engine changes and the law

[dango1]

this seems a grey area from what i've read so far but does anyone know the rules on it?

 

i have a registered 1300gl escort mk2 with a 2ltr engine from granada. as far as i know the DVLA need to be informed as it's the law but my insurance company insured it no problem with the 2ltr and the reg doc stating a 1.3 saying it's not a problem.

 

do i have to tell DVLA then? if so, do i end up with a Q plate?

[mk3cokebottle]

YES you do have to inform the dvla

 

NO you will keep your original reg mate it just changes the engine size on your logbook

 

surprised if you declared the engine change to insurance that they didnt advise you to change it on logbook aswell

[dango1]

oh ok. its that easy then? i thought it had to be done by a garage with a receipt and then inspected by someone like the rac? otherwise the Q plate is issued.

[Vista]

oh ok. its that easy then? i thought it had to be done by a garage with a receipt and then inspected by someone like the rac? otherwise the Q plate is issued.

 

It used to be as simple as sending off the V5C with the new CC but nowadays they do ask for a covering letter / receipt from a garage for the engine and fitting. I don't think it needs an RAC inspection though.

[GT_lenny]

the dvla may ask for an engineers report- have this done by your local friendly MOT garage for about the same cost as an mot, its nothing to worry about they're just looking at the engine installation to make sure its done safely

[bortaf]

It's really really easy mate just knock up a letter like the one below on yer PC and send it off with the V5

You hasve allways needed to inform DVLA of any changes to engine number size ect, it's nothing new and it NOT law! just thier rules the DVLA don't / can't make the law but that 's a whole differant matter to be sorted in a court by somone else with more time and money than us

feel free to copy it i've used it loads of times on my cars and customers justr rember tpo add you details

 

 

PS dont listen to scare mongers running about like headless chickens over it , it's no biggy at all

 

An engeneers report has fook all to do with the DVLA the only peeps who can ask for that is your insurance, the DVLA is only interested in ID and who drives what, the most they can ask for is a VIC or vehical identity check, issues regarding the build and safty is down to VOSA, a seperate entity alltogether.

[GT_lenny]

bortaf i usually bow to your superior knowledge on all things OSF but i cant agree with advising some one to knock up a fraudulent receipt /letter to send to the dvla,

i think the most honest way-(if you've done the conversion yourself) is to get an engineers report stating engine number and cc along with reg/chassis number of the vehicle it is fitted to,

 

just my opinion, and i know its highly unlikley that the dvla will follow up on any "receipts" but if I sent one in they would -i'm just lucky like that

[PlopPlop]

I hav'nt changed v5 but I did tell the insurance every single mod to the car and told the truth about who did it (I werent givin my credit to someone else lol), no one asked for an engineers report but I did give pics of all the mods from start to finnish, and they gave me a £10,000 agreed value even though the cars not finnished yet

[dango1]

thanks for the replys all.

 

just one more question then. if i leave it as it is with the log book being wrong but being fully insured,, would the log book stating something different be an excuse for the insurance to get away not paying a claim if something happened?

[Vista]

I don't know, perhaps a question worth putting to one of the site sponsors. Adrian Flux or Cherished Vehicle insurance?

[Skimmer]

When its MOT'd if the mot tester has a knowledge of pinto / crossflow etc and he enters the engine size into the computer it will inform the DVLA of an incorrect engine cc and could possibly need an inspection , the made up letter is a big gamble as when i done mine the engineers (who i got to do me a report) had a phone call about the car / installation etc so its best to be honest ....

[FredTransit]

When its MOT'd if the mot tester has a knowledge of pinto / crossflow etc and he enters the engine size into the computer it will inform the DVLA of an incorrect engine cc and could possibly need an inspection , the made up letter is a big gamble as when i done mine the engineers (who i got to do me a report) had a phone call about the car / installation etc so its best to be honest ....

 

Have to completely disagree with this. The MOT will test as found, and the DVLA have no interest. I have 1.6 pinto on a 2L V5, petrol in diesel V5, diesel in petrol V5, V6 petrol cologne in a diesel V5 and NONE of them have posed a problem It took ME 3 years and 4 MOTs to notice one of the wrong fuels! I sent off the V5 myself, and it didn't get changed, just returned without a mention (no letter, nothing).

 

The main difference between me and you is I have said nothing about it to the DVLA. If they made it easy to be honest, ie believe you when you fill out the form (as long as it makes no difference to the tax, which on PLG mostly it won't) far more log books would be straight.OK, if you say you are putting in a smaller engine in an attempt to get cheaper tax, I can understand the DVLA needing proof.

 

At the end of the day, it's not mass murder and as long as the insurance co knows (get it in writing they know) that will do me!

[livewire7116]

i have a 2.0 xe in my mk2, i sent off log book with new CC and engine number, it came back with no questions

[banarama]

as long as its properly insured.dont worry most old cars have been through the wars.wot they dont no wont hurt

[FredTransit]

i have a 2.0 xe in my mk2, i sent off log book with new CC and engine number, it came back with no questions

 

Personally I would say do this first, Though it's very hit and miss. Some go through, others have questions asked. As it doesn't say what you need to make changes on the log book, how are you supposed to know? It just says fill it out and send it off. I suspect the DVLA can only do one change at a time, so if you buy something, change the engine and the colour you may have to send it off 3 or 4 times.

