modifying buggy chassis

[yorkshire]

Hi there,

I'm thinking of modifying my buggy chassis buy adding an extra 6 to 8 inches between the front bulkhead that the steering rack bolts to and the front suspension.

Would the buggy have to go through anymore testing / inspection because of the chassis modification?

Cheers,

Shaun

 

[Mini Mad Max]

Hi shaun,
Your buggy shouldn't need extra testing, as i modified my frame to be taller, but may i ask why the extra space upfront?
Remember, if you do that, the tie bar will be in the wrong place and wont meet the lower suspension arms. So you'd have to move the mounting points for the tie bars forward.
Max

 

[Paul]

The simple answer is yes. If you make any structural changes to the chassis you will need to go through the IVA process. If you don't declare it and had an accident and it was found out that you had made the changes you would not be insured. This would leave you open to being sued by a third party and done by the police for no insurance.
Its not worth it.
This is the same pitfall that a lot of Landrover drivers have found themselves in after shortening (bobtailing) their Discoveries and Range Rovers. I know because i am just bobtailing one at the moment and after speaking to the DVLA it will definitely need an IVA test.
Make the changes if you need to but do make sure that you complete the legal side of things as in the long run it will only be you who loses out.

 

[Phaeton]

Shaun,

Is your buggy actually registered & on the road yet? If not then it will not need another test other than the IVA to get it onto the road. However if it is registered then the DVLA may want to inspect it, they then will make a case by case decision if it needs a further IVA test.

Alan...

 

[yorkshire]

Hi there,

The buggy is SVA tested, it's Toyotacats old buggy.

It currently has the old style pedal box which I need to move / alter with Alans pedal bracket.

(Alan, did you get my shipping address details?)

The idea in extending the chassis would be to have a lockable storage space or possibly move the fire extinguisher fuel tank  as there would only be the extended steering column in this new space.

The tie bars, steering rack and suspension would all be move forward by approx 8 inches.

I modified a buggy photo but I can't get it to copy into this post.

If it does involve having to retest it I may think again.

 

[HolyCount]

Playing devil's advocate ... who knows exactly what was tested in the first instance ?????  :

 

[Phaeton]

Playing devil's advocate ... who knows exactly what was tested in the first instance ?????  :

I'm sort of with Kev on this one, I would say legally speaking it ought to have a new test, but by the same token so should Mini shorties & Z-cars but most don't.

Yeah I go the address & it was sent today 1st class.

If it's only storage you're after have you seen this option, also I think Steve (Biddleboy) can still get tanks if you wanted a behind the seat for larger capacity.

Alan...

 

[yorkshire]

Thanks for posting stuff Alan.

Now I've got my garage sorted I want to tinker this winter.

If chassis altering is a bit of a grey area would I be OK with altering the front fiber glass and check plate front?

The buggies got a heater matrix in the cabin above the brake/clutch cylinders as well as the radiator and engine temperature is 90 degs C. Is this temperature normal? Moving the matrix or radiator to the front is to be project 2 but may involve some reshaping of the front. Maybe using a modified front nose from a Locost 7 if it doesn't look too odd.

 

[HolyCount]

Bodywork mods are OK as long as the basic frame / chassis is unaltered (look at those re-bodied kits like the Outbak .... total body rebuild!). Remember you still have to abide by the usual construction and use regs though (position of lights, sharp projections, arches covering the wheels etc) otherwise you could fall foul of Mr MOT !

 

[Paul]

As the buggy is SVA tested it will need a retest under the IVA regs if you modify the chassis. You are allowed to replace like with like for repairs - for example a chassis outrigger or cross member in the case of landrovers etc but as soon as you modify you will need DVLA to decide on the retest. In most cases that i have come across they are almost always insisting on a test to cover their backs.
Just because the likes of Z cars are flouting the law doesn't make it legal or right.

If i had an accident with somebody in a modified vehicle which had not been tested i would sue the ar#e off them as their insurance would not cover them and the police would hold them responsible for the accident irrespective of the cause. Do you really want a criminal conviction and a major compensation claim for the sake of trying to exploit a so called grey area which in reality is not grey at all.

I apologise if this sounds a bit vicous but i speak from experience. I have a colleague and close friend who was quite seriously injured by someone driving as bobtailed landrover. Lets just say that they have been convicted in court for the lack of insurance and the compensation claim would probably buy a small house. My friend should be walking again in about two to three months but will face years of pain and physio to lead a half normal life. My guess is the landy driver will be paying financially for quite some time.

The point of all this is to get people to put themselves in the shoes of the driver. How would you pay a claim which could be in the regions of tens of thousands of pounds and what effect would it have on your lifestyle and that of your family, dependents etc.

Internet forums are very usefull tools but you must remember that not all advice you receive is expert and the person giving it is in no way responsible if you follow it and something goes wrong. DVLA and the government are clamping down on the regulations which govern our chosen hobbies because people who try to exploit grey areas. Its quite simple really- the more we try to exploit the more they will clamp down.

Follow the regs and do it properly and everyone will live happily ever after.

Time to sit back with a coffee and await a barrage of angry response.

 

[HolyCount]

".......Time to sit back with a coffee and await a barrage of angry response."

I doubt you wil get a barrage of angry responses here ---- everyone is pretty level headed and can see reason here.

What you say is, of course, true and very sage advice. However ... going back to the Devil's Advocate role .... who is to say what mods were or were not present when something akin to a freestyle was originally tested. The Landy is a production vehicle and alterations are pretty evident, however a space frame kit can be extensively altered prior to testing.

Naturally I wouldn't condone post test alterations to the chassis, without further testing (if only to make sure it was still safe when you hurtle around in it), but, if involved in an "incident" at a later date, who is to say what was tested and what was not ?

 

[Phaeton]

Time to sit back with a coffee and await a barrage of angry response.

Again no angry responses from me either because technically you are correct, however the only thing I would add to muddy the already grey area is. I'm not sure that the a test would be appropriate, DVLA are basically interested in "is the vehicle the same vehicle as the V5C says it is". I would certainly ask them in writing maybe with proposed drawings if adding 4" to the chassis length would necessitate a new test. Now whether VOSA would take the attitude I don't know, it's impossible to 2nd guess what is & isn't allowed, it also differs from office to office as well we know.

Alan...

 

[esdebe]

DVLA differing from office to office....... Don't you mean differing within the same office.............