than major modification of the chassis???
http://s1265.photobucket.com/albums/...ulm321/Herald/

But it will not be your MOT man that will be breaking the law....:eusa_silenced:

Agreed, but we are all going to chop of the rear outriggers when inspected, aren't we? which officially is not correct. Not trying to be argumentive just trying to interpret the rules to suit my build, worse case scenario in the future I may end up with a Q plate :icon_smile:

Hi, thanks for your reply, we seem to be both singing off the same hymn sheet! Once it is registered as a Sammio I think it difficult to argue what should and shouldn't be done. There are so many cars around for example escorts that have been four linked with coilovers instead of leaf springs that would all fall into that category. Rear wheel drive mk 3/4/5 escorts and Toyota starlets the list is endless. Good luck with your build, look forward to seeing more of it.

Mods
 

:nono: I would guess you will get away with the modifications you mention until you need an insurance claim.
Then if the vehicle is inspected it wont be an MOT chappy but an insurance assessor who may notice the differences between a rebody and a new chassis component. After all they dont want to pay out and any excuse will mean its null and void.
Its not an issue for me I bought the Sammio as I like the look and the simple home mechanic set up and I am happy to keep it fairly stock, I think that is the whole ethos behind it.

I think you will also find the bodies are fixed/ glassed prior to the inspection and not loosely fitted, I may be wrong as I am not there yet.

I did ask Gary about the necessity for the body to be fixed or not prior to inspection a couple of months ago, since I was also thinking about turning up with ours just strapped on. His reply was that they most definitely do need to be bonded in place, not just loosely fixed.

I guess it kind of makes logical sense, after all they are being inspected to check that they have actually been re-bodied.

Not quite there myself either yet.

That looks like a very neat set up - do you know how it was done? What diff & hubs were used? Ik looks like the suspension arms are recycled from the standard front suspension...

Baz

Psyco Pops has hit the nail on the head.

You can get away with anything until it all goes wrong big time. Insurance companies try and wriggle out of anything to avoid paying out. Its their standard policy. If you do not make them aware of any changes at all you are not covered.
If you have an accident and its your fault and you injure someone, then the claim may run to hundreds of thousands. When the insurance company examine your mangeled wreck (which they will, I assure you) they will be looking for any reason not to pay out. If you dont tell them you have non standard wheels, modified suspension or even tinted glass they will use it as a lever and not pay out. Trust me, been there done that.
I have a Morris which is heavily modified. For the last 16 years I have to fill in a 5 page form listing every little detail that is non-standard, from bodywork, suspension, engine, exhaust etc etc. Its a pain but I know at least I am covered properly. The premium is £180, ie double that of the standard Morris but hey ho its tax free.

So by all means get it registerd correctly, modifiy it to how you like but tell the insurance company or you will pay the price when it goes tits up on a wet B road.

Lecture over!

Hi, thanks for your input. However we were discussing registration issues not insurance. I can only speak for myself but am fully aware of the need to purchase specialist kit car insurance after giving them as much info as I can to have as bomb proof insurance as I can.

Swansea
 

Well continuing on the subject...I thought I would phone the local office...but you can`t, so phoned Swansea to get it....they don`t have one?

The option 1 lady was very polite and friendly and agreed with me on everything I said about the inspection, rebody etc...or was she just saying yes?

I mentioned the V671 and she thought that was the one, but would check...No that form is not on their forms data base...then she said oh! it might be a VOSA form!! Then the long dialogue that I understood VOSA carried out the inspection, but of course I had to go through VLA to start the process....I was starting to saw through my wrists at this point with my scale rule!

Upshot is...I have to go to the Local Office and see them....then they might be able to help. (would be nice to be able to chat first you would think)

Annoying thing is, there is a local VOSA inspection depot 8 miles from me and the VLA local office is 35miles away.

Nick, try this
 

VOSA Test Station - Gillingham
Ambley Road
Gillingham
Kent
ME8 0SJ
0300 123 9000
garyh:ranger:

Good luck with that one Gary.....Just had a 30min conversation in Swansea...it diverts you back to VOSA main office.

In summary VOSA do not want to know and refer you back to DVLA....basically they said that DVLA "May" ask for an inspection just to confirm the numbers....but quite possibly, as it is not radically!!!!!! altered, DVLA may just change the V5....So for a laugh I might send the V5 off to swansea and ask them to change the description.

His parting shot was that there were a lot of people that know a little about everything but not a lot about anything!

Changing V5
 

Now that would be funny if they signed it off...

Thinking about it...I think there is a charge of £25 to change the V5? so they are probably happy to kop the money rather than have to carry out a free inspection? and it would save bucketloads £ to have to trailer the sammio there and back to wherever!

changing V5
 

Is there a box on the V5 that lets you put an alternative name?

