Probably all MK1 Golfs are now close to being elligible for this and maybe even the earliest MK2's sometime soon too? Although it's connected to the MOT free / Road Tax exempt side of things, there's another aspect to it that I certainly wasn't aware of until recently. It's to do with engine changes. Not talking about what's deemed to be substantive changes and such, that's another debate. Not talking about getarounds or not bothering telling them etc. either, but doing it as it's officially supposed to be done. My engine circumstances are that I've replaced the original / standard 1983 1.8 DX with a 1985 GTiE RE1900 that stated life as a 1.8 EV. Other than the engine number and capacity they are effectively the same engine / cylinder number / fuel, blah, blah, blah. Today, to have the V5C changed to reflect the change the DVLA would require cetain types of written evidence... things like garage letterheads, insurance reports and such. Nothing too onerous but if like me you're someone who got the engine privately and are doing the work yourself the DVLA don't seem to be happy with just a plain old sales receipt, formal written or otherwise. On the 1st of April when my car can be registered for 'Historic' status, I still have to notify an engine number / cc change, but as long as they're deemed to not be substantive (you fill in a form certifying this) they then no longer require any of the required types of evidence. Apparently this concession was won by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs way back in 2011. They argued successfully that an engine replacement to a 40+ year old vehicle was a 'minor' change bearing in mind it'd be a common enough thing to need done at that age, plus potential replacement engines would likely be as old in themselves / probably have no formal history that can be proven. Might seem a small thing but worth knowing. I've had 3 months of toing and froing before having my change accepted, had I known about any of the above before starting the process I'd have been wiser waiting to April.
If you take the guidelines on the DVLA website a four cylinder engine swap is not deemed a change to be notified. I think you are overthinking this.
You still have to notify an engine change, regardless of a vehicle having historic status, it being so merely does away with the requirement to supply the evidence they ordinarily want.
Zender overthinking something?! Naaaaaaa :-) Agree that all swaps should be notified to the right people though. Love these folk who "forget" to declare thier car now has about 4 times the original power presumably to carry on getting cheaper insurance. I dont feel that an engine swap should change historic status tho. Surely the frame age is the tell
An engine / cc change won't affect your eligibility to apply for Historic status when the time comes, but it may impact on what you are required to show to be granted it. That means providing one of two things, either a valid MOT or a Form V112 in which you declare you are MOT exempt. If your vehicle has had an engine / cc change an MOT exemption is dependant on whether or not the changes are considered 'substantive' or not. As said in the original post, that's another debate. As also said in the original post if you submit an engine / cc change before you are eligible to apply for historical status the DVLA will be entitled to ask for certain forms of supporting written proof. What I highlighted was if you make the same application after being granted Historical status they waiver that aspect, it doesn't mean you are no longer required to notify an engine/ cc change, you are. If it turns out your engine / cc changes are deemed to exclude you from being MOT exempt, you can still apply for Road Tax free / Historic status when the time comes and be given it, you'll just need a valid MOT. If you think about the reasons why DVLA are interested in engine /cc changes, one is to do with rates of taxation. For the age that MK1/2 Golfs are (pre-2001) those rates are based on capacity, not emissions or bands... if below 1549cc you pay considerably less than above, so for example putting a 1.8 GTI engine into your 1.1 C will require you to pay higher road tax, though the reverse would also be applicable and you'd pay less. Now that Historical status is within reach of many MK1s that last paragraph is becoming a moot point, Road Tax free status is given regardless of previous tax rate.
As I said before, over thinking it. When I changed my old car to historic status all I had to do was go to the post office and hand the form in. There were no checks made on the car at all. I’m not saying you shouldn’t advise the DVLA of an engine change but realistically how many people actually do, especially when it’s difficult to do. The only time it’s likely to be an issue is if you get stopped at a DVLA check site. Even then they are only going to look hard if it’s a very obvious change like a V6 into a MK2 or Mk1.
Nor will there be... it's not the Post Offices role to check your car, they accept either your valid MOT or a form V112 that it's legitimately MOT exempt at face value. Hence why you complete a declaration, if it isn't accurate that's on the person signing it and any consequences. And back to the original post... I wasn't commenting on what people do or don't do as a getaround or choose what to declare, that's their decision. My choice is to do it properly and for the benefit of others wanting to do likewise, if circumstances allow, highlighted the advantages of notifying engine / cc changes after Historic status has been given. It's not about what I think, I'm not giving an opinion, all of the above is about what you are required to do.
Or if you crash it/it's get nicked. Plod would have a field day if they popped the bonnet of a 1.3 golf to find an undeclared fire breathing r32 staring back at them, especially if Mr Insurer thinks it's a 1.3 also
Having on the V5 as a 1.3 and insuring it as something else are two different things. If it’s all declared on the insurance then you are covered. I call tell you for nothing that “plod” would not bother in the slightest if it was a 1.3 on the V5 but it was properly insured. What’s on the V5 is not a police matter, what’s on the insurance is.
