I contacted the DVLA, who informed me that a chassis number would be allocated by my local DVLA office (dont have a phone number).
I visited the local office ( Aberdeen) and asked if i could be issued with a chassis number and could i use a number of my own making of 17 letters and numbers.

The genltleman behind the counter smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said "you can try".
He then said i would have to complete a form V55/5 and it would have to submitted to the local office along with (wait for it ) ALL RECIEPTS AND COSTS OF THE KIT, AND ANY ADDITIONAL PARTS, EVIDANCE OF PUCHASE FOR ENGINE E.T.C and ANY PAPPERWORK ASSOSIATED WITH DONAR VEHICLES.This would be checked with the police to see if it is ok and then a number will be issued to allow me to apply for an SVA test.
After picking my self up I reiterated that all i wanted at this stage was a chassis number.
He smiled and handed me the form and said "yes thats right"

The remaining conversation went like a script from "Yes Minister"

The form is for "Application for first licence and declaration for registration" and half the boxes can not be completed.

Is this the expierence of other builders or did I ask the wrong question?

Not at all. I had the DVLA come out to inspect the car before it was finished. I called the DVLA who got the woman at Wimbledon to call me. We sorted the chassis number over the phone. I will fill out the V55/5 after SVA and take it to the DVLA when registering the car (i guess?). The build up report was taken by the DVLA guy so i should get an age related plate. I have no receipts.

That person you talked to may be refering to a new reg number i.e brand new!!

[Edited on 22/5/06 by donut]

Sound like a jobsworth!
The major car manufacturers do not get vin numbers allocated so neither should we.
Fill in a "build up report" and send it with your chassis No. and all supporting documentation to the DVLA local office and tell them that you require an inspection. Make sure the vehicle is not drivable. (No wheels for example)They should then arrange for the inspector to come out and inspect the car and chassis No. Tell them a time that you expect to go for SVA (at least 4 weeks) and that if you do not hear to the contrary in that time that you will assume that there is no problem with police checks and the chassis No.

I gave my own chassis no. on the SVA application as I had already made it up & put it on the car. After passing SVA the "registration checking man" came to visit me, said that usually chassis no.'s should be 17 digits, but mine was fine at 14 as it was unlikely to be accidentally duplicated (that's the main thing they seem to bother about) & I was duly issued with a reg against the existing chassis no.

I made one up myself and then wrote a letter to my local DVLA office (Exeter) and then sent me a letter back confirming the number i made up WAS suitable and ok to use!

cheers Colin

Don't I just use the chassis no of the donor Sierra ? I thought idea was to have as much of the original car to obtain same plate. Donor will obviously not be on the road after build.

Nope. The chassis number is unique ( supposidly) to the chassis. You nedd to use mechanical parts to get an age related plate. Chances are you won't get the original donor's plate anyway, merely one of the same age.

I rang Nottingham DVLA and was told to make my own one up, as long as it was 17 digits long it would be fine. No one checked on it

Mark

Remember that you cannot have a letter I in the VIN. It will be converted to a Figure 1 by the DVLA.

I didnt have any problem with the VIN, I got insurance, then moT, and SVA, and then it was inspected by the DVLA in that order.

no problem at all except the I was converted to a 1, only found out at the DVLA, where the nice lady explained no I's allowed.

I decided to start the registration process before SVA.

I started by faxing in FAO the Kit Car Inspector brief details of the build and asking the way forward, phone call from him a couple days later when we talked through form filling details, V55/5 the registration form and V627/1 the build up details.

I needed to fill in as much detail as possible on the V55/5, the rest will be completed after SVA, and he was OK with my own VIN number.

The build up form needed completing and the receipts (not copies, they return them once the registration is complete) for the items listed needed to be sent with the form for checking and validation.

The inspector came out a few days after returning the forms to check the details and she just checked engine and chassis numbers and personal ID (passport). All done in 15 minutes.

Very pleased, this is the Brighton office.

Yep, I dealt with Rob during my Registration and he was very helpful. Kicked off the process pre SVA in March with as much of the form filled in as possible. My inspection was done at my house by the Police who filled in the Inspection Report for me. Rob hung onto the reg form until the build/SVA process completed in June (for very long & boring reasons the SVA was in Glasgow). Don't
recall ever showing them anything other than the donor V5 - certainly no receipts. Got an age related plate though.
Oh, and don't bother calling the central DVLA advice line because they don't have a clue.