Christmas Collection, With A Bit Of Help From Shiply!

[Andrew353w]

Right then, it's a week before Christmas Day, a car's been on Car and Classic for some time and i've been corresponding with the owner, who accepted my offer, which was made unseen.... What could possibly go wrong....... ? 

It was found in a garage on the Isle Of Grain and at some stage has been re-registered, so it bears a non-date specific number, originally of Scottish provenance and I've found that the original number cannot be used-pity! But, more to the point, who thinks they know what it is.....

 

This was taken just before it was pulled from its concrete grave....  

[500tops]

1960ish Skoda Octavia?

[Steve79]

18 minutes ago, 500tops said:

1960ish Skoda Octavia?

2nd'd. Octavia Super?

[Andrew353w]

Yes, you're right! It's an early 1960s one, with a bench seat at the front, and a column change, later ones having split seats and a floor change. The car was advertised on Car and Classic some months ago and I've been in extensive correspondence with the owner. Eventually a price was agreed and I arranged to collect it. My original plan was to hire a trailer & doit myself, but the costs, including petrol, Dartford charges, trailer hire and time made Shiply seem cheaper, so I went with them! I've inherited a whole mountain of paperwork, which I've yet to go through, but today's exploits involved Andy, the Shiply driver collecting it and making a delivery to me in north London. 

Initial examination (in the dark, at 5pm, with a mobile 'phone torch...) suggests it's in pretty good nick. Remember these cars have a chassis, so rotten or damaged sills are not such a big deal. I'll keep you all informed of how things develop, but nothing's likely to happen this side of Christmas. They're seriously rare!

[Andrew353w]

I've just looked over the paperwork, and the original beige logbook shows the engine capacity as 1089cc, which is as per the chassis plate on the car, BUT this logbook's been officially altered to show an engine capacity of 1221cc, as per the larger engined Octavia Super and the later DVLA records show a 1221cc engine. I'll have to investigate this discrepancy, and see if a different engine has been fitted as some stage.

[Andrew353w]

Also among the paperwork is the original receipt for the car, issued by the Darnley Garage, of Strood, Kent (still in existence, but not under the same name) for £612 8/11 (that's £612.44 in modern money!) including £6 for delivery-amazing! The original registration was 215 GKM, as on the beige logbook, but CSV 577 on the D.V.L.A. logbook. Does anyone know how why this might happen? I am of an opinion the car was laid up and "lost" to the D.V.L.A. and subsequently recommissioned, thus needing another number. Any ideas?

[Angrydicky]

SV registrations were issued in the 1980s and a lot of them for cars where owners of out of use cars didn't respond to the letter asking if it still existed for it to be put onto the computer in 1983. Subsequently the original registrations were effectively lost and anyone trying to register the car in following years would end up with an SV number. The policy changed years later. As long as the original reg hasn't been flogged there would be a good chance of getting it back, with the help from a decent owners club! More often than not plate raped cars ended up with A plates at the time, so it would tend to suggest it's just lost the plate through being off the road at the time.

[LightBulbFun]

18 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

Also among the paperwork is the original receipt for the car, issued by the Darnley Garage, of Strood, Kent (still in existence, but not under the same name) for £612 8/11 (that's £612.44 in modern money!) including £6 for delivery-amazing! The original registration was 215 GKM, as on the beige logbook, but CSV 577 on the D.V.L.A. logbook. Does anyone know how why this might happen? I am of an opinion the car was laid up and "lost" to the D.V.L.A. and subsequently recommissioned, thus needing another number. Any ideas?

thought I recognised this one, it was in the ebay tat thread a while back 

from what I can tell, whoever registered it in 1984 just never bothered to claim/register the vehicles original registration number (which is a bit odd when they had the buff logbook for it etc...)

however CSV577 shows no previous registration numbers and I cant find any record at all for 215GKM so I dont think its been robbed of the number etc

and since you have the buff logbook for the vehicle with its original  registration number then you should able to V765, and claim it back

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-register-a-vehicle-under-its-original-registration-number

[Supernaut]

Is that now two London-based members who don't post photos?

Come on, man! We need to see it!

[Andrew353w]

2 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Is that now two London-based members who don't post photos?

Come on, man! We need to see it!

Alright, alright! Tomorrow I'll drive over and take a few shots.

[Andrew353w]

In response to "numerous" requests (well, one!) I've ventured out in the Tier 4 restrictions and have taken few pictures, which reveal an interesting story....

 

 

This shows the side views; shabby but not crusty or damaged with holes.

