Trying to locate my dad's car

[Lauram2]

Hi guys,
It's a very long story but the Just is that my dad owned a silver 1986 420sec which I am trying to locate. Basically the story goes that it was scrapped by a garage as uneconomical to repair without his consent here in Ireland..
The garage where very difficult to deal with any refused to give me information of where it had gone for years and my father has since passed away so I would to get it back.
Private plate on it was B2 KGM original plate was D722 0W0, and engine number was 11696522018206, I can't find the log book at the moment so don't currently have the VIN.
Where can I get the VIN from and do you any of you have any tips or ideas where I may be able to trace her? Thanks L x

 

[Teego]

You could start here.
https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/VehicleFound?locale=en

Looks like it last changed hands in Feb 1998 and was last taxed until 31 July 1998.

 

[Lauram2]

My dad definitely still had it in 2005. It was taken for repair and was supposedly scrapped by the garage.. But I don't believe them

Thanks for that I'll check it out

 

[Mr. B]

I don’t fully understand your post. When you say scrapped do you mean that it it went to the scrap yard. Not sure how the garage can scrap the car without the log book (V5) because that would be req at the scrap yard as proof of ownership. If it was scrapped how can you locate it because it’s scrapped. I’m confused

 

[Doodle]

If this was in the Republic then the DVLA would have no record unless someone specifically informed them. I don't think the regulations were as tight over the water, especially not 15 years ago.

 

[Mr. B]

Plus how do can you remember the engine number without the log book ?

 

[neilrr]

I don’t fully understand your post. When you say scrapped do you mean that it it went to the scrap yard. Not sure how the garage can scrap the car without the log book (V5) because that would be req at the scrap yard as proof of ownership. If it was scrapped how can you locate it because it’s scrapped. I’m confused

Things at scrapyards were a lot more lax back in 2005. IME if you brought it in you owned it.

 

[renault12ts]

Was this Northern Ireland...or the Republic? Could it have had a UK registration in the Republic?

 

[219]

I don’t fully understand your post. When you say scrapped do you mean that it it went to the scrap yard. Not sure how the garage can scrap the car without the log book (V5) because that would be req at the scrap yard as proof of ownership. If it was scrapped how can you locate it because it’s scrapped. I’m confused

Back in those days there were no such formalities- you could just offload a pile of metal and be paid in cash - even if it looked a bit like a car . Even more recently I’ve taken trailer loads of scrap ( because the lady of the house told me to ) to the scrapyard, just wanting rid .
In theory , you need this certificate of destruction, but I’ve broken cars up on my drive , sold or kept the worthwhile bits and disposed of the rest .
I still have reg documents for cars that no longer exist , but do I care ?

 

[grober]

Your Vin will start WDB1260461A******

see this example- not the car in question
WDB1260461A243089
CHASSIS MERCEDES 420 [Car] [CHASSIS] (EUROPA)

If you contact MB they should be able to supply the VIN from the original engine number

 

[Lauram2]

Brilliant. Thank you

The car was off the road and towed to a garage for repair in the rep of Ireland, my father was away on business for quite a while and when he returned and contacted them they told him it was beyond economical repair and that they had scrapped it.
They didn't have the log book, there is no paperwork and my father received no money for the car.
It's still showing as a valid car on the dvla website.
The garage advised me yesterday where it was taken after I threatened to report it as stolen, but when I tried to find the scrap yard (and I spoke to one in the area) they told me they had been there 40 years and had never heard of the place and that there were no other scrap yards in the area.
I don't believe that the car was scrapped hence why I am looking for it

 

[Lauram2]

Plus how do can you remember the engine number without the log book ?

I got a report from cartell which had engine number but no VIN on it

 

[Teego]

My dad definitely still had it in 2005. It was taken for repair and was supposedly scrapped by the garage.. But I don't believe them

Thanks for that I'll check it out

The DVLA thinks the car still exists, at least hasn't been told it doesn't.

So, does this scenario seem plausible?
Your father purchased a 12 year old 420 SEC in Feb 1998.
He did not renew the tax when it fell due in August 1998, either because the car wasn't roadworthy and / or failed its MOT or because he took a relaxed view about the need to tax it.
The car was laid up until sometime after 2005, when you know he still had it.
He decided to try and get the car back on the road again and took it to a garage to be checked over before jumping into the money pit.
Garage told him it was scrap but if they scrapped it they didn't tell the DVLA. Why didn't they give him the scrap value less their reasonable costs?
The garage actually stripped the car of anything saleable, and there would have been a lot of valuable stuff on a 420 SEC.
The car is probably now divided among many SECs around the British Isles or further away.
If you want to see what has happened to the rest of the car, locate every scrapyard in a 50 mile radius of the garage, give them a call and ask if they have a SEC bodyshell.

Don't want to bring you down, it's just the way I see it.

 

[Doodle]

It's still showing as a valid car on the dvla website.

That is as expected - they would not have been notified under the circumstances so it's effectively just "off the road" as far as they're concerned, until such time as someone informs them otherwise

I had a look in the Xentry portal (MB parts system), the engine number is valid but I haven't worked out yet if/how to tie that to a VIN.

give them a call and ask if they have a SEC bodyshell.

Given that this all happened a decade and a half ago, I think "ask if they HAD a SEC bodyshell" would be more accurate, assuming they can remember back that far with less than thorough record keeping.

 

[grober]

Your Vin will start WDB1260461A******

see this example- not the car in question
WDB1260461A243089
CHASSIS MERCEDES 420 [Car] [CHASSIS] (EUROPA)

If you contact MB they should be able to supply the VIN from the original engine number

I should have added that if you are determined to pursue this you will definitely need documented proof of past ownership. This could take the form of the aforementioned V5C or bill of sale , service records etc Without these your quest is likely to prove fruitless.

 

[Lauram2]

Umm.. Well I certainly was taught how to drive the car in about 2003..so it was on the road.. Think it hadn't been taxed because it had to transferred to an Irish plate with vrt paid . And he was in the process of doing that.. But like I said he worked abroad a lot so it was in the garage at home the majority of the time.

I've been told about a place up in NI that if I have the VIN number will probably know if parts have been placed in another car.

 

[Lauram2]

I'm just hopeful that it hasn't been crushed and that I can restore it

 

[richard]

Laura,

I'm not allowed to post the VIN because of our licence with the data provider. Email me on [email protected]

Grober's post above, the 1A at the end needs to be 2A as its Right-Hand-Drive not Left-Hand-Drive. The 1/2 is LHD/RHD. The A is the factory it was built at.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Lauram2]

Email sent.. Thank you for your help x

 

[Riva811]

I am sorry why don't you take the garage to court? Someone is using the car, you received no money for it, you're dad is still registered owner?

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