The DeLorean Owners Club UK Forum

Hi Everyone,

Just thought that I should shout from the roof tops that VIN 4532 passed it’s first ever MOT today!
It’s been a long slog, starting last September when I picked her up from Southampton Dock until now. A lot of midnight oil, blood sweat and tears, but well worth the Cheshire Cat grin I had driving her home this afternoon! Incidentally a second D was on the same boat as mine, anyone know where this went, and how it’s going? (They lost the keys to it at the dock).
All was well this afternoon until I visited the DVLA office with MOT in hand and my V55 (to get it registered). Boy are they “Masters of Pedantry” at the DVLA. Please take note of this tale of woe, so you can be forearmed if you’re considering registering a D.
There’s a small box on the V55 for date of manufacture/first used. Easy I thought, just put October 1981, as it shows on my VIN plate. Oh no….. Apparently you need WRITTEN official proof of this date. The VIN plate is not sufficient?! As it only says 1981 on the original US Title (Logbook) and not a month they cannot take any month.
“Sorry sir you’ll need to complete a new form and put Jan 1st 1981 in the box” came the reply!
Ok now; taking deep breaths I sat back down, joined the end of the queue and began a new form.
After another 30 mins waiting I was summoned to the counter and presented the paperwork.
Ummm came the response to my Insurance certificate. “We may have a problem here, it’s only a cover note for 7 days”. I explained that I had requested this from my insurers on Monday afternoon by phone so that it would be in the post to arrive by today Wednesday, to cover the drive to the MOT and be present to submit with the V55 application. As the car is not registered yet its Insurance Companies UK policy to only be able to issue a 7-day cover note against Chassis numbers. (For road use only. Laid up under restoration it’s up to 12 months)
“Yes sir, that’s quite correct, but your cover note expires at midnight on Monday 3rd March”
“Yes so?”
“Well it takes 3 working days to process the V55”
“Yes that’s Thursday, Friday and Monday. So what’s the problem?”
“We at the DVLA go on strike action tomorrow, and won’t be back until Monday. By which time when we begin to process your application the insurance will be out of date.” :evil:

Ever wondered what that bulletproof glass is for at the DVLA counter!

After much colourful debate they agreed to take my V55 for processing, but took my phone number just in case they need to call me to come in with another 7 day cover note. My guess is they won’t want to pay the £20 for a second cover note!

Anyway the main thing is VIN 4532 is now MOT’d.

Best Regards
Darren

well done, its all a bit daunting at first unless you have done it before, all the best and good luck TT

Darren C Wrote:We at the DVLA go on strike action tomorrow, and won’t be back until Monday.

I bet you a pound to a pinch of s*** that excuse won't wash if your car license expires friday, and you get pulled over on the weekend. The clampers, crushers, and the babylon will be working overtime to cash in on this moneyspinner, and the personel at the DVLA get a pay rise to boot.
T*ats

Well done anyway Darren, you got there in the end mate. Tell them to shove their strike action where the sun dont shine.

Ben

Hi Ben,

Really wish I could have told them where to stick it, but unfortunately you know in these situations that the little bureaucratic s**t would have you removed from the premises!

Regards
D[/quote]

Yep, had very similar experiences. The DVLA is the last great UK beurocracy.

I've got by with a photograph of the vin plate to prove the car was built after august 81 (therefore demanding an X plate), but had another plate transfer held up because tyhey didn't know when in 1981 the (already registered) car was built. This was a May car and would get a W plate either way. They never thought to ring me and ask, instead sitting on the transfer for three weeks while the new owner was jumping up and down.

Don't think just because the bloke at the desk told you they'd do it that they won't now just send you a letter saying the insurance is out of date. I had to resend one application in three seperate times because they had messed up twice previously and by the third time, the insurance note was out of date.

Eventually, I went in and patiently explained to the blokie exactly how much of a pain they were being. He registered it there and then in front of me... with a 15 minute pause while they tracked down their own inspection form...