[Andrew353w]

Now then, this is the odd thing.....  This picture is of the chassis (or identity) plate. Granted, it's printed in Czech, but we've all been around the car world long enough to know what it all means. I'm sorry the chassis plate has been printed upside-down, but the "cisco motoru" is the engine number, which is 11 528621, however, the number on the engine is in the second picture, and is 12 685797 (I think!) This suggests that the original engine was the 1100 cc (1089cc, to be precise) whereas the engine in the car is a 1200 cc one (again, it's 1221 cc) I don't yet have the D.V.L.A. log book, but when I do I shall be carrying out further investigations....

 

[Andrew353w]

In the boot is a large amount of parts, including a radiator, a rocker cover, numerous other bits and pieces, including a set of old style number plates, that are the same as stated on the original beige logbook, so I'll be looking into reclaiming the number for the car at some stage once once I have the D.V.L.A. logbook AND using those delightful old-style plates!  

[dome]

You've got yourself a hot rod. Well done!

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Andrew353w said:

In the boot is a large amount of parts, including a radiator, a rocker cover, numerous other bits and pieces, including a set of old style number plates, that are the same as stated on the original beige logbook, so I'll be looking into reclaiming the number for the car at some stage once once I have the D.V.L.A. logbook AND using those delightful old-style plates!  

you mentioned 215GKM but the plates here show 255RKM might be worth double checking whats what (thankfully I cant find records on either VRMs so still looking good for a V765 reclaim, which ever it is!)

but im assuming you actually mean 255RKM (since xxxRKM was first issued in 1961 which lines up with the year of mfg for this car)

 

registration number fun aside, I look forward to seeing more on this car I do love seeing RHD/Domestic market versions of normally foreign/LHD cars

 

[timolloyd]

This is glorious, well done.

[Andrew353w]

4 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

you mentioned 215GKM but the plates here show 255RKM might be worth double checking whats what (thankfully I cant find records on either VRMs so still looking good for a V765 reclaim, which ever it is!)

but im assuming you actually mean 255RKM (since xxxRKM was first issued in 1961 which lines up with the year of mfg for this car)

 

registration number fun aside, I look forward to seeing more on this car I do love seeing RHD/Domestic market versions of normally foreign/LHD cars

 

Sorry about the confusion regarding the registration number(s)! I spent a few hours looking over the car and some time going through the pile of papers the previous owner gave me. In these is a note from Kent County Council registrations office, giving 255 RKM as the registration for this car-a number confirmed on the original bill of sale, so that IS the number with which it was originally registered and the one I shall attempt to re-use. I've printed off and copied the relevant documents and shall be forwarding copies of the paperwork to D.V.L.A., with the V765. Thanks, Lightbulbfun for the heads up on that! I've also ordered some bits & pieces from PRAGOS, a Czech website, whose prices seem almost suspiciously cheap.....

[Angrydicky]

This looks great, looking forward to progress pics!

[LightBulbFun]

33 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

Sorry about the confusion regarding the registration number(s)! I spent a few hours looking over the car and some time going through the pile of papers the previous owner gave me. In these is a note from Kent County Council registrations office, giving 255 RKM as the registration for this car-a number confirmed on the original bill of sale, so that IS the number with which it was originally registered and the one I shall attempt to re-use. I've printed off and copied the relevant documents and shall be forwarding copies of the paperwork to D.V.L.A., with the V765. Thanks, Lightbulbfun for the heads up on that! I've also ordered some bits & pieces from PRAGOS, a Czech website, whose prices seem almost suspiciously cheap.....

dont forget that I think you also need a Car club member (can be any) to sign off on the evidence etc you have, before you can submit it to the DVLA

in the V765 PDF bellow the form itself there is a 2nd page detailing just how everything works  

[Andrew353w]

Further investigation, using the Government's M.O.T. checker, revealed the car passed an M.O.T.  on 12 November 2005 (with advisories) when the mileage was 67693. oddly the most recent tax disc in the car's windscreen expired in January 1989 (see pictures) and the car's covered only 5 (yes, FIVE!) miles since that M.O.T. in 2005! 

 

[BorniteIdentity]

No paint rectification required henceforth.

AKA

Do not paint!

 

[Andrew353w]

I spent a few hours at the garage today, and found a number of items I had thought were missing from the car, namely 4 hubcaps; scruffy, but otherwise in good shape, together with the air filter housing (missing from the engine) and a spare radiator, water pump and rear exhaust-Result!  The previous owner had informed me that the car's brakes had been removed, which I had taken to mean that they were not with the car. In fact the brake shoes were in the boot, thus saving me another job of locating some rather rare parts! I also found several plastic jars of bulbs, which will be useful, as I need to investigate the headlights; according to the manual some cars have 35/35 watt bulbs, whereas others have a more conventional 50/45 watt bulbs. I'm reminded of the comment in the 1965 "Motoring Which" report, which said "the Skoda's headlights were completely inadequate for driving at night and meant considerably reducing speed"

Much more to learn, much more to investigate and (with a bit of luck) an attempt at starting very soon! 

