Building a Special

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I'm getting the itch to build another special.

Thing is I don't want it to have a modern registration and the chassis I intend to use would be new.

All the oily bits would be Jaguar and 1960's or earlier.

In the past it was quite easy. Buy a donor saloon, change the bodywork section on the V5 from saloon to two seater sports and send it off to the DVLA. No problems.

I don't think they are quite so flexible these days so has anyone managed to get a special registered recently without it having a new identity ?

Please PM me if you want to maintain discretion.

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Steffan said:

It can be done and anyone viewing kit cars as I have done will have seen the God awful illegal results that arise. I would strongly advise against that route. Legally the ONLY way to register a special now is via IVA. Not as difficult as sometimes suggested but not easy. I regularly get five kit cars a year through IVA a year as a private individual and it is not cheap but it is the only legal way. You could use a modern chassis incorporate enough of the original donor vehicle get the body change and retain the registration or get an age related plate via IVA? You will need receipts etc to substantiate the build. That would be my advice. Otherwise I would not attempt the alternative.

I've had a look on the DVLA website and think I understand it.

Am I right in thinking that if I use a recognised (new) chassis and enough parts of the donor vehicle I will at least get an age related registration based on the donor cars age ?

Will that also mean the car will be subject to the same rules as it's age related registration ? For example would a car that's issued with a 1957 age-related registration be exempt from MOT and road tax requirements ?

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Obviously "Specials and Replicas" cover a very wide spectrum.

I'm considering a Jaguar Special which will use a new chassis and certain parts from a donor Jaguar.

As far as I can gather from the DVLA website I should be able to obtain an age-related registration based on the donor cars age, providing I use a pre-determined percentage of the donor vehicle. This is what I would want to achieve.

I haven't been able to find the exact details of how much of the original car I'm required to use, nor how this would be verified.

For example I would probably use the engine, gearbox, front suspension, instruments - as a minimum. Would this be enough ? If I used the rear suspension from a later Jaguar how would anyone know ?

I've recently spoken to a chap who built an Alvis Special last year. He used a 1930's Alvis rolling chassis. Different engine, different gearbox, new body. He arranged for the finished car to be inspected by an independent engineer (his selection) and was issued with the original identity as a convertible. Original was a saloon.

This seems to be contrary to the requirements of the DVLA and yet he did it in a completely open manner and didn't try to fool anyone.