(06-12-2019, 08:43 AM)Zetomagneto Wrote: Ian, did you manage to keep the original plate without anything to tie the plate to the car?
No, it was a different situation for me. I had wanted to replace the age-related number that had been on my car for 35 years with a proper period number that I had on a retention certificate. However, the process involved uncovered the fact that the chassis number on my V5C didn't match the actual car, something I had been blissfully unaware of during more than 30 years of ownership. I had to engage the club's DVLA liaison officer when the DVLA inexplicably decided that mine was a kit car and wanted to allocate a Q-plate! It seems that the DVLA require intervention of the relevant one-make club in order to authenticate the information you provide.
I'm afraid that if you have nothing concrete to associate the registration number with the car, your chances of success are fairly slim whatever you do. The DVLA will allocate an age-related number to your car and the relevant club will need to authenticate your car in order to avoid the dreaded Q-plate scenario. In other words, please engage with the DVLA through the club and not directly, for the best possible outcome.