Help dating a car from it's vin plate

[999 ORX]

Hello chaps,

Can anyone tell me how to date a car from the vin numbers etc? I'm interested in a car which is suppose to be a Morris may 1960. From what the seller he's described it sounds iffy to me and he's promised to get me the vin number and fe number etc as there still present on the car. My main concern was this, the car had it original reg transferred a very long time ago and the reg allocated to it is on a B (1964) has anyone else ever come across this? Mmmmm!!? The cars miles away from me and I've asked lots of the obvious questions and there is some urgency to sell the car as he is loosing his lock up. The car is also very cheap if it is a 60 so I'm obviously sceptical as you don't get something for nothing now a days!

So if anyone can help me figure out what the car actually is from the vin etc I'd be ever so grateful as I myself don't have a clue how to decipher this type of stuff! I have a feeling it's just a 64 and he doesn't know what it is.

Cheers

[999 ORX]

I've just checked the reg and this is what came up!? What is the date of liability? And it looks like it isn't tax exempt? Am I correct in thinking it's an import?

Date of Liability 01 12 1982
Date of First Registration 25 05 1960
Year of Manufacture Not Available
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 848cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type PETROL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour RED
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available
Vehicle Excise Duty rate for vehicle
6 Months Rate £74.25
12 Months Rate £135.00

[Old English White]

All sounds OK to me. The date of liability is when the car was last taxed (so it seems to have been off the road for 30years. Back then, if cars had their original registration transfered, it was common for them to be issued with almost anything. We had a 1960 Rover 90 which was given a "C" suffix

The car will be tax exempt when it is next taxed. Back in 1982 tax exempt/historic vehicle didn't exist hence the information on the DVLA print out.

[guru_1071]

in the late 1970's/ early 1980's the dvla was virtually a comunist goverment department, the people working there viewed anyone with classic cars or wanting to move number plates about as 'rich tory scum' and would deliberatly go out their way to be as obstuctive as possible (though early computers and what not wouldnt have helped)

my old man has a 1930's car that had lost its rf60, so had to be reissued a v5, as this happened in 1978 the dvla would only issue it on a 't' plate. when my dad bought it in the mid 1980's he spent months trying to get a proper 'age-related' plate. the dvla twisted and turned and basically wouldnt help, eventually they issed an 1964 'a' plate - which it still has today. they wouldnt issue a non suffix plate as that would 'add value to the car'. now-a-days it would be a simple task of getting a dating letter from a club and the (known) original number plate would be reissued, we have left the 'a' plate on it as its not a big issue, and it makes a good story!

once, however the dvla cottened on that selling plates was a major money earner for them, they suddenly became a lot more receptive to the whole transfering and reissuing of plates.

[Pete]

The car will be tax exempt when it is next taxed. .

..only after a trip to the local VRO with the relevant paperwork. They stopped making Elf/Hornets in 1969 and my car was registered in 1965 but they still wouldn't change it to tax exempt without me taking a day off work and going through 'the procedure'.

[999 ORX]

Well I've decided to take a 12 hour round trip to go get it! And we'll see if it's a pile of crap! Haha

[999 ORX]

Ps cheers for the info chaps..

[Old English White]

The car will be tax exempt when it is next taxed. .

..only after a trip to the local VRO with the relevant paperwork. They stopped making Elf/Hornets in 1969 and my car was registered in 1965 but they still wouldn't change it to tax exempt without me taking a day off work and going through 'the procedure'.

The taxation class does have to be changed by the DVLA but they will happily do this by post. You don't have to travel anywhere unless you prefer to do it that way. I've just done one myself.

[999 ORX]

Well it was a complete waste of time! That's 12 hours of my life and £150 worth of fuel I'm not getting back! Haha, I'l trust my gut next time!

Cheers old English, good info I appreciate it.

[The Collector]

If thats chris, i warned you, should have left it well alone-plenty more Mk1 ones about for sale. but a good buy will cost you more than 500.00

[aquamini]

I was also going to collect a car from the same guy,100% original never touched as it left the factory always kept in a heated garage!!!! never realised they were a few different shades from new and complete with dents, bent bumpers and paint reactions.
Aparently i am a timewaster!!! could be worse at least it only cost me my train ticket.

[Old English White]

Well it was a complete waste of time! That's 12 hours of my life and £150 worth of fuel I'm not getting back! Haha, I'l trust my gut next time!

Cheers old English, good info I appreciate it.

If it makes you feel any better, most of us will have had similar experiences in the past. Even when a car doesn't sound right you still have to go and look with your own eyes because you just know that occasionally there is a real bargain just waiting to be found. And, how bad would you feel if you hadn't gone and someone else on here went and bought it and told you later what a gem they'd found .

Just keep looking, the right car must be somewhere.

[999 ORX]

Yes it is me Peter, i know you did. Curiosity got the better of me! I know I should have listened!

[999 ORX]

Well it was a complete waste of time! That's 12 hours of my life and £150 worth of fuel I'm not getting back! Haha, I'l trust my gut next time!

Cheers old English, good info I appreciate it.

If it makes you feel any better, most of us will have had similar experiences in the past. Even when a car doesn't sound right you still have to go and look with your own eyes because you just know that occasionally there is a real bargain just waiting to be found. And, how bad would you feel if you hadn't gone and someone else on here went and bought it and told you later what a gem they'd found .

Just keep looking, the right car must be somewhere.

Yes, to be honest that's what I thought! Haha if it was only 30miles away you go straight away! Thing was it was a lot further than that! But lesson learnt! I'm not really that annoyed.. I was half expecting it! And I knew it was a risk! Just now I'm getting the silent treatment of the mrs for going to look at it all that way! Think the fridge doors been left open in my house! Haha!