[Skimmer]

Possibly you have been lucky but when it comes to engine changes etc ive always been honest .......and im pretty sure a 1.6 pinto looks just like a 2.0 pinto ?? so it would appear the correct engine, still were all different and i find having the correct engine size etc is the right way for me ....

When its MOT'd if the mot tester has a knowledge of pinto / crossflow etc and he enters the engine size into the computer it will inform the DVLA of an incorrect engine cc and could possibly need an inspection , the made up letter is a big gamble as when i done mine the engineers (who i got to do me a report) had a phone call about the car / installation etc so its best to be honest ....

 

Have to completely disagree with this. The MOT will test as found, and the DVLA have no interest. I have 1.6 pinto on a 2L V5, petrol in diesel V5, diesel in petrol V5, V6 petrol cologne in a diesel V5 and NONE of them have posed a problem It took ME 3 years and 4 MOTs to notice one of the wrong fuels! I sent off the V5 myself, and it didn't get changed, just returned without a mention (no letter, nothing).

 

The main difference between me and you is I have said nothing about it to the DVLA. If they made it easy to be honest, ie believe you when you fill out the form (as long as it makes no difference to the tax, which on PLG mostly it won't) far more log books would be straight.OK, if you say you are putting in a smaller engine in an attempt to get cheaper tax, I can understand the DVLA needing proof.

 

At the end of the day, it's not mass murder and as long as the insurance co knows (get it in writing they know) that will do me!

[FredTransit]

A pinto and a DI look nothing alike though, do they?

[lee_capri]

i think its all a good idea just had to do the cappa the fella who is doing the mods as taken care of it sweet,simple to do not much fuss and its insured propley as a 2.9

[Skimmer]

A pinto and a DI look nothing alike though, do they?

 

No they dont but after speaking to an mot'er my son according to the " ministry " if the engine doesnt appear to be what it should be and the engine number is taken and put into the machine and doesnt match up with the details then it shows up at the Ministry and it also puts the tester in a spot and he could be disiplined , still bad advice aint good advice is it surely its better to have all the details correct , as i said previously youve obviously been lucky ..

[Smudger105e]

A pinto and a DI look nothing alike though, do they?

 

No they dont but after speaking to an mot'er my son according to the " ministry " if the engine doesnt appear to be what it should be and the engine number is taken and put into the machine and doesnt match up with the details then it shows up at the Ministry and it also puts the tester in a spot and he could be disiplined , still bad advice aint good advice is it surely its better to have all the details correct , as i said previously youve obviously been lucky ..

 

Ever tried to read the engine number on a Ford? I wanted the number off a pre-crossflow, with the engine out of the car and stripped, and the number cleaned up and I still couldn't read it!

[FredTransit]

A pinto and a DI look nothing alike though, do they?

 

No they dont but after speaking to an mot'er my son according to the " ministry " if the engine doesnt appear to be what it should be and the engine number is taken and put into the machine and doesnt match up with the details then it shows up at the Ministry and it also puts the tester in a spot and he could be disiplined , still bad advice aint good advice is it surely its better to have all the details correct , as i said previously youve obviously been lucky ..

 

I really don't think it's a case of being lucky. I have been asked once or twice if it's a petrol or diesel (before they move the van and log on), and the MOT is conducted on the basis of what's under the bonnet. I get a straight MOT from them, nothing funny (before anybody makes a comment). Seriously, do you think MOT testers have nothing better to do but try to acquire an engine number from a 25 year old oily Ford lump? As Smudger said, it's not always that easy, and the tester probably has people waiting. Unless, of course, the station has had a run in with the ministry before, in which case they can't risk it happening again.

 

Bear in mind, a lot can happen to a van in 25 years. Things get changed and the paperwork might not be kept up to date. Whilst that might be a hanging offence now, in the scheme of things it's not that bad, and you could d far worse than fit a new engine and not give the DVLA the new number.

[bortaf]

bortaf i usually bow to your superior knowledge on all things OSF but i cant agree with advising some one to knock up a fraudulent receipt /letter to send to the dvla,

i think the most honest way-(if you've done the conversion yourself) is to get an engineers report stating engine number and cc along with reg/chassis number of the vehicle it is fitted to,

 

just my opinion, and i know its highly unlikley that the dvla will follow up on any "receipts" but if I sent one in they would -i'm just lucky like that

 

That's a valid point mate, up to the individual but they could easyly use that as a template and insert thier own addy if they fitted it themselves, 5 of the letters i sent were me as the garage and the customer

 

The way i see it is why get an engeneers report when one is not asked for ? they only ask for a letter confirming the engine size and number, take a good look on the web, even on here there's posts where peeps have sent of V5's for pinto conversion with the cc stated as 1998, which is wrong and that is the whole reason the DVLA want a letter from an expert so the ordenary owner can't feck the records up by getting the details wronge lets face it if the owner of the car can't even get a detail like the cc correct what else can the get wronge? an engine number a few didgits out ?

It's the owners duty to have the correct details of thier own car right not the DVLAs but they know people listen to twonks down the pub and are trying to take out that vairiable by insisting an expert does the details (well a mechanic anyhoo) and i have checked with the DVLA as have others, any mechanic who did the job is considerd qualified to produce the letter (see scaryoldcortina on retrorides he also checked with DVLA about the issue and they confirmed to him as well he was able to issue the letters) so in thier eyes any old mechanic will do and i'm certainly any old mechanic