Wheeler Dealers beach buggy question.

[jefword]

Hi, Not sure if this should be in SP&L, TV or here, but I have just watched the wheeler dealers episode where they used a VW Beetle donor car to create a beach buggy.

The intention was to use the original floor pan / chassis but it was to corroded so a new one was made.

My question is, how come the donor car was a 70's J reg but the finished buggy was now a totally different 70's H reg

I would have thought the original log book was used for the chassis and likewise the number plate or a brand new number given.

Are we being conned or would there be a genuine explanation for the change of reg. I would understand if it was classed as a Q reg but not the change from J to H

[Snowboy]

I think you can get a car re-registered from the date it was built rather than the date it was first registered.

[VxDuncan]

VW Beetle has a "backbone" chassis - when the chassis is corroded it's usually the floorpans each side of the central spine (and maybe frame head)- so you normally cut these off, but retain the central spine, and crucially the chassis number (which is on the centre spine).

If the chassis number is reatained and a enough age-related parts used - gearbox, front axle, rear axle etc. it will qualify for an age related plate, though I can only assume the mix of parts (not from the same donor) meant that it got a different plate to the main donor vehicle.

[jefword]

Thanks but I think they replaced the whole chassis, as they shortened the wheelbase. They used the original engine & rear transaxle but I'm not sure about the front axle as it had disc brakes.

[300bhp/ton]

jefword said:

Thanks but I think they replaced the whole chassis, as they shortened the wheelbase. They used the original engine & rear transaxle but I'm not sure about the front axle as it had disc brakes.

Don't know how old this was. But with those changes it should have had to have an SVA (or IVA as it now is).

The change in reg likely points at the fact a different vehicle and/or logbook were actually used. There is no other legal or rational explanation.