A couple of forms have changes (V55/4 & V55/5) and we're in the process of updating these:

We hope you enjoy our guide to Single Vehicle Approval. We have tried to make it as easy to understand as possible and have written it in plain English. We start off with some basic frequently asked questions and also detail what is tested, then we guide you through an SVA form, showing you how to fill it in correctly and maybe give you a few pointers. Finally we have a list of the current SVA test stations.

WHAT IS SVA?

SVA was introduced to regulate the kitcar industry in the UK. Mainstream manufacturers products are subject to type approval at a cost of round £300,000 and the government decided there had to be a similar, less expensive system for component car manufacturers.

WHEN DID SVA START?

It started in 1998 and since that time any kit that is intended for road use (with a couple of exceptions) is subjected to and SVA test.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TEST?

As follows: Anti-theft, demisting, wipers, seats, seat-belts, interior projections, radio suppression, glass, lighting, mirrors, tyres, doors, exterior, steering, design and construction, brakes, noise, emissions, projections, speedometer and weights.

• Anti-theft devices – An item such as a battery "kill" switch will do.
• Defrosting – Must be fitted with as system capable of giving the driver an adequate view ahead. Ducted heater air or embedded electric elements are both acceptable.
• Wipers – Must move automatically. Must park so as not to obstruct driver’s view.
• Seats – Must be firmly fixed.
• Seat belts – Must be fitted with required number of anchorage points and be located at the correct height.
• Interior – Must have no sharp or protruding edges.
• Radio suppression – Must have suppression fitted.
• Glass – Windows must be made of safety glass and of a recognised standard and marked by the manufacturer NOT by a glass agent.
• Lights – Obligatory lights must be in the required positions, right colours and intensity and visible from required angles. Must not be sited below minimum height.
• Mirrors - Checks for positions, and field of vision.
• Tyres - Speed and load rating must be correct and must be "E" marked.
• Doors etc - Must be capable of being securely latched with a 2-stage latch.
• Exterior - Between floor and a height of 2 meters nothing must catch or risk injury to any person who could come into contact with the vehicle. Projections are dealt with here.
• Design & Construction – Deals with all aspects of design safety and ensures that no danger is caused to any vehicle occupants or other road users.
• Brakes - Vehicle must conform to listed operations, five tests are performed with ever increasing pedal pressure on the front and then the rear wheels.
• Noise - Checks that exhaust system is complete a silencer is fitted and that 101db is not exceeded.
• Emissions - Checked via an approved and calibrated exhaust gas analyser.
• Speedometer - Checks accuracy of speedo within defined limits. If all speedometer related parts come from a single donor, this part of test not carried out.
• Weights - Checks maximum gross weight and max permitted axle weights are not less then weights calculated using kerbside weights and passenger weight

A full SVA manual is available at a cost of £35 including P&P from –

VOSA
PO Box 12
Swansea
SA1 1BP

Or over the counter from any SVA test centre.
(Cheques payable to " VOSA ")

DOES IT COST ANYTHING FOR A RETEST IF I FAIL?

Yes it will cost you another £32.00

IF I GET A MAC CERTIFICATE I WON’T NEED AN MOT WILL I?

After a lot of arguments and deliberation, you will NOT need an MOT as well
as a MAC - UNLESS you build a kitcar that keeps the donor's registration (and
then you won't need the MAC anyway!) To keep the donor's registration, you
need to use its ORIGINAL and UNMODIFIED chassis or monocoque bodyshell. If
you do this, you won't need an SVA but you will need an MOT. In all other
cases (i.e. a kit built from all-new parts or a kit using some donor
components but not the complete donor chassis/shell) you will NOT need an
MOT for the first three years.

CAN I HAVE IT DONE AT THE SAME TIME?

Check with the station you intend using, most will do it for you.

CAN I GET MY CAR REGISTERED AFTER THE TEST?

Yes, but you will have to follow slightly different procedures depending on whether you want a "new" or an "age-related" registration.

If you want a "new" (current) registration number, you will have to ensure that your car is built from entirely new components OR has only ONE major component from the DVLA’s list that has been reconditioned to an AS NEW standard. You will need to be able to show all the receipts to prove this. Assuming you’ve got these, you will then need to fill in a "V55/4" form available from your local Vehicle Registry Office. They also produce a booklet (a "V355/4") on how to complete the V55/4. Besides these, you will also need:

The First Registration fee (£25)
Money for Road Tax (6 or 12 months)
Your Minister’s Approval (SVA) Certificate
A valid Certificate of Insurance
Either a "Declaration of Newness" (form V267) Or a declaration of newness from your kit supplier.
A declaration or receipt from the reconditioner if you have used one major reconditioned component.

