IVA question from a noob

[Riki]

Hey dudes and dudettes

New member here (Hi by the way  )

So I had an old buggy 20 years ago and got the itch again and have recently acquired an old shortened chassis with the intention of rebuilding a new one (body undecided yet)

Been off the VW scene for a while (owned many bugs/buses/etc back in the day,got into yanks after) so it's a bit of a shock coming back and seeing all this IVA/SVA talk for the first time.

So my question is, is all this IVA testing just to qualify for the MOT exemption or is it mandatory on all new built buggies?

Cheers

[Manxdavid]

Any short wheelbase buggy built since 1998 should have been put through an IVA or later an SVA test in order for it to be properly registered with the DVLA and hence described correctly (although the descriptions given can still vary) on the V5C. Long wheelbase builds with unmodified chassis are just classed as a body swap so no test needed but it'll possibly need to be inspected by SGB, DVLA's agents.

I assume you got a V5C with the chassis, what is it registered as?

[snoopy]

rebuilding an old swb with correct V5 description is fine building a new one from a beetle it needs to meet and pass IVA test requirements so add about £500 to the budget for test and retest then extra for all the compliant  parts as old stuff is not acceptable for many things then you pay road tax and require mot like a new vehicle.
lwb can use old stuff and has no new safety standard to pass.

[Riki]

The V5 says Volkswagen and Saloon. No mention of a Beetle.

So I'm guessing the old way of changing Saloon to Convertible doesn't go down too well nowadays then haha

When you say properly registered, do you mean actually registered as a Beach Buggy on the log book? It doesn't bother me what it's registered as to be honest (Who is bothered most? DVLA? The Plod? Mr Insurance Company?) And I'll be voluntarily putting it through an MOT every year anyway. I do actually wanna make sure the thing is safe haha

I'm rebuilding with as many new parts as possible. Not gonna be a show car but it's gonna be clean. Not cutting corners on the build. Surely it's a case of as long as you do everything properly, you should be fine? What are the main common problems that buggies struggle with on the test? If i know in advance, I can make sure those areas are given extra attention.

Thanks guys by the way 

[snoopy]

The IVA test is nothing like an mot it is a Minimum build Specification manual you build to and the examiner checks it over properly to see it conforms. Many are on beetle saloon V5 description and a few have lost their registration and been told to IVA which is fine if built to that standard.
Talking to an owner today he got pulled by the police as he had not seen one before but a check with whoever and being told it was a beetle with a new body he was sent on his way.
So you build a buggy with a removable hard roof.

[Roadrunner]

The V5 says Volkswagen and Saloon. No mention of a Beetle.

So I'm guessing the old way of changing Saloon to Convertible doesn't go down too well nowadays then haha

When you say properly registered, do you mean actually registered as a Beach Buggy on the log book? It doesn't bother me what it's registered as to be honest (Who is bothered most? DVLA? The Plod? Mr Insurance Company?) And I'll be voluntarily putting it through an MOT every year anyway. I do actually wanna make sure the thing is safe haha

I'm rebuilding with as many new parts as possible. Not gonna be a show car but it's gonna be clean. Not cutting corners on the build. Surely it's a case of as long as you do everything properly, you should be fine? What are the main common problems that buggies struggle with on the test? If i know in advance, I can make sure those areas are given extra attention.

Thanks guys by the way 

Please see the Great V5 Debate
http://www.beachbuggy.info/index.php/topic,429.msg3146.html#msg3146

And also have a chat to Dave DND

[Dave DND]

And also have a chat to Dave DND

Seems a shame to inflict that on a Noob   

[Riki]

Roadrunner haha

So Dave, if you build a buggy by the IVA handbook and don't cut any corners, in theory you shouldn't have anything to worry about?

Does the IVA completion help with renaming on the V5?

The MOT exemption I don't care about as I'd rather get it mot'd yearly for piece of mind anyway.

Cheers

[Dave DND]

So Dave, if you build a buggy by the IVA handbook and don't cut any corners, in theory you shouldn't have anything to worry about?
Does the IVA completion help with renaming on the V5?

Absolutely - and we have an IVA Guru on here that could probably rewrite the manual by now !! 

Any IVA questions, then Paul1953 on here is your man to speak with 

[snoopy]

 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individual-vehicle-approval-iva-for-cars-help-to-get-a-pass/individual-vehicle-approval-iva-for-cars-help-to-get-a-pass

[Paul1953]

Any IVA questions, then Paul1953 on here is your man to speak with

Sorry to be late to read this thread......   Things at home re- covid restrictions and trying to get two young grandchildren sorted transport\care wise etc pre imminent school return taking up a lot of my time.. The restrictions are .. welll guess you know..

Any iva query, no matter how foolish it may sound, and it really wont be, just message me and you can have my mobile number. Please note I only use laptop for internet connection although I do use whats app. . Iva is not everybodies cup of tea but you have nothing but time to lose checking it out.    Take a look at the link Keith has put on thread. Manual "M1" Basic Iva is crucial and it`s very very long.

Also Keith, Snoopy, has a wealth of knowledge regarding re-building buggies from all stages of dereliction and has plenty of photo`s etc on his ever expanding build threads and I can assure you he will fall over backwards to assist with queries also.

[Manxdavid]

Are we maybe over thinking things here?

The chassis has obviously been under a buggy before and if it's been stripped for parts then presumably it had been a buggy for a long long time before it was stripped. Do you have any history about it? It may well have been inspected by some speccy town hall clerk decades ago who didn't really know what he was looking at. He may or may not have removed 'Beetle' from the logbook: only about half of all logbooks had Beetle (wrongly) on them.

If it's been a buggy since pre IVA/SVA days I can't really see the problem of rebuilding it as a buggy, you're not changing it's identity as it's still a buggy, so it's not a new build at all, just an old buggy fixed up with a new shiney body. You could always add a small removable hardtop et voila, it's a saloon!

If it's MOT'd, taxed and insured as a buggy then surely all will be good?

Discuss.

[Dave DND]

Depends what the V5 says as a description as to which way to go   

[Manxdavid]

Depends what the V5 says as a description as to which way to go   

Just VW and Saloon according to Riki the original poster.

[snoopy]

Agree with David there will be a lot of old swb buggies still down as Volkswagen with or without beetle and saloon body type.
 My thinking if the worst should happen is with an old shell you have an argument it was built in 1970 whatever and pre dates SVA but if you put a new Doon shell on you have no argument unless you do a picture heavy build showing the chassis number and body swapping as google brings up loads of info everyone can see including dates no Doon can be older than October 2001 apart from Chads two.