Chassis number/Identity mixup

[JJDraper]

A cautionary tale... When MOTing my car, the tester said he couldn't do the test because the VIN didn't match up to what was on the computer... I had a check and the problem was that a PO had changed the Lotus chassis for a Spyder one in the 70's. The PO had then notified the DVLA that he had changed the chassis and gave them the serial number of the Spyder chassis... The tester tried putting in the number on the Lotus chassis plate but the computer rejected this. He didn't know where the Spyder number was so coudn't test the car... Oh dear!

I understand that the identity of the car should stay with the body shell and its chassis plate number regardless of any chassis changes so the PO should not have informed the DVLA. The engine number matches up to the original details for the chassis plate (body) number, so I am confident that this is all right, and the identity of the car is correct. However, have any members had difficulties with getting DVLA to correct any problems made in the past?

Jeremy

[Jason1]

Hi Jeremy

I have the same the PO has registered the Spyder number as the VIN, I MOT ed the car 2 years ago and had no problems, I have not tried this year yet though.

My engine number does not match the body number according to the Lotus list, if I have a problem I was just going to stamp the body number onto a new VIN plate. I would have thought that the number registered on the log book (the Spyder one) would be ok for the MOT???

Let me know how you get on.

Jason

[JJDraper]

I took in the Registration document & he put in the Spyder chassis number which worked OK. My real concern is that the Lotus identity of the car could be lost if, say the chassis plate dropped off and I didn't know or remember what the real chassis number was. Fortunately I have the correct details and intend to report them to the DVLA and try and reverse the error. Looking at the forms, I will just put in the correct Lotus chassis number in section seven of the registration document and send it in.

Jeremy

[Jason1]

Hi

I thought about doing the same and got the DVLA to send me all the old V5 documents so I could look back and confirm the old Chassis number. Unfortunatly the V5's that came back all said the Spyder number until the first issued which was for an Audi Quatto with a completly different reg and chassis number.

I left it at that as if the DVLA records are really that bad are they just going to say the history is not clear and re-register the car on a Q plate?

I will be interested to find out how you get on.

Jason

[cliveyboy]

I remember many years ago. Club Lotus negotiating with the DVLA and agreeing that a chassis on a Lotus was only to be classified as a sub chassis that way if changed it avoided re registering it on a Q plate.

Clive