Chassis on Ebay

[tribonnie]

Hi, new to Westfield, in fact very new as dont have one, but am looking at the chassis on Ebay.

I have a response from sell saying no docs and will need IVA test to get it taxed. I am familiar with SVA test as I have done this for motorbikes but as I understand it the IVA test is now quite stringent

If I assume the worst and the chassis has no Westfield chassis tag or VIN plate

1) Can I get an IVA test without any kind of approved chassis plate identifiaction

2) If I take the chassis to Westfield to establish it is genuine will they retro fit a chassis plate

3) Is the approach I am considering, ie. starting from a chassis just too complicated to consider

thanks .... Richard

[Captain Colonial]

Give us a link to the FleaBay as and we'll take a look.

[Mark Stanton]

1) Can I get an IVA test without any kind of approved chassis plate identifiaction ..... NO as a Westfield

2) If I take the chassis to Westfield to establish it is genuine will they retro fit a chassis plate.      Highly Unlikely

3) Is the approach I am considering, ie. starting from a chassis just too complicated to consider  ....... If purchased without unknown ID - YES, it would never be a Westfield.

However, if Chassis has genuine ID VIN and some receipts if possible should be o.k as a start

[Mark (smokey mow)]

1) yes, the DVLA can allocate a chassis number for you.

2) most likely not.  If the chassis number has been removed then there's probably a very good reason for it to have been so eg:

i) it has previously been on the road and subsequently written off CatB

ii) it's number has been removed as it's identity has been used on another car so as to illegally avoid the IVA process.

iii) some other reason

3) no, so long as you have a very good idea and knowledge of identifying the differences between parts used on different years of cars.  Narrow body parts and that easy to come by second hand and you'll be competing against me for anything that appears on ebay

4) note that if it doesn't have a westfield chassis number and it has to be registered as something different then this may affect resale value.

[DerekJ]

1) Can I get an IVA test without any kind of approved chassis plate identifiaction ..... NO

Hi Mark,

So how does this work with a locost where you build the chassis yourself? Or is this now forbidden?

DerekJ

[Mark Stanton]

Sorry its a No ...... not as a Westfield ........ you would simply have a Locaterfield generic      

[SteveD]

its 1990 sei ,westy diff ,narrow , wants £1600 for it , its not all there and is rough ,and never registered ,not worth it

[jeff oakley]

its 1990 sei ,westy diff ,narrow , wants £1600 for it , its not all there and is rough ,and never registered ,not worth it

I saw that as well and agree with Steve just too expensive if that is what he wants.

It may well have a chassis number, they were stamped on the gearbox cross member, but it would need a lot spending on it and then another £400 on IVA which it will probably fail first time as the car was not designed with IVA in mind.

you are better buying a built older car and rebuilding.

[tribonnie]

Hi, thanks for all responses, this is the Ebay link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws....EWAX:IT

[cast iron]

my mate did the same, turns out it was a locost, only paid a couple of hundred so couldnt be arsed to start a claim and has built a nice car from it, but the seller disapeared from fleabay.

[DerekJ]

Sorry its a No ...... not as a Westfield ........ you would simply have a Locaterfield generic      

Ah, I understand. You can still register it but just not as a Westfield. That's good!

Edited to add...

Ahh but...

What's to stop some guy knocking up a look-a-like VIN plate with a chassis number that's close to a real car and stlll flogging it off as a real Westfield? Would the buyer know? and do the SVA guys check where the current car is?

Sorry, I know I'm being pedantic.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Ahh but...

What's to stop some guy knocking up a look-a-like VIN plate with a chassis number that's close to a real car and stlll flogging it off as a real Westfield? Would the buyer know? and do the SVA guys check where the current car is?

Sorry, I know I'm being pedantic.

Probably the same laws that stop far eastern countries selling and trying to pass off knock off watches as Rolex's etc.  

It's missrepresentation.

The IVA examiner is only there to check the construction of the car is in compliance with the relevant legislation, not that it is/isn't what it may be descirbed as.  

Look-a-like vin plates are available, but they're not quite the same as westfields whilst you could make up a chassis number very similar to an existing westfield's you'll need to be careful that you don't pick one that's already in use, or there will be some very difficult questions from the DVLA to answer.  The chassis numbers on Westfield's provide a large amount of detail about the construction of car, it's much more than just a sequential number.  Pick the wrong number and it'll be pretty easy to spot by someone like me