Engine number

[Skar]

A mate is restoring an un-registered Lammy but the GT engine casing he has, lost its number (all of it) back when the 125 law came in and people were paranoid about getting stopped with "200" written on their engine casing. He is concerned that this may cause problems when having the scooter inspected.
Dose anyone know how to 'legalise' this engine, or is it to forever remain illegal scrap?

They were only interested in the frame number when I had mine inspected, didn't even look at the engine number.

[Ancillotti]

They were only interested in the frame number when I had mine inspected, didn't even look at the engine number.

Yes, but they will want to write an engine number on the new log book, which will then start the questions!

You could get a friendly copper to take it away and have it x-rayed to find out what the original number was, then re-stamp that number.

I've never met a friendly copper.

Please. SX200 * 4Q4Q4Q

Howeh, TV2*4Q4Q4Q* sounds too much like a Blitz record for my liking.

Certainly don't scrap it. If it's a good case it's a good case and the engine doesn't govern the identity of the scooter. So it's not illegal. The only grey area might be if what is stamped on there contradicts the capacity of the engine and what appears on the log book. Then you might come a cropper if you have an accident and the insurance get involved. I think you are at liberty to stamp on there whatever you want. But just don't get carried away.

No plans to scrap it! (not after all the repair work I've done on it!) But how dose he prove that he hasn't nicked someone's engine and ground off the number? hence risking having the engine being confiscated. He's had the casing 20 odd years, but how do you prove that? He could've nicked it yesterday! and stamped on his phone number or 4Q this morning?

An engine case with no number is exactly that. Even if you wanted to stamp your own number, how are you going to do the raised stars etc. Whats to stop me or anyone grinding off a new indian GP200 number and then doing as you are doing. Might seem irrelevant until you come to sell your original genuine TV200 with matching numbers and its 6 grand price tag. Oh and how much for one with an Indian gp200 engine - £4000?
Thats why there aren't many TV3 engines that are beyond repair...hell you could almost have a NOS one recast for the crazy money they go for on ebay

He wasn't trying to forge a TV number, just hoping that he could make his old casing legally usable again. Little chance of this engine coming up for sale, I've been trying on and off for the last 20 years!

So it looks like he needs to contact DVLA and find out if there is an official line on this one.

[Doom Patrol]

"No plans to scrap it! (not after all the repair work I've done on it!) But how does he prove that he hasn't nicked someone's engine and ground off the number? hence risking having the engine being confiscated. He's had the casing 20 odd years, but how do you prove that? He could've nicked it yesterday! and stamped on his phone number or 4Q this morning."

Well, that's a good point of course, but how do they prove he has? The truth is this is a grey area. Particularly with the number of blank Indian cases that are about. They could take it away of course, but I'm not sure it would be much help to them being over twenty years ago the numbers were removed. I don't know, but my instinct would be that it probably would be more trouble than it's worth at this stage. Even if they could prove that it was anything other than a new SIL case, which is uncertain. I think you'd be okay myself, but if you have any doubts about I think your best bet would be to have a word with Pete Davies of the British Lambretta Archive. He's a copper and you can count on him to give you an honest answer.

[dirtyhandslopez]

"No plans to scrap it! (not after all the repair work I've done on it!) But how does he prove that he hasn't nicked someone's engine and ground off the number? hence risking having the engine being confiscated. He's had the casing 20 odd years, but how do you prove that? He could've nicked it yesterday! and stamped on his phone number or 4Q this morning."

I think your best bet would be to have a word with Pete Davies of the British Lambretta Archive. He's a copper and you can count on him to give you an honest answer.

Agreed. See if he'll have it x-rayed for you.