The DVLA can be a pain.
I have a 1972 Hillman Avenger GT that I will finish restoring at some point.
I recently spoke to the DVLA about it's pre 73 tax exemption. The woman I spoke to insisted that I'd need a letter from a relevent and recognised owners club or organisation, to prove the Avenger was made before January 1st 1973. The stupid thing is. The car's own registration document shows a registration date of 11 August 1972. Apparently the fact that the car was registered is August 72, isn't enough proof that it was made before 73. This makes absolutely no sense to me, but then it is the DVLA we are talking about.

Makes loads of sense, don't think they know what they are doing to be honest.

O/T? Noticed my FL1 commercial's V5 states 3 seats, I have 2 seats and centre console. Best get that changed.

That's funny, as there wasn't a 3 seat option as far as I know. Not wide enough for 3 seats lol

I've had a number of mistakes changed on the v5 including a totally different engine number, black to blue, correcting a few digits in the vin, and removing an additional digit in the vin. It came back converted to heavy fool (diesel) and a few other mistakes which weren't there before. So I changed it and sent it back and they sorted it. Each time just filling out the v5 with the change and signing etc. Admittedly this was 10 years ago but I've got others to do similar more recently and they just changed it. Never called them. Just mod the v5 and send oft with a hand written note of why I was changing it.

The pre tax thing won't be as easy as this. I came across a saab owner who had a saab he was rebuilding who was trying to prove similar. Owners clubs of older vehicles may be able to give advice on how they have proved similar events in history.

They've made things a lot harder now, when I changed the engine in my old mk3 Escort they sent me a letter asking for a engineers report. And photos of the new engine fitted and engine number. That's why a rang first this time.

This was why I was so flummoxed by my need to get proof. The vehicle's own reg document clearly shows the registration date as pre 73. I'm sure you can't register a non existing vehicle. But then the DVLA is just your typical bureaucratic government department.

Just doesn't make sense, going to be hard to find build records.

Or they know how inaccurate their own records are? LOL

Exactly lol
 
Makes loads of sense, don't think they know what they are doing to be honest.

My experience of most government departments, TBH.

That's funny, as there wasn't a 3 seat option as far as I know. Not wide enough for 3 seats lol

My thoughts exactly, not really give it much thought until yesterday, all online reg related websites it comes up as a 3 seater, including insurance, so am guessing that should I have an accident, along with other commercial FL1 owners, then a battle may commence with the insurance company.
 
My experience of most government departments, TBH.



My thoughts exactly, not really give it much thought until yesterday, all online reg related websites it comes up as a 3 seater, including insurance, so am guessing that should I have an accident, along with other commercial FL1 owners, then a battle may commence with the insurance company.

Exactly why I'm going to get mine changed, better to be safe than sorry.
 

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