Thanks Martin,

I did suggest taking a photo of the VIN plate, but they said it wouldn't do. I invited them to inspect the car and look at the VIN plate themselves. This too wouldn't do! (As they said someone may have changed it!!!)
Apparently they require written proof from the USA or Manufacturer (No hope of the latter) of when the vehicle was first used/registered.

As I'm not too fussed about a W or X reg; and I thought I had lost the will to live by arguing point with the DVLA, I just let it go.

Bit worried now by your experience of a 3 week delay, especially as their on strike part way through my application.

Oh well "Cest la vie"

Regards
D

hi

congratulations...i'm just going throgh the same.

just wondered...mine is a july car, however i have a us certificate of title about 3 inch by 7 inch with if new date of first sale 20/10/81.

does this mean x plate?.

and also i think the bottom has bee detatched (in the us)
i assume the dvla will not 'kick up a stink' and say they need all of it?

there is no weight or instance on this 'little' document.

i have lots of old paperwork for mine.

original window sticker(says 1981 only), and a 'certicate of origin' dated 3rd september 1981

i hope this does not cause problems!

I got Flopsy registered on a W plate by attaching a photograph of my
vin plate to the application (July 1981).

Thing is, Flopsy was actually first registered (according to Carfax) in
Kansas on 17 December 1982 - so does that mean she should have been
a Y reg?

Really sorry to hear of the problems your having with your local VRO,
at work we've stopped using Nottingham VRO (less then 10 miles away)
and now post all applications to Oxford VRO, because they action them
and post them back to us in a third of the time that Nottingham take.

steve.s Wrote:hi

just wondered...mine is a july car, however i have a us certificate of title about 3 inch by 7 inch with if new date of first sale 20/10/81.

does this mean x plate?.

If they see it, yes. A car will carry the plate that was current at date of registration, as long as it's within 3 years of manufacture.

The argument that someone might have changed the date of manufacture is nonsensical, the date is displayed on the vin plate and you have the title to prove the car's identity.

..or just buy a cheap dateless NI plate for £90

I remember that right hand drive 'C reg' D in Norfolk ... funny seeing one so 'new'

Hi Steve,

You may well get an X on the value of the 3" x 7" slip as Martin suggests even though your car was made earlier. I haven't got any paperwork with a Month on it only the year 1981. My advice is submit your dated paperwork and keep stum on the matter.

Martin, as I said earlier I'm not fussed about the W or X as I'll probably put a dateless reg on my car eventually. It's the "nonsensical" business that gets my goat over the VIN plate date. I did argue that as the VIN number on the California title matched the VIN plate the date should be proof. However the "nice man at the DVLA" argued that someone who wanted to make the car newer than it was could change the date and leave the VIN number to make it look more official!!
As you can see I really did loose the will to live and breath with the DVLA.

There was a time in the mid 1980's when you got a plate issued dated by the year of import, so in effect if they had kept this policy I'd have a 57 plate!
This probably explains the C or D reg car mentioned above?

Thanks for all your good will

Regards
D

My own experience of the DVLA is that they're staffed by jobs-worths! :roll:

The fact is that the DeLorean's VIN numbers are basically chronological, and the second-to-last letter on the vin is a code for the modal year - eg SCEDT26T7BD001458, the "B" means 1981.

I doubt you'd satisfy your particular DVLA misfit even if you took along the DMCNews production chronology and using an overhead projector and pointy stick, established exactly where in the chronological order your car resides.... he'd probably suggest you could have made it all up. :lol:

When I filled in my v55 I had no proof of first registration, so I put down my daughters birthday,12/12.. today I have the V5 and it says 31.12.81,
For some pervers reason I think the X looks better than W. but its just a letter. Id just like to also say when I handed my form in I think the girl was really helpfull and friendly...next time try driving all the way to Swansea and smile,,,A LOT :lol:

Out of interest what month was your car built allen?