Historic Status
Discussion
Well my Tasmin 200 is 40 years old. Just registered it 'Historic Vehicle' as the Taxation class.
As the cars are getting to that age now a heads up to anyone looking to do this...
My car was first registered on 1st January 1984. The rules state it must be manufactured in 1983 and you can register it in the April of the following year.
There is a 5 day grace period so this gives you until the 5th January. The rational is that if it was registered in the first 5 days of 1984 it must have been manufactured in 1983.
Now comes the interesting part... When I tried to apply at the post Office it wouldn't let me and when I spoke to DVLA it seems the manufacture date was December 1984. As I tried to point out the car couldn't be first registered nearly 12 months before it was built... even in TVR world!! The woman at the DVLA was very unhelpful and wouldn't even acknowledge there was a problem. Left it a few days and rang them back. This time got a really helpful guy who has worked there over 40 years. It seems back in the day manufacture dates weren't seen as important and they just put in the end of the first registered year on some cars. He said send in some proof and a covering letter and they would correct it.
Sent an email to the TVRCC asking for help proving the manufacture date. Had a response the following day saying two certificates were in the post.
Sent the certificate off to DVLA and got the new log book back a week later.
Massive thank you to Mervyn Larner and TVRCC for providing this information and so quickly... not sure how I would have proved the manufacture date without them.
The manufacture date isn't on the log book so you would need to ring the DVLA to check this. I've owned the car for 35 years and I wasn't aware!!
So now looking forward to no road tax, no MOT's (may still do this) and fingers up to any ULEZ zones they have brought in or may do in the future.
Cheers Steve
As the cars are getting to that age now a heads up to anyone looking to do this...
My car was first registered on 1st January 1984. The rules state it must be manufactured in 1983 and you can register it in the April of the following year.
There is a 5 day grace period so this gives you until the 5th January. The rational is that if it was registered in the first 5 days of 1984 it must have been manufactured in 1983.
Now comes the interesting part... When I tried to apply at the post Office it wouldn't let me and when I spoke to DVLA it seems the manufacture date was December 1984. As I tried to point out the car couldn't be first registered nearly 12 months before it was built... even in TVR world!! The woman at the DVLA was very unhelpful and wouldn't even acknowledge there was a problem. Left it a few days and rang them back. This time got a really helpful guy who has worked there over 40 years. It seems back in the day manufacture dates weren't seen as important and they just put in the end of the first registered year on some cars. He said send in some proof and a covering letter and they would correct it.
Sent an email to the TVRCC asking for help proving the manufacture date. Had a response the following day saying two certificates were in the post.
Sent the certificate off to DVLA and got the new log book back a week later.
Massive thank you to Mervyn Larner and TVRCC for providing this information and so quickly... not sure how I would have proved the manufacture date without them.
The manufacture date isn't on the log book so you would need to ring the DVLA to check this. I've owned the car for 35 years and I wasn't aware!!
So now looking forward to no road tax, no MOT's (may still do this) and fingers up to any ULEZ zones they have brought in or may do in the future.
Cheers Steve
Well done, perseverance does sometimes pay off.
I find it harder and harder to find people who understand a car no matter what make, that is more than 10 years old.
You have to speak with an older person (not being agest), they tend to understand.
Just replaced a wiper blade for a generic one from GSF. The guy asked the make, then just said "huh". So I said the £1.67 one will do.
Have a similar problem come MOT time, last time it failed, they say nothing, have no redress as it is after the event, shows a blot on the record, had to have a word with, them for an older guy to do it a few day's later and pass, having done absolutely nothing to it.
In the past I have owned a fair few historic classic cars, nothing like going to the post office for a bit of free tax, cheap insurance.
I think I have 4 years maybe plus (can't remember the month of registration) to go.
Happy motoring (weather permitting)
I find it harder and harder to find people who understand a car no matter what make, that is more than 10 years old.
You have to speak with an older person (not being agest), they tend to understand.
Just replaced a wiper blade for a generic one from GSF. The guy asked the make, then just said "huh". So I said the £1.67 one will do.
Have a similar problem come MOT time, last time it failed, they say nothing, have no redress as it is after the event, shows a blot on the record, had to have a word with, them for an older guy to do it a few day's later and pass, having done absolutely nothing to it.
In the past I have owned a fair few historic classic cars, nothing like going to the post office for a bit of free tax, cheap insurance.
I think I have 4 years maybe plus (can't remember the month of registration) to go.
Happy motoring (weather permitting)
Cheers Steve, useful to know (although I'll have probably forgotten it by 2028 when mine will be eligible). I suppose the bigger issue is whether I'll make it to 2028 myself 
A mate of mine has brought numerous DeLoreans in from the US and Eire (and even the Shetlands) and has had to jump through hoops a few times, matters not being helped by an inconvenient factory fire (at the height of the Troubles
) which destroyed all the build records.
A mate of mine has brought numerous DeLoreans in from the US and Eire (and even the Shetlands) and has had to jump through hoops a few times, matters not being helped by an inconvenient factory fire (at the height of the Troubles
) which destroyed all the build records.Nice one...I was forced to sell my 350i and scrap my daily runner because of the ULEZ...bought Delilah back as she is 41 years old now...so like you no MOT, road tax or ULEZ, although the hooknose turtleneck got voted in again so no doubt his pay per mile scheme will eventually get us...I am also considering next year to have the engine rebuilt with unleaded heads and may need upgraded injectors, fuel lines, pump etc so I can use E10, I read somewhere that steel is okay with any concentration of ethanol so my fuel tanks should be fine ... they will eventually faze out E5, E15 is already in the pipeline, pardon the pun...
Mark, have a quiet look around for some XR4i heads (or a complete engine) as they were UL-ready.
I didn't know that leaded petrol was being phased out when I bought the ex-XR4i engine I fitted to my Tasmin, but I was laughing like a flip-top bin lid when it happened
At the time the Colognes were £50 boat anchors.
I didn't know that leaded petrol was being phased out when I bought the ex-XR4i engine I fitted to my Tasmin, but I was laughing like a flip-top bin lid when it happened
At the time the Colognes were £50 boat anchors.
Wedg1e said:
Mark, have a quiet look around for some XR4i heads (or a complete engine) as they were UL-ready.
I didn't know that leaded petrol was being phased out when I bought the ex-XR4i engine I fitted to my Tasmin, but I was laughing like a flip-top bin lid when it happened
At the time the Colognes were £50 boat anchors.
Thanks for the heads up mate..I think I will save up and send my engine off to these guys, mine was rebuilt 10 years ago, when I sold her, and had little use, might go for some port matching and maybe a slightly wilder cam....maybe some mild road heads...and ...and...I didn't know that leaded petrol was being phased out when I bought the ex-XR4i engine I fitted to my Tasmin, but I was laughing like a flip-top bin lid when it happened
At the time the Colognes were £50 boat anchors.
...
....I did have a look for some unleaded heads but they rarely come up...Cheershttps://www.cologneengines.com/ford%20cologne%20v6...
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