Question regarding dvla rules regarding engine changes?

[SPADGE]

A mate of mine has just told me that there is a rule now with the dvla that any car that has an engine bigger than it was designed to have will need an sva test is this right? I was just about to embark on my 335 conversion in my 318 touring and this if it is true may throw a large spanner in the works
Cheers Spadge..

[E30BeemerLad]

I think there are plans afoot for this to happen, not sure when though

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/regrebil.htm

[stevetigger]

Just changed mine No Probs!

[nickso]

this is probably a long way off but unfortunately a real possibility

actually that site posted above doesnt mention the new stuff that may come out.....my understanding in a nutshell:-

all of the points stuff is likely to go and anything that found to be radically altered will have to do a full sva test....its unlikely to pass.

in most cases however it will be your mot centre that flags a car up as radically altered.....so you better be nice and have a brown envelope handy....in some cases they probably wont notice most suspension changes etc anyway.


ive not heard though what happens to cars altered before the date they change it over.....for instance my 335. if its all registered before do i get away with it?!?

i wouldnt worry too much yet though cos ive read 10 or so differing articles about this and none can agree what is going to happen or when

lets hope they bin it

[SPADGE]

Cheers for the replies fella's
Just called the dvla and vosa and they told me there would be no problem with doing this conversion as long as i notify the dvla of the change in cubic capacity!

[baur320]

I'm curious as to how many people advise engine changes to the DVLA and also does anyone check their engine number against the V5 when buying a car?

With many E30s now belonging to their umpteenth owner it does take a trained eye to spot engine swaps carried out previously - particularly 2.0/2.3/2.5/2.7 swaps, but obviously other swaps can't be hidden.


Cheers,

Mick

[nickso]

unless the insurance guy is a bmw fan i reckon grinding the 3.5 off the inlet would give you a good chance of getting away with an m30 conversion

[stevetigger]

The point is to be all legal!

What if you run over a small child? Then your insurance says......oops, you changed your engine!

And yes, I always check engine numbers and chassis numbers when buying a car!

[Demlotcrew]

I must admit i was also put off by hearing about this when
doing my engine converssion but ive had no problems with
the DVLA and ive changed my engine number.

Andrew

[stevetigger]

Same here, sent off V5 with new size and number! Four days later, new V5

[Rosc0PColtrane]

what is sva test?

[tylerma]

what is sva test?

Single Vehicle Approval
I believe

[E30BeemerLad]

correct Andrew and what a biatch it is too.

Height of bumpers & headlights etc have to be within mm of whatever the model report for the vehicle says, it can be horrendous by all accounts, especially when there isn't a model report, like for jap imports etc

[Turbo-Brown]

I've got a copy of the SVA book at home.

The light positions etc just need to be within specific regions of the car etc, interior bits and bobs must have certain radii dependant on the region of the interior they're in.

Would be a pain in the arse to get an E30 through no doubt, but one of these days I'm gonna have to get the GT6 though, and that was designed over 30 years ago!

[ROC]

I had to put my Westfield through the SVA test when I finished it a couple of years back. To be honest it was no where near as bad as I imagined. They do have some strange ideas though, they were more concerned about a radius on a fog light switch than a bloomin great side exit exhaust that folks can burn their legs on

I would not have thought an E30 would have anywhere near the amount of problems that Kitcars can have as they are already "Type approved"

Probably the main concern would be emmisions/catalytic converters.

Rich.

[Turbo-Brown]

Thought side exit exhausts needed a heat shield to get through the test?

[ROC]

Yes your right Turbo, a heat shield is needed on the "can" but not the long pipe leading up to it. Was just to illustrate a point really about what they find "important" or not, some of it is quite bizzare

[mattG]

even things like an amp in the boot could fail the car if wiring is not secured every x inch's all the way through

[mattG]

i think there use to be a 10 year rule, ie if over 10 years old only needs an mot, that was the case when i imported my rice

[glenbat]

Sorry to go completely off topic spadge, you a PF lad too?
if so this mans known for his love of huge power engines in cars they weren't designed for

[mattG]

sorry m8, whats a PF and what man

[jmc330i]

i think there use to be a 10 year rule, ie if over 10 years old only needs an mot, that was the case when i imported my rice

That was the case when my brother bought his jap import from Southhampton Docks last year.

There was a 1993 Hilux Surf 4x4 that was modded - massive body lift, massive wheels, massive V8 conversion and all for £1500.
My brother in law asked about getting it through the SVA test and they said it didnt need one because it was over 10 years old.

[SPADGE]

Sorry to go completely off topic spadge, you a PF lad too?
if so this mans known for his love of huge power engines in cars they weren't designed for

Yes mate have had enough of playing with Cossie's so going to do an e30 or two

[SPADGE]

sorry m8, whats a PF and what man

PF = passionford.com mate

[mattG]

wish i never asked lol

[SPADGE]

wish i never asked lol

Lol

[glenbat]

Sorry to go completely off topic spadge, you a PF lad too?
if so this mans known for his love of huge power engines in cars they weren't designed for

Yes mate have had enough of playing with Cossie's so going to do an e30 or two

cool welcome to the zone.. fuzzy's dropped a cossie lump into a touring which looks the nuts, knowing you have a thing for all things YB powered
I had Ben Birch's Project Saph for 2 years, had to sell her tho to buy a roof and load of bricks

[SPADGE]

Sorry to go completely off topic spadge, you a PF lad too?
if so this mans known for his love of huge power engines in cars they weren't designed for

Yes mate have had enough of playing with Cossie's so going to do an e30 or two

cool welcome to the zone.. fuzzy's dropped a cossie lump into a touring which looks the nuts, knowing you have a thing for all things YB powered
I had Ben Birch's Project Saph for 2 years, had to sell her tho to buy a roof and load of bricks

Yeah seen Fuzzys car in his sig and no doubt its a weapon
My intention was to do the same with a 318is i bought but i enjoyed driving that so much that i thought better of making it into a mongrel by sticking the YB into it and have now decided to stick a bigger bimmer engine into 1 of the 3 tourings i have just bought. I just need to re-educate myself a little as this is like a different language to me lol

[fuzzy]

hi mate,theres 3 off us on the zone with cossie powered e30's now,although mine is the only touring its a great conversion although as you will know it can be a high maintainance and costly engine

[SPADGE]

hi mate,theres 3 off us on the zone with cossie powered e30's now,although mine is the only touring its a great conversion although as you will know it can be a high maintainance and costly engine

Hi mate
Is Gracie one of the other 2?
The reason for not wanting a YB wasn't financial just fed-up with the YB been there and done it with that for years and now time for a different brand and n/a

[RichIS]

lol its the start of the pf invasion