SVA a second hand car?

[clarkey]

Hello All

I'm thinking of buying an SR3 for track days and very occasional road use. Is it possible to buy an unregistered second hand car and add the SVA kit and get it registered? Has anyone done this that you know of, and if so, is it easy and not too expensive. Alternative is to buy a road registered car but there is a lot less choice.

Thanks for your help

Steve.

[martvr]

In principle, yes it's possible to SVA a secondhand car although the changes may be quite extensive. For a brief summary of what's involved have a look on Radical's website and go to SR3 Supersport; SR3 brochure and look at the bottom of the list.

Somewhere at home I have a price list from a new car spec and I seem to remember that including the SVA requirements cost about £2.5k so likely to be more if buying them outright rather than changing the spec on a new car? Let me know if you want me to check that cost and I'll have a rummage around. Also not sure if the wheel rims take the road going tyres - just a question that one, really don't know.

I have a road legal SR3 and like most I suppose it goes most places on a trailer. It is a comfortable feeling to have the ability to be able to use it on the road for bedding in new pads etc. but I'm seriously thinking about putting it on a SORN when the tax is due.

I hardly ever use it on the road because it sniffs out every bump, camber change etc. of which there are loads that it responds to, and is just a pain to drive. I suppose I could soften the settings and then put them back next time I go out on track. It is also compromised on ride height to make it suitable for the road which doesn't help on track.

Does it come down to what you want to use the car for most? Set it up for road use and I guess you'll lose out a lot on the cars ability on track. Set it up for track use and you'll have to change it to take it out on the road.

I think what I'm suggesting is that if you want to use it mostly on track then perhaps a road going car isn't the best choice unless you are happy changing the setup regularly. I guess you've seen the red SR3 on here at the moment?

[clarkey]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I've seen the red car, and it happens to be about 5 miles from where I live.

I guess part of the reason to want it SVA'd is to justify the expense to myself. I'm happy to pay the money if I know I can use it on the road from time to time, even if I do rarely. I'd probably keep it set up for the road then change it to track set up before a track day so I'd be able to use it at short notice if I fancied it.

So I guess the answer is probably to get a good road registered car then. I'm not ready yet as I have to get round to selling a Porsche so there is no hurry, just planning on what to do with the time off this summer.....

[ScottHughes]

A boyhood dream to have a racing car on the road or so I thought until I had one!!! Have you ever driven a racing car of anykind on the road? even with the softest setting on the shocks etc it's no fun at all! and dangerous as the car can be thrown around by bumps and pot holes.

I would suggest that you drive one on the road for at least 5 miles or so before you buy... if after that you still have all your teeth left, a spine in one peice, have not dented all the wheels from pot holes, and still have a smile on your face, then maybe consider buying and running one on the road.. but compared to a porsche of anykind even a GT3 RS a proper racing car is something else... in MHO

[silv]

ScottHughes said:

A boyhood dream to have a racing car on the road or so I thought until I had one!!! Have you ever driven a racing car of anykind on the road? even with the softest setting on the shocks etc it's no fun at all! and dangerous as the car can be thrown around by bumps and pot holes.

I would suggest that you drive one on the road for at least 5 miles or so before you buy... if after that you still have all your teeth left, a spine in one peice, have not dented all the wheels from pot holes, and still have a smile on your face, then maybe consider buying and running one on the road.. but compared to a porsche of anykind even a GT3 RS a proper racing car is something else... in MHO

Yep I agree IMHO its a no brainer ! The SR3 is designed as a race\track car and thats what it should be used for. Years ago we had a Westy that was set up for track days and even that was a pain in butt to drive on the road.

Edited by silv on Thursday 31st January 10:08

[clarkey]

I've had a couple of screenless Caterham R500s and a 964RS so don't mind hard suspension and a bit of tramlining, but I take your point.....

[jpivey]

I work at a race school that has a road legal SR3 for doing passenger rides in good on the track awful on the road any bump or camber change has it all over the road, i feel very open to the elements on the road and any trucks coming the other way is not nice.

[BertBert]

clarkey said:

I've had a couple of screenless Caterham R500s and a 964RS so don't mind hard suspension and a bit of tramlining, but I take your point.....

R500 has the suspension of a rolls royce (all that wussy rising rate spring stuff) compared to a radical on the road! Ditto the porker too!

Bert

[wavesport7]

If you are going to drive it on the roads more than the track, you may want to consider an sr4 as it does not suffer the cambers and potholes anything like as much as the sr3, probably due to the much narrower and higher profile tyres of the sr4. However you said you would do mainly trackdays, the sr3 is superior on the track and also has a much larger passenger seat and foot-well, as anyone over about 5ft 10" and size 8 feet is rather cramped in the sr4.

As far as the sva you will have to remove things such as the rear wing because of the narrow radius edges, also the mirrors have to be mounted on the side of the aeroscreen. Once you clear the sva you can change these back as they will go through an MOT!

Edited by wavesport7 on Friday 1st February 16:56

Edited by wavesport7 on Friday 1st February 17:05