Number Plate Dillema..

[kam100]

I've got a bil of dillema regarding another plate i've found.
Basically lady has an early 80's car registered from new and her husband had a plate transferred onto it. This is KAM ** which is perfect for me, for obvious reasons. She is offering it at a very good price, but is selling it WITH the car, which has not been driven since 1996 and has been rotting in a barn since that date. Its tax disc shows the plate and expired in 96 (no subsequent tax disc ever purchased) and she has the V5 document for the car with again the plate showing as KAM **.

She is selling the car with it, as she knows the car is worthless and would cost thousands to do up.
I've got a plate right now and have transferred it from car to car since 2001, but i've never done a plate trasnfer off a car which has no tax, no MOT and no insurance. Anyone had any experience with this?

I could have the car recovered onto my driveway and would be willing to tax it, insure it and even get an MOT from a friend (if i ask nicely enough), would this be all that is required? There is no certificate of entitlement for the plate, and the DVLA website doesn't answer this question directly in any sense. The plate at the price asked is definitely worth the hassle, but i just want to find out the easiest way of going about getting this off the car. I would scrap the car afterwards, give it to the fire brigade or take it down a scrapyard, so would get all my money back for the tax, insurance etc.

[shineydave]

just spoke to a mate of mine who's done something similar recently. he has an old Corvette which had a cherished plate, he wanted to swap it to his Jeep. now the 'vette has been parked up a fair few years, in fact i don't think it'd been run since 2000. he had to get it MOT'd, then insure it and finally tax it. once it was taxed he could then swap the plate. now i understand what you're saying about a friend possibly sorting you an MOT but here's where it might get a bit sticky. He applied to Leeds vehicle licensing office to arrange the transfer and was told because the 'vette hadn't been taxed for so many years they wanted to come out and inspect it as there was a possibillity that the car didn't even exist now. obviously this is the bit that could land you in a code brown situation if it's obvious the car hasn't a hope in hell of passing an MOT.

[kam100]

Thanks Dave, after a day of searching for information from various sources, i came to this same conclusion.
The car in question has been sitting since 1996, and has not been renewed or SORN, so i am guessing the DVLA wll check out the car and come round to see it. The car is in very bad condition and i don't think it could be viewed as passing an MOT, what do you think would be the best course of action then?
The seller is a nice lady and seems cooperative, shall i get her to retain the certificate on my behalf if i promise to take the car off her hands in the same transaction?
I think that is what will need to be done, but i am thinking they may face the same situation too.
Car is described as 'not working' and i don't want to get anyone in trouble or get myself in trouble and do't want an old heap taking up room on my driveway at the same time!

[simple1]

Rules say the donor vehicle has to have been taxed in the last six months, in this case you will need to get an MOT, and tax it in the normal way which will mean insurance too.

[shineydave]

what sort of car is it? i'm taking a wild stab in the dark here but unless it's something particularly tasty that you could sell on to cover the potential costs the whole idea is more grief than it's worth

[kam100]

After speaking with the DVLA this morning, they have confirmed everything you're saying guys, what a bunch of stupid wa**ers! why does the donor car need to have all this stuff for, what purpose does it serve!! if im going to scrap it, let me transfer the plate off it and scrap the damn car..

Basically i now know why the people in question are selling this cherished plate for very little money and have not simply transferred it over to their new/current vehicle.

The dvla ( the wan**rs that they are) require for plate transfers, both the donor vehicle and the receiving vehicle in this case the 1984 Mercedes 500 SEC that the plate is currently on, and the Audi RS4 (which will be the receiving vehicle) to both have MOT and Tax, as well as V5 in tact.

So basically, if i got the Merc delivered to my driveway, i would need to get an Mot for it (to get the Tax), which wouldn't really be a problem, a £50 note sent in the right direction should sort this out, but the 'code brown' situation comes if the DVLA come out to inspect the vehicle and it is obvious that it would never have passed its MOT. Both myself and the MOT station in question would likely get in a lot of trouble.

(Sorry to cover the same ground as above, just trying to get the situation right in my mind!)