Healey BN1 V8 Chevrolet
 

About 15 years back, the above car was imported with suitabkle customs docs from USA. It was not UK registered. I bought it and dealt with DVLA at Guildford.
What a joke, hired a van and trailer, took it for inspection. Expected a thorough grilling from an expert, I was insistent on not having a Q plate.
A spotty bloke in his late teens arrived in an old rusty Marina, to a pre arranged site, a car park on an industrial estate in Guildford. The bloke did not have a clue.
He spent about 5 minutes looking at the car which had a none Healey Chassis plate, he issued me with the first phase of documents that I asked for, then left.
i doubt if things have changed much, good luck to you all dealing with DVLA, probably find the spotty bloke still works there, probably in charge :love:

Gary,
I am wondering if the form you were referring to is the V627/1 ? if so I assume you fill in the relevent bits like engine and vin no`s and scrawl on that the non standard added bit is the body?

V627/1
 

Form V627/1 is available for those who have carried out extensive vehicle modifications, or have built a vehicle from scratch, and wish to declare details of the work carried out. I am just going to print one out.

V627/1
 

It does ask you who inspected it.:ranger:

Utmost respect to you lot for looking into this whole admin minefield, but i have to say that from my perspective my 10hr, rain sodden day to get mine inspected down in Poole was actually really good fun and one of the key milestones of my build that i will always remember.

I realise that it's not for everybody and that i probably still owe Gary a few pints for coming with me to get soaked, but i wouldn't have missed it for the world :)

Have been to dvla today, it is form V627/1 that is required, I have to fill it out send it back and they will contact me to arrange inspection.

I agree with the comments regarding Insurance and being honest with them, but the registration and insurance are seperate, once registered as a Sammio, that's the name of the car. If you then tell the insurance company you have a modified Sammio then they would insure it as such. Exactly the same as if you had a Mondeo then modified it, if you told the insurance company of the modifications and paid the higher premium there should be no issues!

Sorry for opening up a can of worms!:icon_smile:

We're all sorted then!
 

Be honest with the insurance company and all drive down to Garys place, have a few pints and get Sammio passed by Stuart at VOSA... job done/:flame:

Is this it?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_4017568

:spy:

NICE IDEA .....But Stuart left on 21st December !

We now have Keith , nice enough chap with an interest in all things classic and has been brought up to speed with the Sammio setup ....we have done one with him so far and it was fine....

Whilst I am happy for everybody to bring them back to me , it can be done elsewhere ...and has been several times.

Just sending the V5 in with changes scrawled on it will just generate a VRO enquiry and you will get a letter asking to contact your local Office ! Back to square one about a month later !!

Sorry about getting the form number wrong ....I was guessing !

It is the same form that is used for radical rebuilds but it is treated differently if you fill it in correctly....I put a statement of events in the extra notes section....You don't know who's going to be processing it and want them fully up to speed on whats going on...

I am updating the website Sunday evening ...I will try and put a form filled in on here at the same time.

It is a very simple process if done correctly , I know travelling to the office and trailering etc is a pain but it is a very small price to pay for getting a correctly registered car.......

Ask some of our European cousins who can't own a kit car under any circumstances how much they would like our system in their countries !!!

Hmm, just actually read the form and it's as clear as mud to me now.

Do you use this form to apply for an inspection or just to declare the changes? As I think has already been pointed out, there is a box to state where the vehicle was inspected... :icon_frown:

I appreciate what Dave Cymru is saying about his grand day out to Poole, but some of us are even further afield and it would be useful to get it done locally or by post.

If you can hold off to Sunday , I will print a form out on the forum with the relevant bits filled in and the statement I put on the back etc....

The Inspection part doesn't refer to where the car was inspected but rather to where the car is to be inspected ....sometimes peoples address details aren't the place the car is being kept....

whats interesting about that is it confirms that Offices can inspect off site although my penny pinching office insists they can't !!

I promise to get a version on line Sunday for everyone

Sorry Towed ....didn't really answer your question.

The form is to notify them of your changes AND to request an inspection.

The procedure should be ;

Fill form in and submit to your local VRO , either by post or in person. They will need the latest V5c document submitted as well.

They will write back or tell you that you need an inspection...if in writing they may give you the inspection date , may not.

Take vehicle to office or be at home on the appointment day ( Office procedure varies here ....we have to transport the car , others have been told they can be visited )

subject to your chassis number being present and correct ( please check first as its easier to sort out before !! ) the application should be processed and back in about 4-6 weeks with SAMMIO SPYDER SPORTS in place of TRIUMPH HERALD/VITESSE SALOON

Engine number need not be correct but will be amended on the day ....if no engine fitted , they should put NOT STATED on the form but can't guarantee their reaction to that.

If at all possible , it really is quicker and easier to take your Application and V5c in to the office in person. You can speak to a person , and ask to speak to the inspecting officer as well.....Stuart at Bournemouth was more than happy to talk to other area inspectors about their concerns , if any , I am pretty confident that you could quote Keith at Bournemouth as a reference as well....

I am soooooo lucky that the local office that Gary uses is about 500 yards from my door! :eusa_dance:

Might even push mine down to for the inspection...