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Gary met me there and Stewart from the DVLA local office did the inspection.
The whole inspection took less than 10 minutes, so very different to my last kitcar which had an SVA test, and only passed on the third attempt! (Not my fault!)
"To keep the original registration number your vehicle must have eight or more points. This must include the original or new and unmodified chassis, monocoque bodyshell or frame."
To me it looks like a matter of interpretation regarding mods to the chassis prior to the inspection: The way it reads to me is that a new chassis needs to be an unmodified one, barring a switch to a tube or spaceframe chassis, for example, whereas the original chassis is just that, whether it's been drilled, welded, lightented, etc or not.
Any DVLA inspectors out there with a view on this one?
Very useful link: best to leave the back of the chassis sticking out the back of the shell as 'bumper mounts' until the inspection's completed and signed off then. Doesn't appear to be any rule about changing your mind and chopping them off afterwards, though...
BTW, sorry for the delay in replying, been aborad for a couple of weeks and banned from the computer by she who must be obeyed.
This section off the ACE website is probably most pertinent to Sammio builoders looking at the rear of the chassis and lowered floor plans. Quoted from DVLA:
It is NOT allowable to shorten the main chassis construction in any way ,even past suspension mounting areas ,for example, ‘Bobtailing’ of Land Rovers.
Both of these modifications would lead to the loss of the chassis ‘Identity’ and, therefore, it’s 5 points.
Primarily, the replacement body should be modified to fit the chassis structure rather than the other way round.
If additional floor supports are required, for example, these should form part of the body and bolt to bodymounts, of the type mentioned above, on the chassis.
Many thanks to both Gary, Mike & Dave for giving up their time for me on Thursday when our inspection took place in Poole. A completely painless experience, I would thoroughly recommend to any other Sammio builder within reasonable travelling time. Looking forward to the new document coming through soon. Great to see what whats cooking in the workshops & thanks for all the valuable build tips.
While I am chuffed for you, I do think that having your inspection in the dry does seem like "cheating" somehow... not that I'm jealous in any way you understand!
Look good matey. So it'll be all done by Exeter then! ;-)
Having had a successful inspection at VOSA in Poole on 20th September, I have waited patiently for five weeks for the DVLA to send through the new V5c document.
When nothing had turned up this week I finally got on the phone to DVLA Swansea to find they had not received any documentation.
Five phone-calls and half a day later (no surprise there I guess...), I discovered that said documentation from the inspection was still sitting in Bournemouth DVLA office's in their IN TRAY for vehicles AWAITING inspection. Nobody knew why, or even questioned it.
I have today received back by post my original Sammio body-kit receipts from Bournemouth DVLA, with a note advising that I will now have to wait a further 4 - 6 weeks for Swansea to issue the new V5c.
As it happens, none of this delay really matters to me at the moment - but it could be a showstopper to others.
The moral of the tale is: Don't rely on DVLA getting things done. Chase them up early and keep chasing or you might just wait for ever!
Do you have to submit the body-kit receipt with the paperwork? If so, I might have to get a replacement from Gary.
I didn't need to at Peterborough. I meant to mention that I'd lost it but plain forgot on the day and it was never raised as an issue. Then again, mine was the fifth or sixth one the chap had done.
I was beginning to fret about my V5 not showing up when my wife said 'oh, by the way, this came for you ages ago'...
I agree Paul. After waiting a good 3 months after my Spyder's Bournemouth inspection I chased it with DVLA and similarly to you, the paperwork was still in a tray on someone's desk. Once kick started my V5C arrived in just over a week. I remember Gaz had the same experience. Great to hear yours is sorted now.
The very helpful instructions shown on the Sammio company website under the section 'Registering your Sammio', originally written by Gary, indicates that the original body package receipt from the Sammio company should be included with the V627/1 form along with your V5c registration document when applying for the inspection.
I have no idea if this is essential, but it seemed safer to go along with providing receipts since I had them available. Gary kindly submitted the paperwork for the inspection on my behalf for a very modest fee and all I had to do was turn up on the day. It was all over in about ten minutes. I presume that with his past experience of these inspections Gary had found it useful to provide the receipts at some point, perhaps to formally verify the origin of the body.
