I am back on forum

[Numplumb]

Hi everyone I have just been able to get back onto the forum which I got locked out of awhile back due to me changing my email address and not updating it on here.
A big thanks to Phil Talon for the information.
I have more or less finished my car now and have a problem which I would like advice on.

Because I bought all my mx5 parts instead of buying a donar car, I haven't got a vin number or old registration number to supply Mazda for a letter from them of proof of age for emissions test for IVA, I phoned them and asked for proof using the engine number but they can't supply a letter without a vin number.
Has anyone had this problem?.
I know I will have to have a Q plate but I don't mind that, it's just the emissions I don't know what to do about.
Any help appreciated.
Regards Mick.

[voucht]

Hi!
Good to see you back!

I'm sorry no one from the UK has answered your question. Try to post it on Locostbuilders, there are much more active people over here than over here, and perhaps someone could help you there.

As far as I'm concerned, in Sweden where I built my Roadster, and in France where I'm back now, it would depend on where your engine comes from.

For example, when you buy an engine from a scrapyard, it is, I think, a legal requirement that the VIN of the car the engine comes from figures on the invoice. It was the case for my engine when I bought it from a scrapyard in Sweden: the VIN number (and other informations) of the Ford Scorpio it came from was on the invoice from the scrapyard. Have you checked that?

Lood luck.

[Numplumb]

Hi thanks for replying, I bought the whole of the parts required from someone who stripped a donor car to build a kit car and then changed there mind he had got rid of the rest of the car quite awhile before deciding to change his mind.
Unfortunately at the time I didn't think about asking him for the vin number all
I know is that it was a 1993 Mazda mx5 and I can't get back in touch with now as it was back in 2013.
I didn't know that Mazda couldn't find out year from the engine number and required the vin.

[jps]

The only solution I can think of is using a VIN or VRM of another car. Which obviously isn't acceptable!

Surprised there is no way to establish some kind of date from the engine number, can't you get evidence from somewhere of the latest possible date your engine could have been produced?

[voucht]

This guy has 2 VIN when you can' have one! So unfair! Ask him, perhpas he can give you one
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/view...php?tid=211716

[Numplumb]

Happy birthday voucht
I have a vin number for my kitcar, it's a vin from an MX5 to get a letter from Mazda to produce at IVA test as proof that my car doesn't need a cat that I require.

[Ianr]

I've thought about this one and the only solutions I can come up is to see if anyone has an engine they will lend you for IVA where the number can be verified and then swap to your own engine after IVA - or - when I bought my MX5 doner car it cost me £360, I stripped it kept wiring loom engine gearbox steering column ECU etc etc and sold the bits I didn't want on ebay for £560 so my net cost was - £200. A bit of a pain to do but you would get the verification and lots to sell as well.

[Numplumb]

Hi I have an engine which has a number but that's no good for Mazda to supply a letter confirming the year of manufacture they need a vin number.
IVA need the letter of proof from Mazda for emissions test without a cat otherwise they class it as a new engine and it won't pass.

[Numplumb]

I have been reading up about mk1 mx5's it seems they had a cat fitted, and they sell them on eBay 350mm long for approx £60 but they are not type approved and are illegal on cars after 2001 apparently.
My ecu is a B64F which is not OBD2, so I'm wondering whether if I fitted one to my car I would be able to get it through without a letter from Mazda.
Anybody got any thoughts on that.

[Ianr]

That sounds like a plan - I'm not a mega techno but a cat seems to sort most of the issues. I bought a cheap weld in Cat from ebay which got my Mk 2 engine through with no problems, basically - any cat should do it although you can get 100, 200 and 400 cell types. The higher the number the higher the resistance but greater cleaning effect, mine was a 400 cell as I didn't want to fail IVA and does not seem to have much detrimental effect. And it only cost about £50

I take the point about you have an engine but maybe a replacement with a provable history would get you through IVA was my earlier point