OT somewhat: Chassis design legal requirements

Assuming I was to design and construct a chassis for my own road-going vehicle, similar to a locost but mid-rear engined instead similar to the Atom, what legal hoops and safety checks are required? I know it must pass the SVA, however the SVA requires proof that the design, or a design very similar, has passed all the required impact tests etc. I have a copy of the SVA inspection manual, however I cannot find links to the required safety standards and how you prove it. If you were to "copy" in essence, the atom, would that be accepted as proof of a similar design having passed etc or do they require specific breakdown etc?

Anyone with kit building experience? IIRC Conor has one?

Reply to
CoyoteBoy
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My home built one just needed an MoT and an engineer's certificate that it was built soundly, mind you that was thirty years ago !!

Reply to
Mrcheerful

:) I wish it was that easy now! No, actually I dont, id really like to be sure it was up to scratch before putting friends and family in it! I am an engineer, but not in automotive design so i don't want to assume i know everything and get something obviously wrong. I'm fairly sure I could design a chassis to meet any standard required, but I'd have to know the standards required first lol. I have a while to plan it so im getting the research in now. I suppose I could copy the atom chassis design, theres a fair few images of it out there to go off, but I dont know if that would be considered acceptable evidence.

Reply to
CoyoteBoy

Try one of the proper kit forums? People do build things with homebuilt chassis, so I assume it must be possible.

Reply to
Doki

I cant find one that appears to be "active" to any great extent. I'll keep looking. The law tightened in 2004 IIRC, I think most home-build chassis are of lotus-7 style and so based on an existing proven chassis.

Reply to
CoyoteBoy

Try PPC magazine's forums or write to the magazine? They have quite a few writers and readers who have built very silly vehicles.

Reply to
Doki

Good website with lots of information is

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some very knowledgeable people on there, including a SVA & Legal section.

However I have a kitcar built earlier this year, the manufacturer has not 'crash tested' or any form of certification on it at all. The only thing you 'need' is an SVA when complete, even for a one-off.

Alan... had the chassis crash tested

Reply to
Phaeton

:) The SVA test requires crash testing proof though, quote:

"1. Check that the vehicle is accompanied by satisfactory documentary evidence of compliance with the requirements of item E14b listed in the "Enhanced SVA Requirements" Annex. NOTE: Evidence of compliance may be in the form of vehicle specific documentary evidence, ie from the manufacturer or a test laboratory, or of compliance with an acceptable comparable non- European standard, or by the comparison of the vehicle against the specification of an Approved vehicle, ie using a model report."

? I cannot find E14b online anywhere, or reference to anyone dealing with it.

Reply to
CoyoteBoy

E14b refers to frontal impact.

Have you read the SVA book? look here:

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looks like you need section E1

Reply to
Mrcheerful

that is a draft copy, but it seems to cover what you need to do, perhaps the present one is easier?

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Must admit to being a little confused by that manual, it says on page

26 must conform to E14b (frontal impact), but then where does it explain the actual requirements of E14b. It lists Directive 96/79/EC annex 2, para. 3. or ECE R. 94.01, para. 5. on page 41 but when i search for that all I find is more "must comply to these standards" and there is an iterative search through directives and changes of directives lol. Surely there must be a resource somewhere that says "the chassis must be designed to withstand an impact at X mph without deformation of the passenger cell more than Ymm" or some such info? I'll keep looking and see how i get on!
Reply to
CoyoteBoy

================================== If you're completely new to chassis design / building then you might find the section in the Haynes manual (Haynes 'Car Builder's Guide') worth a quick read for general ideas.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

'This manual is based on a complete fall-apart and start-again'

Reply to
PC Paul

Just turn up at the SVA station in your home-built, if the tester thinks it looks right and it conforms to the SVA safety regs, it passes. There is no need for an engineers report or proof of design.

Mad, but true, which is why most of mainland Europe bring their cars to the UK to be tested and registered.

Have you signed up at Locostbuilders yet ? they have a middy section...

Reply to
Tony Bond

Or crash-upgrade, crash-upgrade ;)

Reply to
Tony Bond

Shush, you're letting all the trade secrets out...

Reply to
PC Paul

================================== Everybody has to start somewhere and a basic introduction, even if imperfect, is better than nothing.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

Whoosh...

Reply to
PC Paul

Have you tried

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?

It's not just locosts they deal with.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

:) Cheers for the chuckle all :) I'm not new to the concepts of chassis design, ive been "into" motorsport and cars for a long time, hence the interest in giving this a go, its not just a whimsicle "ooh I'd like to do that". I've got access to a few books such as

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works libraries (work at a university) and being a mech engI've got a good inkling for the ideas and physics behind it, butalways willing to find new sources of help and info! Ta!

Reply to
CoyoteBoy

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