70 Mph

[Guest stevey]

just a word of caution to people filling out SVA applications, I have been speaking to Swansea on and off for the last 2 weeks over the 70mph we are told to put on our application. The man at the SVA office flatly refused to believe my figure of 70mph,I reasoned that the kit maker supplied this,no good,I offered to mechanically limit the speed to 70mph,no good,the car would be capable of more,I pointed out that all hgv's in this country are limited to 56mph does that make them illegal?? in the end we bartered and have agreed 90mph just so I can get a test date. If this is the paperwork heaven help me when I get to the damn test :angry: anyone else had this problem?

[Guest JohnS]

This was the first thing i was asked about at my SVA.

Quote " Lets be sensable about this we both know it will do more than 70"

The reason for this question is so that they can check you have tyres with the correct speed rating.

As you will usually have the same gearbox/ diff your top speed should be about the same as the donor. it just gets there quicker as its been on a diet.

So you could quote that speed. but I find that i dont want much over the ton as it starts to get scary.

 

JohnS

[Guest TerryBarry]

If it's just down to speed rating of tyres, even S rating is good for 112 mph

H goes up to 130 mph.

Terry

[Les Welsher]

how do they know what the top speed is, although it's got the mechanics of the donor, aerodynamically it's like a brick compared to production car it came from which makes a lot of difference at speed.

I put 70 down on my form and it wasn't questioned.

 

Les

[Guest stevey]

Thanks for the feedback guys,I fully appreciate the speed requirement re. tyre speed rating but I just cannot believe the disparity between applications, a good friend Gareth has just got through hiw SVA and never a murmour about speeds just seems I drew the short straw, as I often quote "nil carborundum illegitimi"sorry for spelling! I shall smile sweetly on the 25th July and as a precaution take the wife with me(I haven't managed to get the last word in 31 years of marriage so what hope does the SVA examiner have

[Guest Angel Boy]

I haven't managed to get the last word in 31 years of marriage so what hope does the SVA examiner have

 

Andy

[Guest Ant]

I reckon I'd be argueing that the car is unsuitable for use above 70mph due to its aerodynamics. Having driven one for 3 weeks with no sidescreens, wind deflectors or hood, then I know first hand that if you want to see where you're going at above 70mph you need goggles or a helmet. Passengers not wearing glasses tend to shut their eyes at about 55mph.

 

Driving with one's eyes shut is dangerous, hence the top speed is 70mph.

 

Ant

[ibrooks]

Doesn't the box actually ask for the maximum design speed??

 

If you look at the Sierra owners manual it says the maximum safe continuos engine speed is around 6000rpm (a little variation depending on which one). Now we all know for a fact that a Pinto can rev past that (OK only breifly - ask Jim Stott) but that is the maximum safe design speed.

 

If your car is designed to do 70 then the requirement is that it can do 70. If it is capable of more then that's just because it exceeds the design specs by a little. Besides it can't do more than 70 because there are no public roads in this country where it would be legal to do so - and if you want to do it on private land then you don't need to have passed an SVA test so it's nothing to do with the DVLA.

 

Not an attitude that's likely to get things done quickly though so you'll probably just have to compromise.

 

Iain

[Guest Guy]

The Sierra is designd to be safe at the top speed that it will go, if that is 120mph then all parts must work at that speed, tyres, brakes etc.

 

The car you build shoud also be safe at the top speed it will go. Just because you are braking the 70 limit doesn't count.

 

The car has to be intrinsicley safe by design, not by trusting to a law abiding driver.

 

Besids that, not all countries have a 70 limit.

[Guest daveg]

Besides that, not all countries have a 70 limit

 

thats right...goto the IOM where I was doing around 130mph and waving at the police

 

Even un-rated tyres are good for 93 mph so a top design speed of 90 should do, but to be safe, you only have one life, use S or H rated tyres and quote top speed as 105 mph, that should satify even the most picky SVA examiner.

 

Dave

My 2p worth.

[Guest macca]

Besides it can't do more than 70 because there are no public roads in this country where it would be legal to do so -

Some of us use our cars on tracks we occasionally get above 70!!

 

As I will be driving mine to the track day I will need an SVA.

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

trailer it to your track day, an SVA is not essential for the track. i used a track day as a pre sva shake down. passed first time too as for the max speed i think i put 85 it was never questioned

[Guest Battery Bill]

Andy

i used a track day as a pre sva shake down

 

I bet you did not get a load of grief about doing that

Like we did after Barkston last year Some people dont trust their own building capabilities you see and think you need an expert to look it over before use

OK thats enough ranting

 

We put down 100mph and had no problems with that.

[Guest Guy]

Well this is an old thread To test the car just drive it fast along a winding country road and this will give you the incentive to build it properly in the first place

[Guest joni]

I put 70 on my form as stated by RHE. It was the second thing the SVA man mentioned after pointing out I didn't have a letter from Ford proving my engine number was authentic... he said to write him a letter saying I had made a typo while writing the form and state 110 because 'it sounds more reasonable'. I tried arguing that it was stated by the manufacturers but he was having none of it. Probably easiest just to change it to a 'sensible' but completely guessed figure. At least it will pass that way. Good luck fighting the red tape.