Anyone notified the dvla about there M52 conversion?

[kangman]

Found some one selling a e30 with a M52 block, its a very recent conversion so it hasn't been notified to the dvla yet.

I want to know if anyone has done it and if i could borrow their reg to help me get an insurance quote

Its logged as a 316i so im not going to run the risk of not declaring it. incase i get pulled and have it crushed plus i can kiss my licence bye bye

Called up one insurance company who deal with modded cars, he was quite blunt about it and basically said 'rear wheel drive + two much power + inexperience = you stuck in a hedge', 'rear wheel drive cars are a different kettle of fish'

[Jimbob]

As far as the DVLA and insurance companies are concerned, a BMW 316i is a BMW 316i, the model number will never change. If it happens to have an M52 engine in it then that will have to be declared to the insurance company as a 316i with a 2.8 engine.

The only way to get a quote on a car with an engine conversion (and other mods) is to phone the insurance companies up. Fortunately E30's are classed as classics so insuring it with a limited mileage policy with someone like Carol Nash, Pete Best etc is cheaper to insure.

[nickso]

Tell him to can the hysterics and give you a fecking quote.

There is no need to inform the DVLA. Most don't bother as it's way too much hassle these days.

[kangman]

ohh so aslong as the insurance company know, its all gravy...

Any good insurance companies like the ones mentioned above i should try contact for a quote, This car will be my daily driver

[scjimbo]

ohh so aslong as the insurance company know, its all gravy...

Any good insurance companies like the ones mentioned above i should try contact for a quote, This car will be my daily driver

Just one thing to bear in mind with that. If you get pulled by traffic police and for what ever reason they ask you to pop the bonnet. There is a chance they will notice the engine. After all most traffic cars these days are beemers. They wont necessarily be able to do too much, however if it comes up on the PNC that the car is a 1.8 and is blatantly not they can impound the car until the source of the disparity is found. You are not doing anything technically illegal but it can take a long time to get sorted. I had a similar thing happen to me with a bike with one of the misses race engines put in it.

Don't assume like I did they are thick. They most certainly are not and some know an awful lot about their cars/bikes.

[DanThe]

What happened with the bike?

[scjimbo]

What happened with the bike?

I got it back eventually. They basically investigated where the engine had come from. I'm guessing that was to see if it was stolen. It was a VFR 400 with an NC 35 engine in it.

It met its end at knockhill at about 125

[kitch]

My mate told me about an insurance company called brentacre. They do quotes on a bhp limit rather than the car and mods etc. Might be worth a try.

[E30BeemerLad]

I wouldn't bother with the possible world of pain you may incur if you notify the dvla. Just make sure your insurers are fully informed of the mods and you'll be golden

[jmc330i]

I got pulled in the Sport (for the usual tax disc 'check'), after a quick chat the copper reckoned his 325i was no where near as quick as mine and he asked if it was modified... His face was priceless when I opened the bonnet. He obviously knew his cars and that the S50 wasn't meant to be there.
Car was insured with all mods, but still 2500cc on the V5 and with the M20 engine number.

Never had any probs with needing to prove where I got the engine etc.
I believe you should inform the dvla of the capacity change, but most don't bother. The main thing is the insurance are notified.

As for quotes, just ask them to quote an E30 with engine change etc. They don't need the reg number, just the base car and mods. I usually phone for quotes but tell them I don't have the reg as I don't own the car yet.

[daimlerman]

I wouldn't bother with the possible world of pain you may incur if you notify the dvla. Just make sure your insurers are fully informed of the mods and you will have golden a shower

EFA

[scjimbo]

I got pulled in the Sport (for the usual tax disc 'check'), after a quick chat the copper reckoned his 325i was no where near as quick as mine and he asked if it was modified... His face was priceless when I opened the bonnet. He obviously knew his cars and that the S50 wasn't meant to be there.
Car was insured with all mods, but still 2500cc on the V5 and with the M20 engine number.

Never had any probs with needing to prove where I got the engine etc.
I believe you should inform the dvla of the capacity change, but most don't bother. The main thing is the insurance are notified.

As for quotes, just ask them to quote an E30 with engine change etc. They don't need the reg number, just the base car and mods. I usually phone for quotes but tell them I don't have the reg as I don't own the car yet.

At the end of the day it depends on the copper on the day. I always think back to it and think if I had have declared it, it would have saved me 12 weeks of hassle.

Its your choice at the end of the day. I declared putting a 1300 hayabusa engine in my mini van and the DVLA were pretty good if i'm honest.

[jmc330i]

To be fair, my S50 did have a row of X's where the engine number should've been - I did have a receipt from a main stream BMW breaker confirming.
Dvla will only be interested in a capacity change if it changes the tax bracket of the car, but yes I've had friends who have simply notified them of the cc change and the v5 came back within 2 weeks.

