Do all imports (from Japan) have to go through an SVA style test?

 

Yep.

Assuming it's a Jap domestic market car?

 

Thats a shame

I was gonna try and argue that the car came into the country without Cats - but presumably the sva test would check for this!

 

I thought an import had to have an SVA certificate in order to register it and get a V5 doc. My wrx hasn't got a centre cat or a fuel neck restrictor but it is registered????

 

It all depends when it was imported.
When the personal import scheme was running, SVA testing was not necessary, that was knocked on the head & everything had to be SVA tested under 10 years old.
What sometimes happens is that once a car is tested, the company who owns the car takes the bits back off the tested car & uses them for the next one, this is a common occurance.
Pajero's are the worst culprit, because on the UK version the lights are in the bumper & are able to be viewed from all the required angles no problem, with the Pajero the lights are on the rear side panels & with the spare wheel in place you can not see the lights properly.
The spare wheel has to be removed & the holes are supposed to be welded up so that the spare can not be put back on! How many Pajeros have you seen on the road with the spare on the back still? or people carriers with the rear overhanging mirror still in place??
We went to look at a Skyline before which was for sale which did not have a fog light or any holes where one could have been, no speedo conversion or fog light switch inside yet it had a certificate! Go figure.

It goes to show that wherever there are rules they are bent to suit.
All depends when it was first registered in the UK is the quick answer

 

Imports do not strictly need a cat, providing that they are not a model sold in the UK. This is how the Pulsar boys get away with it, if it says Sunny on the back, it needs a cat. It it's a pulsar, it doesn't. Must be a way to do this with Scoobies, as there must be models Japan had and the UK didn't.

Once a car has passed SVA test, it only needs to comply with MOT regs. I had to borrow a set of tyres and steering wheel to get mine SVA'd, no probs with an MOT though. Also things like fog lights have to be in a certain position, so mine was fitted for the SVA, then taken off and the rear lights rewired instead. No probs with the MOT on this though. There are ways around everything

 

UK didnt get WRXs or STIs until MY01 they still dont get the type RAs . Having a tyope RA makes it very difficult to get an insurance quote as it not on any direct insurance computers. "sorry mate cant quote you its not on the computer, are you sure its not a P1 or a Terzo" LOL

 

Oh and mine has speedo adjusted, fuel neck restrictor and rear fog and SVA certificate and an MOT now

 

No anything over 10 years just needs an MOT after any conversion work has been done.
HTH ian

[Edited by ian/555 - 9/12/2002 2:31:53 PM]