Lancia Motor Club

I'm getting dangerously close to having the car registered  despite the shipping agent cocking up the NOVA declaration.

I hope to be ordering number plates soon and wonder whether you guys have the rear plate screwed straight to the rear panel or have the plate in a frame? I don't have a frame so would have to find one if I go down this route.

Thanks
Howard

Best to find the surround. These are available that fit the 4 screw holes on your rear panel. Then get the plate made to size to fit in the frame. Depending on what reg your given it is more aesthetic if you drop the size of the characters. Omicron may sell the frame but also available elsewhere sized for Italian plates

I had mine done by this company, which did a perfect made to measure job:

https://www.tippersvintageplates.co.uk/

Mine is just screwed with the plastic figments direct to the rear panel.

On a Sport returning from a European trip - biased but nicer to have a frame.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223964597596

seller is a member....

Thanks Tim.

Is the frame in the link four lengths and four corners as separate pieces? Is that how they're made?

The production ones have 4 corners and 4 sides.

On my 'surplus' shelf here I have the following Fulvia ++ rear number plate surround parts:

1 x  complete rear number plate surround in pretty good condition (needs a clean) with fixings which has the same centres as the one referred to in this thread. This one has nicely butted corners.

And bits from 2 surrounds the same design as referred to earlier.

Any interest to anyone?
Chris

Thanks Chris. Omicron have the frame (new) in stock, which is probably the way I'll go. Here's hoping DVLA don't let me down!

the ebay frame is the same! And bound to be a lot less…..

Indeed, and being stainless steel should polish up like new.

I was thinking £17 incl postage within the UK for the complete top one in the photos and maybe £12 incl postage for the set of OE bits (from which its easily possible to make one complete one). Both are stainless steel and should therefore polish up well.
Chris

Hi,
Just to add I am the maker of these frames. We have a few left, after that there won’t me any more. I am unaware what Omicron are charging.
The lower one in the photo Chris posted is the right item and that is also a good option if undamaged (it is stainless)

Omicron are about £26+ vat and delivery.

Chris, of the lower frame you have, there seem to be many short but only one long side. Are there more long sides?

There should be two long and two short sides

You are correct.....there is a long piece missing but an excess of short pieces and corners so to my mind its an easy  modification to make one good low cost one. and its gets the pieces off my shelf!
Chris

Can you, or anyone else, advise on the exact size of plate as shown for XHJ 281N; I am out of the UK so can't measure. It certainly does not seem to be a standard size. I have just received my magic letter today from the DVLA allocating me a UK registration number, also an N. Hurrah.

Great news. Still waiting for mine, DVLA want to inspect the car this week.

I bought a stainless number plate surround from Omicron and the dims agree with the holes in the rear panel, can't tell you what they are though without measuring again.

As a dim allowance will need to be made, I think I'll send the frame to the plate manufacturers for them to get a good fit.

https://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=12750.0

Same topic as before... get Jay's frames and get the smaller font rear plate from tippers vintage. I did mine 10 years ago and it's fabulous

Getting dangerously close to being able to drive the Fulvia shaped ornament on my drive. I'm advised by email, after complaining, that my V5 will arrive tomorrow.

DVLA note that the process has been delayed (10 weeks so far) but make no apology and are unconcerned that they preside over a failed administrative requirement of an organised state. Failed state more like! Who are these people that think this is OK?

In my experience if it's something that can be done entirely without human input it'll be sorted quickly. Once it involves human intervention however, the service is atrocious. I understand that there is a big WFH culture.

Nope, mustn't get excited.

11 weeks gone and the V5 didn't turn up as promised. Today I get a letter confirming the reg and that the V5 will take up to 4 weeks! And they've allocated a 'T' reg to a '76 car. You couldn't make it up.

A phone call to DVLA confirms that the reg is a mistake.....and they still haven't cashed my cheque despite saying I've paid.

Can you imagine how much of everyone's time is wasted by their sloppy practices?

Who are these muppets?

I'm beginning to doubt I'll have the car registered and shaken down before Goodwood, let alone the LMC trackday.

During lockdown/covid DVLA employees worked from home. They now refuse to return to the office because that would mean actually having to work and management may be around to ensure that sensible decisions were made. However, management may be no better. A guy on the Alfa forum cannot get his S.A. GTV registered with the DVLA. After 3 years he took it to a Judicial Review and got a ruling in his favour. Response from DVLA " A judicial Review is not legally binding on a Government body." He is still waiting for is V5.

Having achieved old codger status I had to apply for a new driving licence during Covid. I needed to make a couple of changes to my 35 year old pink paper one because my postcode had been changed and the house name was slightly different.

I waited and chased and waited and chased, all to no avail. As a last resort after a few months, I sent the DVLA a Royal Mail special delivery letter which I hoped would expedite the matter.

Almost by return of post I received my new licence, but it didn’t show either of the requested changes! But I’m hanging on to it anyway. They really need to relocate to somewhere with higher standards, perhaps out of Britain altogether?

After a judicial review in his favour I think I'd go and bang on DVLAs door and demand action. I'd also just drive the car.

Today I received an actual V5 with the wrong reg on it. They will be producing another soon I hope, at least they say they will. Its now a P reg not T.

My fourth formal complaint included an invoice for 10 hours of my time at £85 p/h + vat. I'm going to pursue them for it. I've spent way more time than that trying to get them to do their job.

They spent more time answering calls and dealing with complaints than actually doing the work. There should be some sackings, starting at the top......
but you know, government, can't actually fire anyone in case it hurts their feelings.

That’s crazy Howard, I purchased my Fulvia S2 last October from Fulvia Classics and had the V5 in my name with age related plates within 4weeks.
They never even cashed my cheque and sent it back to me, I never responded back to them regarding the matter!

Of course it's absurd. We are paying for this not fit for purpose service. You can't trust these people to do their job. Just imagine if they had something complicated to do?

Anyway, I'm almost there.

I know it's frustrating but abusing the DVLA staff isn't going to help. Decades of cuts leaves government departments without the staff or training to deliver the service you expect and the DVLA is most notable for NOT allowing home working. Departments cope with underfunding by reducing experienced staff and downgrading work to low grade staff who have neither the training nor expertise to deal with anything but the most straight forward cases.

I spent my whole working life in the same government agency and was appalled how over the years the quality of staff, management and expertise was degraded whilst the workload was increased multiple times over.

I don't think calling out/ highlighting bad service is abuse. I speak as I find, and I find an unapologetic, bad service disappointing. There is no shortage of resources if endless time can be spent answering complaints instead of doing then checking the work.

Systems as much as people are at fault.

A quarter of a year to do 30 mins of paperwork?

I'll leave the thread here. It's not my intention to upset or cause offence to the members of the club.

They should never have closed the regional offices, you could actually speak to person and sort your queries even if it did need a stack of paperwork that they omitted to tell you needed before you visited, but could be done in a day.