Winnie the poo - our new van has arrived.......

Right..... I'm now going to have a rant. What is so bl@@*y difficult that DVLA and HMRC can't talk to each other and neither computer talks to the other???
How can it be that you have to trust not one but two government departments to make something as simple as registering an imported vehicle within a perfectly reasonable time period of 3 to 4 weeks.
DVLA returned my application because I'm not registered on NOVA, they gave me a number to call, which was helpful... Except it was the wrong number. When the number was finally answered a very curt answer phone message informed me that I had couldn't leave a message. After three further calls each time engaged I finally got through to a real person in England!! Real person informed me they were very sorry but I needed to call another number. This number was the "national duty hub" and I called this getting a really very nice gent on the line who really fell over backwards to help.....except I didn't gave the right paperwork. So, as this was Friday at 5 pm I decided to try again Monday morning....
So , I call the "national duty hub" number and get a lovely and very helpful lady who tells me my listing on Nova can be sorted very quickly and provided the info my shipping agent should have sent is emailed across quickly it can be sorted today and a letter sent out! Brilliant, so this is duly done and sent....
Then I decide to call DVLA to see if I can bring the paperwork in - after about 30 options I get hold of a nice young gentleman who tells me that's not possible and it will take up to 10 days to process.... Ok, so we might just make it!!
Call the "national duty hub" and get a different person. So, I say, have you received my email? - Yes, says different person - Great, I say, I wonder if you might be able to send the letter confirming NOVA to me as soon as possible because I'm hoping to go away at the end of next week...... Different person - No, that won't be possible, it won't be with you until next Monday at the earliest as there are a lot of people in front of you.....
Reading between the lines that says " no chance mate, and just because I can I'm going to bury your application at the bottom of the pile because I can.... Argghhhhh
No, I'm not against officialdom and the civil service, but sometimes it would be nice if somebody could understand when somebody is genuinely in a bit of a hurry - even Banks can move money quickly now compared with days gone by - why oh why does this have to be Si complicated....

 

Sweet job Graham! I knew she had potential if one could get past all those damn walnuts!

 

Thanks Darren, I'm well pleased with her, just one of those projects that came together well! Many thanks for all your help!

 

Managed a few more jobs today, done the chrome trim in the front screen, screwed down the canvas so my daughter won't fall out.... And also sorted the exhaust blow, adjusted the rear brake shoes!! Camping in her tonight - all good

 

When I registered mine 2 years ago I went to the DVLA office 30 miles away, but the import paperwork wasn't signed. Would have been a bit obvious if I'd nipped out and back with it miraculously signed so I came back next day and they said 10 days, no way we can issue here. All good but I left feeling something wasn't right. They'd forgotten to take the fee. Next the phoned and apologised but couldn't take payment over the phone. I mentioned this would be the 3rd day on the trot I'd visited their office and the lady said "bring the payment in and we'll issue the licence there and then". which they did. It seems they can do what they like and if it suits them can do it all really quickly.

I did feel quite sorry for them as they dealt with one Eastern European scallywag after another who'd Clearly been stealing tax discs to try and cash them in. None had any paperwork, just discs. All had it patiently explained to them that they needed V5's or whatever they were and all said they'd "lost" them.

 

To be fair they do have to deal with some real muppets, and I'm sorry they have lost their jobs, that's really hard, but they also don't do themselves any favours..... And I'm having to go to France in the Missus Audi saloon, not Winnie

 

Absolute bloody nightmare, I am trying to register a 1962 vespa that was brought to the uk 10 years ago but not registered. Nowhere on their web site is a common sense button as in the bloody thing was built years before VAT was thought of and then to find out that the frame number should be 17 digits long. stupid Vespa who did they think they were only using 7 digits, how very dare they. What was the date of first registration, i ain't a bloody clue I know it was 1962 but its exact birthday who knows. ARGHHHHHHHHH

 

Tip - put 10 zero's in front of the chassis number......

 

It goes on...... The "national clearance hub" after saying it was fine and the letter was on its way have now decided they want yet more info, another form to fill in......

 

My letter confirming my NOVA registration has arrived in the post today. Hopefully this is the last bit of the puzzle and DVLA will give Winnie her new registration number.....

Documents are sent, so hopefully she will be registered by the time we get back from
France...... Such a shame we couldn't take her, but worse things gave happened!!

 

Would you believe it!!! Winnie's new number has finally arrived and she's got a UK registration number.. Wahay!!

 

Here's Winnie at Rewind Festival.......

 

looking good now mate.

 

What a beaut of a bus , so glad it all worked out good in the end

 

Thanks guys, she really has come together nicely - there's still another great long list of niggles, but these are just things that will be slowly sorted through as time goes by. We just intend to use her as much as possible now before the summer disappears!

The next important things to do are a decent coat of underseal and waxoyl.

And...... That twin choke single weber is rubbish, I need more power.

On that note, I'm beginning to think about Scooby power - I don't know whether it's me or the way it's set up, but I'll swear it's no faster than my old van Dora (1600 tp)....

 

Winnie is up for sale, but I've put off a few tasks until now, so there's a few things happening over the next week or so. I'm currently replacing the studs on the exhaust manifold and I have also had to replace the inlet manifold rubbers in the last week or so, as they split...
Tomorrow's big job is a liberal coating of waxoyl, Black please!

And, would you believe those blasted track rod end rubbers have rotted through again!! . Another unpleasant phone call to GSF...grrrr

The quality of some of these parts is really poor!

 

Nice bus. Good job done.