On Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:15:07 +0100, John Williamson
wrote:
Bruce wrote:
On Sat, 8 Aug 2009 03:11:57 +0100, "D.R." wrote:

, the speed limiter is set against the age of the vehicle as
registered on the C.O.I.F. (The Certificate of Initial Fitness.)
The registration has never been used as a means of identifying the age of
the vehicle by VOSA or any other body concerned with this type of
regulation.


Ah, but the age of the chassis is crucial here. A chassis that was
registered before the cut-off date can be fitted with a new body but
the age of the chassis remains the same.


Full details on speed limiters he-

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repo...of%20dates.pdf

Basically, all vehicles with 16 seats or more, manufactured after 1973
but before 1988 must have a limiter fitted, set at 70 m.p.h. Vehicles
made after 1987 must have a limiter fitted, set to 62 m.p.h.

Large vehicles normally take their date of manufacture from the chassis,
but would *you* want to take a 22 year old (Minimum) chassis and put a
new body on it, just to gain an extra 8 miles an hour on the top speed?

I also suspect that VOSA would be of the opinion that re-bodying a
vehicle of that age would not be acceptable for a C.O.I.F., and doing so
would invalidate the existing one.

If you replace too much, what you get is a Q plate, which means you need
to comply with the latest rules on Construction and Use.

Of course, re-bodying a ten year old chassis is a different kettle of
fish, but then all the latest rules would apply and be complied with,
except for emissions regulations.


Many thanks John, much appreciated. What you stated above is
consistent with my initial post. What you have done is provided the
detail and the dates and I am grateful for that.

A family friend was the Sales Director of a large firm of coach
builders. I first became aware of the building of new coaches on old
chassis some years ago - some time in the 1990s - when I read in a
national quality newspaper about the practice. So I asked our Sales
Director friend. He confirmed that his company had bult quite a few
coaches on older chassis for this reason.

He went into some detail (over a few beers) about the amount of
rebuilding of the chassis that was allowable for it to retain its
"original date" and therefore the faster 70 mph top speed. One thorny
problem was apparently the outriggers that carry the coach bodysides -
I think he said that the new bodies were heavier and needed stronger
outriggers, but his company couldn't fit them because it might, could
or would (I cannot recall which) make the chassis "new" and therefore
oblige fitting of the slower limiters.

So a compromise was reached, which was to fit a greater number of
outriggers of the original design. Outriggers generally needed
replacement after a few years anyway because they were severely
exposed to salt spray, so there was a general acceptance that fitting
replacement outriggers, only more of them, was still considered as a
refurbishment of the original coach body.

Not being involved in the coach industry, and not being a bus/coach
enthusiast, I didn't know the exact details and the dates involved, so
I am grateful that you could fill in the gaps for me.