Kit Car - Personal Plates?
Discussion
Could someone shed some light on this please....
I purchased an AC Cobra replica by Pilgrim date of registration June 2004 a little over two months ago. In addition I acquired a number plate OCO2BRA on the understanding an 02 plate could be assigned to a vehicle with a date of registration earlier than March 2002.
Having just visited the local DVLA office I am surprised to have been provisionally advised I cannot assign my new plate to the car. They state the reason being is that the original donor car was manufactured in 1991 and an age related plate specific to the donor car must be assigned.
Has anyone heard of this, come up against this or am I a victim of an over enthusiastic government employee?
I purchased an AC Cobra replica by Pilgrim date of registration June 2004 a little over two months ago. In addition I acquired a number plate OCO2BRA on the understanding an 02 plate could be assigned to a vehicle with a date of registration earlier than March 2002.
Having just visited the local DVLA office I am surprised to have been provisionally advised I cannot assign my new plate to the car. They state the reason being is that the original donor car was manufactured in 1991 and an age related plate specific to the donor car must be assigned.
Has anyone heard of this, come up against this or am I a victim of an over enthusiastic government employee?
Edited by AppleMan on Friday 27th April 17:44
AFAIK this is correct regarding age related plates.
If sufficient parts are used from the donor an age related plate will be assigned ie if a K reg donor is used then a K reg plate will be assigned therefore a plate that makes the car appear younger than it is will not be allowed ie you 02 plate.
If all new parts with 1 major component being reconditioned to an as new condition then a new reg will be assigned and your 02 plate could be used.
There is a thread on this subject on madabout-kitcars.com
If sufficient parts are used from the donor an age related plate will be assigned ie if a K reg donor is used then a K reg plate will be assigned therefore a plate that makes the car appear younger than it is will not be allowed ie you 02 plate.
If all new parts with 1 major component being reconditioned to an as new condition then a new reg will be assigned and your 02 plate could be used.
There is a thread on this subject on madabout-kitcars.com
You can't attach a personal number plate to any car if it will make it look newer than it actually is, and the same goes for kit cars. If it should have a 1991 plate, you won't be able to put your '02' reg on it no matter when the kit was assembled.
Adam.
ETA Beaten to it!
Adam.
ETA Beaten to it!
Edited by AdamW on Friday 27th April 14:43
Your Cobra may well have gone through the process of being registered in '04, but it would have had to be as a 'new car' ( only possible by going the route as outlined above ) and to my knowledge, Pilgrim do not build 'new' cars as such but use a donor as much as anything to make registration more straight forward by using the donors original logbook. Therefore you will not be able to use your '02 plate, sorry.
All,
Thanks for you input..
I now have the "rules" from the DVLA relating to Kit Cars and private plates...For interest they are as follows:
"A vehicle will retain its donor registration mark if either the original unmodified chassis or unaltered monocoque bodyshell and two other major components from the donor vehicle are used"
"If a new monocoque bodyshell or chassis from a specialist kit manufacturer is used (or an altered chassis / body shell from an existing vehicle) together with two major components from a donor vehicle, an age related mark will be assigned. The mark will be based on the donor vehicle."
I believe my issue relates to the paragrah above in that I need to be able to prove that two major components of the donor car no longer reside in my Cobra replica. Firstly this will come down to how the DVLA define "major" when making reference to donor parts and secondly how I prove what bits of the donor car if any are alive and well in my car.
The inference from GTWayne that most kit builders use a donor cars log book for ease in the registration process goes someway in reassuring me there is little chance of having "dirty" Sierra parts in my pride and joy.
Deluded I may be, but I reckon I am still in with a shout of getting my plate assigned and out foxing the DVLA on this one.
Thanks for you input..
I now have the "rules" from the DVLA relating to Kit Cars and private plates...For interest they are as follows:
"A vehicle will retain its donor registration mark if either the original unmodified chassis or unaltered monocoque bodyshell and two other major components from the donor vehicle are used"
"If a new monocoque bodyshell or chassis from a specialist kit manufacturer is used (or an altered chassis / body shell from an existing vehicle) together with two major components from a donor vehicle, an age related mark will be assigned. The mark will be based on the donor vehicle."
I believe my issue relates to the paragrah above in that I need to be able to prove that two major components of the donor car no longer reside in my Cobra replica. Firstly this will come down to how the DVLA define "major" when making reference to donor parts and secondly how I prove what bits of the donor car if any are alive and well in my car.
The inference from GTWayne that most kit builders use a donor cars log book for ease in the registration process goes someway in reassuring me there is little chance of having "dirty" Sierra parts in my pride and joy.
Deluded I may be, but I reckon I am still in with a shout of getting my plate assigned and out foxing the DVLA on this one.
The bottom line is that a kit car may get one of three different registrations, depending on the standard of build and how many donor or new parts it has. If the car uses bits from many donors, or proof of the donor parts is not available it will be assigned a Q reg, which can not be replaced with a private plate. If enough of the donor parts are used it can be given an age related plate. You could then put a private plate on it providing it does not make the car look newer than it is. If mainly new parts are used, the car may get a current year registration, again a private plate can be put on as long as it doesn't make the car look newer.