If the car is "donor-built" (which the DVLA call a "kit conversion") the procedure is similar but not quite as difficult. You will need to complete a "V55/5" form (as opposed to the V55/4 form for a new registration) and you will also need:
Money for Road Tax (6 or 12 months)
Your Minister’s Approval (SVA) Certificate
A valid Certificate of Insurance.
MoT test.

You will also be asked to fill in a form in which you state where each of the major components (i.e. body, chassis, engine, transmission, axles, suspension, steering) came from. You get three choices – either "bought new", "from donor" or "other". If you claim a particular major component was bought new, you will need to show a receipt. If you claim it was from the donor, they might want to see a copy of the old logbook or, in the case of a non-identifiable component, inspect the vehicle and if you claim that enough major components were "other", you will probably get a "Q" plate.

Registration is a very complicated area so we will be producing a more detailed article including some sample forms in the near future. Watch this website for further details.

SO HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TEST?

Depending on where you have your car tested it could be anything from 1 to 6 weeks.

YOU SAID THERE WERE EXCEPTIONS WHAT ARE THEY?

Currently three wheelers under 410kg and vehicles that retain an unmodified donor chassis.

I’VE JUST BOUGHT AN OLD SECONDHAND KITCAR, I’LL BE OKAY WON’T I?

Hmm, well if your vehicle is correctly described on the V5 document as exactly what it is rather then the donor then yes you are okay. On the other hand if it’s described as the donor vehicle, you have problems and you may find yourself subject to SVA.

THE SVA FORM. 

Click small images to view full size forms:
Example SVA App. form.  Part 1 & 2.	Notes for completion of  SVA App. form.
	(NB: See help notes below)

Notes for completion of the SVA Application form.

The SVA test application form has changed considerably since it was first introduced a few years ago. The form now takes up four pages (with the completion notes) but a fair amount of information is redundant for the amateur builder.

Above you will have seen a completed specimen form and outlined below, are a few points to be read in conjunction with the notes on the application form. The numbers refer to the question numbers on the application form.

Q1. VIN. On mass produced cars in the EC there will always be a 17-character number starting with three letters – the "World Manufacturer Identity". The rest of the characters are used to denote model, variant, assembly plant and whatever other information the manufacturer desires. As far as the amateur builder is concerned, the Vehicle Inspectorate will accept ANY reasonable combination of letters or numbers comprising more than 8 characters. As an amateur builder, you might have been assigned a number with the kit or you might have to make your own up. Make sure you choose a combination not likely to be repeated by someone else – for example "00000001" will be unlikely to satisfy the Vehicle Inspectorate. If for any reason, they don’t like your choice of number, they will assign you a DVLA number. These numbers always start "SAB****" and consist of 17 characters. The only drawback of such numbers is that these are the series the DVLA usually allocate to re-shelled mass produced cars so the police often concentrate their searches for stolen vehicles on these cars. We’re not saying it will happen but you might get more than your fair share of attention from the local constabulary if awarded one of these!

Q2-7. These questions are pretty self-explanatory. The second choice of SVA station is rarely used but the more notice you can give them the better. You can always call the station you’re thinking of using and ask what the waiting list is like for amateur built cars. If it’s very long you will have to book a long way ahead or choose another test centre. Please remember that all bookings are done through Swansea. You cannot book directly with the test centre. Another point to bear in mind is that centres will carry out tests outside normal working hours for an additional charge. The price for a standard SVA test is £158.

Q8. The vehicle category is very important in determining the emissions test criteria. ALL amateur builders will be category "A". This applies even if the same type of vehicle is available in fully built form from the manufacturer. As far as you, the manufacturer and the Vehicle Inspectorate are concerned, ANY kit where you have undertaken "a substantial part of the build" OR "persons acting on your behalf who do not build cars as a business" have built it for you, is amateur built. The definition of "a substantial part of the build" is somewhat fluid but basically, if the manufacturer or professional build agent have not assembled more than two major components off the DVLA’s list, it is counted as amateur built. As an example, therefore, if the manufacturer has put the suspension on the chassis, or the body on the chassis or the engine or the transmission on the chassis for you, it still counts as amateur built as long as you do the rest.

