My Bus - Right Reg Wrong Date

I've been off grid for a while owing to number of things but finally back in business and getting stuck into my various VW's.

One thing that has always bothered me about my Bus is as follows:

It was imported into the UK around 2003 and owned by a work colleague. Fast forward to around 2011 the Bus becomes mine and the V5 changes hands.

The reg of the bus is 'R' reg which is 76/77. However when I looked at the previous owners V5 it stated 1979. No problem I thought they will fix that if I highlight it to them when it gets sent back to put it into my name. However this did not happen.

I wasn't that bothered to be honest since it didn't have any real benefit in terms of Historic VED so just let it be. However that clearly isn't the case now. Moreover it would now be MOT exempt, too.

I made a point of checking the chassis number against the Samba and various sites and also the M Plate. All sources confirm my bus was born in March 1977.

This week I have spoken with DVLA to try to understand why it is an R Reg but stated as 1979. They have confirmed it is likely an admin error on their part but are unable to change it without one of the following:

1) Confirmation from Manufacturer of correct date;
2) Copy of excerpt from Glass Check Book; or
3) Copy of excerpt from Trader Hand Book.

So off I go to the local dealer. No details held. Off I go to VW UK Customer Services. No details held. Off I go to get the VW Museum to get the Birth Certificate and Data Sheet. They are currently not producing these anymore. Damn.

I've emailed VW Type 2 Owners Club but no response.

I've no idea what or where I would find Glass Check Book or Trader Hand Book and neither does anyone else I've spoken to e.g. VW Heritage (Heritage Parts Centre), classic car traders etc.

VWH did suggest that I use the Samba as a resource to evidence it back to DVLA and the person I spoke to this morning said they would consider it but they also said they do not really accept general Googling as a way of proof.

Does anyone have any other ideas? DVLA did say that something from a specific Club or Owners Club would do the job.

 

I sent off to somewhere in Germany for the birth certificate, costs a few Euro's but did the trick!

 

I think @Technohippy may have the Glass Guide.

 

Hi I checked today and they have stopped doing it for technical reasons. Could mean anything. Bet its somehow GDPR related

 

Be great if he does. @Technohippy most grateful if you could let me know

 

Sources including the fourth Continental Congress, presumably. V5 signed by John Hancock.

 

I wonder if it’s worth asking VW if they’ll ‘officially’ provide an M-plate cross-reference sheet that might be considered by DVLA as proof along with photos of your M-plate (which would match with your chassis details they have on record?

Since a non-specific ref chart doesn’t infringe on any personal data sharing they might oblige...


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So, it's their mistake, they have agreed this and yet you still have to prove them wrong before they will amend their mistake?
Surely the burden is on them to correct an error they have created.
If they issued an "R" reg to it when it was imported R and 79 don't go together. What evidence did they use at the time of first reg in this country, it must be on file.
God bless DVLA and all other "job's worth" government departments.
I used to like waking into the local DVLA office and having a sensible, reasonable conversation with someone.

 

Yep. Crazy right? They did say I could write into them and explain all of their errors but I would need to send the log book back and that there would be a risk that instead of putting their wrong right they may even re-issue the reg as a T or V reg! Based on the current error that's a risk I'm not willing to take.

 

Do you reckon VW would hold details of M-Plate reference though? They said everything prior to around 2000 is in their archives which they wont go back to (I guess that's where the museum gets its info from). I know when I phoned them to find the supplying dealer of my Mk2 Golf Gti that they had zero info on the car. When I gave them the first 3 numbers of my chassis this morning they said "no, it starts with WV"

 

I have just done this. my Bus is imported from USA in 2014, V5 says its birthdate is 1st Jan 1978
. You need to email type.approval@vwg.co.uk with your VIN number, reg number etc and make sure you add your postal address


About a week later i got

Good morning,


The Dating Letter for your vehicle has now been produced and will be posted to the address provided.


Please see below the information received from the Wolfsburg Museum Germany.


VIN: XXXXXXXXXX

Model/Type: 231-961

Production: 03.08.1977 in Hanover, Germany

Delivery: 06.09.1977 to USA



Kind regards

Bella

you will receive a proper heritage letter from them through the post about a week after that. As you can see my Bay's birthdate is 03/08/1977 and therefore old enough for MOT/TAX exception

Now get your V5, on the bottom of the first page fill in taxation class "Historic", Sign it and Date it

Next download a Declaration of exemption from MOT (V112) from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/declaration-of-exemption-from-mot and fill it in
next you need Apply for vehicle tax (form V10) from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-vehicle-tax-v10 , in taxation class put historic

nearly there, now you need your Insurance Certificate.

Package the whole lot up and send it to the Taxation Team at the DVLA

I think the address is

Taxation Team
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1AR


Mine is away at the moment, but hopefully ill get the Historic Classification back soon

Good Luck

Bod

 

I did as Bodman’s post above some years back for the birth certificate. I assumed you tried that route already but looks like they still offer it.

I just thought they might be willing to provide a generic plate decoder ref sheet which might help with your evidence if they don’t still offer it.


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cheers @Bodman ! I don't know who the organisation is that the email goes to (I assume its not the automuseum in Germany we would normally send off to (but no longer seem to produce) as it has a .co.uk address) but if it yields those types of results then awesome!

EDIT: Ah it seems its from VW themselves. Just found it on their website:

"Regardless of the origin of your vehicle, if its over 10-years old it can be registered through the DVLA with a dating letter and a current MOT. A dating letter will state the date of the vehicles manufacture.
To request a dating letter for your vehicle, please email your full chassis and postal address to type.approval@vwg.co.uk. You will be contacted via email when your documents are available and being posted to you.
If your vehicle is a 1982 model or earlier then it is likely to have a shorter VIN (e.g. a sequence of 10 numbers of less). Unfortunately we do not hold any record for these vehicles, to obtain any information or documentation please contact the Wolfsburg Museum: 0049 5361 84 84 171 (English speaking) history@volkswagen.de- for Date of Manufacture Letters Or www.volkswagen-automuseum.defor Certificates Data Sheets."

Hopefully as they did for @Bodman they do have my details and are able to find. Fingers crossed.

 

Good news I got My V5 back and they haven’t changed the date of first registration but it is classed as Historic yay




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Hello @Spacecowboyuk only just seen this, Don is correct,I have got the glass's guide pages you need, and I tried to attach them to a PM for you but TLB website threw up a whole box full of errors - clearly still isn't working properly.

Can you PM me your email address and I'll send it to you

 

Hi @Technohippy I think they have arrived via PM eventually. I've just sent you a message back so hopefully you'll be able to see it works? Thanks for your help!

 

With thanks to @Bodman VW Type Approval responded this morning confirming my production and delivery date. Turns out she was Born on the same day as me! Mind=blown.

Letter on its way so between that and the info provided by @Technohippy I should be all good. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Good news - Good Luck