Stoneleigh and VOSA

They've done Landrover events before and set up a checkpoint just before the entry to a ploughing match so wouldn't be surprised - its easy money isn't it?

Not heard of them being at Stoneleigh but as others have said it wouldn't be a surprise, they are often at off-roading events and at large car shows.

They would only need a handheld PDA to get all the info they needed as to what the car is registered as and what the VIN number states it is.

After that incident with that modded landy with shonky brakes that crashed into a lake a few years back, it is hardly a surprise if checks are being made at car shows and personally I think it is a good thing. There seems to be a train of thought with some car modders that they can do whatever they like to their cars and drive them around without any thought or consideration for anyone else.
The amount of time you see cars for sale being listed as still a 1.3 on the logbook! Granted it might not make the car unsafe, but if you crash into someone, smash them up bad enough that they need half a year off work to recover and you have no insurance (which you won't as it will be void), you could full on ruin someone elses life both physically and financially.
I really don't see a bit of sensible regulation as a bad thing. Some poeple shouldn't be let near a car. A few years back my wife bought a golf cabby. She complained that the car was making an odd squeek sound every time she moved the steering wheel. So on a free weekend I took some time out to have a look. To my horror I found the front suspension had been fitted minus the top spring cap, so the spring was sitting on the rubber top mount with nothing other than the mass of the car holding it in place. The rear shocks were also loose. I did some research and tracked down the person who did the work (Turned out to be some kid that was on the club polo forum who had removed the coil-overs that were on the car to recoup some cash and didn't fit the original stuff back on properly.

A few years ago I took my car for a MOT and had to wait while tester did a Lupo before me. This was it's first MOT at 3 years old - and failed ! I couldn't help listening to the owner being told of the fail aspects - mixed profile tyres (owner said he bought a set of wheels and tyres brand new. One had a puncture so he then fitted whatever was the cheapest as a replacement), LED washer jets not pointing high enough up screen and couldn't be adjusted, aftermarket exhaust insecure, bolt securing front strut leg to hub carrier sheered off (broke when owner fitting lowered springs). So it failed it's first MOT on just "modifications" done by owner !. Cost to sort out was something like £600 which was mainly made up with new hub carrier and tyre. Owner squealed that why couldn't they drill out the broken bolt and garage replied they could take to engineering firm and get them to sort out the broken bolt but then cost could be even dearer.

Paul H

Series Two Land Rover club have been actively reporting fraudsters like these to VOSA for years now, and rightly so IMHO.