The fields DVSA returns are minimal. Many garages want richer per-vehicle detail — engine code, gearbox type, key reference, paint code, tyre size. Pistonlog supports this with custom vehicle spec fields, configured once per garage and stored as a JSON specValues map on each vehicle.
Configuring spec fields
Go to Workshop Settings → Vehicle Specs. For each field you define:
- Label — what to call it (e.g. "Engine code")
- Placeholder — hint text shown in the input
- Requirement mode — whether this field must be filled before a jobcard can be completed
- Show Previous Entries — surface the most recent value recorded for this vehicle when the field is filled in on a jobcard
With Show Previous Entries on, the last recorded value appears twice in the Inspector: as a muted caption to the right of the field's label, reading "Last" followed by the value, and as placeholder text inside the empty input, reading "Last:" followed by the value. So a tyre size last recorded as 205/55 R16 shows as Last 205/55 R16 beside the label and Last: 205/55 R16 in the box.
It's a reference, not a default. The field stays blank until you type, so a value that carried over from last time is always a deliberate re-entry.
Spec field values are stored as free text — there's no per-field type (no separate text vs. number vs. dropdown vs. yes/no). That keeps the system simple at the cost of some validation.
Where these fields appear
On the vehicle record's Specs tab. They also surface in the Inspector panel's Vehicle tab on a jobcard. Pistonlog doesn't currently have a per-field "technician-visible" toggle — so spec fields appear wherever vehicle details are surfaced.
Common spec fields
Most garages set 3–6 spec fields. A common starter set:
- Engine code
- Gearbox type
- Drive type
- Tyre size
- Key code
- Paint code
Adding spec values to a vehicle
Once configured, the field appears on every vehicle record's Specs tab. Fill it in when you see the car for the first time — most garages do it during the initial check-in.