Obtaining Registration number from Chassis number

[Kieran]

Is there a way to obtain the registration number from the Chassis number?

I have bought a barn find car, but I am told by the DVLA that the plates included do not match the chassis number.

Is there a way of searching for the registration number from the chassis number? The DVLA wont help me yet.

Have heard some HPI sites can help.

Cheers

Kieran

[Rebuilda]

Yes there is. I'll see if I can find the link.
EDIT - fail, the site I used is now a 'page not found' 

I'll keep looking.
Have you tried doing a search on the reg number you DO have to see what it comes up as?

[steveg]

I haven't found anywhere online when I looked recently so I think someone must have realised people were using the information for the wrong reasons.

Another thread on here has suggested getting a trade HPI check done.

If like me you were really stuck and had a car old enough it has number plates on with riveted digits have a look to see if the ends have left any marks in the paint. I worked out the reg number from these, it nearly drove me mad mind !

Depending on the age of car a dealer might be able to help, failing that are there any service books or old tax discs anywhere.

You might just find DVLA messed up somewhere especially if the car has been off the road for a few years.

[mikec]

You may well have the correct registration, but if DVLA have the chassis number recorded incorrectly, say O instead of 0, or I instead of 1, or just a digit missing (which is a common problem) then they will just say the numbers don't match - you'll get no help from them. Try offering them different variations of your number and see what happens; even try the engine number - I know of two cars which have the engine number recorded as the chassis number!

[dodgerover]

The DVLA will go with the exact chassis number they have down, so if they have 001234 and you put down MD09-001234 or 1234 they may or may not accept it, as an example I wrote to them to trace the registration for one of my bikes, put down the full frame number eg B0012345 came back no trace, I tried again this year without the prefix and leading zeros (so 12345) and my log book came through this morning. Last road tax expired 1983

What does the registration number come up as if you do the first few (free) stages of a HPI check? I used to use the RAC one as you just put in the reg and it show the manufacturer, not sure if it still does?

As said above its not unknown for the DVLA to make mistakes, they are human after all

[Kieran]

I have sent pictures of the vin and chassis stamping, so if it was a derivative of that, you would think intelligence would rule here.

The number plate I got has the car model as a logo at the bottom, so I presume it is off a similar car?!

[Kieran]

Done the free hpi check, and the registration number comes up as correct (or matching) for my car.

[dodgerover]

A full HPI check should give the VIN that the dvla have recorded, at least the would give you an idea of what the problem may be.

[hairymel]

i know for certain that it is possible, for someone with trade access to hpi checks, to hpi on vin no. alone which returns the reg no.

in your case i would suggest a full hpi check of the reg you have first, as it is likely the dvla to have made an error

[Kieran]

Well, that was a waste of £25.

Did an HPI check on the regs I have (using the HPI website) and it didn't give me the VIN for the registration number I have, it asked me to enter the VIN I have and it said it didn't match what was recorded, which I already knew......

[Dez]

Yep, dvla f-k up. There's a LOT of this going on at the mo.

You need a trade HPI done. It's the only one that gives you a full and accurate record of what dvla have it written down as.

[dodgerover]

Judging by the number of threads relating to this I guess something must have changed recently at DVLA headquarters as they suddenly seem awfully keen on this. The Bugatti owners club have a lot to answer for me thinks

[oztuning]

Hey,

Send me a PM with your registration, and I'll send you the VIN number when I get to work.

Cheers
Oz

[Kieran]

So, I paid for a chassis number check (through Yodi Constantinou) and my chassis number comes back as a 1979 Alfa Supersud, which my car obviously isn't.

There's obviously been some mixup at the DVLA, how were chassis numbers issued in the 70's? By the DVLA or just stamped by manufacturers and then recorded by the DVLA?

[colnerov]

Devised, allocated and stamped by the manufacturer. Recorded by the DVLA upon registration.

[surprisingskoda]

So what you do now is do as advised and offered above. Get a TRADE hpi done using your reg and it will turn back your vin.

[Kieran]

So what stops 2 manufacturers stamped the same number?

Trade hpi comes back with the correct car, but no vin number recorded.....

[dodgerover]

2 different manufacturers will have issued the same chassis number at some point. Luckily its usually quite easy to identify the manufacturer and search with that as well.

It has been know for smallers manufacturers to reuse the same frame numbers several times on bikes bound for different countries, you want to see the problems that causes...

You need to speak to someone at ACE to see if they can suggest what next if the DVLA won't tell you.

[steveg]

I've not heard of this before, normally there will be code letters giving various options on the car.

[Ryannn]

I don't know when it started, but from a point, manufacturers used prefix letters on their VINs to identify them. For example, my mini and metro both start with SAX for MG Rover, whilst my Jag starts with SAJ.