Imported car log book issues

Pea03

My husband bought a classic car 20 years ago which was imported, when going through the log book and information now, due to wanting to sell, it doesn’t say on there which model it actually is. Is this normal? Can we get it changed? It says it was declared manufactured 1986 which it is but that’s all it says and apparently this means it’s now only worth half its value? Any information or help would be greatly received 

Flight3287462

Not much to go on there.  Think you need to expand on what you have given us, what car from where?

Have you contacted the manufacturer and or the appropriate marque club.

Pea03

Sorry for being vague, I have no previous of dealing with anything like this! When he purchased it, the previous owner stated it was imported from South Africa. It’s a ford escort but that’s completely missing from the log book. Is contacting Ford an option from something which was declared registered that long ago? And as for the marque club, do you mean an owners club type thing?

force_ten

https://www.ford.co.uk/owner/resources-and-support/ask-ford/general/other/certificate-of-conformity

have a look at that page a good friend of mine messaged them as his 1990 escort RS Turbo was incorrectly recorded on the V5 and COC@ford sorted it for him and got the DVLA to update the records to show the correct car 

not sure if the fact that your car is an import makes a difference but that is where l would start. a blank e mail to COC ford he used the cars registration as the subject line and the main e mail was blank and later that day they messaged him back and got the wheels in motion 

Flight3287462

Yes the owners club.

You need to find out where the car was manufactured, I can't remember seeing any Escorts on South Africa in those days..

Mind you having said all that perhaps the DVLA is the place to start, ask them what you need to do to get the missing details filled in.

Grey_Critic

Ford will certainly be able to tell you what model it from the Vehicle Identity Number - VIN

You could try some DIY by typing Ford VIN Decoder into a search engine. There are several sites but if selling as a classic getting it in writing from Ford is the best way.

HHarry

V5’s can be full of errors.  I’ve just registered a motorbike, which has come back on the V5 as a Triumph Tiger rather than a Tiger cub, despite the paperwork I sent off being correct.

 I’m not to worried.  I’ve got a dating certificate from the Owners club, and any enthusiast looking at it will know what it is.

droopsnoot

Most people buying classic cars are well aware of the vague nature of the information on the V5 (after all, that's why the "How Many Left" website has the issues that it has), I'm surprised that anyone (other than a buyer / dealer hoping for a bargain) would suggest that it's halved the value of the car.

angrycrow

Given the mention of it being an Escort it is possible the car is a mk1 or mk2 and the actual car is an RS in which case the log book showing it as a standard 3 door will significantly hurt the value.

People do trade RS v5s without a shell as parts are available to upgrade basic shells to RS standards but it does not increase value without the log book saying it is an RS. 

I would suggest contacting the owners club to see if they will give a certificate or letter confirming what model your car is and then send that to dvls and ask them to update the v5. 

Pea03

Thanks everyone, Ford here can’t give anything other than a build date because it’s an import. But that’s a start hopefully they can point us in the right direction!

Iceweasel

What is the first half of the VIN number?

Does it start with AVO or a D for example?