[bezzabsa]

how much did this set you back? (if you don't mind stating?)

 

[Andrew353w]

Bezzabsa, you have PM.....

[Amishtat]

Don't know how I hadn't spotted this until now. That's survived pretty well, nice find with the original plates too. 

[doobietoo]

 

On 12/22/2020 at 8:45 AM, Andrew353w said:

Further investigation, using the Government's M.O.T. checker, revealed the car passed an M.O.T.  on 12 November 2005 (with advisories) when the mileage was 67693. oddly the most recent tax disc in the car's windscreen expired in January 1989 (see pictures) and the car's covered only 5 (yes, FIVE!) miles since that M.O.T. in 2005! 

 

Back in the days of yore did you not have to return your tax disc to claim a refund. That may have happened in 2005 as apposed to in 1989 when it just ran out.  OTOH it might have been sold in 2005 and the seller  MOTed it to increase the sale price even though it was not driven far. 

[Andrew353w]

I've been E-Bay shopping for some parts for the Skoda over the past few days, not expecting much activity over the Christmas and New Year period, but was wrong. The main item I knew I needed was a rear light  cluster, since the off-side one was damaged when the car was loaded onto the transporter. I don't blame the delivery driver, since I'd kept him hanging around and the lens had been glued together at some point in the past, but I realised I'd need a new one. E-Bay threw up a pair, which were up for £40; I offered £20, the seller counter with £24 & I agreed, so I was two light clusters up, although they were "all red" ones, meaning the indicators were also red, whereas on the car the indicators were amber. Another E-Bay hunt produced single lens, with an amber indicator lens; ordered and paid for-it arrived on Christmas Eve! I drove over to the lock-up to confirm it fitted-it did, BUT a little more rummaging in the boot revealed 2 new rear lenses, complete & wrapped in bubble-wrap, so my internet shopping was unnecessary in the end! I've probably cornered the market in Skoda Octavia rear light lenses as a result! 

[Andrew353w]

I spent a few hours looking over the Skoda this afternoon, and this included the first "start-up" since the car has been in my possession. It has a POSITIVE earth, so I was careful when connecting the jump leads from my Subaru! On connecting the leads & switching on the ignition the fuel gauge flicked over to "full" (yeah!) and the red oil and ignition warning lights came on. The indicators and headlights also work! Upon pulling the starter switch, this is what happened....... 

I wasn't expecting it to fire, but it sounds pretty healthy, nevertheless! In celebration of it almost starting, my friend Ian (whose birthday it is today!) and I toasted our success with a few cans of Pilsner Urquell, an excellent Czech lager!

[Andrew353w]

Just a short update on my Skoda Octavia: I had applied to have the car's original registration number re-issued by the D.V.L.A., and I'm pleased to say that, thanks to the help of the Skoda Owners' Club, I received the necessary paperwork today from Swansea, confirming that the number has been changed. I'm looking forward to replacing those awful white and yellow plates with the original "raised" black and white ones, complete with the hinged one at the front, to facilitate the starting handle!  

[LightBulbFun]

15 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

Just a short update on my Skoda Octavia: I had applied to have the car's original registration number re-issued by the D.V.L.A., and I'm pleased to say that, thanks to the help of the Skoda Owners' Club, I received the necessary paperwork today from Swansea, confirming that the number has been changed. I'm looking forward to replacing those awful white and yellow plates with the original "raised" black and white ones, complete with the hinged one at the front, to facilitate the starting handle!  

ah very cool glad you managed to reclaim its original number!  indeed its showing up on the DVLA checker

(still find it interesting that it was never done before given all the original paperwork was there to do it etc)

my 3rd party tools have not been updated yet, but looking at how it shows up on the 1st party tools it looks like the plate was issued into the existing vehicle record (like when you transfer a private plate to a vehicle)

I note this as its always interesting to see how the DVLA issue a vehicle a registration number like this

for example a good friend of mind owns a Harding Deluxe Invalid carriage, which was registered in the 1980's under an age related plate CSV609 (funnily enough)

but in 2019 he managed to V765'ed for its original number 163CLD, but the interesting DVLA issued it by creating another record for that vehicle and issuing it 163CLD, but they left the original CSV609 record intact  as such you can actually now find both CSV609 and 163CLD on the MOT checker!

 

but this does not look to be what was done with your Skoda, as above it simply looks like they just issued it 255RKM as a new plate, and I suspect once my tools have had their records updated when I pull up 255RKM it will show CSV577 in its plate history

(BTW I dont know exactly what the procedure is but you might also be able to get the Date of first registration corrected to when it was actually registered in the UK in 1961, I know my friend with the harding Deluxe managed so)

 

speaking of tho where you able to keep the buff logbook and all that goodness?