Riley / Wolseley Coupé ?

[UHR850]

Some one on this forum doing this ?

Kees

[GraemeC]

It is Paul Wiginton's creation.

And a very impressive one at that!

https://www.paulwigintonclassicvehicles.com/

[66Traveller]

That is cool! Really works with the fins.

[Clubman gt]

I think it needed a roof chop but work is excellent

[Pandora]

I agree - amazing workmanship, but to my eyes it would have really benefitted from an upper body 'sprint' chop at the same time, something he's clearly more than capable of doing.

I also like the standard front on an Elf body.

All in all, a cool thing.

[mk1]

How do people go about registering cars like this?

According to SVA regs it should end up on a "Q" as the monocoque has been substantially modified.

This was exactly why I sold my Sprint when I did.

[Mark1Peachey]

Would a flip front/ removable front mini also have to be on a Q plate now then? Think I may need to read up on this?

[Catmint]

How do people go about registering cars like this?

According to SVA regs it should end up on a "Q" as the monocoque has been substantially modified.

This was exactly why I sold my Sprint when I did.

If it has already been built as an origional car, registered and MOT'd, does SVA still apply as I thought it was for new builds (kit cars). If so then the only thing it may fall foul of is the MOT excemption. Or just say it was done in the 60's when you could do this

[mk1]

As I understand it, there is an excemption for cars that were modified years ago, but any car that has been modified within the last 30 years is potentially at risk. It is also a requirement that vehicles that have been substantially modified still have to undergo an annual MOT.

I am no great expert, but did read a LOT of articles when the law changed.

I'll try & find some links.

[mk1]

Short article on registering "substantially modified vehicles":

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration ... t-vehicles

Link Regarding MOT exception of "Substantially Modified Vehicles"

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... idance.pdf

Full guide here:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/print

Vehicle Registration Overview:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration ... t-vehicles

Reading the above seems pretty clear to me, I think the way most Sprints get around this is that no one notices that they are modified, I do however suspect that if "someone in authority" did notice, you'd be in for a whole world of pain. Running a Broadspeed GT type conversion on a std Mini logbook strikes me as highly iffy.

Seems the best way to proceed would be to ensure you have a plausible paper trail demonstrating that the car has been "substantially modified" for at least 30 years

[GraemeC]

Seems the best way to proceed would be to ensure you have a plausible paper trail demonstrating that the car has been "substantially modified" for at least 30 years

And not a load of date stamped photos on the internet showing the work in progress!


I suspect there is significant ignorance on the subject, both by owners and a lot of the enforcing authorities - which means many will 'get away with it'. Chances are that a car will only come under scrutiny if something goes wrong and there is a spotlight turned on it - the rest of the time if it looks 'right' it will not have reason to be questioned.

Like you say though, the few that do get looked at could open a can of worms for the owner. If that person is the one who converted the car then so be it, however if that person is someone who bought the car in faith (and ignorance) then it could get interesting.

[roymck]

As I understand it, there is an excemption for cars that were modified years ago, but any car that has been modified within the last 30 years is potentially at risk. It is also a requirement that vehicles that have been substantially modified still have to undergo an annual MOT.

I am no great expert, but did read a LOT of articles when the law changed.

I'll try & find some links.

Yes if modified over 30 years ago are exempt but such a grey area . This is the trouble with DVLA getting involved in something they dont really understand they should stick to collecting road tax and selling off our details to dodgy companies. We will never see the like of independent companies like Crayford again and companies building Minisprints . Are these vehicles that dangerous that we should never replicate them again. Cutting the bulkhead for a 45 Weber airbox means you fall foul of the rules and could be in line for a Q plate , repair that hole with factory parts and could you get the Q plate off ? NO .
I remember a company called Aston Martin Workshop part of Aston Martin chopped a few inches out of a DB4 to rebody into a DB4 Gt fell foul and who would want a DB4 Gt on a Q plate . I think they got round that by exporting the car.
Seems to me the only coachbuilding that’s ok is converting Hearses and funeral limos and disabled vehicles with lowered floors etc.
Just wonder how people get on with World Rally Cars .

[mk1coopers]

It is sad that there is no system in place to allow people (in the UK) with the right skills to obtain some sort of certification to allow them to modify cars in such a way that they retain their original identities (legally) as others have said you need to have documented proof that the body modifications on a monocoque car were done in the period that they were allowed (within the DVLA's 'new' rules) as the chassis number (or VIN) is attached to the body, so you have the potential that if noticed the registration and V5 could be pulled and you would have to further modify it to get it through the relevant test to get it back on the road with a Q plate (if that was even possible with what you are starting with).

However if you have a car with a separate chassis you can fit another body (that also complies with the regulations it needs to) as long as you don't modify the chassis as the identity of the car goes with that not the body on top.

This subject was also raised on another thread mentioning the David Brown 'remastered' Mini's, I don't know how many of them have stayed in the UK, as by removing the body seams (which is the obvious one, who knows what else they are cutting to fit all the kit in them) whilst retaining the original registration details they could fall foul of the regulations.

I guess you pay your money and take a chance, if I was modifying cars on a business basis I think I would have a well written out disclaimer that was required to be signed by the customer devised by someone far cleverer than me to make sure that this sort of thing couldn't come back on me if someone ended up with a car that couldn't be used on the road

[Pandora]

it is a big gamble, certainly.

Put simply, the DVLA systems are designed for the mass market, not specialist vehicles, so don't have the wriggle room in them that we'd like, 'cause wrong 'uns would use it to build ringers (which quite rightly the powers that be are more worried about)

It does mean that there is a risk of someone building something very nice falling foul of the rules. it would certainly make me edgy spending large sums on such a car - one call from a miffed individual for whatever reason and a whole heap of grief lands on you.

I still have a hankering for a special one day, but I would only build it on a car with a separate chassis where the old rule of eight still applies (or at least it did when last I checked), so a Caterham or Triumph with a full body swap, but keeping the frame, axles, engine and box etc

sadly, the government agencies don't see the negative impact of the current rules, and if pointed out say that's what SVA is for.

Al

[mk1]

Personally I don't think it is a coincidence that these regulations were brought in a year of so after such television programs as "Chop Shop" appeared on our screen.

Those cowboys defined everything that was bad about the custom car business. Building death traps with little or no concern about either engineering common sense or the regulations that existed at the time. It was truly shocking what they showed on those programs.

[Pandora]

You think they were bad, you should try watching Grand Designs when you were an HSE construction Inspector!

Al

[mk1]

[Catmint]

Thanks for the info Mark - can't say I had looked into it much, only that I will still need to MOT the rally car. Still some what ambiguous in discription though, and it will only be tested by time me thinks.