Got my new V5C back for the Corrado yesterday, with the new, correct ABF engine code on the document.
Bear in mind that I sent the address change document in with a letter explaining where the engine was from, giving full details, including the registration number of the Toledo it came out of and my address when I had the Toledo.
It looks like if you provide plenty of documentation that things *can* go smoothly.
Now, on to the main event - getting the Golf sorted...
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Thursday, 18 February 2010
A prompt call-back
Blimey, Gareth called back within moments of me putting the last post up.
Unfortunately he's not the right person to speak to, as he's in DVLA and they deal with licenses for vehicles and people, not construction and use.
I now need to speak to an Engineering Grade on 01792 458888. Apparently I should speak to one of the male advisors (!!).
So, that'll be the next call I make on the Golf.
In addition to this, as Gareth said he dealt with licenses I bought up the sore subject of Mrs Hell losing her motorbike entitlement when she moved to Bristol. He's said I should send both parts in, with an explanation of what's happened and he'll sort it out. This could be a huge and totally unexpected win!
Unfortunately he's not the right person to speak to, as he's in DVLA and they deal with licenses for vehicles and people, not construction and use.
I now need to speak to an Engineering Grade on 01792 458888. Apparently I should speak to one of the male advisors (!!).
So, that'll be the next call I make on the Golf.
In addition to this, as Gareth said he dealt with licenses I bought up the sore subject of Mrs Hell losing her motorbike entitlement when she moved to Bristol. He's said I should send both parts in, with an explanation of what's happened and he'll sort it out. This could be a huge and totally unexpected win!
After mailing TTS Enquiries I got a response back from Martin, which said:
Thank you for your enquiry. Because it is a registration matter, this is for the DVLA and not us. We cover technical engineering matters only. if you call 01792 766 xxx you should reach a real person at the DVLA.
The number above went through to a Gareth's voicemail, so I've left a voicemail. Hopefully Gareth will call me back in due course, to discuss this sticky subject.
Can't wait.
Not had the documents back for the Corrado. No doubt they're bouncing from desk to desk at the moment, looking for an official line to cling to.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Into battle with the DVLA - this won't be pretty or simple
OK, I have two significant changes to make to my vehicles.
These are in addition to the changes to all of my registered vehicles which I have to make now we've moved house.
Those are the simple changes.
The complex changes are to the Corrado and even more seriously, the Golf.
The Corrado has a replacement engine, which is the same size and fuel type. I've sent in the V5Cdocument, with the new engine number on it and a letter attached, which says, the engine came out of the Toledo I owned and scrapped and was last registered at my old address. I've not got any documentation covering the engine fitment, as I did it myself. We'll see what happens on that score.
The Golf I've gone in at the administration level in the DVLA. I completed what I thought was the right enquiry form on their website and submitted it.
Here's the text from the form:
I am about to update the registered address for the vehicle listed above.
As part of this I need to also update the engine number and capacity (change from 1781 to 1984cc).
Further to this work, which I completed myself on the vehicle there is a change regarding which I need advice.
The Golf is 4WD. The biggest limitation on the standard car is the restrictive exhaust downpipe. This is due to the space limitations in the area behind the engine and in the transmission tunnel.
To get around this problem I fabricated a much less restrictive replacement downpipe. The compromise to making this modification is that I needed to cut out a section of the bulkhead and transmission tunnel. As an experienced welder I then trimmered around the area I had cut away with plate steel and fabricated a box to clear the new exhaust. The replacement steel was of heavier gauge than the original and the box was seam welded on to the trimmers, which were seam welded into the monocoque.
This change is a relatively small modification to the shell of the car, but in a key structural area. I am happy that I have not lost any of the structural integrity of the shell from this modification. Later this year I plan to fit a full rollcage to the vehicle, as it is used on racetracks as well as on the road. This will further stiffen the shell.
As an experienced and competent welder and vehicle modifier I have satisfied myself this modification is sound. I now need to know what steps (if any) the DVLA require me to complete to ensure my vehicle remains legal.
