DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

As you'll be aware, there's a lot going on right now regarding IVA and BIVA, registering kit vehicles etc. The latest missive from the DofT discusses the matter of emissions. Most people think this won't affect them, as it appears to apply solely to new vehicles. Think again. As far as the proposals are concerned, any kit registered after July this year will be required to meet the current emissions standards as applied to all new vehicles. In the past, the emissions requirements have been applied according to the age of the engine used, hence a VW flat-four had no problem. That all changes. Read this post and act now by completing the on-line consultation paper. As they say, this is not a drill.

The Department for Transport’s recently published consultation, entitled ‘Road Vehicles: improving air quality and safety’, contains some worrying proposals for those building a car with a view to it passing IVA / BIVA testing.
In essence, the document suggests that all vehicles going through IVA from July this year should conform to new car emissions regulations. If this becomes law, the current IVA standard, which uses the age of the engine to determine emissions levels, will be a thing of the past. The reality is that no hot rod, reconstructed classic or kit car could ever be constructed by an amateur builder to conform to this.

You can read the full consultation here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultat ... and-safety
The consultation closes for responses at 11.45pm on Friday 2 March and we strongly urge everyone reading this to respond.

The NSRA’s recommended response to the consultation can be found at
http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/showthr ... nsultation

Draft letters designed to be sent to your local MP in support of your consultation response can be found on the NSRA forum at http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/showthread.php… and also on the BIVA Draft Letters Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/148944219148084/

If you don’t have contact details for your local MP they can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

Everyone involved in hot rodding , car modifying and kit cars should firstly respond to the consultation and then write to their local MP. This must be done now though as the consultation closes on 2 March.

PLEASE ACT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

Thanks for the reminder Keith. I've used one of the template letters and emailed my local MP. I also printed it out and it'll go in the post to him tomorrow morning. All together it took me less that five minutes.

It’s not very clear on which type of kit cars will be affected. Ie those that use a donor and those that don’t.

mdmax72 wrote:It’s not very clear on which type of kit cars will be affected. Ie those that use a donor and those that don’t.

I think its anything that requires an IVA. Kits, radically altered, hot rods what ever goes through IVA. Its a poorly worded document.

What l can’t get my head around is.

If your going through IVA with a mongral Kit Car and your not using enough parts from the donor to retain the age related plate then you’ll be getting a Q plate. This alone l can understand the new emission rules being proposed for a mongral kit car to be enforced.

Now if your building a Kit Car (Speedster for example) using the points system, chassis, front axle, back axle, steering, engine, gearbox etc etc then you’ll qualify for an age related plate because your still using so much from the donor. If they except your car is age related, let’s use 1970 for an example then how can they expect you to comply to the new proposed emissions. If this is the case then what’s the point of having an age related title.

If they do do this, then next they’ll be proposing you have your 1970 age related Kit comply with modern braking systems and crash test systems in place...

Like you say, it’s very vague.

That's why you need to complete the consultation and let your feelings be known. Many people on the rod scene are writing multiple letters to MPs to express their opinion. Unless there is proof of how unfair/unbalanced the proposals are, the DfT will take the easiest course of action from its point of view, which could be at the expense of the kit car fraternity.

Brakes and crash testing has nothing to do with emissions.

A Speedster kit car fails the 8-point rule as the chassis is shortened.

My MP's office wrote back to me asking me to confirm my home address and said he would raise it with the relevant minister

Mine emailed back to me saying if I didn't hear anything by the end of the week it probably won't get looked at because of the large volume of emails they receive..

mdmax72 wrote:Now if your building a Kit Car (Speedster for example) using the points system, chassis, front axle, back axle, steering, engine, gearbox etc etc then you’ll qualify for an age related plate because your still using so much from the donor.

This is an odd anomaly that makes chassis cut 'radically modified' cars doing IVA have a Q plate, but chassis altered 'kit converted' cars get a 'new' age related reg if enough of the donor is present

7. Kit-converted vehicles
Get an age-related registration number
You can apply for an age-related number if you can prove you’ve used 2 original major parts along with:
-a new monocoque bodyshell, chassis or frame from a specialist kit manufacturer
-an altered chassis, monocoque bodyshell or frame from the original vehicle
The registration number will be based on the age of the original vehicle.

It makes no sense at all, but I am not complaining if it means I can run black/silver plates. I know Kev Rooney (who is the acknowledged expert on this field) believes its a typo/error in the DVLA documentation

KS wrote:which could be at the expense of the kit car fraternity. .

Thats so right, there does not seem to be enough concern about this on kit forums/facebook. There was a short post on the 356 replica facebook page which didn't get much reaction. Of course it does effect everything that goes for IVA so at least the hot rod guys are making some noise, but the chapter in the doc was oddly titled as 'Kit Cars', which was perhaps a good way to keep it under the radar. It is a worry as the 40yr MOT exemption consultation had the much bigger classic car scene as well as modified car scene behind it. This consultation really needs responses from this scene.

Email sent to MP, DfT, shadow transport and questionnaire filled in. Fingers crossed now as I am part way through a build so will be totally stuffed if it comes in this July.

Sent it anyway.

If it does come into force, those that are building will have 12 months extra to get there cars past under the old rules.

Richard, your right. Not enough of a concern in the Speedster forums. That because alot don’t bother going the IVA route.

mdmax72 wrote:Sent it anyway.

If it does come into force, those that are building will have 12 months extra to get there cars past under the old rules.

Richard, your right. Not enough of a concern in the Speedster forums. That because alot don’t bother going the IVA route.

12 months? Where did you see that. I thought it came into effect this July, which would be a BIG ask for me to get finished by!

If you get the car into the IVA system before the new regs come into force, it seems you will be given a period of grace. Don't take that as gospel – you'll need to do your research.

Do not give up on your MP.
They are there for You remember.
Chased mine and got a really good result getting to email key people at the DVLA and DfT on this subject.
I found each takes around 3 weeks to respond, but nobody ignored or fobbed me off.
You need to get to these departments to get the facts, and KS on here reports faithfully the facts too.
Sign that petition!
Look at question 14 and a few others. Questions that need YOUR opinions are laced amongst the other questions.
It is your opportunity to have your say, do not ignore it and moan later!

911hillclimber wrote:Do not give up on your MP.
They are there for You remember.
Chased mine and got a really good result getting to email key people at the DVLA and DfT on this subject.
I found each takes around 3 weeks to respond, but nobody ignored or fobbed me off.
You need to get to these departments to get the facts, and KS on here reports faithfully the facts too.
Sign that petition!
Look at question 14 and a few others. Questions that need YOUR opinions are laced amongst the other questions.
It is your opportunity to have your say, do not ignore it and moan later!

Wise words