I have a Defender 90 that has had a replacement chassis off a used truck, I assume that the previous owner welded over the VIN plate so as to not mix them up. However there is a VIN number on the inside of the engine bay attached to the master cylinder which corresponds with the V5 for the vehicle, is this enough to pass an MOT?
VIN covered up on chassis, is it a MOT fail?
- Thread starter Lej
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Lief Zpring
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I didn't think an MOT included chassis number checks. I had a new chassis fitted last year and it passed the MOT with no chassis number on it.
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Its fine the tester will read the one on the master. 
Legally it has to have one, I wasn't sure if it had to be stamped on the chassis but as has been answered by Kev and Lynall, you can have it on the master and it will pass.
Lief Zpring
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A long time ago I owned a Series 3. I bought a log book and plate on ebay which would make the 109 old enough to be tax exempt. One week later I got a knock on the door from the police (stolen vehicle unit) asking to examine the "vehicle" I had just purchased. Told them I had chaged my mind and had scrapped it
A long time ago I owned a Series 3. I bought a log book and plate on ebay which would make the 109 old enough to be tax exempt. One week later I got a knock on the door from the police (stolen vehicle unit) asking to examine the "vehicle" I had just purchased. Told them I had chaged my mind and had scrapped it
Eek. Yeah that's the stuff of horrors... But a galvanized chassis awaits the chariot soon enough...
mick the builder
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Over here, my old p38 failed because the tester couldn't find the no. On the chassis. I found it eventually under the stone chip, put it back in and ot passed.
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Rougharse Racing
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You should pass the MOT, but how do YOU know that it is a second hand chassis? How do you know that you don't have a stolen Land Rover?
Ooo, and why would that be?
On the defenders, the chassis is the car, ie the reg of the 2nd hand chassis is the car, and not the reg you currently have, mention it out load, and people will assume you have a stolen motor/car/parts etc.
If they come knocking, you will have to prove it is not stolen
Everything bolted to the chassis does not count, so for example if you stuck a disco body on your chassis, in the eyes of the law it is still a 90/110/defender.
There should be other stampings on the chassis to show its age, Iirc mine had L93 or 93L or just plain L, was a 93 car, I cannot remember, but it was in more than one place.
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Mine is now on a galvanised chassis with no VIN number stamped in to it. Tester isn't bothered because it is obviously not another vehicle as none of them were built with a galvanised chassis. So, it's not a nicked vehicle with another body stuck on top. However, I think the letter of the law would say that even a galvanised chassis should have the VIN number on it. When I first took mine to be tested, after the rebuild, I can remember him quietly muttering it would be fine on the new chassis. That said.he had tested my Landy for years before the rebuild, so he knew it wasn't a ringer. A second hand/different chassis is a whole new ball game.
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There is nothing to stop you taking your own chassis off, galvanising it then putting it all back together.
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So, if you've bought a secondhand chassis all you need to do is to make it look like you did the above. Apparently it's on the outside of the right hand side dumb iron,just behind where the bumper bolts through. A little ingenuity ought to do it, Grind back the galvanising and the old number off, if it is still there and that part of the chassis hasn't been replaced, get a set of number and letter stamps and stamp it in yourself. Then paint it over with zinc type paint. Doubt an MOT tester could be asred to do more than just check it against the VIN, as you said, most just look at the other plate The one on the nearside engine mounting and on the brass plate on the nearside of the bulkhead. Later vehicles had the plate positioned inside the cab. It's easier than going grubbing around in the muck. They'll only go hunting if they are suspicious and if they find a number stamped where it should be there is nothing they can say or do.
I have registered two kit cars and the law came round and stamped the numbers and letters onto a place on the chassis of my choice. So the stamping doesn't have to be done any special way as far as I know.
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So, if you've bought a secondhand chassis all you need to do is to make it look like you did the above. Apparently it's on the outside of the right hand side dumb iron,just behind where the bumper bolts through. A little ingenuity ought to do it, Grind back the galvanising and the old number off, if it is still there and that part of the chassis hasn't been replaced, get a set of number and letter stamps and stamp it in yourself. Then paint it over with zinc type paint. Doubt an MOT tester could be asred to do more than just check it against the VIN, as you said, most just look at the other plate The one on the nearside engine mounting and on the brass plate on the nearside of the bulkhead. Later vehicles had the plate positioned inside the cab. It's easier than going grubbing around in the muck. They'll only go hunting if they are suspicious and if they find a number stamped where it should be there is nothing they can say or do.
I have registered two kit cars and the law came round and stamped the numbers and letters onto a place on the chassis of my choice. So the stamping doesn't have to be done any special way as far as I know.
mick the builder
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So, it's not a nicked vehicle with another body stuck on top.
But it could be a nicked body on top of a genuinely bought chassis?
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Good point, Mick. Suppose my tester knows mines ok cos he's known the Landy for years. Won't apply to all galv chassis rebuilds though!
Gmacz
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He just needs to identify the vehicle for the mot.
Vin plate is enough.
Vin plate is enough.
Judging by the response it appears to be a grey area, I'll talk to my garage before sending it in and see what they think.
What's the deal for when the vehicle becomes tax exempt, will they need the chassis I.D or what's on the paperwork and master?
Thanks for the response everyone
What's the deal for when the vehicle becomes tax exempt, will they need the chassis I.D or what's on the paperwork and master?
Thanks for the response everyone
Scooby22
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This is from the official MOT manual rules.
wireman
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Interesting, does that mean a vehicle BEFORE 1980 doesn't need a VIN OR a chassis number? Or are chassis numbers something legally different from a VIN?
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