URGENT: Question about V5 when buying an E30

[thomasvm]

Hi,
I am about to buy a car, but I noticed that the V5 says that it is a "saloon", but the car is an convertible.
Furthermore is the colour according to the V5 "Maroon" even though the car is Macaoblue.

It did by Vehicle Status Report (Powered by HPI) via eBay with the following result:
Not recorded as stolen, by the police
Not recorded as having outstanding finance
Not recorded as a write-off
Not recorded by insurers as a theft
Not recorded on our security register
No plate transfer recorded
No mileage discrepancy is indicated by data currently held on NMR

But I am not to happy about the fact that the V5 states Maroon and Saloon. When the car actually is blue and a convertible.

Please let me know how to proceed?

Thanks

/Thomas

[Simon]

Hmm, something sounds a bit wrong there! What has the present keeper got to say about it? Surely he would have noticed?!

[iDreamBeemer]

If not 100%, walk away. Sounds like some possible mods done but that does not sound right

[ivqii]

My guess would be that the car is stolen/writeoff and that the seller has the v5 and reg plate from a scrapper saloon which has not been sorn'd.

Did you check engine and chassis no against the register?

[thomasvm]

Well, not mods done.
The car is original and when I check the VIN via the Internet, the production date and car type is correct.

I mean the colour Macaublue may be difficult to determine, could someone at the DVLA or whom ever that do the V5 - just write "MAROON" because he or she had difficulties to determine the colour.

[ivqii]

Personally I would have enough doubts about this deal not to part with 6 grand odd

[Simon]

What has the seller got to say about it?

[thomasvm]

Well, I have not asked the seller yet. But I will do!
How can I check the VIN against a register?
Who should I get in contact with.

[Simon]

Well, I have not asked the seller yet. But I will do!
How can I check the VIN against a register?
Who should I get in contact with.

Can you PM me with the full reg number, and the last 7 digits of the chassis number please?

[thomasvm]

Done!

[E30Mark]

Is this a Baur or BMW convertible? If it's a Baur i could understand the saloon bit...

Macaublue is sort of maroonish / purplish.

Best bet is for you to ring a BMW dealer and ask them to run the chassis number and tell you what model car it is.

What's the chassis number?

[thomasvm]

Hi Mark,
It is an original convertible do doubt about that. The VIN does confirms the production type and that it is a convertible.

Glad to hear to that Macao is sort of maroonish / purplish. Wo worries here anymore.

Only worry now is the fact that the V5 says SALOON type. The MOT only says M3.

[Simon]

OK, I've done a little digging, the car is coming up as it should be with the chassis number and reg number, the car was imported into the UK in 1996, and I think this is where the mistake has cropped up.

The colour mistake probably comes from when the V5 was intially applied for, the DVLA don't use BMW names for colours, just the basic red/white/blue, when the car was first reg'd, it probably said Macau Blue on the application form, and the DVLA put in the nearest colour they could find to it, in this case Maroon/Blue, this is actually what it says on the V5.

[Simon]

Hi Mark,
It is an original convertible do doubt about that. The VIN does confirms the production type and that it is a convertible.

Glad to hear to that Macao is sort of maroonish / purplish. Wo worries here anymore.

Only worry now is the fact that the V5 says SALOON type. The MOT only says M3.

I wouldn't rely on what the MOT ever says, they are normally a good indication of mileage, but what's written on it is just what the MOT tester writes on the day. This will probably change now though as the system is now computerised, and the details should be held on system.

[stevetigger]

Is this a Baur or BMW convertible? If it's a Baur i could understand the saloon bit...

Macaublue is sort of maroonish / purplish.

Best bet is for you to ring a BMW dealer and ask them to run the chassis number and tell you what model car it is.

What's the chassis number?

its this!
http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... ic&t=25519

[massive]

Sometimes its DVLA at fault. My brothers Golf VR6 came up as an LDV 2500 diesel van on their system at first. Fcuking bunch of idiots

[billgatese30]

I wouldn't rely on what the MOT ever says, they are normally a good indication of mileage, but what's written on it is just what the MOT tester writes on the day. This will probably change now though as the system is now computerised, and the details should be held on system.

my car managed to gain an extra 20,000 miles in 30 seconds

and then took the best part of three hours to put right

thankyou dvla computerisation

[aauser]

I've got a 318 cab and the V5 does state " convertible " not saloon but as others have said, it could be a DVLA cock up