Checking for a Stolen Engine or Chassis

[Andyozz]

OK so you have found your barn find with matching engine number and chassis number. No log book (V5) or registration number.
The bike been stood there for years and no one knows anything about it.

You hand over your money to the land owner, and receive a bill of sale from him to prove you bought it in good faith (by doing this you have some consumer rights and legal protection if all goes wrong and can take out a civil action against the land owner.

Now this is where it all becomes un-stuck in the land of big brother.

Before launching your hard earned stash into rebuilding this machine and potentially having it snatched back by PC plod as a stolen vehicle when you eventually register it, you want to get a V5 OR check if it is stolen...... Simple........ NOT.

DVLA cannot give you the information because you were not the registered owner on the original V5, and you can't find the registered owner without the information on the V5.

You cannot obtain an MOT because the vehicle does not have a registration number, and you cannot get a registration number without an MOT, In addition you cannot get an MOT without a running machine which requires you to spend money on it, THEN you cannot get an MOT because it is not registered on the system at DVLA.

Get the idea

So Go to the Police and ask if they can check..... They cannot help
CAB.... They cannot advise of any legal way to prove it's legitimacy.
HPI companies require a registration number to do any checks..

So, Unless I am very much mistaken, and I really hope I am if you purchase an engine or frame on its own you cannot prove or check the legitimacy of the item using any legal methods. Which surely would help in recovering and potentially preventing stolen vehicles being sold off for spares

If someone knows differently please pass some light onto the subject

[adrie.degraaff]

If all fails you can ask a Belgian friend to put it on a paper than swap it for English.

[chris.vredenbregt]

you have a belgium friend?

[nevhunter]

This will create a big demand for Belgian friends, the price will go up and where are you then? Surely some approach to the authorities can be negotiated? When I was a young fellow I purchased a cylinder block from a wrecker and before spending a lot of money reconditioning it I wanted to ensure it's legality as you do. I ended up under strong lights with about 3 detectives grilling me and still no answer to my enquiry.. Nev

[admin]

Form V62 .. right ?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ertificate

Or ..
As you don't need an MOT for a vehicle pre-1960 ( I registered a WNG last year without one ), You could get a dating certificate and then try and register it ... to be fair, you'd expect DVLA to make a check at that point otherwise they let you through ..
DVLA may want to see the bike, and I am uncertain of the condition they expect to see it in (i.e. not a series of boxes ??)

[Wali.Badger.Taylor]

The big problem is that the bike will have a registered last keeper and there will be a record somewhere (unless destroyed in war/fire etc) even if that person is deceased it will be inherited as part of their estate. I have heard of people doing a full restoration on a heap of rust only to have it reclaimed.

[Andyozz]

Quick update on this issue
Finally had official replies from DVLA and VOSA. Both state that they have no record of the engine number or chassis number.
I even wrote to the insurance companies to see if they have a record but the same response "no record of the engine or chassis number".

So I guess i'm good to go. just got to get an MOT on the bike, send of the relevant forms along with the dating certificate and or course the obligatory £50!!! and it is registered with an age related plate in my name.

[Andyozz]

Quick update on this issue
Finally had official replies from DVLA and VOSA. Both state that they have no record of the engine number or chassis number.
I even wrote to the insurance companies to see if they have a record but the same response "no record of the engine or chassis number".

So I guess i'm good to go. just got to get an MOT on the bike, send of the relevant forms along with the dating certificate and or course the obligatory £50!!! and it is registered with an age related plate in my name.

[TonyBaxter]

You CAN get an MoT without a reg number, they MoT it on the frame number, then you send the MoT, dating certificate from whatever is the relevant club, form V55 (I think), plus your cash, and they send the new reg number and V5.
Admin, how on earth did you get a bike registered without an MoT ? Although pre-'60 vehicles don't need an MoT, you are supposed to have one to obtain a V5. Here's the relevant page : https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration ... istrations THis is how I registered an A65 last year. Quite easy.

[TonyBaxter]

A friend of mine who was in the Police, (traffic) for 25 years, told me once that the record of stolen frame numbers only goes back 7 years. Anyone know if this is correct ?