Not all the kit car manufacturers will be aware that the Vehicle Inspectorate tends to take the opportunity to contact every amateur build applicant for an SVA Test. When the VI Head Office at Swansea receive an SVA application form for a Category "A" vehicle they automatically send the applicant a short questionnaire to fill in and a declaration to sign. This questionnaire asks them to confirm that either themselves or the manufacturer assembled various major components onto the chassis/body.

It would be worth bearing in mind that the Vehicle Inspectorate doesn’t generally regard a vehicle that has had more than two major components fitted to the body/chassis by the manufacturer as being amateur built. If you send the form off having stated that MORE than 2 major components were assembled by a professional, the VI will insist that the kit is tested either as a category "L" or "C". This could lead to tougher emissions standards than you envisaged!

Q10. does not apply to amateur-built cars.

Q11. Is self-explanatory.

Q12. The answer to the first part of this question relates to the date you presented the car for test, it does not relate to the date you bought the kit.

Q14. This question is of huge importance to an amateur builder. It tells the Vehicle Inspectorate what emissions test to carry out on your car. If your car uses an engine from an older vehicle, you must give the date the engine was first built. The emissions test will then be carried out on your car as if it was built in the same year as the engine. In the case quoted in the example, this was 1982.

Please be warned that the VI will ask for PROOF of the engine’s age. In the vast majority of cases, a copy of the UK registration document showing the engine number in your donor car will suffice. This is true even if the engine came out of a bike. If you haven’t got this, you will need some other form of acceptable "documentary evidence". The best thing would be a letter on the engine manufacturer’s letterhead stating the age of the engine. In some cases (particularly with some American engines) you might be able to get a generic letter stating that "…engines with numbers starting "ABC123 (for example)" were manufactured between (say) 1980 and 1982". If this is the case, the VI will assume that the engine in your car has been built on the latest date quoted so make sure the range quoted in the letter doesn’t straddle an emissions test changeover date! Whatever means of proof you choose, the onus is on YOU, the presenter, to convince the tester of the engine’s age.

Some builders get their engines reconditioned to an "as new" standard in order to get a current ("new") registration from the DVLA. Remember the VI doesn’t care about this so do not give the date of manufacture as being the date it was reconditioned. If you do, you’ll end up having to do a catalyst emissions test!

Finally, if you cannot prove the engine’s age, you will have to do a catalyst emissions test!

Q15. None of this question applies to amateur-built kit cars.

Q16. If at all possible, it is best to obtain the design weights from the kit manufacturer. The Vehicle Inspectorate mainly uses these to carry out the brake test and tyre inspection so your manufacturer ought to be able to provide data that will ensure a pass. If you have built the car substantially differently to the way stipulated in the build manual (e.g. an engine option not covered by the manufacturer) you will have to provide your own weights but be sure that the car’s structure is capable of carrying the extra weight, as this will be assessed during the test!

Basically, the "Design Weight for axle 1" is the maximum weight that the front axle can put on the ground. Similarly, that for axle 2, is the maximum permitted rear axle weight. When you go for your SVA test, you must ensure the fuel tank is full. If you want to obtain your own weights, you can do this at any public weighbridge (see your Yellow Pages). Remember to obtain a front axle weight (with the car empty but full of fuel), a rear axle weight (with the car empty but full of fuel) and then each axle again with 68kg in each passenger seat and 7kg for each passenger in the luggage compartment. DO NOT add (for a 2 seater car) 150kg and split this evenly between the front and rear axles because they will NOT necessarily carry the same share of the load! The tester will weigh each end of the car empty and check that when he adds the weight of the occupants (68kg for each seat and 7kg of luggage for each occupant) neither axle becomes overloaded according to the weights you have declared. If it does, it will fail the test. It is worth noting that the Gross Vehicle Weight (the fourth box on the form) does not necessarily have to equal the sum of the axle weights. Obviously, it can never be more than the sum of the axle weights but it can sometimes be less. This simply means that you are not permitted to load both axles to their maximum weights simultaneously. The last box is only applicable if the vehicle is built to tow a trailer. If it is, this box contains the maximum permitted weight of the whole combination.