I have attached a photo of the inside of the vehicle, which shows the modification. Please feel free to contact me by phone, should you need to discuss this situation further.
regards
TC
I got a message back from them today (quick turnaround there). It brushes off the big change and hits on the engine change. Here it is:
J G
Blah blah blah - form letter mostly. I especially like the bit that says DO NOT reply to this email. There will be no coherent or ongoing discussion, thank you.
So, I clearly need to contact the TTS. I've pulled the email address and stuck an enquiry in to them. Here it is (you may notice some similarities - we can all use form letters):
Hi,
From a regular web enquiry I have been asked to contact your department.
I am about to update the registered address for a Golf Syncro
As part of this I need to update the engine number and capacity (change from 1781 to 1984cc).
Further to this work, which I completed myself there is a change regarding which I need advice.
The Golf is 4WD. The biggest limitation on the standard car is the restrictive exhaust downpipe. This is due to the space limitations in the area behind the engine and in the transmission tunnel.
To get around this problem I fabricated a much less restrictive replacement downpipe. The compromise in making this modification is that I needed to cut out a section of the bulkhead and transmission tunnel. As an experienced welder and fabricator I then trimmered around the area I had cut away with plate steel and fabricated a box to clear the new exhaust. The replacement steel was of heavier gauge than the original and the box was seam welded on to the trimmers, which were seam welded into the monocoque.
This change is a relatively small modification to the shell of the car, but in a key structural area. I am happy that I have not lost any of the structural integrity of the shell from this modification. Later this year I plan to fit a full rollcage to the vehicle, as it is used on racetracks as well as on the road. This will add to the rigidity of the shell further.
As an experienced and competent welder and vehicle modifier I have satisfied myself this modification is sound. I now need to know what steps (if any) the DVLA require me to complete to ensure my vehicle remains legal.
I have attached a photo of the inside of the footwell of the vehicle, which shows the modification. Please feel free to contact me by phone, should you need to discuss this situation further. I have plenty of other photo documentation of the work completed, if you need to see this.
regards
So, let's see what comes back from this department of the DVLA. I'm expecting to wind up going through several hoops of administration before I get to someone who has sufficient nouse to actually respond intelligently. More news as it unwrinkles....
These are in addition to the changes to all of my registered vehicles which I have to make now we've moved house.
Those are the simple changes.
The complex changes are to the Corrado and even more seriously, the Golf.
The Corrado has a replacement engine, which is the same size and fuel type. I've sent in the V5Cdocument, with the new engine number on it and a letter attached, which says, the engine came out of the Toledo I owned and scrapped and was last registered at my old address. I've not got any documentation covering the engine fitment, as I did it myself. We'll see what happens on that score.
The Golf I've gone in at the administration level in the DVLA. I completed what I thought was the right enquiry form on their website and submitted it.
Here's the text from the form:
I am about to update the registered address for the vehicle listed above.
As part of this I need to also update the engine number and capacity (change from 1781 to 1984cc).
Further to this work, which I completed myself on the vehicle there is a change regarding which I need advice.
The Golf is 4WD. The biggest limitation on the standard car is the restrictive exhaust downpipe. This is due to the space limitations in the area behind the engine and in the transmission tunnel.
To get around this problem I fabricated a much less restrictive replacement downpipe. The compromise to making this modification is that I needed to cut out a section of the bulkhead and transmission tunnel. As an experienced welder I then trimmered around the area I had cut away with plate steel and fabricated a box to clear the new exhaust. The replacement steel was of heavier gauge than the original and the box was seam welded on to the trimmers, which were seam welded into the monocoque.
This change is a relatively small modification to the shell of the car, but in a key structural area. I am happy that I have not lost any of the structural integrity of the shell from this modification. Later this year I plan to fit a full rollcage to the vehicle, as it is used on racetracks as well as on the road. This will further stiffen the shell.
