Joined
·
827 Posts
Hi guys,
Apologies in advance for a slightly wordy post.
I'm looking for some advice about how best to proceed when attempting to update the details contained in the V5 document, specifically for engine capacity. This is for my Alfa 164 Q4 which I bought in January 2015 and have steadily been fixing - the car is now not far from being roadworthy again. It is currently sorned and hasn't had an MOT since 2008, and is not currently insured (not that it should make any difference).
The background is the following:
Though I haven't driven the car yet (so cannot confirm a difference in performance) I firmly believe it has undergone a 3.5L conversion by Savali based upon information I dug up online prior to purchasing the car. I have also had a chance meeting with a mechanic who used to look after the car for its prior owner, who confirmed it was a 3.5 along with the circumstances that led to it being abandoned. The engine number matches the number provided by Fiat's Eper system when entering the VIN, so I believe the car retains its original (modified) engine. I guess the only way to know for sure is to either drive it (which I can't yet) or open up the engine and have a peek (which I'm not prepared to do!).
The problem I'm facing is that when the car was imported from Holland in 2004, it was registered as a 3.0 Cloverleaf. I suppose the 'Cloverleaf' part is because Alfa never sold the Q4 here so it can't be registered as a Q4? (Unless someone can correct me) so it was registered as the closest variant. However, not updating the capacity to 3.5 is a bit naughty, and the previous owner will likely have had the paperwork required to do so, so I'm not sure why they didn't bother.
Anyway, I've contacted Savali who say their record-keeping was a bit, err, crap, so they can't confirm or deny that they worked on it. I find that a little bit dubious, but there we go. I've also contacted the DVLA to ask their advice, but all I got in return was their list of requirements for changing the V5 details, which is what I contacted them about in the first place
ever helpful. For reference, the list is contained in the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-details-registration-certificate/what-evidence-to-give
Given the circumstances the only option I can see is to ask a garage if they will provide an inspection report to say that they've checked it over and can confirm the modification. However I'm not sure many garages would be willing to do this? Perhaps an Alfa specialist might, but I thought I would ask here before taking this further.
Any helpful tips will be appreciated.
Apologies in advance for a slightly wordy post.
I'm looking for some advice about how best to proceed when attempting to update the details contained in the V5 document, specifically for engine capacity. This is for my Alfa 164 Q4 which I bought in January 2015 and have steadily been fixing - the car is now not far from being roadworthy again. It is currently sorned and hasn't had an MOT since 2008, and is not currently insured (not that it should make any difference).
The background is the following:
Though I haven't driven the car yet (so cannot confirm a difference in performance) I firmly believe it has undergone a 3.5L conversion by Savali based upon information I dug up online prior to purchasing the car. I have also had a chance meeting with a mechanic who used to look after the car for its prior owner, who confirmed it was a 3.5 along with the circumstances that led to it being abandoned. The engine number matches the number provided by Fiat's Eper system when entering the VIN, so I believe the car retains its original (modified) engine. I guess the only way to know for sure is to either drive it (which I can't yet) or open up the engine and have a peek (which I'm not prepared to do!).
The problem I'm facing is that when the car was imported from Holland in 2004, it was registered as a 3.0 Cloverleaf. I suppose the 'Cloverleaf' part is because Alfa never sold the Q4 here so it can't be registered as a Q4? (Unless someone can correct me) so it was registered as the closest variant. However, not updating the capacity to 3.5 is a bit naughty, and the previous owner will likely have had the paperwork required to do so, so I'm not sure why they didn't bother.
Anyway, I've contacted Savali who say their record-keeping was a bit, err, crap, so they can't confirm or deny that they worked on it. I find that a little bit dubious, but there we go. I've also contacted the DVLA to ask their advice, but all I got in return was their list of requirements for changing the V5 details, which is what I contacted them about in the first place
ever helpful. For reference, the list is contained in the link below:https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-details-registration-certificate/what-evidence-to-give
Given the circumstances the only option I can see is to ask a garage if they will provide an inspection report to say that they've checked it over and can confirm the modification. However I'm not sure many garages would be willing to do this? Perhaps an Alfa specialist might, but I thought I would ask here before taking this further.
Any helpful tips will be appreciated.
