EV conversions and DVLA

[911hillclimber]

I find this level of 'authority' irritating by the DVLA that's all, stifles a level of freedom that seems to be rapidly disappearing.

I'd love to see their technical arguments on these actions.

[Sam]

I'd love to see their technical arguments on these actions.

They started clamping down on major changes a while ago. The only new thing here is that people are now putting electric motors in and telling the DVLA.

This horrific tale was a catalyst I think: https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/18/ukcrime

[911hillclimber]

Desperate situation, and it had a MoT!
Excluding classics from a MoT is another subject..sorry.

[Winston Teague]

In reality, messing with cars the way we do will ultimately go into decline – younger generations are simply not so interested.

I genuinely believe that you are very wrong about this.....thankfully. W

[KS]

I genuinely believe that you are very wrong about this.....thankfully. W

I think you’re lucky with your son but go to most car shows (custom or classic) and the majority of attendees are old gits like us. I hope I’m wrong but as it becomes more difficult to modify cars I think interest will gradually fade. I can’t think that many teenagers today will spend their weekends decoking the cylinder head of their Fiestas or Corsas, the way we learned how to mess with cars.

[Winston Teague]

Indeed, the majority of shows are, and always were as you describe. Fiestas and Corsas don't need decoking. Many clubs have a growing yoof movement, but the successful ones nurture it, adding and modifying their activities to attract youngsters. Sadly, many clubs do none of this, when some youngsters come along, they are not made welcome, criticised if they are boisterous, many old gits like it full of old gits, and old gits don't like change. We were all young once, and those old gits that remember how they were when they were 20 need to empathise with yoof, make their events fun, and accessible and affordable. The young will come. They are out there, not in Porsche world perhaps, but they're starting to find shonky MGBs, they have already found MX5s, 2CVs and Land Rovers....As a journalist, KS you have the power to help, the VW scene is not a scene I know, but it surely Beetles are good candidates, so stop being gloomy and write about every youngster you can find, it is your job to spread the word, because you can. Wxx

[KS]

I’ve been doing my best to spread the word but at 68 I’ve had my fill due to magazine politics.

I hope you’re right about ‘yoof’ as I’d hate to think we’re the end of the line. I know MSUK is doing quite a bit to tempt newcomers, but everything is so damned expensive these days (or seems that way to this old git…). I can only go by what I see in my little world, and in neither the Porsche or air cooled VW scenes are there many teens becoming involved - is it because the cars are no longer considered cool or, more likely, because they’re too expensive?

Fingers crossed for a new generation of enthusiasts to carry the flag into the future…

[Sam]

Get yourself along to a modern supercar show KS, full of kids and 20-somethings.

We just like old giffer cars.

[hot66]

Yes, go to the retro rides events etc , loads of young car enthusiasts messing with cars we would class as old run abouts, but now are cool in their eyes ( see Nissan Micras, Volvos etc ) . Up here around Teesside there is a pretty big retro car club / meets

Both my daughters love cars, maybe not working on them, but definitely the driving and the design / style kind of things

Vw air cooled scene … even back when I was involved it had become cliquey and started to become expensive.

[KS]

I’ll have to find a local event where the teens and twenties go (without that sounding too creepy! ).

[DustyM]

As Sam and James say, you’re just at the wrong shows Keith. Take Caffine and Machine for example always a crowd right across the age range, the same is true of most cars and coffee meets. However the NEC this weekend was definitely an older group. Perhaps the youngsters prefer the type of meet that you drive your car to grab some food and go for another drive, rather than the park in a field for a day show.

My eldest (20) spent the day at the Alpine F1 factory today, and two or three out of his group of friends are also petrolheads, which is about the same ratio as my group of friends when I was young.


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[KS]

OK, OK, I was wrong in my assumptions, I am pleased (happy) to admit.

Now back to DVLA - just heard about an American Ford pick-up that was heavily modified as a road-legal race car. It had been imported a while ago and (successfully) registered and issued a V5c logbook. Recently the owner moved house and applied to the DVLA to register a change of address. It was at that point that he was informed they were revoking the V5c and that he would be issued with a new 'Q' registration on completion of an IVA test... Presumably somebody spotted that 1950s Ford trucks didn't come with 7-litre engines and decided to look a little closer.

DVLA - or certain departments thereof, and certainly certain staff – aren't as dumb and faceless as many think. I was surprised when some while ago I made discreet enquiries via a back door (now sadly closed) on the subject of welding ST or RSR flares to a 911 monocoque, because it was becoming clear that some Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts were falling foul of 'works arch' conversions. The DVLA contact went away and then came back saying there was no problem with 911s and went on to describe in detail the way a 911 is built compared to an Escort. I was surprised he knew so much about 'our' cars.

The bottom line is that DVLA doesn't take kindly to people taking the p*ss and the fact that so many well-publicised EV conversions are still showing up on DVLA's computer as being powered by the original engine is doing nobody any good, serving only to put the modified car scene in general under closer scrutiny.

[gridgway]

Perhaps I've missed a bit, but I assume that the DVLA and those that make the rules they enforce, essentially don't want a load of cack handed electric conversions target than actually being concerned over a hole being drilled?

[KS]

Basically, yes - but they are also uneasy about people trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

[Bootsy]

uneasy about people trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

Where as you are always compliant.