Trying to trace history of lovely yellow 348 we're restoring

[kramv8]

Hi all,

Does any fellow PHer know the previous owner of an immaculate (pre-accident), lightly damaged-repairable, LHD, yellow, 1994 Ferrari 348 GTS (at time of accident near Silverstone race circuit registered as B19YEL and now registered on a 'P' prefix registration)

Which we have recently purchased for full restoration and we have seen discussions about this car and its accident on the PH forum link; http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

We are hoping that someone knows the owner, or have possibly worked on the car at sometime and could help us get in touch with them, or piece together its past history.

Cheers!

Mark

[eybic]

If it's on a P prefix then surely it's a '96/'97 1994 is L or M.

[kramv8]

eybic said:

If it's on a P prefix then surely it's a '96/'97 1994 is L or M.

You are correct in principle however, despite 1994 production the DVLA have allocated the car with a 'P' prefix.

[eybic]

kramv8 said:

You are correct in principle however, despite 1994 production the DVLA have allocated the car with a 'P' prefix.

they are laughable sometimes, stick to the rules or they'll hunt you down unless of course the cock up is theirs then you have to move heaven and earth to sort it

[jtremlett]

You can contact the DVLA using form V888, which you can download from the DVLA website. I think the charge is still £5. They will give you a copy of the history from their records (including details of previous owners) providing you have valid reason. Researching the history of a vehicle you own is considered a valid reason.

Jonathan

[James P]

kramv8 said:

eybic said:

If it's on a P prefix then surely it's a '96/'97 1994 is L or M.

You are correct in principle however, despite 1994 production the DVLA have allocated the car with a 'P' prefix.

The 355 spider was in production by then surely? - this on a 'P' plate will ring alarm bells whenever it is for sale.

[kramv8]

Thanks for all the input chaps - especially re the form you can use to apply for previous keeper details from the DVLA. I did not know that.

You are all correct regarding production years for 348 and that our car should be a 355 going from it's UK registration prefix however, it was built in '94 and was used abroad (it's LHD) until being imported and registered in blighty in '96. The DVLA chose not to issue it's registration number based on production year (L or M as rightly suggested), but instead based on it's registration in UK date (P for '96). Hope that helps clear up the mystery for everyone.

This used to happen on lots of cars being registered in the UK for the first time. I seem to remember lots of yanks ('Stangs, Trans Ams, etc) being on number plates which did not tally with their actual date of birth, instead to their date of registration in the UK.

I don't know if the DVLA still works this way or not.

Anyway, if anyone has met this Giallo Fly Yellow in a previous life, please get in-touch, as a GTS it's an extremely rare 348 and appears to have been superbly kept throughout its life.

[HIS LM]

Have you tried to email the previous owner through his profile on the link

[kramv8]

Yes. That was the first thing I tried and had no response

It looks like 'rubbishdriver' (that was his ID) only placed one post and that was to comment on the car and incident as per the thread link I included in my start message to this thread.

[R36vw]

It could be worth writing to the previous owner as per the address on the V5. It stated they'd owned the car for 12 years and hoped that the car wouldn't be crushed . On that basis I would have thought you'll get a response as a restoration would be what they hoped. Explain your plans to restore it and you may perk them up in to getting a response.
Good luck and will be great to see it back on the road

[jtremlett]

kramv8 said:

Thanks for all the input chaps - especially re the form you can use to apply for previous keeper details from the DVLA. I did not know that.

You are all correct regarding production years for 348 and that our car should be a 355 going from it's UK registration prefix however, it was built in '94 and was used abroad (it's LHD) until being imported and registered in blighty in '96. The DVLA chose not to issue it's registration number based on production year (L or M as rightly suggested), but instead based on it's registration in UK date (P for '96). Hope that helps clear up the mystery for everyone.

This used to happen on lots of cars being registered in the UK for the first time. I seem to remember lots of yanks ('Stangs, Trans Ams, etc) being on number plates which did not tally with their actual date of birth, instead to their date of registration in the UK.

I don't know if the DVLA still works this way or not.

Anyway, if anyone has met this Giallo Fly Yellow in a previous life, please get in-touch, as a GTS it's an extremely rare 348 and appears to have been superbly kept throughout its life.

Is it definitely a GTS? I ask because according to my records (which could be incorrect) it is a late 348 ts and the VIN I have recorded for it is for a ts (VIN beginning ZFFKA...) not a GTS (VIN beginning ZFFUA...).

I also have a record of two previous L-prefix registrations for this car (L208WNJ and then L300FER) before it went onto B19EYL in about 2002.

Jonathan

[kramv8]

jtremlett said:

s it definitely a GTS? I ask because according to my records (which could be incorrect) it is a late 348 ts and the VIN I have recorded for it is for a ts (VIN beginning ZFFKA...) not a GTS (VIN beginning ZFFUA...).

I also have a record of two previous L-prefix registrations for this car (L208WNJ and then L300FER) before it went onto B19EYL in about 2002.

Jonathan

Many thanks for your input Jonathan - in really grateful. That should be a big help. We bought the car from its insurers an their description was GTS but they could well be wrong! We're not too worried either way. It's certainly a very late 348 with all the updates as we can see.

It will undergo a glass out body restoration and be repainted in its original fly yellow!

It was supplied minus its colour coded targa panel and we were hoping to procure this from whomever owns it (previous owner?) as well as piece together it's history and background.

We will have to see what surfaces!

[Pixel-Snapper]

A restoration thread without pictures......

Useless...

This would make one hell of a thread with pictures and a detailed diary of the restoration.



Just a thought.