VIN / Chassis number
 

I've just put this on my Flickr site in response to a comment by Mike Marlin Cabrio Build and then thought it would probably be good for everyone to be aware of it. Maybe you all are, and I'm just a slow learner, but here it is!!

BTW Mike, have you got a stamped in chassis number ending in two letters rather than numbers. Marlin always used to use the customer's initials at the end of the chassis number. Kevin at Marlin told me, and Terry has confirmed that numbers are now needed at the end of the VIN. And apparently, VOSA will issue an IVA certificate with the initials at the end but DVLA won't register it. So you then have to change the chassis number and as a result the IVA certificate becomes invalid. It then needs re-IVAing with another £450 being handed over to Mr. Lawson for the priviledge.
I don't know how accurate this is but given other stories we hear about peole dealing with DVLA / VOSA it is emminently believable and not worth taking the risk. I have agreed a new number with Terry. I've stamped it into the chassis and Terry is making me up a new VIN plate."

Sounds like a bit of a gotcha to me

When did this come in? My chassis number has my initials at the end. Vikki passed IVA in 2010, and was registered with the same chassis number ASAP after the test. No issues with the number, no retest required.

The only thing VIN related I had to do to pass the test was to put a second VIN plate on as the regs stated it needed to be on the right hand side of the car

My Sportster was successfully SVA'd and registered with a single letter at the end of the VIN. (17 digits)
IIRC my VIN stamped by Marlin had too many digits so I re-stamped the VIN on the chassis in a different location with the correct number of digits.
At that time you didn't need a VIN plate with the manufacturers name, etc as per the current IVA regulations.

...peter

I don't know when the regulation came in but I got the impression from Kevin that it was a fairly recent change. I'll dig around and see if I can find out anything more.

But because of my proximity to the IVA test I just went ahead and changed my number. And any way the location of Marlin's stamped in number was such that I would have to rip out all the carpets to show it to the IVA man so it had to go somewhere different.

Nigel

The only "information" I have come across is in Section 9 Vehicle Identification Numbers of the Gov.UK Guide. This says you can chose your own unique 17 character VIN for a kit car.
Marlin issued me with a 17 digit number with my order month (US style) and initials at the end.

However, I don't put much faith in this "Guide" as it has made a right horlicks of the guidance on registration procedure!

It seems talking to your local DVLA is the best advice.

the DVLA will issue you one if you ask them