Registering the Delorean

[phil349]

My Car went for its first MOT last wednesday and failed on just one point, the steering rack has some play on both sides so ive taken it off and its now being refurbished ready for the re-test this week. Hopefully it should go straight through and pass. I was pretty happy with that, as it was its first mot and it didnt get any other advisories either!

Ive been looking at registering it and started to fill in the V55/5, there are a lot of sections on the form im not sure about, information like - type approval number/cat, specs of
the car like weights, width, length, emmissions figures, etc. On the guidance notes from the dvla for filling this form in it states this information can be taken from the C.O.C. (certificate of conformity I assume?), Does anyone have this info or any advice on what I should be putting on the form? Im really not sure!
On the guidance notes it also states I need to provide either a certificate of conformity, mutual reconition certificate or if I cant provide those a SVA test must be done, can anyone give advice here? what have others done when registering their cars? I didnt think an SVA test was required, just the MOT.

Also when I go to register the car at the local dvla office is everything taken care of there and then so I can drive the car straight away, or do I need to wait for anything to come through?

[jerzybondov]

A few questions in there Phil! To answer what I can...

SVA testing not required, the D is too old - just needs an MOT.

Re info about car - height/weight etc. I just took whatever info I could from the manual and added that to the form. Other info, like engine number, emissions figures I just left blank and that was fine. There's a link on dmctalk.com to somewhere you can download the manual, just do a search for it.

I think the D is too old for a Certificate of Conformity, but I may be wrong...

And yes, you need to take the MOT certificate (and current insurance documents - I had a mare with my cover note having just run out) with you to the DVLA office.

You won't be able to drive the car straight away as it takes them 3-5 days (I think) to issue you with a V5 and a registration number in the post. Once you've got that you can get some number plates made up and you're ready to go!

Let us know what registration you get - would be interested to see how consistent they are... For example, my car was given a W-reg despite not even being assembled until well into the X-reg period. (It's apparently now done on the beginning of the year your car was made in, they're ignoring their August-July cycles, so if your car is an 81 expect a W-reg, if it's an 82 expect an X).

One more thing - have you had your steering UJ checked? I had quite a bit of play on mine and it was due to a worn out UJ. Thought it might have been the rack but fortunately the rack was fine...

[Guinney1971]

Just to add to what Gez has put, assuming your car is an import from the US/elsewhere, you will
need to supply DVLA with the registration documents from the country that the car was last
registered in, and, again if its from the US, the Customs & Excise C&E386 Form which proves
that you have paid the necessary taxes and duty upon importing the car.

You will not get the foreign registration document back, so make sure you scan or photocopy
it before handing it over to DVLA if you want to keep a record of it.

I also took a photograph of my car's VIN plate, which stated the date of manufacture, and I
got a W-reg, which is sort of right for my car - technically, they go on the date first registered
in another country, and according to Carfax, (US version of HPI), my car wasnt registered until
December 1982, so really I should have had a Y suffix put on it.

Phill had a job getting 'Sorbet' #6772 registered correctly, as DVLA Nottingham (who are useless)
kept putting date of first registration 01.01.81, despite him showing them a photo of the vin
plate saying the car was built in November 1981.

I think it just depends on how savvy your local office is to be honest - I registered my car
at DVLA Luton as I lived in Hertfordshire at the time and that was my nearest office.

[jerzybondov]

Guinney1971 Wrote:Phill had a job getting 'Sorbet' #6772 registered correctly, as DVLA Nottingham (who are useless)
kept putting date of first registration 01.01.81, despite him showing them a photo of the vin
plate saying the car was built in November 1981.

I think it just depends on how savvy your local office is to be honest - I registered my car
at DVLA Luton as I lived in Hertfordshire at the time and that was my nearest office.

Yes - those other docs Claire mentioned are essential to take along! The form you've got should have come with a list of all the bits you need to take.

As for the registration dates thing - apparently that start of the year thing is standard policy now. I had an argument with them about it, my car is Nov 81 too and the only way it'll ever get marked down is as 01.01.81, despite the fact it wasn't registered in the USA until well into 1982!

Quite why they'd choose to (a) change something that was sensible and worked perfectly well to (b) something that is at odds with their own Aug-July registration year is beyond me...

[phil349]

Thanks for all the info guys. Im one step closer now, I had the steering rack refurbished and got the car re-tested and tracking done today and it passed fine. So Just need to register it now!! Feels great to drive!! Ive also never driven any car that gets as much attention as this! :lol: :lol:

I am going to the Manchester DVLA office this week with all the paperwork.

Thanks,
Phil.

[jerzybondov]

Good work Phil! Let us know how you get on with your registration...

[phil349]

All registered and on the road now! Been on the road for the last week and ive used it quite a bit, drives really well!! It gets a hell of a lot of a attention, ive never been in a car that gets as much as this!! Feels so good to be driving a delorean at long last!!
I got a W reg but up to now ive only fitted the reg plate on the back in a UK size reg plate surround, not got one on the front as yet, but have got one made up, to be honest I prefer the look without a front plate! Do many poeple run without a front plate? I know its not strictly leagal but the car wasnt designed to have one, id have to get a smaller than normal plate made to it will fit properly on the front bumper I think.
I'll get some pics of the car soon and get them uploaded on here. The only thing I really need to do next is get the seat re-covered which I am doing soon as the leather on the passenger side seat is badly cracked up.

Hope to meet some of you at some shows/meets at some point. I will be at the GKN meet on the 19th, driving down in convoy with Scott so that should be a good day! Who else is going to that?

[jerzybondov]

I don't know what proportion of D owners run with a front number plate or not - but I'd guess that at least 25% don't (I'm one of them). I don't think it's technically legal, and some people have been pulled up by the cops for it (£30 fine I think) - so it's your call really...

[Guinney1971]

great news Phil, and I look forward to meeting you and seeing your car at GKN on the 19th

[phil349]

Thought I'd upload some pics that were taken at a car show I went to recently. The car got a lot of attention :lol: :lol:
These are the only good pics I have at the moment, when/if we get a sunny day Im planning on a photoshoot!!

[jerzybondov]

Looking like a very nice car Phil - good stuff!

[Guinney1971]

wow, Scott wasnt wrong when he told me your car was nice!!

Blingtastic mate!!