This is my first post having taken delivery of a European imported 850T just yesterday.
Unfortunately when I came to enquire about a dating letter to go towards a UK registration, I was told the engine fitted is a T3 and therefore unacceptable - the DVLA insist the bike is standard. This is a major setback as the only alternative is a Q plate.
So I need a “VC” prefix engine or an engine case to transfer my internals into.
I have e-mailed every breaker on Google and posted on our Facebook page, but can anyone on here help?
Why not put a Q-plate on it? It won’t be tax exempt but a friendly MOT man will not object to a black-and-white plate and you can’t see it when you’re riding it. Or get the stamps out…
DVLA can only recognise your vehicle as a reconstructed classic vehicle if it meets certain criteria. It must be:
built from genuine period components from more than one vehicle, all over 25 years old and of the same specification as the original vehicle
a true reflection of the marque
The appropriate vehicle owners’ club for the vehicle type (‘marque’) must inspect the vehicle and confirm in writing that it:
has been inspected
is a true reflection of the marque
is comprised of genuine period components all over 25 years old
They must also give manufacture dates for the major components.
DVLA will assign an age-related registration number to the vehicle based on the youngest component used.
I would say an 850T with a 850T3 replacement engine is of the same specification, it certainly would be over 25 years old so hopefully a bit of common sense and leniancy can be applied here
My bike has a V1000 convert engine in it now but was an 850T originally. I have the original crankcase but want to hang onto it to build an 850 engine again. What Don says is correct to my knowledge, your 850T3 engine is a period replacement and the DVLA should be educated. Maybe ask the dating officer (contact details in Gamgalunga on page 4) to confirm the dates of the bike and engine?
As far as I know on the early models the engine number bears no relation whatsoever to the frame number, it’s just a number as they were on all old vehicles, so no it don’t even have a 2-letter prefix either. Well mine didn’t. I suspect DVLA know not what they’re torking about or are torking cobblers. Think it would be impossible to cross match any of the old style engine numbers to a particular frame number as the marriage was arbitrary. Factory had a row of finished engines and a row of frames to put them in, and whichever of each reached the end of the line got bunged together.
850T engine and frame numbers were prefixed with the letters VC, 850T3 engine and frame numbers were prefixed with the letters VD, see here for more details https://www.mgcn.nl/database/mg-framenummers
OK but what I’m saying is as far as I know the engine numbers didn’t have letter prefixes, that is to say neither of mine did, a spada (1979) and a LM1 (1976).
So I’m just going by that.
I have rebuilt the master cylinder and fitted some braided hoses and voila - in fact I took her for a cheeky spin round the block and the brakes are brilliant.
10 times better than my CBX1000 (which is not saying a lot) and up there with my ZZR1100 (which is)