They have more or less agreed a price of £1500 for the plate (with car) which is dirt cheap for the plate in question, but the work going to be needed to get the car up to Mot standard will likely run into the thousands, and right now im not that 'liquid' and need to think of the imminent arrival of the RS4 before i start being stupid with this merc.

But anyone got any ideas how much this plate would be worth? KAM followed by two numbers. Will get the pics onto here..

[kam100]

[harry]

thats a proper pimp mobile shame its so fecked I may have offered you summit for it.
Price? the lower the numbers the better I guess but no idea. Compare on other reg websites to ge tindication of price?

[Dippy]

Hey Kam,

For arguments sake, let's say it would cost you 500 quid to get the car through an MOT, and tax and insure it.

So now you have 2000 quid to spend on a fecking number plate or something else.

If you still want the number plate then I'd love to be in your financial situation...

[kam100]

Im guessing it will cost a lot more then £500 to get this through its MOT..
Literally hasn't been touched in 10 years, and so most of the parts may have seized up.
As its so old and there are not that many around nowadays, the parts may also be rare, not just expensive!

I am not in that good a financial situation mate, and £2000 could be used much more productively elsewhere, but this is cheap for the plate in question, they go for a lot more at DVLA auction and the resale sites, newreg.com, regtransfers.com sell them in excess of £10k if they get hold of them. So it might actually be a sound investment. But only if i can get this damn pimp mobile running.

Anyone know what the DVLA actually inspect at the inspection, it says they just look at VIN/Chasis numbers to check ID against their records and the paperwork, and these tests occur randomly, so i might not even be inspected, but have been told as it hasn't been taxed since 1996, it will be very likely in this instance. But could i just get away with cleaning her up and making her look as if she runs, and not really be good to fire up?

[harry]

A real dilemma Kam. As you say cheap for the plate but a potential can of worms in service/repair costs. You need someone on the inside witht the DVLA to answer yer questions before you make the commitment. Having dealt with them over the years none of them seem to be car enthusiasts so unlikely we have got one on here eh?

[MK4ASH]

MMMMM? Obviously not knowing whats wrong with the car doesnt help but is it worth seeing if the old girl will start? If your extremely lucky and it does start and hopefully move then maybe it would be worth putting it through an MOT just to see what it fails on.

Its practically a limo so could all the stuff that doesnt work be air con, elec seats etc etc. All things that the MOT boys cant fail you on.

A bit of a stab in the dark i know but hopefully we'll all figure something out!! Dam Mercs!!! MERCEDES+DVLA

[kam100]

Bollox to it.. have bought the car, and am going to go and view it next week.
Mechanic reckons, there is a way around this.
Basically by having a fresh MOT and presenting it to the DVLA in the same week will cause problems!
If the inspection takes place, and the car is obviously a wreck then they will question how the car got through the MOT when the ink on the MOT hasn't even dried yet and the car is a wreck, will risk a lot in getting in trouble.
However, one of my clients said today, why don't you buy it, stick a tax disc on it with a friend provided MOT and then leave it for 5 months or so, then present it for retention, and if (big if) they request an inspection, its more believable that at the time of the MOT the car was working but had now given up and died!? if it doesn't start then they won't beable to tell the gearbox is seized and the mechanicals don't work, will just tell them the cars dead, i've given up on it, and want to transfer my plate off it please!? before my tax runs out.. that will sound more believable and will be less cost to bear rather then trying to do her up to an MOT able standard.

Right so anyone got a car trailor i can borrow to go and get it with my Range Rover Sport, or a car transporter hanging about?
If a new battery gets the thing started, i may even drive her back!

[shineydave]

i hired a suspended tow dolly from the local HSS hire shop the last time i needed to tow something. it was a few years back but it might be an option. think it was about 25 quid for the day.

[kam100]

Whats a tow dolly, will i beable to tow this with my RRS,
The cars brakes and wheels are not seized so won't be needing a winch to drag the thing till the wheels start to roll again.
Will have to tow it using the back wheels with nose to the floor. Have emailed a few companies requesting a quote to move the car for me.
The current owners reckon with a new battery it may even start, are going to attempt it this weekend. Lets see.
Anyone know anyone who can lend me some trade plates! may even drive this thing back home (about 40 miles away) if im feeling brave, RRS escorting me though with a tow rope handy!