Chassis Number ?

Has anyone seen a chassis number beginning with LVLO followed by a number before ?

Never seen a Scamp with a Vin like that.

Hi,

"Anorak Mode on"

I posted something similar to this, on one of the other kitcar forums a few years back

I don't recognize that number, however you have to remember that registering kitcars / chassis numbers etc has never been a straight froward process

There was a time before Q plates (and some time afterwards !) where kit cars were registered by the local DVLA office and each one seemed to have different procedures for identifying and naming Kit Cars.

Some were left with the same name as the Donor but with a changed chassis number, others would be referred to as Ford Special, Escort Convertible, Triumph Sports, or Similar, and the Kit Builders name (ie Bill Smith Special) could also be used. Utility Kits (Mini or Ford based) are often designated as "Utility 4x4" with a gross Vehicle Weight of 3500kgs !

I have registered a few kit cars (and owned quite a few more) and sometimes it was a bit "pot luck" as to what the local DVLA office (or whatever they were called at the time) wanted. I've registered vehicles at their counters with only basic details. Other occasions I've had to give chapter and verse (and photos). I've had cars inspected (pre SVA/IVA) and the guys that turned up hadn't got a clue what they were doing. I had quite a disagreement with one guy because he decided I'd got the engine number wrong......pity he was checking it with a casting number

Some manufacturers didn't supply (fixed/attached/secured) chassis numbers (early Duttons for example), you could declare your own, and in some cases DVLA gave out numbers (I think that these were 16 character format but can't quite remember) and yes there were occasions where there were two numbers. I have also heard of occasions where they have said the number was too short ! I also know of manufacturer who forgot to put the chassis number on a particular chassis

In the late seventies / early eighties you could have built a JBA/Spartan/Marlin/Merlin traditional roadster from your dead Ford Cortina.....taken along to your local DVLA office, you tell them you used all the parts from your cortina and they give you back your V5 with the amended chassis number and it been described as Ford Cortina Convertible. You'd be pleased that it had been registered (not as new or you'd have had to pay VAT on the new parts !) and off you go !
Its only many years later that PLOD stops you because your car doesn't match the description but you have done nothing wrong !

Many Kitcars will have been registered in this way originally......but 20 years on the registration may appear strange, don't assume that things are wrong......

Over the years there have been many different ways to determine the registration, whether the car was registered as new, whether it keeps the donor plates, whether it needed a Q, whether it needed SVA/IVA (much more recent !) but the rules could be interpreted differently in different areas, different DVLA officers, different times of the day !

To sum up there weren't hard and fast rules.......

"Anorak Mode off"

I hope that helps....

That explains a lot thanks. It's hardly surprising people have so much trouble with badly registered kit cars, a lot of it seems to be the DVLA's fault.