IVA Paperwork and Transport

Now that the car was mechanically ready for IVA, I prepared the paperwork. This required several forms and documents:

• Application for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) Form (IVA 1C), this was kindly filled out by Meena at GD and emailed to me for signature. This requested a test location of Nottingham, this being closest to GD. 
• Amateur Built Declaration Form (IVA4)
• Photographic evidence of the build, (I included about 20 pictures of myself working on the car in a ‘Word’ document with comments, plus a link to this Blog). 
• Invoice copies, this included all major components such as the chassis, engine and gearbox.

Reference was made to the IVA 1C Guidance Notes: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/iva-application-form-for-passenger-cars-iva-1c)

All paper copies were scanned to pdf’s.

The Application and supporting documents were submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) online, (https://www.gov.uk/apply-vehicle-approval) on the 14Th May 2019, with an email acknowledgement received on the same day with a reference number, (TAS number).

On the 29th May I received an email requesting the payment of £450, then later that day an email stating that ‘Your application for Individual Vehicle Approval has been accepted for assessment’.

On the 2nd of June another email stating ‘Your application for Individual Vehicle Approval has been successfully assessed and released for inspection’. It included a number to ring to agree a place and date for the inspection.

So far so good.

I rang on the 3rd June to agree a test location and date, but was told that ‘test slots’ at Nottingham had not been made available to central booking and they would contact me when they were available. So I waited. Rang a week later with the same response.

On the 19th June we got a call from the DVSA out of the blue saying that “the Test Inspector for my IVA test for TODAY was unwell and they would have to reschedule my test!! You could have heard my wife saying WHAT!! In Swansea. It appears that DVSA had booked a test but omitted to tell me.

On the 20th June I emailed DVSA with the ‘story’ and was phoned promptly and offered a slot at Derby test station on the 25th July, not the best, as Derby is five miles further for Andy to take the car for the test, DVSA did say that manufacturers may arrange tests directly with test centres and Nottingham may be available also.

Talking with DVSA it appears that when an application for a test is made by an individual a four-hour test slot is allocated due to more expected problems, whereas when a manufacturer applies a two-hour slot is allocated, as the cars are generally better presented with less problems. There are very few four-hour slots available. In my case, when I said that GD would present the car a two-hour slot was allocated and I got a slot sooner. This did not explain the failure to inform me that a test had been arranged.

Having got an IVA slot, I contacted Meena at GD and she agreed this was fine. We decided to send the car to GD on the 16th July to allow time to prepare the car. Transport was arranged with Paul Bowden, who are used by GD and customers to transport vehicles.

On the 16th July, got the car out ready.

Nice sunny day no rain.

Paul Bowden duly arrived;

Little awkward lining up car and trailer, but Paul has done this many times and also transports horses, so a car is no problem.

Off to GD....and wait...

Foot note: 

When dealing with various government bodies I was not sure who did what, so for information, this is what they do, (or did):

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) promoted road safety in Great Britain by improving driving and motorcycling standards. It set standards for education and training, as well as carrying out theory and practical driving and riding tests. It is now disbanded.

The Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) Processed licences to operate lorries and buses, tested all vehicles including MOTs, enforced vehicle and driving hours, checked HGV and PSV maintenance arrangements and investigated vehicle accidents, collisions and recalls. It is now disbanded.

The DSA and VOSA have been merged into the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, or DVSA. This is still separate from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which carries out the registration and licensing of drivers and vehicles and also collects and enforces vehicle excise duty.