MK1 Bullnose transit - proof of age advice required

[angbav]

:lol: yes i cant see picks to small,need to see the dash ,the indicators are late 76 onwards so maybe its had wing changes!
has the dash got eyeball round air vents ?????

The wings and Bonnen have been changed by previous owner for fibre-glass ones and yes it has round eye ball vents on the dash, with full steel dash board stained Black with slight wood effect running through the middle

[transitgeoff]

if you have them moveable eyeball vents its defo not a 69 prolly find the v5 is right and its not exempt

[madmark]

i agree with our geoff the onlything you can do is prove the van is before 1/1/73 build you might be lucky some campers were sat around for sometime before beeing built!

[comet]

seems like someone put a g plate on a later camper, trying to get free tax.

[transitgeoff]

i think if you look back at the prvious owners, on e of thems initials will be RDL or whatever it was i dont think its a tax exempt one mate

[angbav]

we aproached DVLA because VOSA docs had tax exempt date on them, DVLA were unable to locate registration docs that old, so they wont do historic??

but can confirm the old girl does now have a MK3 2.5 diesel-i (L reg) installed and is now doing about 23 miles to the gallon, much better than 12 miles to the Gallon on the old 3ltr petrol. Bit noisy though so got to get some engine sound deadning.

[FredTransit]

Just read back through this, and can't understand if your van is wearing a G reg it can't have tax exemption. Was it a legally transferred private number plate? That's the only way I can think it's not going to get tax exemption.

[angbav]

G plate on its would meen 1969! so no idea about legal transfer of number plates. it was this way when we purchased her and has been this way for over 15 years going back though the documentation i have previous mots, dvla docs etc. so i dont know???

[FredTransit]

Basically, if the date under Vehicle details on then new V5 (section B) is before 1 Jan 1973, the camper is entitled to Historical (free) road tax. If it was a private plate that date would still be the first registered date of the vehicle, and the original number plate.

[1958 harry]

Can't you write to Ford and ask them to confirm? Surely they must be able to confirm???

VW offer a birth certificate sevice for VW's, I have it for my Dub and confirms the date of manufacture, options, colours etc, many people have used this service for Dubs registered in early '73 to prove they are manufactured in '72 so they get free road tax Don't Ford offer something similar?

[1958 harry]

Basically, if the date under Vehicle details on then new V5 (section B) is before 1 Jan 1973, the camper is entitled to Historical (free) road tax. If it was a private plate that date would still be the first registered date of the vehicle, and the original number plate.

And its date of MANUFACTURE not first registration that determines whether its tax exempt or not, you can get the log book changed to reflect this if required. Trust me hundreds of VDub owners have done this, do a search on here: www.volkszone.com/VZi for tax exemption etc and see what other owners have done

[madmark]

well looking back at the vehicle it says its a 10/5 1973 so unless the vin says its built before 1/1/73 then it wouldnt be tax exept!

[angbav]

Can't you write to Ford and ask them to confirm? Surely they must be able to confirm???

VW offer a birth certificate sevice for VW's, I have it for my Dub and confirms the date of manufacture, options, colours etc, many people have used this service for Dubs registered in early '73 to prove they are manufactured in '72 so they get free road tax Don't Ford offer something similar?

We have tried contacting FORD and they dont keep old documentation prior to the 1980's, so dont know who keeps the manufacture information from the 1970's or did they shred it?? moderator of this site said previously "February 1973 at Southampton with UK engine" but this still does not explain the date on the VOSA data base which reads 1971. so if anyone know's where ford keep all old docs prior to 1980's we would like to know.

[The Docmeister]

It basically looks like your van is a post '73 model - dashboard vents, indicators etc.
However, at some point it has received it's present "G" registration mark.
This could have happened via a legit private reg swap, or - as has been suggested - some previous owner has swapped over the entire identity of an older van, probably to try to obtain "Historic" status ie. free road tax.
Your V5c registration document should have a date of first registration of the vehicle. If it says '69, then great! (I take it that this is the VOSA document you refer to?)
Check any chassis/ body/ VIN number that is given on the V5c with the plate on the footwell of the cab of the van. Hopefully these will match (and hopefully you still have an I.D. plate in the footwell!).
If your V5c document numbers match those on the van, and the document states the date of first registration as pre-'73, go along to your local vehicle licensing office with the V5c (and MOT cert or anything else you have to back up this I.D.) and ask them to have your taxation class amended to "Historic". They may just take the paperwork you have, or might send somebody to check that those I.D. numbers match up.
If the V5c gives a later date of registration, but with the "G" number, then it is likely to be a private plate swap.
If the VIN/ body/ chassis numbers do not match, then I would quietly accept the current state of play and not ask any more questions. It would look to officialdom as if your van is a "ringer" - potentially stolen and therefore liable to be taken from you and crushed.
You may find that you don't have any I.D. plates on the van at all. This is fine, they are not an MOT'able point for vehicles built before 1978, or legally required.

To recap; ideally you will have a V5c document stating a pre-'73 date of first registration and an I.D. plate on the vehicle with numbers that match the V5c. In that case, forget Swansea and go to your local DVLO - http://www.dvla.gov.uk/contactus/localoffices/findnear/england.aspx

and ask for them to update the taxation class to "Historic" on presentation of your V5c document.

If you don't have an I.D. plate on the van then this could be worth a shot too.

If you have mismatched numbers do nothing and keep very quiet...