You said that your Cobra was registered in 2004, but did not say what type of plate was been put on it (Q, age related or new). If it does have an age related plate older than 2002 then I'm afraid the plate you bought can not be fitted to it.
You said that your Cobra was registered in 2004, but did not say what type of plate was been put on it (Q, age related or new). If it does have an age related plate older than 2002 then I'm afraid the plate you bought can not be fitted to it.
The "major components" the DVLA take into account are:
Engine,
Transmission,
Chassis (or monocoque)
Axles (front AND rear)
Suspension (front AND rear)
Steering
If you DID manage to convince them that the car didn't use any of those "major components" from te donor, they'd have to assign you with a "Q" plate so I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot! You'd have to prove that they came off a post-2002 car to get an age-related plate from after 2002 to use your private plate. Unfortunately, this is nigh-on impossible to do after the vehicle has been registered.
Engine,
Transmission,
Chassis (or monocoque)
Axles (front AND rear)
Suspension (front AND rear)
Steering
If you DID manage to convince them that the car didn't use any of those "major components" from te donor, they'd have to assign you with a "Q" plate so I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot! You'd have to prove that they came off a post-2002 car to get an age-related plate from after 2002 to use your private plate. Unfortunately, this is nigh-on impossible to do after the vehicle has been registered.
I have to agree, if you've got an age related plate. ie from the same year as the donor vehicle, you are stuck with it.
Mind you I think I do recognise the car and its a very nice example of the kit so not all is lost.
If you haven't so far, get over the Cobra Replica club www.autos.ninebean.com/cobraclub/ introduce yourself and meet like minded nutters who like V8's and attention. Its also a fantastic resource on all matters Cobra.
Cheers,
Tony
Mind you I think I do recognise the car and its a very nice example of the kit so not all is lost.
If you haven't so far, get over the Cobra Replica club www.autos.ninebean.com/cobraclub/ introduce yourself and meet like minded nutters who like V8's and attention. Its also a fantastic resource on all matters Cobra.
Cheers,
Tony
appleman said:
The inference from GTWayne that most kit builders use a donor cars log book for ease in the registration process
I did not mean to infer that 'most kit car builders', just Pilgrim. I live a few miles from the factory and as you can imagine, over the course of time have heard many a tail of their antics over the years, quite often from folk that have actually worked there and been involved first hand.
Avocet said:
If you DID manage to convince them that the car didn't use any of those "major components" from the donor, they'd have to assign you with a "Q" plate so I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot!
Not only that, the DVLA may well decide that your car will have to go through SVA to gain that Q-plate. Assuming that it's the one in the photo on you profile, there may well be bits that it will fail SVA on, those mirrors for a start!
Personally, if I were in your shoes I'd sell on the O2 plate and buy a nice 3-letter 3-number plate for it, much more period.
Fat Richie said:
Avocet said:
If you DID manage to convince them that the car didn't use any of those "major components" from the donor, they'd have to assign you with a "Q" plate so I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot!
Not only that, the DVLA may well decide that your car will have to go through SVA to gain that Q-plate. Assuming that it's the one in the photo on you profile, there may well be bits that it will fail SVA on, those mirrors for a start!
Personally, if I were in your shoes I'd sell on the O2 plate and buy a nice 3-letter 3-number plate for it, much more period.
The pic in the OP's profile appears to have an 07 plate though?
No, it's a J registration issued for Sept 1991 to Aug 1992.
Agree with a previous poster, get a plate along the lines of "XXX 123" as this will be in better keeping with a period-styled car like the Cobra.
Either that or get an early age-related plate from (example) 1964 or something which would be, what, the old style B or C registration?
Agree with a previous poster, get a plate along the lines of "XXX 123" as this will be in better keeping with a period-styled car like the Cobra.
Either that or get an early age-related plate from (example) 1964 or something which would be, what, the old style B or C registration?
FNG said:
No, it's a J registration issued for Sept 1991 to Aug 1992.
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...
whoops
I was going to add the disclaimer that living in Australia I wasn't sure about the plate. Here you can get (almost) any plate you want, no matter how old the car is you can go and get a brand new issue plate for a small fee.Which I reckon is a sound idea and have actually been banging on about in another thread!
In the UK we have a fixation with number plates which is related entirely to snobbery and caused entirely by the DVLA / Guv'mint.
Either it's private plates as a status symbol and people fiddle with them to get them to read things they don't, or they declare the age of the car and the neighbourhood's curtain-twitchers get to gossip over who's doing well and who's not.
Give it a break, is my vote. Here's a number plate, it's been made for you, fit and forget.
Well, except for stick-on plates on kits and classics, maybe...
In the UK we have a fixation with number plates which is related entirely to snobbery and caused entirely by the DVLA / Guv'mint.
Either it's private plates as a status symbol and people fiddle with them to get them to read things they don't, or they declare the age of the car and the neighbourhood's curtain-twitchers get to gossip over who's doing well and who's not.
Give it a break, is my vote. Here's a number plate, it's been made for you, fit and forget.
Well, except for stick-on plates on kits and classics, maybe...
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