I have no engine number on my new engine (what to do)?
Turbo Mini Forums

As in title chaps, i purchased my engine kit new of a chap on here about two years ago which came with no engine number. I have now got to the stage of finishing my mini and want to get it sorted with dvla etc but have no number and not much chance of getting the original number. What can i do?.

Any advice would be great.

regards Pete

Stamp a unique number of your own making in the block, fill that out on the V5, send it to the DVLA, done.

Edited by Tom Fenton on 11th Oct, 2011.

this is what i thought Tom but i have been on the phone to the dvla twice now and they insist i need to source the original number from the manufacturer. If i do just stamp my own number can it be any old numbers and letters or does it have to contain the 1275 bit etc?

cheers for your help.

I would just stamp a number of your choice in and send off the form. If they query it send them a picture of the number and tell them that is how you got it.

Right ok thanks Tom, does it have to be any amount of numbers or just what ever takes my fancy

I would use the engine number:-

DVLA4R3SH1T

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

haha!

PMSL!!!

another alternative, stamp on what the logbook show's, assuming its the same size block (998,1275)

Thats a great shout Joe, thing is it down as a 998 and its now a 1293. spose i could get avonbar to send me a letter saying they have carried out the work as proof

mine ended up with the same number as on the log book

Dont suppose its tax exempt?

if it is you dont have to wory about all this proof bollocks,

Also it seems that the DVLA dont always pick up on it,

I'd just send it off with a new no, and if they bounce it put togerther a letter.

put anything you want, somone (jimster) has "jims engine" as his engine number iirc....

And on the 7th day........... God created turbochargers!

ok thats great thanks chaps. To be honest when i spoke to the woman she didnt seem to have a fucking clue, kept having to put me on hold. guess they dont give a shit reali specially after having to pay £25 for a new log book (fuckers).

don't ever ring the dvla. you may as well just ask my dog. he has more of a clue.

lesson learnt, case closed thanks again. mot booked for 3rd nov fingers crossed.

I machined 1.5mm off the top of my MPi block, thereby removing the engine number since they were lazer etched. I never made note of the number, so I stamped up the block with my own number, filled out the V5 and sent it off. 2 weeks later I had the documents back with the new number and no question to its origin. That said, I believe its harder to change the CC rather than the engine number, as its then that they wan't documented proof.

The other question I want answere is, if you recondition a 1275 block it ends up as 1293, the next factory oversize. Does this need to be declaired? and even though it is a 'maintenance' process, is it classed as a modification in its own right? grey area if you ask me. what is a load of bollox is that I have a 94 M Mini Cooper that is 1300 on the document, and a 95 M Mini Sprite with 1275 on the document, Both pretty much the same engine when it left the factory!

Edited by Sprocket on 11th Oct, 2011.

its all to catch peple dlcaring small engines to get cheaper tax, if your going the otherway, or not changing brackets it seems to suddenly be easier!

very patchy if you ask me. At the end of the day im just gonna give my old engine number and just say its been changed from 998 to 1293cc with a cover note from my local garage saying the work has been done. They cant proove otherwise anyway block looks the same.

no still got it, well it went to the scrapers but i never declared it scraped so should all be good.

i havent read most of this thread but,

i had similar doings with the dvla.

i said i cant get a number because its a modified block. the new engine capacity is now 1310 etc blah blah. (it went straight over her head) and they just said fill in this sheet (an engine specific sheet) with all the numbers and sizes etc. in the end it got registered as a 1310cc engine without a number. so to this date my v5 says "not known" in the number bit.

Does anybody know how to go about this same scenario but trying to prove that the engine is older than the body of the car?
I still have the chassis number will will show that the car is a 1999 rover model however for MOT purposes and so on how do I prove that the engine is older so that I can pass the emissions now that it’s a smoke exhaling dolphin killing carb fuelled engine?

Generally the route was to show written evidence, whether from the manufacturer, a dealer etc...that can tie the engine number to the original manufacture date.

Maybe not so easy these days, although the DVLA themselves should be able to search the engine number to find out ? Although fat chance of them doing it.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will