Re-registering a Historic Vehicle?

What is the legal way of putting a 1972 vehicle back on the road when all documentation and VIN numbers have been lost? Is there a legal way?

I know the vehicle isn't stolen or a ringer so there's no worries in that respect but what are my chances of just asking DVLA for a 1972 registration without any proof that the vehicle is as old as I know it to be?

Alternatively, how legal would it be to buy a derelict vehicle of the same age and model and use that identity? There is an 'N' registered identity I can have for free or an 'E' registration (1967 or something like that) which I can have for the price of a year's tax but that belongs to a very dead SIIA, which I'd rather not use.

For the curious - it's a SWB SIII hardtop Land Rover which has been stood on a local farm for a few years and was working locally for many years before that. The chassis was repaired so it has lost the stamped number (if it ever had one) and the VIN plate has been lost in a similar manner. The number plates no longer exist and the engine is out of a later SIII, the engine being from the 'N' registered derelict vehicle.

It's hardly worth doing a cancel - it doesn't generally propogate beyond your local server. Both your posts have made it to NZ via about 5 servers on the way!

Without any sort of identity I'd say you were stuffed, especially if you were looking to get it tax exempt. You could probably get it registered as "new" on a Q plate. Without any sort of identification one has to ask how you know it is 1972? I'm going through this now with an 80 which was taken off the road long before Swansea was thought about, but I have engine, chassis and number plates although no paperwork. Not sure if it will keep the original number but at least it will be tax exempt.

Gordon