Kit cars and Reg plates
Discussion
Right gents, quick question, whatsthe deal with reg plates on kit cars? I see some of themadvertised saying 'registered on correct plate'. Whats the wrong plate? A lot of them a registered on Q plates. Whats the deal with that? Only asking as i'll be in the market for a kitcar soon and wanna know what to look out for.
Q essentially Means that there's not enough left of the donor to keep it's plate, or the age of the vehicle cannot be accurately decided. Can be an advantage as Q plates don;t need to pass such strict emissions.
There's a lot of snobbery about Q Plates though, and it means you can't put a private reg on.
There's a lot of snobbery about Q Plates though, and it means you can't put a private reg on.
Some are incorrectly registered as their donor vehicles, too... you'll occasionally find 'Sevens' registered on an age-related plate and described as 'Ford Escort' or whatever on the V5. Sometimes people even use the 'identity' of an old, Q-reg kitcar on a new kit car as a means of avoiding the IVA test (so you might, for example, find a relatively new kit car registered as a 1980 Dutton or whatever.
Bottom line is to check that the identity, registration plate, V5, chassis number and engine number all tally up on any car you're thinking of purchasing, and run a mile if they don't.
Bottom line is to check that the identity, registration plate, V5, chassis number and engine number all tally up on any car you're thinking of purchasing, and run a mile if they don't.
When registering a kit car there are 3 ways it can go...
1. You get a new plate (an 11 at the moment)if your kit is built from new major components (with the exception of one that must be reconditioned as new) and you can prove it with reciepts.
2. You get an age related plate with the same year ID as your donor car (but not the same reg) if you have enough major parts from one donor and can prove it (donor V5).
3.You get a Q plate if you can't meet either of the above.
New plate and age related plates can have private plates put on them but the normal rules apply re.age.
Q plate can't be changed.
New plate looks new. Aage related looks old. Q plate looks odd but makes little odds to anybody who knows about kits.
All SVA'd and IVA'd cas should be MOT emmision tested to the same standard as applied at the SVA/IVA but some testers don't know this and might (if you'relucky)just do a visable smoke test on a Q.
Some pre'SVA cars are still registered as thier donor (it'll say Escort, etc) on the V5. There was an amnesty period when SVA came in the alter the V5 to the correct make butnot all got done. Correctly reistered cars will have the kit name on the V5.
Some builders have been known to buy a cheap donor kit, scrap it and put it's identity VIN and reg'no) on a new kit, so avoiding SVA/IVA. Difficult to spot unless they've built an MK and it says Dutton on the doc's.
Occationally DVLA havegot it wrong and issued the donor reg to the kit but as long as the vehicle make and model have been altered you'd never know and it makes little difference.
1. You get a new plate (an 11 at the moment)if your kit is built from new major components (with the exception of one that must be reconditioned as new) and you can prove it with reciepts.
2. You get an age related plate with the same year ID as your donor car (but not the same reg) if you have enough major parts from one donor and can prove it (donor V5).
3.You get a Q plate if you can't meet either of the above.
New plate and age related plates can have private plates put on them but the normal rules apply re.age.
Q plate can't be changed.
New plate looks new. Aage related looks old. Q plate looks odd but makes little odds to anybody who knows about kits.
All SVA'd and IVA'd cas should be MOT emmision tested to the same standard as applied at the SVA/IVA but some testers don't know this and might (if you'relucky)just do a visable smoke test on a Q.
Some pre'SVA cars are still registered as thier donor (it'll say Escort, etc) on the V5. There was an amnesty period when SVA came in the alter the V5 to the correct make butnot all got done. Correctly reistered cars will have the kit name on the V5.
Some builders have been known to buy a cheap donor kit, scrap it and put it's identity VIN and reg'no) on a new kit, so avoiding SVA/IVA. Difficult to spot unless they've built an MK and it says Dutton on the doc's.
Occationally DVLA havegot it wrong and issued the donor reg to the kit but as long as the vehicle make and model have been altered you'd never know and it makes little difference.
AdiT said:
Nailed it.....
Nicely said.If you had a 30's style kitcar a Q plate would not be good as it would prevent you from finding a nice old plate to put on. In all other cases it can be a good thing as it allows you to build your car with the ideal match of engine, 'box and running gear to maximise your design.
Steve
Richardsix said:
My seven rep is on a Q, never bothered me, you cant see the plate from inside the car!
Yep.. Wouldn't bother me a all. All though I probably wouldn't go buying a run of the mill car with a Q plate, as most insurers won't touch them.Specialist insurers don't seem to have any problems with kits on Q plates though.
AdiT said:
All SVA'd and IVA'd cas should be MOT emmision tested to the same standard as applied at the SVA/IVA but some testers don't know this and might (if you'relucky)just do a visable smoke test on a Q.
I've got a 2003 SVA tested Q plate kit car.How do I know if it's visible smoke or otherwise?
There' nothing indicated on the V5.
Later SVA'd cars were issued with the emmision limit on the V5. That info' should come up when the car is logged onto the VOSA mot system at the test. If you're lucky the tester won't read the info (they often don't) and many believe a Q plate is automatically a visable smoke only test. If it's not on your V5 (SVA'd before they changed it) then it gets a visable smoke test.
Later SVA'd cars were issued with the emmision limit on the V5. That info' should come up when the car is logged onto the VOSA mot system at the test. If you're lucky the tester won't read the info (they often don't) and many believe a Q plate is automatically a visable smoke only test. If it's not on your V5 (SVA'd before they changed it) then it gets a visable smoke test.
Aviz said:
Yep.. Wouldn't bother me a all. All though I probably wouldn't go buying a run of the mill car with a Q plate, as most insurers won't touch them.
Specialist insurers don't seem to have any problems with kits on Q plates though.
Someone in the same kit car club as me asked Heritage for a quote on his Q plate Hawke (Morgan lookalike) car & was told they don't insure them anymore - so he tells me.Specialist insurers don't seem to have any problems with kits on Q plates though.
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