How "new" Does "new" Have To Be On On Iva?

[brumster]

Question for you - I have an idea, not a new one I suspect, but wondering what the outcome would be.

 

I have my Robin Hood Exmo, purchased as kit in 1996 and built/registered in 1997 from a single Sierra donor. It's all pre-SVA, so it kept the sierra plate, back in those lovely days when it was oh so simple.

 

In 2000 the engine was swapped for a K-Series, and the V5 was updated legitimately to reflect this (correct engine number and capacity).

 

Now I've recently invested a lot of money in getting it back on the road - gearbox rebuild, ECU, fuel pump, cabling, seats, switchgear, radiator, fan, coolant hoses, etc. so I'm considering building a Zero next year, but using this car as a donor... I'd never get back for it as a complete car what it is worth in donor parts for a new build.

 

I'd be quite happy registering it on the C reg, to be honest (age-related), which I'm guessing is fully feasible as building a new Zero I am effectively keeping everything from the donor apart from the chassis, right?

 

But I was just wondering, in order for a "new" registration, how "new" do the bits need to be? How is this defined in the regulations? I've got some Westfield seats, for example, bought in 2007 that have just been sitting around unused - still have the receipt. I have an ECU bought a couple of months ago... switchgear the same...

 

How new does stuff have to be?

 

If we accept I'd change the engine for one with a receipt, there's the matter of the gearbox and diff - would the receipts I have for BGH gearsets, bearings, seals, etc. be enough proof to make an inspector happy I have recon'd the gearbox to as-new myself, or do you pretty much have to have a receipt for a brand new gearbox from a mainstream manufacturer?

 

I'm just wondering how much of a ball-ache it would be to go for a new plate, but quite happy to take the easy option of an age-related plate to be honest.

[sj-bradley]

For a "new registration" you can use at most ONE major reconditioned part.

 

I lumped gearbox and diff down as "transmission" and that was accepted. Most items don't have serial numbers (including new zetec engines !! ).

 

Just keep the receipts for the parts (I didn't have one for the gearbox, but it was reconditioned anyway) to prove the "new" status of the parts.

 

Simon.

[Guest peterw7022]

Try contacting your local friendly DVLA ! And ask the question, they work on a point system for determining the plate on a new build ie certain items carry a certain number of points, engine and g/box being worth the most etc and you have to score a certain amount for a new plate

[brumster]

Had a good chat with GBS. Will pop up there some time with some dimensions and see if the K-Series will fit into the Zero and, if so, I think I'll transplant directly into a new Zero build and keep my current reg. Too much invested in the K conversion to really warrant going any other way - Zetec doesn't really warrant the effort and expense over the K (plus I'd forever be grumbling with myself about the iron block!), which means Duratec is the obvious route.... so that's my fallback (with a new reg), but it will end up costing a lot more... project for next year, or maybe the winter, we'll see how things go.... going to enjoy the Exmo for a while first now it's back on the road!