Hello Chaps/Chap-esses.

Now, I am about to admit to something extraordinarily stupid. I do realise quite how unbelievably daft this is, and I am expecting some (well deserved) micky taking for it, but any locostbuilders advice would be very gratefully received.

As some of you may know I brought the burgundy 1.3 xflow'ed Sylva Stylus that was up for sale in September/October. The problem being that when I went to view and then later collect it, I totally forgot to check the VIN and V5 matched up. This is silly to say the least, and quite unlike me, I'm not really sure what happened. Anyway, mid November rolled 'round and I still hadn't received the new V5. I text the previous seller to check he had posted it. He said it had only just gone off and I should be expecting it soon. On Wednesday (21st Dec) I asked again as it still hadn't appeared, and he said it had definitely gone, and offered to phone the DVLA to see what was happening. Alarm bells started ringing (a couple of months too late), and I did a HPI check. The VIN stamped to the bulkhead of the car does not match what is registered with the DVLA. The VIN on the bulkhead is of the SABTVR0 type, which is a DVLA kit car issue I believe? I cannot find one obviously stamped to the chassis, although I do need to have a better look underneath. I don't know what the rules were in June '98 when it was registered (?!), but I find it odd that a riveted bulkhead plate is enough. I think this was a changeover year for the rules regarding registering kit's, but I don't know the in's and out's and I don't have much in the way of paperwork (again, stupid). The reg correctly points to a red Sylva 1.3 (model is not listed), and it has a current MOT but with the incorrect VIN listed.

Anyway, I would much appreciate knowing the history of the car so I can try to work out what has (or hasn't) happened, in a desperate attempt to find I haven't completely wasted loads of money on an illegal shed. The previous owner was known as flipper123 on the clubstylus forum, and the owner before that was drhunter. They were both quite active members on clubstylus according to google, but I can't seem to sign up to look at their profiles. 'flipper123' or Craig lived in Somerset, and 'drhunter' Dave lived in Newcastle. Does anybody on here know these two and what they were doing with the car? The owner before this was the builder, and I can't find anything about him/her.

To be honest the main thing I am after is to not be in trouble with the Police/DVLA, and less interested the cash I have lost. If I can achieve that and have a usable car, all the better!

Any locoster advice would be hugely appreciated. I am trying to get hold of the previous owner, but he's not answering his phone at the minute, and I will crawl about underneath it to search for a chassis stamp after Christmas. I find it odd that the car has been around for so long without ever having an issue, especially with the two previous owners obviously using the car. Obviously the car is currently off the road.

I feel like a complete idiot, and I'm completely gutted. Help?!

P.s. Happy Christmas all.....

Have you tried applying for the V5 ? Or would that potentially open a can of worms, others with more knowledge will be a long I'm sure.

may I suggest some pictures and a cross posting to the JPSC too. Also have you googled the previous owners mobile number to see where else he may have been active?

Good luck
ps I can cross post at JPSC if that helps,...

me! has u2u.

DVLA are very slow at the moment, I have waited 6 weeks for my documents to come through on a car purchase, I would give it a few more weeks before stirring the murky waters.

I'll stick a post over on ClubStylus pointing back to here for you. Although the a guy called StylusSprinter is very knowledgable on the stylus and is known to frequent the JPSC forum too so post up there and he might be able to help out.

My Stylus also has a plate riveted to the bulkhead so it is a common thing.

Stick some pictures of it up and someone might recognise it.




[Edited on 23/12/11 by Alfa145]

It probably won't have a number stamped on the chassis, mine never, it just had a plate glued on top of the pedal box with the number on there, i wouldn't worry.

As someone has said, Rob Farley(stylus sprinter) the old bugger will know, register on club stylus.be and ask

[Edited on [1324660260R0=053131p: by philw]

[Edited on [1324660335R0=053131p: by philw]

Thanks chaps- its good to be a member of a forum full of helpful people!

This is a picture from when 'drhunter' owned it:


Description

and here is the eBay link from shortly before I got hold of it:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260862104551&clk_rvr_id=300060499312

I think waiting a few weeks before waking up the DVLA may be a good plan! I would just apply for another V5, but you need the VIN....

As for posting elsewhere, I've not had much joy with even signing up to various other sites! I've tried several times to register for clubstylus, JPSC and also the Westfield forum. I get the same response from all 3, 'an admin needs to enable your account, you will get an email when this has been done'. No email ever arrives. I gave up in the due to the level of support on here!

HowardB, if you could post on the JPSC forum I would appreciate it- thanks.

Hi,
That looks like the car "Dave Hunter" has posted up on the front page of "club stylus ." I know DH2 (top bloke, sent me a free radiator from the Stylus he is rebuilding) is registered on the site and he may be able to help.

Hi me!

I'm a stylus forum moderator.
We get plenty of robots trying to signon as forum members.
If you chose a strange username good chance you got canned as spam.

Try again & u2u me the info & I'll look out for you !

I know your car, but not the detail of its sva / reg process.

Rgds

Matt

DVLA had a batch of V5s stolen, and are in the process of re-issuing them on a revised form, they are usually crap, so such an excersize is bound to bring out the worse in them.

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/members/flipper123/
He is a member on here by the looks of things
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/members/drhunter/

Ditto

[Edited on 23/12/11 by jacko]

I don't think I can add much to this thread now.

Other than perhaps completing the circle - the car I am rebuilding is the one PhilW is referring to, and I should be round to me! tomorrow to drop off the fuel tank...

DH2

quote:

---

Originally posted by jacko
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/members/flipper123/
He is a member on here by the looks of things
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/members/drhunter/

Ditto

[Edited on 23/12/11 by jacko]

---

Some more details here: http://www.clubstylus.be/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1054&p=8964#p8964

Sorted!

I managed to get hold of the previous owner- he had been ill and not answering his phone, and wasn't trying to avoid me. It turns out there had been a Sylva Autokits plate on it, which he removed when removing some other part. It was still sat in the back of his garage...... I now have the original Sylva chassis number from that, which according to HPI is what is registered with the DVLA, so all appears legit. He has applied for a new V5 so that can be transferred when it arrives. I have no idea why there is a SABTVR0 type VIN on it as well, and to be honest I don't care as it appears I have a legal car.

Woohoo!

Good to see a happy ending to this. AND if I may say so thats looks like a nice car for that kind of money.

..........Neil

Time for a quick update.....

The V5 turned up this morning, only 3 months and 28 days after the sale! Interestingly, it shows the VIN to be the DVLA issued SABTVR0 type that has been attached to the bulkhead all along, not the Sylva issued chassis number that shows up if you search using HPI/mycarcheck/etc. I have no idea what has happened, but somewhere along the line the DVLA appear to have made a balls up. Slightly complicated by the previous owner removing the Sylva plate....

Hopefully someone (i.e., me!) will have learnt something from this and be a bit more thorough when purchasing cars in the future. How much I now trust HPI I'm not sure!

its an old thread, which i found today...but thats exactly the correct procedure!!

every kit comes with a specific sylva chassis-number. e.g. SP91090 for the 90th Sylva Phoenix kit built in 1991

but depending on donor and the mood of the dvla people, they will issue a SABTVR..... number.

this number supersedes sylva“s kit number.

so finally you have a SABTVR number written in the V5c, maybe also stamped in the chassis (as this job is up to the builder), but the builder might still rivet the origial sylva chassis-id plate to the car.

so basically you have 2 chassisnumbers now, but only the SABTVR is the "legal" one.