As an experienced and competent welder and vehicle modifier I have satisfied myself this modification is sound. I now need to know what steps (if any) the DVLA require me to complete to ensure my vehicle remains legal.
I have attached a photo of the inside of the vehicle, which shows the modification. Please feel free to contact me by phone, should you need to discuss this situation further.
regards
TC
I got a message back from them today (quick turnaround there). It brushes off the big change and hits on the engine change. Here it is:
Thank you for your email received on 11/2/10. Your email reference number is 244563.
Firstly with regard to the changes made to your vehicle you will need to contact the Agency given below.
The Department for Transport
Transport Technology and Standards Division (TTS) 4
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
Transport Technology and Standards Division (TTS) 4
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
Public Enquiry Telephone Number 0207 944 8300
fax: 0207 676 2166
email: tts.enquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk
fax: 0207 676 2166
email: tts.enquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk
With regard to your change of address, unfortunately it is not possible to notify a change of address via the website or email, as a signature is required.
For the vehicle record to be changed and for a new Registration Certificate (V5C) to be sent to you, please fill in the appropriate changes section on your Registration Document V5/Registration Certificate V5C and send it to DVLA. Notes on the document/certificate explain how to use it and where to send it.
If you also need to tax the vehicle, you can do this at the Post Office® using the V5C. The Post Office® will then return the certificate to DVLA for you.
If, however, you do not have a V5/V5C, you can apply for one by filling in a form V62. The V62 form is available at the Post Office®, DVLA Local Office or to download from our website listed below. Please be aware that there is a charge of £25 for a V5C, unless you are in possession of a V5/V5C or the green V5/2 or V5C/2 "new keeper supplement". You should have a new certificate within 20 working days of our receiving your application.
If the V5/V5C is not available and you are the registered keeper on DVLA records, you can apply to tax your vehicle at any DVLA Local Office using forms V62 and V10, notifying the changes on the V62. You can find the address for your nearest DVLA Local Office by telephoning 0300 123 1277 (you will be asked to give a post code) or at www.direct.gov.uk/dvlalocal You will also need to provide original evidence of the changes, i.e.
• change of address supporting documents such as a recent gas, electric or telephone bill
• change of name marriage certificate, confirmation by deed poll
• change of name marriage certificate, confirmation by deed poll
You should receive your updated V5C within 20 working days.
Do not reply to this email. If you wish to contact us again about this response then please use our Reply Form or copy and paste the following URL in to your browser:
When filling in the form the email reference number 244563 will be required.
Regards
Blah blah blah - form letter mostly. I especially like the bit that says DO NOT reply to this email. There will be no coherent or ongoing discussion, thank you.
So, I clearly need to contact the TTS. I've pulled the email address and stuck an enquiry in to them. Here it is (you may notice some similarities - we can all use form letters):
Hi,
From a regular web enquiry I have been asked to contact your department.
I am about to update the registered address for a Golf Syncro
As part of this I need to update the engine number and capacity (change from 1781 to 1984cc).
Further to this work, which I completed myself there is a change regarding which I need advice.
The Golf is 4WD. The biggest limitation on the standard car is the restrictive exhaust downpipe. This is due to the space limitations in the area behind the engine and in the transmission tunnel.
To get around this problem I fabricated a much less restrictive replacement downpipe. The compromise in making this modification is that I needed to cut out a section of the bulkhead and transmission tunnel. As an experienced welder and fabricator I then trimmered around the area I had cut away with plate steel and fabricated a box to clear the new exhaust. The replacement steel was of heavier gauge than the original and the box was seam welded on to the trimmers, which were seam welded into the monocoque.
This change is a relatively small modification to the shell of the car, but in a key structural area. I am happy that I have not lost any of the structural integrity of the shell from this modification. Later this year I plan to fit a full rollcage to the vehicle, as it is used on racetracks as well as on the road. This will add to the rigidity of the shell further.
