John,
I believe the DVLA has laid-down rules for when a car is still the same car.
It's based on a points system - so many points for the engine, so many for
the gearbox, so many for the body and so on. Add the points up for the
components that are still original, and if you have enough points then your
car is still the same car.
I don't know whether these rules still apply if parts are replaced
bit-by-bit over time - I suppose they must. Which could, in theory, mean
that a car on the border-line could suddenly become not the same car when
you replace a diff or something.
What happens if your car becomes NOT the same car? I don't know. Maybe it
would have to be registered as a kit car or something? In which case you
may not be allowed to keep your number plate possibly? I must admit, if
that situation was approaching I'd just keep schtum and not volunteer
information which may make life more difficult, and which no-one would ever
be able to check up on anyway. Particularly if your 'kit car' would then
have to go through SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) to assess its
roadworthiness. The only problem may arise if someone ever checked up on
your chassis and/or engine numbers and found they didn't match what was on
the VR5 - but chassis plates can easily be transferred, and you can even buy
new blank ones and add the info of your choice ;) Probably not strictly
legit, but who would ever know?
I think all this stuff should be on the DVLA website, I suspect it's
somewhere in the section that deals with kit cars and SVA.
Richard & Daffy
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