Defender Conversion To Soft-top - DVLA Issues?

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tailhook

tailhook

Well-Known Member
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I'm intending to convert my D90 to a soft-top in the next few months (overhaul has greatly delayed this so far!) and I'm assuming the V5 will need amending and with that, some form of vehicle check, or maybe not? Appreciate that the Defender soft-top is a standard variant of the vehicle, but just wondering what, if any official hoops have to be jumped through?
Thanks.
 
Mr G Imp said:
Sorry to hijack this but do you have a link? The exmoor website does not seem navigable at all
Click to expand...

As per my post, it was on the bay of e.

However it may be they have stopped doing the deals they were doing, In which case give them a call and ask if they have any "end of year" clearance kits for sale?

Cheers
 
Actually you SHOULD inform the DVLA (as well as insurance) as you are changing the body type, a pain if you swop between the two but you have actually changed the body type and the logbook should reflect this change.

I bought my 1986 ex-MOD hardtop 90 in 1999 and when I got it registered the body type was recorded as an Estate. 12-Months later I converted it to soft-top (informing the insurance company of course) and it has remained like that ever since however it never crossed my mind to get the logbook updated.
Just recently however it was brought to my attention that the logbook was still showing Estate and this was incorrect so I sent the logbook back with an amendment to Soft-top. I then received a request for more information (V627/1 Built Up Vehicle Report) so I filled that in and included a series of photos showing original body, during & after conversion (which as we know takes only a matter of hours).
Two weeks ago I received back my new logbook with the body type now showing as Convertible.

As I said, insurance companies have never had an issue but strictly speaking the body type on the logbook is incorrect, mine remained like that for nearly 20-years but that doesn't make it right.
 
Litch said:
Actually you SHOULD inform the DVLA (as well as insurance) as you are changing the body type, a pain if you swop between the two but you have actually changed the body type and the logbook should reflect this change.

I bought my 1986 ex-MOD hardtop 90 in 1999 and when I got it registered the body type was recorded as an Estate. 12-Months later I converted it to soft-top (informing the insurance company of course) and it has remained like that ever since however it never crossed my mind to get the logbook updated.
Just recently however it was brought to my attention that the logbook was still showing Estate and this was incorrect so I sent the logbook back with an amendment to Soft-top. I then received a request for more information (V627/1 Built Up Vehicle Report) so I filled that in and included a series of photos showing original body, during & after conversion (which as we know takes only a matter of hours).
Two weeks ago I received back my new logbook with the body type now showing as Convertible.

As I said, insurance companies have never had an issue but strictly speaking the body type on the logbook is incorrect, mine remained like that for nearly 20-years but that doesn't make it right.
Click to expand...

mine is a soft top, and i am not fitting a hard top but i do swap between full length tilt and a truck cab tilt.
No need to tell the dvla i guess?
Mine is down as a light 4x4 utility
 
If your Body Type is shown as Light 4x4 Utility then that may well cover it, I don't know?
Probably depends on how it was registered in the first place.
 
@flat @Litch Many thanks for this and it was the body type in the V5 that prompted this post; as above, it states this as Light 4x4 Utility. I'll make no assumptions here and contact DVLA and update the post accordingly; that update may well be a month or two away, but useful, I think, anyway. Thanks again, everyone for the comments.
 
tailhook said:
@flat @Litch Many thanks for this and it was the body type in the V5 that prompted this post; as above, it states this as Light 4x4 Utility. I'll make no assumptions here and contact DVLA and update the post accordingly; that update may well be a month or two away, but useful, I think, anyway. Thanks again, everyone for the comments.
Click to expand...

Yeah do I will be interesting to know what the ‘official line’ is.

I am not worried about mine, it’s was soft top from new and was registered as light 4x4 utiliry
 
Don’t contact the DVLA, there’s no need and they’re good at turning nothing into big problems.

If the V5C says light 4x4 utility then you’re in luck as that can be pretty much any body style. You want as little detail on there as possible.
 
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