As an experienced and competent welder and vehicle modifier I have satisfied myself this modification is sound. I now need to know what steps (if any) the DVLA require me to complete to ensure my vehicle remains legal.
I have attached a photo of the inside of the footwell of the vehicle, which shows the modification. Please feel free to contact me by phone, should you need to discuss this situation further. I have plenty of other photo documentation of the work completed, if you need to see this.
regards
So, let's see what comes back from this department of the DVLA. I'm expecting to wind up going through several hoops of administration before I get to someone who has sufficient nouse to actually respond intelligently. More news as it unwrinkles....
Monday, 11 February 2008
Oi! Technical people! No!
Ahhhhh, the humble curriculum vitae. The sales document we all need to create and maintain. It's pulled out and dusted off whenever we think about getting a new job, or if you're a contractor, or freelancer it's wielded to agencies at the drop of a hat.
In the professional services organisation where I work I get to see a lot of CVs, mostly from 'technical' people. Consultants and engineers who are applying for a permanent job with us, or people who might be coming to work for us on a contract basis. Sadly, almost without exception these are truly dreadful documents. In fact, no they are awful in the truest sense of the word - I am have awe inspired in my soul at how anyone could possibly hope their skills might be sold using this document.
'of course they're bad' I hear you say. 'These people aren't sales people, they're technical'. That's not helping here. The CVs that cross my desk have already been vetted by an agency and then the worst ones have been weeded out by the first point of contact within Applicable - our consultancy team leader. These are the BEST of the technical person sales documents.
So what's the big problem?
1. Spelling.
Even the most basic word processor has a spell-checker. Use the sodding thing. There is no excuse for bad spelling in this document. It is for presentation to potential employers - this is your best and possibly only opportunity to present you and your skills. Don't screw it up with poor spelling. Things like 'consultacy' and 'implementated'. These are elementary cock-ups the like of which professionals should not be making. What if I ask you to write a client-facing document? How impressed will they be if it's rife with spelling mistakes. Sort it out.
2. Sentence construction
When you've finished your CV, if you're not sure about your english skills, print it and take the document and a pen into an empty room and read it out loud - you will pick up a multitude of errors that you would have missed this way. I've seen documents with paragraphs that are a single sentence; a whole CV made up of bullet points. Read what you write and speak it. The quality of your document WILL improve.
3. Length
I have seen CVs 12 or 14 pages in length. Only a navel-gazing, self-important, self-absorbed idiot with no social skills would consider that their skills and experience were of such great significance to a potential employer that someone would read past the first couple of pages. Where were you people during the lesson about CV building where the teacher said 'a CV should never be longer than 2 or at most 3 pages? This is a sales document, not a bloody essay. There is no word count to fill here. Summarise your experience succinctly. Your most recent experience is far more interesting than that of 10-15 years ago.
4. Currency
On the subject of summarising things. When you add new experience into your CV also take the time to review and compact down your prior engagements - they become less interesting and thus space-worthy with each new position. You should not leave these extended essays squatting in your documents, like unwanted turds. These are the reason that your CV bloats out to 10-12 pages. Quit the jibber-jabber and get to the point. If you have large chunks of short engagements doing a particular sort of work, summarise that period in one hit - yes it's important that it's accounted for, but not in minute detail, 10 years later.
That's it. Four points: Spelling, currency, sentence construction and length. Now quit making such a bloody meal of it and get me some documents I don't need to spend a whole day getting to a situation where I'm happy sending them out to customers.
In the professional services organisation where I work I get to see a lot of CVs, mostly from 'technical' people. Consultants and engineers who are applying for a permanent job with us, or people who might be coming to work for us on a contract basis. Sadly, almost without exception these are truly dreadful documents. In fact, no they are awful in the truest sense of the word - I am have awe inspired in my soul at how anyone could possibly hope their skills might be sold using this document.
