RE: MoTs scrapped for pre-1960 cars

[ALAN JONES]

And just how does this prevent an over zealous MOT test failing a car because it has 1950's braking which is adequate for its speed and acceleration
Just in order to generate work for the garage concerned .

Having worked in the car industry and on vehicles like the Veyron Ford GT etc I believe I am more than capable of keeping my 948cc drum braked austin healey sprite mechanically sound. More so than the average soccer star or hairdresser who simply buys a car and drives it assuming because it has an MOT everything is ok and safe. A 2 year old sales rep car with 100.000 miles on the clock no MOT etc is more likely to be in worse condition than a regularly maintained low mileage classic pre 60's car IMHO

[gaz9185]

SLacKer said:

The lunatics have finally taken over. Get rid of red tape YES...... but leave some of it to prevent complete buckets being allowed on the road. I also have a similar reaction to the rumoured 2 year test for MOT's from a few years back. It is not a big hassle getting a car tested and the older cars are exempt from the emissions stuff already so leave it alone.

THIS, LIKE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE COMPLAINING, SOUNDS SOUR GRAPES FROM POSSIBLE MOT TESTERS WHO ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR FAT TESTING FEE.....AS SOME SAY, NOT A LOT TO TEST ON MANY OLD CARS. LOL.

[jagracer]

gaz9185 said:

HIS, LIKE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE COMPLAINING, SOUNDS SOUR GRAPES FROM POSSIBLE MOT TESTERS WHO ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR FAT TESTING FEE.....AS SOME SAY, NOT A LOT TO TEST ON MANY OLD CARS. LOL.

If we relied on pre 1960 cars for our living we wouldn't be in business for more than a morning. In 7 years I think I've tested one pre 1960 car.....twice, so that's hardly going to make us millionaires is it.

[s2ooz]

skipped a few pages, but have you seen the stats that brought this on?

pre 1960's cars = 6% of all cars in the UK
pre 1960's cars are 0.06% of the accidents

ergo, they are safer due to the nature of the person that maintains a "classic"

+ call me a cynic but you have just released a shed load of high end number plates that can now be sold/transferred therefore earn tax.
I assume the dvla have a pile of v5's with cars that failed mot's/got crushed that they now have a legal loop hole to auction them back out.

[austin]

s2ooz said:

skipped a few pages, but have you seen the stats that brought this on?

+ call me a cynic but you have just released a shed load of high end number plates that can now be sold/transferred therefore earn tax.
I assume the dvla have a pile of v5's with cars that failed mot's/got crushed that they now have a legal loop hole to auction them back out.

That was my feeling but any vehicle that is MOT exempt cannot have its registration transferred. (Why old tractors and trucks still have plates "worth" lots).

As long as the number is on a V5 it stays with the chassis / car.

[timewatch]

Good news if you have an old banger and want to take the number plate off, just insure it for a day tax and reclaim, no damn MOT to worry about.

Or have I got this wrong?

TW>>>

[urquattro]

I have an 1965 E Type Jaguar and I welcome the MoT checks and test for my safety as a driver and the guy going in opposite direction as an innocent driver, despite the fact that I have owned the car for many years, know its mechanical condition completely, BUT the MoT test is necessary.
To drop the MoT test for pre 1960 cars has no merit and I dont want to meet a junk yard resurrection heading my way, no tests re condition, just a smiling idiot in an unsafe rust bucket.
just my view and no connection with BRAKE whatsoever - they will probably claim the credit for this idiocy.

[DippedHeadlights]

As said above, however diligent you are you can still miss things, an example relates to brakes (there are only so many times you can ask the wife to come out to the garage to press the brake pedal !) An MOT always involves two people, and it's then possible to spot stuff like a loose brake back plate that would be impossible on your own.
As the consensus here seems to be, exempting pre 1960 cars is a jaw dropping stupid idea.

[Chas-Chiro]

DippedHeadlights said:

As said above, however diligent you are you can still miss things, an example relates to brakes (there are only so many times you can ask the wife to come out to the garage to press the brake pedal !) An MOT always involves two people, and it's then possible to spot stuff like a loose brake back plate that would be impossible on your own.
As the consensus here seems to be, exempting pre 1960 cars is a jaw dropping stupid idea.

Now some MOT places can do the MOT with only one person so not always two people to spot things.

[austin]

timewatch said:

Good news if you have an old banger and want to take the number plate off, just insure it for a day tax and reclaim, no damn MOT to worry about.

Or have I got this wrong?

TW>>>

Wrong, and I am repeating myself here. Current legislation states that you cannot transfer the registration away from an MOT exempt vehicle.

