Re: RF\'s in UK
I can explain SVA a little...
The European Commission agreed a system called European Volume Type Approval, that was aimed at mass manufacturers. In order to register a car for the first time in Europe, a car must have EVTA. This involves all sorts of nasties like formal crash testing, and EVERY single component on the car being permanently marked with a part number, with the exception of only standard sized bolts, nuts and screws!
The UK specialist car industry (along with Spain, Holland and a couple of other countries) was up in arms, so each country has come up with a work-around.
In the UK it is called Single Vehicle Approval.
To pass SVA the car has to comply with a set of regulations detailed in a manual 1 inch thick!
The regulations number amongst them some gems like:
Minimum radius on all corners on dashboard - no GT40 toggle switches - no Smiths instruments bezels!
Required view from wing mirrors to a point at a set distance behind the car and in line with the rear wings - hummhhhh
Emissions and noise levels at an agreed rev point - not low revving V8 friendly
A number of components need standards compliance markings such as headlight lenses etc etc - again gt40 originality suffers
You build the car, then take it for an SVA test which takes about 45 minutes per car...
The totally crazy thing is that the test is one time only, so once its registered, you can change it in any way you want, including fitting toggle swtches, Smiths instruments, new exhausts etc etc...
And also, the test is very easy to manipulate... a good example is minimum radius on suspension components has caused a good deal of problems for Lotus 7 replicas with the bolts on their upper wishbones, so the owners simply cut a hole in a table tennis ball and push it on to the end of the bolt... et volia... easily comply with minimum radius... and then after the test, remove the ball and away you go....
Oh the joys of government and regulation
Regards
Neil