'of course they're bad' I hear you say. 'These people aren't sales people, they're technical'. That's not helping here. The CVs that cross my desk have already been vetted by an agency and then the worst ones have been weeded out by the first point of contact within Applicable - our consultancy team leader. These are the BEST of the technical person sales documents.
So what's the big problem?
1. Spelling.
Even the most basic word processor has a spell-checker. Use the sodding thing. There is no excuse for bad spelling in this document. It is for presentation to potential employers - this is your best and possibly only opportunity to present you and your skills. Don't screw it up with poor spelling. Things like 'consultacy' and 'implementated'. These are elementary cock-ups the like of which professionals should not be making. What if I ask you to write a client-facing document? How impressed will they be if it's rife with spelling mistakes. Sort it out.
2. Sentence construction
When you've finished your CV, if you're not sure about your english skills, print it and take the document and a pen into an empty room and read it out loud - you will pick up a multitude of errors that you would have missed this way. I've seen documents with paragraphs that are a single sentence; a whole CV made up of bullet points. Read what you write and speak it. The quality of your document WILL improve.
3. Length
I have seen CVs 12 or 14 pages in length. Only a navel-gazing, self-important, self-absorbed idiot with no social skills would consider that their skills and experience were of such great significance to a potential employer that someone would read past the first couple of pages. Where were you people during the lesson about CV building where the teacher said 'a CV should never be longer than 2 or at most 3 pages? This is a sales document, not a bloody essay. There is no word count to fill here. Summarise your experience succinctly. Your most recent experience is far more interesting than that of 10-15 years ago.
4. Currency
On the subject of summarising things. When you add new experience into your CV also take the time to review and compact down your prior engagements - they become less interesting and thus space-worthy with each new position. You should not leave these extended essays squatting in your documents, like unwanted turds. These are the reason that your CV bloats out to 10-12 pages. Quit the jibber-jabber and get to the point. If you have large chunks of short engagements doing a particular sort of work, summarise that period in one hit - yes it's important that it's accounted for, but not in minute detail, 10 years later.
That's it. Four points: Spelling, currency, sentence construction and length. Now quit making such a bloody meal of it and get me some documents I don't need to spend a whole day getting to a situation where I'm happy sending them out to customers.
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Random post - tuned headers
Found a great page about tuning exhaust headers here
Useful background information, if you like that sort of thing.
When not in the workshop, or trawling the net for petrolhead information I've also managed to read a considerable portion of Now Is Gone, which is excellent and I'm going to be annoying those around me by recommending they read it, ne thrusting it into some of their faces and telling them to read it!
I will get people to let of of the message!
Useful background information, if you like that sort of thing.
When not in the workshop, or trawling the net for petrolhead information I've also managed to read a considerable portion of Now Is Gone, which is excellent and I'm going to be annoying those around me by recommending they read it, ne thrusting it into some of their faces and telling them to read it!
I will get people to let of of the message!
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Annoying apps 'n' stuff
Found this post through techmeme, which made me chuckle - comparing various applications to characters is entertaining.
I guess Joomla would be a really good handyman with a funny accent.
At the moment in work we're pushing for more comments on blogs - looking at Google results it appears that if you comment on blog sites and leave your URL with the comment this is counted as an inbound link, which will boost your Google pagerank - this we like a lot and I think it's worthy of further exploration. As a simple marketing type I'm not really in a position to contribute much in the way of comments in the messaging environment, so it's over to the techies etc to make informed comments on any blogs they read.... I'll wait to see if this has any effect, I guess.....
I guess Joomla would be a really good handyman with a funny accent.
At the moment in work we're pushing for more comments on blogs - looking at Google results it appears that if you comment on blog sites and leave your URL with the comment this is counted as an inbound link, which will boost your Google pagerank - this we like a lot and I think it's worthy of further exploration. As a simple marketing type I'm not really in a position to contribute much in the way of comments in the messaging environment, so it's over to the techies etc to make informed comments on any blogs they read.... I'll wait to see if this has any effect, I guess.....
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