With the engine running and the trim complete, thoughts quickly turn to getting the car on the road. DJ has the benefit of trade plates, so our little red roadster was straight out for a shakedown run to make sure everything was working as planned and to bed in the brakes. Designer Peter Walker saw the car through SVA and registration. He points out that most home-builders don't have the luxury of trade plates, but there is one way you can legally run your new-build on the road - with insurance but without tax or registration - before taking it for its SVA….and that is to drive it for a pre-booked MoT.

You don't actually need one for registration purposes," he said, "but it provides a useful and cheap means of checking many SVA items prior to test and it gives you a chance to try the car. The next time you can drive it will be to the SVA test centre. A lot of people trailer the car, but you don't have to and you can still drive it home even if it fails, unless the inspector finds something dangerously wrong with the it."

The SVA test shouldn't be a problem if you've built the car using all DAX parts and according to the DAX SVA Manual, and it wasn't for our car, which sailed through at the first attempt in less than two hours…..although Peter says that in some instances it has been known for the £165 test to take the best part of a day.

As stated, having passed an SVA test, the car won't actually need an MoT to be registered, but it will after its first period of tax (six months or one year) has run out and, of course, every year after that.

A useful short cut to getting your pride and joy on the road is to apply for registration at the same time as you apply for the SVA test, says Peter. For registration purposes you will need to submit all the required paperwork to your local Vehicle Registration Office including, if you are seeking an age-related plate like our car, the vehicle registration document (V5) from the donor.

"Registration may seem a long way away in the early stages of a build, but you need to be organised throughout and keep all documents in a safe place," said Peter. "You are going to need them."

Before registration, your local VRO will also need to see a Minister's Approval Certificate gained at the SVA test and a valid certificate of insurance, but these don't have to be included with the original paperwork. Your local VRO will also want to inspect the vehicle. This is a pre-registration requirement and it is mainly to avoid delays with such appointments that Peter recommends applying to the Vehicle Inspectorate (for an SVA test appointment) and the VRO (to start the registration procedure) simultaneously.

The VRO's main reason for inspecting the vehicle is to ensure that the serial numbers for the chassis and engine are properly and clearly marked and are as declared. "If our customers need any guidance or advice during SVA or the registration process," said Peter, " we are always on hand to help."

And with that last hurdle out of the way, our Rush is ready for the open road - and it has already found a new owner to enjoy it. Not before having a brief period of glory as one of the stars of the DAX Open Day, though.

All the components to build a similar Rush De Dion LX - without any extras - would cost £6200.50 excluding VAT, or they can be bought at the same time for £5995 plus VAT. Our car also has chrome front suspension, alloy wheels, luxury carpet , high-back luxury vinyl seats, a stainless steel rear hoop and black powder coating.