The Gross Vehicle Weight is used in the braking test. Basically, the maximum weights are used to check that the brakes can stop the car fully loaded and the unladen weights (plus driver) are used to check the balance between the front and rear brakes. As the Vehicle Inspectorate are effectively giving your car the "OK" by granting the approval certificate, they need to be sure that it won’t display any untoward handling characteristics (like the rear wheels locking before the fronts do) under any conditions. For this reason, they will want to check brakes under all conditions (especially if an adjustable brake bias bar is fitted).

Q17. This is the last significant question for the amateur builder. The declaration of maximum road speed is used mainly to check that the correct tyres have been fitted. In the example given, the car is capable of very high speed so a written declaration from the tyre manufacturer stating that it is capable of running at the stated speed and load will be required. Obviously for lower speed and load combinations, the load and speed code on the tyre sidewall will suffice.

The maximum power engine speed is used in the noise test. Currently, the noise test is a static test where the engine is run in neutral at ¾ of the speed at which it develops maximum power. If, for example, it develops maximum power at 6000RPM, the noise test will be carried out at 4500RPM. In cases where the presenter is not able to provide a realistic maximum power engine speed, the tester will use the default engine speed of 2/3 of the redline engine speed. This means that if the maximum permitted engine speed is 6000RPM, the test will be carried out at 4000RPM. A word of caution might be appropriate here, when it comes to cars with bike engines. These are capable of revving to huge speeds and this makes the noise test proportionately more difficult for such engines. A bike engine developing maximum power at 9000RPM would be tested at 6750RPM. If that same engine redlined at (say) 11,000RPM and the presenter didn’t quote a maximum power speed, the test would be done at 7333RPM.

Here’s a current list of all the SVA test stations around the UK:

EASTERN ENGLAND
Leighton Buzzard	Stanbridge Road, Bedfordshire, LU7 8QG	01525 373 074
Norwich	Jupiter Road, Hellesden, NR6 6SS	01603 408 128
LONDON
Edmonton	Anthony Wharf, Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton, N18 3JR	0208 807 7803
Mitcham	Redhouse Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 3AQ	0208 684 1499
Yeading	Cygnet Way, Willow Tree Lane, Yeading Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 9BS	0208 841 9205
MIDLANDS
Birmingham	Garrets Green Ind Estate, Birmingham, B33 0SS,	0121 783 6560
Derby	Raynesway, Alverston, Derby, DE21 7AY	01332 571 961
Nottingham	Main Road, Watnell Nottingham, NG16	0115 938 2591
Shrewsbury	Unit 6, Levens Drive, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, SY3 7EG	01743 462 261
NORTHERN ENGLAND
Beverley	Oldbeck Road, off Grovehill Road, North Humberside, HU17 0JG	01482 881 522
Carlisle	Brunthill Road, Kingstown Ind Estate, Cumbria, CA3 0EH	01228 528 106
Liverpool	SVA Office, c/o Express Travel (Holdings) Ltd, Woodend Avenue, Speke, Liverpool, L24 9NB	0151 486 0050 or 0151 547 4445
North Manchester	Chadderton, Broad Gate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton, Oldham, OL9 9XA	0161 947 1000
Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Sandy Lane, Gosforth, NE3 5HB	0191 236 5011
SCOTLAND
Aberdeen	Cloverhill, Bridge of Don Ind Estate, AB23 8EE	01224 702 357
Glasgow	Crosshill Road, Bishopsbriggs, Glasgow, G64 1QA	0141 772  6321
SOUTHERN ENGLAND
Chelmsford	Widford Ind Estate, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3AE	01245 259 341
Gillingham	Ambley Road, Kent, ME8 OSJ	01634 232 541
Southampton	Unit R, Centurian Ind Estate, Bitterne Road West Southampton, SO18 1UB	01489 767 956
SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
Avonmouth	Unit 10 I. O. Centre, Cabot Park, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 0QL	01179 381 157
Exeter	Grace Road, Marsh Barton Trading Estate, Devon, EX2 8PH	01392 278 267
Taunton	Taunton Trading Estate, Norton Fitzwarren, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 6RX	01823 282 525
WALES
Cardiff	School Road, Miskin, Pontyclun, Mid Glam, CF72 8YR	01443 224 701
Details correct as supplied by Department of Transport - Any Changes - Please let us know

Written by Ian Hopley & Steve Hole