Hi Andy
Most welcome to the club!
To get your quest rolling, may I start with what most of us will be thinking from reading your story and that is "good luck with that"!
With it being an old kit, it will fit right into the age of stolen identities, fake identities, incorrectly registered kits, stick on any identity to drive to the rally kits....
...if you have nowt to go on then this really will be the proverbial needle in a universe full of hay and even consider the fact that it is quite possible the car was never properly registered.
Even if you do find something the era when the DVLA were willing to sort out registration issues may have long gone.
Let me tell you my story as it's not too dissimilar before giving some other suggestions.
So I picked up a 1983 Sylva Star no paperwork no registration.
Phoned local DVLA, they didn't want to know unless i have something.
Knowing the make and model of the car and with the car having a unique bonnet a long trawl of google images (or whatever was the equivalent then) turned up trumps.
Found a pic of the car when bought by the previous owner and there was the registration - the guy I bought it off was being well unhelpful - I reckon he was out to sell the ID separately.
However that was only the start as the plate was still registered on the V5 as a Vauxhall Viva - the donor.
Anyway eventually DVLA inspector came out, said should be on a Q plate but due to the hassle and (at the time) a purge on getting kits registered correctly, they would allow us to keep the original year plate and update the V5c. Took 8 months though. Bear in mind that this was also pre-SVA days which may also effect you now.
Needless to say my story had a happy ending, the car is correctly registered, I have a V5c and come 2016 it will be tax free too whoohoo!!!
So, some random ideas and I'm sure the more learned members of the club will come through with better ones.
Go back to the person you bought it off and demand some history, if not your money back
More helpfully... seeing yours has a pretty unique grill and roll cage get image searching.
Remember there were many mini Moke, Mini Scamp type kits such as the Mini Nomad, Grantura Yak...and amazingly not just manufactured in the UK.
I would guess yours is unlikely to be a Moke as I think I am right in saying they had a standard grill, which is not on yours - but that does not necessarily mean it isn't.
Search the car chassis carefully for a chassis number, might be a rough piece of metal riveted on most likely in the engine bay but not necessarily - if it was ever registered correctly it would have had to have one, even if it was a made up number.
With this and an engine number you may get lucky when phoning the DVLA.
Post a pic up on the owners club websites asking if anyone recognises the car.
If you know the area the car came from check out some of the rally club sites.
Phone the DVLA up and see what they suggest
Anyway, some starters for 10 if I think of any others I'll post again.
Mark
