Tracing Identity of UK car

sprintevo

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Hi I am restoring a UK supplied car which I bought as a pretty much a pile of bits and a bodyshell which resided in the midlands. the vendor told me it was partly restored with new panels but then sat at the back of a garage for a few years and they are unable to finish the job.

Chassis number is 2266151 a 3.0 CSi supplied in September 1973 to the UK and was/is Golf Yellow and was re sprayed at some time in light blue.

DVLA are not able to do a reverse trace on the Chassis number so I am wondering how to go about getting the original registration number, somebody on the forum may know the car. If I know the original number and it is not allocated I can use it, otherwise It may be a Q plate which i want to avoid. any help or suggestions welcome
 

timt

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Hi, I've forwarded this query to someone over here who has started trying to track E9s excl CSLs ('cos I'm trying to track CSLs!). It would help if you can provide more detail on your source/vendor and any useful information from documented ID material if you have any - you may prefer to PM this if you don't want to publish too much.
 

timt

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A PS:

If you are UK based and/or wanting to re-register the car in the UK it would not necessarily be a Q plate unless the link with the original car is "impossible" to prove (my abbreviated interpretation of the guidelines) ... you should be able to pick up the old registration if it can be traced, otherwise an available registration of the year. This all assumes that the car has simply been off the road for a long time and not formally "written-off", scrapped etc resutling in the old registration being available for re-use. I assume from your post you've reviewed the DVLA web site. My car has been off the road for the thick end of 20 years but is still held on the DVLA system ... the key being the registration number, ergo your original question.
 

Malc

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As Tim says you really need the registration plate number.
If you have any paperwork relating to the car, old bills, MOT's, pictures etc you stand a fighting chance.
However if the car was written off then the original plate has "gone".
As a start get the build details from BMW Mobile Tradition which will give you the year. Using this information you might be able to go to BMW UK who may have details of who it was originally sold to, then you might find the original number otherwise it's an age related plate, which is usually none transferable.
Good luck in your investigations
Malc
 

Malc

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A Q plate is a special type of number plate (License plate) which is attached to a car were the date of build cannot be determined. They tend to be used on kit cars and specials that people build. for example the plate may read Q123 ABC or ABC 123Q

There are ways of avoiding getting a Q plate using a points system devised by the UK authorities. For example if you build a kit car out of a Range Rover you can keep the registration number of the Range rover as long as you use, and can prove you have used, a certain number of parts from that vehicle.

People often want to avoid a Q plate because it depresses the value of the finished vehicle.
I know of several several Rally cars with Q plates. They have them as they tend to be built from many cars so they don't have a single "provable" identity. However as they are so specialised the values don't change because of this.


Malc
 

timt

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Sprintevo, you ask, via a PM, if I know of any parts cars in the UK - I don't but others on this thread may do. I will also ask my contact as you recently requested.

I had not passed back the answer to your original question ("somebody on the forum may know the car") which I enquired about and both I and others gave feedback on your Q plate queries - but no response from you. As it happens your car is not known to us.

If the vendor is unable to give you any documentation whatsoever that links to its registration, I would seriously consider an HPI or other validity check to ensure you don't have a written-off vehicle or one of questionable legality. It would be unfortunate to be caught out later after investing time and money if it has a questionable history.

I once sold a car as parts in good faith to a "friend", it was a wreck having got too close to some trees at opposite corners creating a slightly diamond effect when viewed from above! Some months later I was called by the police querying "my" car - now a different colour, different registration number but same VIN ... non changed legally. I had passed on the registration documents when I made the sale but failed to check that the buyer had notified the DVLA - things worked slightly differently then but I learnt the lesson!
 

timt

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Sprintevo, you ask, via a PM, if I know of any parts cars in the UK - I don't but others on this thread may do. I will also ask my contact as you recently requested.

I had not passed back the answer to your original question ("somebody on the forum may know the car") which I enquired about and both I and others gave feedback on your Q plate queries - but no response from you. As it happens your car is not known to us.

If the vendor is unable to give you any documentation whatsoever that links to its registration, I would seriously consider an HPI or other validity check to ensure you don't have a written-off vehicle or one of questionable legality. It would be unfortunate to be caught out later after investing time and money if it has a questionable history.

I once sold a car as parts in good faith to a "friend", it was a wreck having got too close to some trees at opposite corners creating a slightly diamond effect when viewed from above! Some months later I was called by the police querying "my" car - now a different colour, different registration number but same VIN ... non changed legally. I had passed on the registration documents when I made the sale but failed to check that the buyer had notified the DVLA - things worked slightly differently then but I learnt the lesson!
 

Malc

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Sprintevo,
I have a parts car, which I need some parts off!
What, if anything are you looking for?
Please note it is a complete wreck!
 

Malc

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Sprintevo,
I have a parts car, which I need some parts off!
What, if anything are you looking for?
Please note it is a complete wreck!
 
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