whats this (biggish photo dial ups beware)

[bj928]

i had to keep the photo big so it could be read, its on my new van, i'm thinking its some kind of SVA type of thing but not sure, anybody have any ideas!!!!

[FredTransit]

The photo's fine, dunno what it is though!

[MarkM]

I have one of them with my van. don't really understand what it is as far as I can see it is a legal statement saying it is indeed a Transit made by Fords, perhaps they have to do this since when Fords did the RS200 to get type approval for racing they had to make 200 as a minimum as that is the figure the goverment decided on as a 'normal' car, in reality less than 200 were made but they (Fords) had already said they would so the goverment gave them the paperwork.

[bj928]

is it on something unusual like mine is ( v6 FORD special order ) or is your just a run of the mill transit.

[Terry]

It tells you what it is ,its a Type Approval,Certificate of Conformity.
Basically it says your van is manufactured to meet the requirements of the E.E.C. Type Approval rules.
Type approval was brought in to eliminate homebuilt cars that didn't have (or need at the time) any proven structural integrity, this threw the kit car manufacturers (most of which were/are in the U.K.) into dissaray, because all car manufacturers had to do the crash testing (now called ENCAP)and the kit car makers claimed they couldn't afford to crash 5 cars(the usual number) as it was a big chunk of a years production.
So kit car & small volume manufacturers (less than 50 cars a year) have some sort of exemption.

In the case of the RS200 quoted above , that was not type approval, that was 'homologation' an FIA rule to prevent manufacturers passing off purpose built (mainly rally cars) as production vehicles. The manufacturer had to make & sell to the public a minimum of 200 vehicles
to claim it was a production car. Ford got their homologation certificate but it appears that 200 cars were not completed (at the time) though now there are 200 plus, as many were built up from parts.

[Terry]

Sorry forgot to say, I suggest you take as good a photo as you can get of the certifaicate enlarge it to A4 then laminate it & keep it in the van, then when the original gets ruined beyond readable you will still have a copy.
( I would assume you will never need to show it ,,, but you never know).

[bj928]

so do all transits have this certificate somewhere or is mine one of the first of a new generation and the first few have to have it with the vehicle at all times to show they are built to a saftey standard

[bj928]

can anyone brake down the chassis number to work out when the van was built, i know it was registered in 94 but that doesn't say it was built in 94, maybe it was built to test stuff for the new gen vans and finnaly got registered in 94 as it wasn't needed any more for testing.

[FredTransit]

so do all transits have this certificate somewhere or is mine one of the first of a new generation and the first few have to have it with the vehicle at all times to show they are built to a saftey standard

I doubt they were needed by the time the production vehicles got on to the road, wev'e had a Mk2 from new and she didn't have it when we got her.

[MrMPuk]

can anyone brake down the chassis number to work out when the van was built, i know it was registered in 94 but that doesn't say it was built in 94, maybe it was built to test stuff for the new gen vans and finnaly got registered in 94 as it wasn't needed any more for testing.

Can do it from the VIN number.

[bj928]

chassis number is SFALXXBDVLRS34569

[MrMPuk]

VIN not Chassis!

[FredTransit]

Also, best not post things like chassis numbers on the public internet!

[MrMPuk]

It's in the picture above anyway Fred.

[FredTransit]

Yeah I know.