Bear with me on this one!

As a change from fiddling with cars I have decided to build a bit of an oddball truck based machine! I am using a mitsubishi canter 3.5t gvw chassis, they are the same basic chassis as a 6 tonner but downplayed for the uk light van class. Anyway, I'm using the complete, unmodified chassis, axles, suspension etc.

This nets me 9 points on the dvla points system, and presumably (hopefully) means no iva.

However I am fitting a different engine and body.

I'm wondering what the best approach will be with the unpredictable beast that is dvla!??

It's currently shown on the logbook as a body type of "luton" and I would want to change that to pickup or drop side, and I need to change colour and engine capacity and number too.....

I'm thinking of sending off the v5 with the engine change and receipt copy etc etc first, then later on (will be a while before I've done the rest of the work) sending it off again with the body type change.

I'm just worried that if I get pulled in for inspection it will be tricky, as despite using the chassis, axles, suspension, steering etc from the canter, it will look nothing like one!!! (1940's cab for a start!)

Any thoughts?

Looking forward to seeing it.

As I see it then as theres no chassis change stick to that. Then as you suggest in stages , different engine. Thn re-body
But although it might not look like a canter (what ever that is ;-) Cant see that that needs inspection just because it looks "retro"

perhaps one for a hotrods forum? Are there any rodders around here?

A well trodden path with range rovers and discoveries turned into Landrover type clones, just register the changes in chunks and provide a letter to show it has been done correctly.

I would first do body type, then engine replacement when that gets swapped out.

If you do the engine first, sit the cab on the truck so it looks like its complete and take some pictures. preferably some with a workshop background, some with a road, some with countryside (perhaps with the misses and dog) in one of them.

Basically plenty of evidence that the work changing the engine has been done in case anyone decides to ask questions later on.

Then replace the cab and enjoy.

The DVLA don't require any photographs for an engine change. A signed letter-headed letter from a garage is all that is needed.

I agree, but if there is any dispute later on it stops it in its tracks.

I don't have the original cab any more, that's been binned. Will get plenty of photos, but the engine bit isn't the worry, the worry is getting tangled in endless dvla incompetence when it comes to the body type change. Looking at the forums for things like the sammio kit car where it is a rebody job, they seem to submit a built up vehicle report, with all the boxes for part origin filled in with the original vehicle reg no. Once I have the engine swap done on the v5, I can then fill every box (bar transmission I suppose) with the canter reg number as everything bar the body will be from that

Ps just a cummins powered canter makes me chuckle even before I've started it up:-)