Hi all from newbie camper owner (in dire need of a bit of advice)

I reckon if you cant flog it with a sales spiel like that you never will

Anyway, Welcome aboard (great introduction by the way and possibly the longest intro thread ever) as you know, your bus is a 79' If plod could see a list of all the differences between a 72 and 74 on buses, its a long list! And to make yours a true cut 'n' shut it would have had the front, middle and back transposed from a 72.

So dumb plod aside and as money back doesn't seem like an option you've gotta live with it, the only reasonable outcome has got to be:

You get the 79's log book,
You get the bus inspected, and probably a fresh MOT by a trustworthy Company
Go buy a couple of no. plates
and you have a 79 bus totaly legit with a little smudge in its history.

RE the little smudg, the more you can find about that the better but only for flogging it on.

And once you get it on the road and legal, it'll really make you smile

 

Hi caro been reading this thread from the beginning and I'm really sorry you've been stitched.
As far as the rozzers are concerned, it's pointless people on here slagging them off,I know a few old bill and I know that they aren't trained to check out these vehicles. Most forces have proper specialized vehicle examiners THESE are the people you need to speak to, CID and the like don't know toffee about vehicle related crime.
I'm not sure where you live and what force covers your area but my advice is not to ring the local cop shop, ring the force's main switch board and ask to be put through to the vehicle examiners. If they don't have a vehicle examiner unit then you need to speak to a supervisor, a sergeant or above on the traffic department.

 

Welcome to TLB by the way

 

Honestly, you couldn't make it up could you? You have all been so kind, it restores my faith in human nature! Earlier, Waaaaay earlier up this thread somewhere, brothernumberone I think, mentioned something about the cab door hinges and outriggers - now I have to admit I'm not entirely sure what outriggers are (I thought they were thigh boots) but he said they were near the jacking points at the rear. I've posted a couple more pics of the front cab door hinge and the rear jacking point. Can someone identify from the pics if they are 79 bits? I want to be able to point out all the discrepancies to the ins co and AA when they come to inspect it. Also all my door handles have the locks actually in the handles apart from the sliding door which has a separate lock. Are there any other obvious things I can ask them to look at to establish it's a 79? Thanks a million. Caro x

 

mate, it's a 79 all day long...... trust the gene genie....... the only 72 on that bus is the reg plate.

 

Yep, I'm 100% convinced, it's trying to convince the authorities!

 

malc, i've been searching for someone to admit to one online, i know of others fact i shall be walking around camperjam with my magnifying glass and deerstalker this year going 'yeah right tax free my bottom' gamekeeper turned poacher
hahahaha
but seriously i'd do it, just a lot better than that.

 

true, without knowing, the untrained eye would think yours and the wilmas a bit iffy being on M reg, as L really is 73 but of course the reg plate gives only date of registration not manufacture.

 

a mate of mine has a tax free 1967 landy on v reg, it's legit, used on a private estate from new and never on public roads until 1979 [glow=red,2,300]FACT[/glow].

 

engine replacement is ok although a lot of peeps fail to alter the V5 and tell dvla when they do it.

 

Just to clarify for those that think that Cat C is seemingly no issue:

http://www.checkthatcar.com/car_writeoff_categories.asp

If it was insignificant but not cost effective, these fall into Cat D.

Got to be honest, am still aghast that people think its ok to drive around in a ringer - its not insured for a start, the 1979 van has not been legally returned to the road and it's carrying doctored ID plates.

If the vehicle was god forbid in an accident, the traffic cops and insurance assessors would climb all over it and the doctored ID plates would be found...bye bye Insurancd and after the postings on here, so is the owners claims of innocence.

Can I remind everyone, it's illegal to tamper with or alter chassis stamps or ID plates, you can get nicked for possessing those not attached to a vehicle, leave alone swap them.

If I'd spent thousands of pounds on something that my family were to travel in, I'd exhaust all avenues to make sure it's clear.

I'd also talk to trading standards.

 

I just want to say, there wouldn't be any claims of innocence from me, I know full well now what I have bought and I am trying my damndest to get the authorities to listen. I do have a written report from the police detailing my concerns and saying they have checked the vehicle over and as far as they are concerned it is legal for me to drive, but I am not driving until I have a complete ok (which for me would be, knowing what the cat C was, getting the bus VOSA checked and having it re registered as a 79). Like I said before, if I can do enough investigative work to prove the 72 was used as the cat C write off that will be an even better result as I'll have a legal 79 with no cat C attached. If not, then even with a cat C attached, I'll still be legal. On Monday I will be asking my insurers to come and check the vehicle over (as they have a vested interest perhaps they'll be more thorough than the police) and also the AA. Honestly I am trying. I will go and have a poke at the filler now. I just didn't want to until the police had actually seen it.