[kangman]

My mate told me about an insurance company called brentacre. They do quotes on a bhp limit rather than the car and mods etc. Might be worth a try.

that was the company i called, they said they want proof that ive driven a RWD car for more then 12months or they can only insure me on a 2litre or under

[Ianb]

My 318i Cab was converted to M20 2.5 years ago by myself and i changed to v5 to show the correct cc and engine No but when i did my recent 24v 2.5 conv i didn't bother changing the engine no. V5 shows the correct cc though and insurance have all details including suspension and brakes etc. I also keep a copy of the "modified vechicle report" form in the glove box so if i get a pull i can show the spec is known to the insurance Co. I must admit that i'd much rather be pulled by a proper Traffic Cop who in my experience seem to know cars quite well than some officious little shit of a bobby who knows nothing and i can barely be civil to !

[Kedge]

My Mk1 Golf used to be a 1.3 but is now a 1.6 and the owner who did the swap notified the DVLA of the increase of CC, I guess due to the TAX bracket change. But the engine number is listed as "UNKNOWN" also, I've noticed that when I speak to insurance companies they still have the car listed as a 1.3

[DanThe]

My mate told me about an insurance company called brentacre. They do quotes on a bhp limit rather than the car and mods etc. Might be worth a try.

that was the company i called, they said they want proof that ive driven a RWD car for more then 12months or they can only insure me on a 2litre or under

Tell them you are going to weld the diff, no experience necessary

[verde]

The dvla couldnt organise a piss up in a brewry, they still havnt sent me a logbook iv requested 3 times.

Tell the insurance companies

[Demlotcrew]

Ive updated the engine number and CC, just filled in the V5 and sent a cover note with photos, took a few weeks but a new V5 came back and all was as I asked.

Pretty sure the police will have a problem especially when road tax is by CC on our old cars.

Andrew

[Kedge]

No E30 will go up a tax band though will it? On the older stuff it under or over 1500cc.

[e30shed]

All E30s are taxed as private/light goods, in the higher capacity bracket.

Takes me back to a long time ago, when I had a '72 Mini registered as a '65 for Historic Vehicle class, with an '87 MG Metro engine in it....

[Demlotcrew]

I could be wrong, I do remember my tax going up when I declared it as a 2.3.

[scjimbo]

I could be wrong, I do remember my tax going up when I declared it as a 2.3.

Tax is rated on grams of CO2 per km

[Kedge]

I could be wrong, I do remember my tax going up when I declared it as a 2.3.

Tax is rated on grams of CO2 per km

Only on post 2001, there are no C02 records for earlier stuff.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... G_10012524

[E30BeemerLad]

I had coppers all over the place when I wrote the touring off and all they were bothered about asking was whether I had declared the mods to my insurers

[harry_p]

I could be wrong, I do remember my tax going up when I declared it as a 2.3.

it must have coincided with a government budget tax increase as unless your e30 was originally under 1549cc it will have always been in the standard rate tax band.

from memory, the discounted tax band was introduced in the mid 90s, originally for cars 1100cc and under (seem to remember fiat owners being mighty annoyed that their 1108cc cars didnt qualify. i think later on it went to 1300, and then finally settled at the current 1549cc switch point.

[scjimbo]

I had coppers all over the place when I wrote the touring off and all they were bothered about asking was whether I had declared the mods to my insurers

As I said earlier its the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get away with it sometimes you don't. If they want it impounded they can. There are loads of tricks up their sleeves.

[DanThe]

I had coppers all over the place when I wrote the touring off and all they were bothered about asking was whether I had declared the mods to my insurers

As I said earlier its the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get away with it sometimes you don't. If they want it impounded they can. There are loads of tricks up their sleeves.

Its the same argument really, if they are being coonts they will lift the car anyway, regardless of whether all the boxes are ticked or not.
No matter how above board you think you are, they can say otherwise

[scjimbo]

I had coppers all over the place when I wrote the touring off and all they were bothered about asking was whether I had declared the mods to my insurers

As I said earlier its the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get away with it sometimes you don't. If they want it impounded they can. There are loads of tricks up their sleeves.

Its the same argument really, if they are being coonts they will lift the car anyway, regardless of whether all the boxes are ticked or not.
No matter how above board you think you are, they can say otherwise

exactly mate. I always think that at least if its all correct on the paperwork then you can stuff it in someone's face and get the vehicle back quicker.

[Duke137]

They don't give a shit if you dotted the I's and crossed the T's, if the targets/earnings are down your going to have to get your wallet out and undo your belt for a bumming