registering my car

[Dean.s]

After 2 years undergoing a restoration, after arriving from the US it's time to register it.

I received the pack from dvla today but still not able to get a certificate of production as porsche can't find my car.

Maybe jumping the gun a bit as it's not quite ready for the road, so as yet can't get to inspection centrre.

This is the part i was least looking forward to.

[Mr Pharmacist]

Porsche can't find your car?! Why not?

[Dean.s]

Panic over. It took 7 weeks but i had a call from my dearest to say it arrived today. Just dvla to deal with.......

Ended up getting contact details for Reading and dealing directly with them.

[RichardJ]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I have a question about a very similar topic. Could anyone who has imported a project car from the US give me any pointers as to what you should get as a result of the NOVA process?
Mine was imported in 2016 by the guy I bought it from. It came with lots of US paperwork, but I expected some kind of NOVA paperwork too. The guy I bought my project from was a lawyer, but left a lot of the import details to the importing company, and doesn't seem to be aware of NOVA. From what I've read, the importing company either could or should have handled the NOVA and any taxed due on behalf of the owner. I've asked him for more details weeks ago, in case any NOVA certification was maybe via e-mail and he's just forgotten to print a copy out for me. So far no reply, although he's currently abroad, so may not have had access to all his paperwork yet.
After much Googling, and being new to NOVA, I'm still not sure what kind of acknowledgement of the NOVA process being carried out HMRC issue. Surely there must be a certificate, or some kind of paperwork or serial number which you can ask them to look up against the VIN of an unregistered project car to check whether it's been 'NOVA'd'? I believe unless I can sort this out, I can expect trouble at registration time.

If not, maybe the paperwork I have which shows when the car was imported could 'go missing', so I no longer have any evidence that it wasn't imported many years ago, before NOVA existed! Thanks,

[inaglasshouse]

Yep, as you speculate, HMRC issues a letter with brief details of the car, acknowledging that the duty has been paid, and providing a "NOVA reference" id.
My most recent one (2017) came by email, previous ones by post.
A copy of the NOVA also goes to the shipping agent, so might be worth trying them?

[inaglasshouse]

And, with apologies a random question / thread hijack.

Currently one of the bits of paperwork you submit with the first registration application is an MoT certificate. Does anyone know whether this will remain the case when (say) a 1970 car becomes MoT exempt? It would be really nice to be able to deal with the registration paperwork before the minor inconvenience of finishing the resto to MoT-able standard, but I suspect an initial MoT will still be required?

[RichardJ]

Thanks for the NOVA info - I have a lead now as to what I'm looking for - a letter or e-mail with a NOVA ID number. I have paperwork relating to the shipping company and the car's entry to the UK, so hopefully they'll be able to help. It was actually Jan 2017 when the guy I bought it from imported it, not 2016 as I previously thought, so I bet he got the NOVA documentation via e-mail too, but never gave me a copy.

I was talking to someone recently who had just imported some '50's American trucks. He was of the impression that you can be asked to take the vehicle for inspection, or even an IVA test as part of the registration process, but not an MOT. He seemed to know plenty about it. I'm out of touch - the last time I registered an import it was so easy - just fill in the relevant form, send it off with proof of the vehicle age (I used a 'birth certificate' from VW), and probably with an MOT (I can't remember) and all the registration paperwork came back, albeit for the wrong model year, in typical DVLA fashion.
I imagine the inspection that can be requested as part of the registration process is like a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check, such as when you put a cat C or cat D write off back on the road), where all they are concerned with is whether the vehicle really has the identity you say it has. I had to do this once. They won't let you see what is involved in the check, you have to sit in a waiting room until they give you the car back, but you do have to give them permission to remove paint around the VIN number, etc, if they suspect the car may have had it's identity changed. You can legally drive to a VIC check with no number plates as long as it's booked in, and you have insurance (i.e. a cover note for the VIN number) and an MOT (if required).

[inaglasshouse]

Many thanks for the additional info, and good luck tracking down the NOVA id.
It also strikes me that, since the NOVA (obviously) includes the VIN, someone in HMRC "should" be able to search by VIN and find it.

[Dean.s]

Having read through the v55 pack i'm going to wait until the end of the month and request a new pack from dvla to see what the difference will be, if any.

I've got it going for 4 wheel alignment next week so once that is done i will have a fresh set of eyes to check over the car aswell.

Then it will be ready to register mot/iva whatever they want and time to drive it

[Dean.s]

I couldn't see how to request the pack again off the website, I was on my phone so maybe that was the reason.

I've completed the form with as much info as I have. All requested forms (except original foreign reg document) are present.

My chequebook is dated 2008! Will check it's validity with the bank before I send it off.

Hopefully my car will be road legal at the start of July.

[Dean.s]

The dvla have kicked back my applucation. I put everything in that i have except the original foreign reg certificate that i don't have. That's their reason for rejection reason.

Spoke to the person who imported and although not unco operative seems to think the nova proof is what they need.

Going to put a fresh application in.

[Mr Pharmacist]

From the Goverment website for importing vehicles

the original foreign registration certificate to show when the vehicle was manufactured (you won’t get this back)
If you don’t have the original foreign registration certificate, DVLA might accept other proof of the manufacture date, eg a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club.

So have you got the COA from Porsche? that should cover the lack of original reg doc?

[Dean.s]

I supplied the certificate of production, porsche said they no longer provide a coa. Probably the same info on it. They even sent it back to me.

I will resubmit the application in the same format as i would create a legal pack for a court case.

I'm hoping i just got someone inexperienced the first time.

[camperco]

We have successfully used a "Certificate of Origin" from Porsche to prove date of manufacture where we didn't want to wait months for a COA. Cost is the same and they are supposed to issue them in 48hrs.

[Dean.s]

I received my registration today. 11 days after they received a detailed letter listing and cross referencing each piece of evidence that they needed. A lesson learned for the future.

With regards to registration plates what are people using?

http://www.chestnut-registrations.co.uk ... lates.aspx

This site makes black & silver plates american sized (if i have read it correctly) i have the amercian plate surrounds that the usa plates were on. Is anyone running these?