[Nick Grant]

Very disapointed in many resposes to this news from PH. The goverment moves away from nanny state and gives personal responsability to some people and so many people are up in arms. You have become so conditioned to the fact that unless the Goverment puts it stamp on a certificate and says it is OK then it is not. This is the same PH than moans about government control and health and saftey madness. The dutch have managed without checks on pre 1960 cars with no problem, classic commercials have run in the UK without checks with no problem.

Many also seem to be compleley overlooking the fact that all the rules of the road still apply and the car must still be roadworthy. The very unhelpful pictures of the mini in the news article do nothing but fuel the fire that somehow cars will be pulled out of sheds and run on the road. If anyone does this they would soon be without a licence as they would rack up a huge number of penalty points in one go. Some people will be irresponsible, the same as there are people running 10 year old cars without MOTs, there are mechanisms in place to deal with unroadworthly cars beside the MOT.

Let's get some perspective here people and welcome even the smallest move away from the nanny state.

[Nick Grant]

And for those saying that other people can spot things they miss, well guess what, there are many independant classic car garages who will be only too happy to check your car over once a year for you, as they do with my car. You don't need the government to do it for you.

[Monkey boy 1]

Chas-Chiro said:

Now some MOT places can do the MOT with only one person so not always two people to spot things.

I have never been to an MOT centre/garage where there were two people testing the vehicle. It has always been a one person to a vehicle test.

As for all these scare mongerers out there who are worried about people getting vehicles from scrap yards and putting them on the road, All I can do is laugh. First of all you try finding a pre 1960 vehicle in a scrap yard, they are as rare as hen's teeth. Secondly, if you do find one it will most likely no have a valid registration, So to register it for a new plate, the chap from VOSA will come round and go over the vehicle with a fine tooth comb. If it ain't safe you wont be able to use it.

Also, be honest with yourself, how many people who own pre 1960's cars would knowingly drive an unroadworthy vehicle ? Those types of people who want to drive death traps tend to go for the Corsa, Saxo, Nova type vehicle which we all know are fairly new cars.

For once the Government has given something to the classic motorist / motorcyclist without us asking. Just be gratefull for it.

Remember, if you do own a pre 1960 vehicle you can still get an MOT for it, it is just no longer compulsory.

Edited by Monkey boy 1 on Wednesday 23 May 10:14

Edited by Monkey boy 1 on Wednesday 23 May 10:41

[urquattro]

Nick Grant said:

Very disapointed in many resposes to this news from PH. The goverment moves away from nanny state and gives personal responsability to some people and so many people are up in arms. You have become so conditioned to the fact that unless the Goverment puts it stamp on a certificate and says it is OK then it is not. This is the same PH than moans about government control and health and saftey madness. The dutch have managed without checks on pre 1960 cars with no problem, classic commercials have run in the UK without checks with no problem.

Many also seem to be compleley overlooking the fact that all the rules of the road still apply and the car must still be roadworthy. The very unhelpful pictures of the mini in the news article do nothing but fuel the fire that somehow cars will be pulled out of sheds and run on the road. If anyone does this they would soon be without a licence as they would rack up a huge number of penalty points in one go. Some people will be irresponsible, the same as there are people running 10 year old cars without MOTs, there are mechanisms in place to deal with unroadworthly cars beside the MOT.

Let's get some perspective here people and welcome even the smallest move away from the nanny state.

To check the perspective and comments re nanny state etc, the first innocent killed by an idiot in a pre 1960 MoT exempt heap of rubbish brings down the wrath of BRAKE, government, E.U. and insurance companies. It is necessary for the healthy use of old cars not to be in the weak position of defendent but comforted by compliance. Abuse of this could lead to all sorts of present exemptions such as emissions levels being thrown at old vehicles - with no hope of compliance to new raised levels, this is the end then as we currently enjoy, see Goodwood Breadfast Meetings to assess the
loss of the hobby. Points on a driving licence does not redress the issue or stop any irresponsible driver from being back on the road, his chances of being caught/stopped are minimal.

[Nick Grant]

urquattro said:

To check the perspective and comments re nanny state etc, the first innocent killed by an idiot in a pre 1960 MoT exempt heap of rubbish brings

Very Daily Mail

urquattro said:

down the wrath of BRAKE, government, E.U. and insurance companies

With the excption of BRAKE who really are not worth a jot, the others have all been involved in this and view it as low risk and worth implementing. It has come from the E.U.

urquattro said:

It is necessary for the healthy use of old cars not to be in the weak position of defendent but comforted by compliance. Abuse of this could lead to all sorts of present exemptions such as emissions levels being thrown at old vehicles - with no hope of compliance to new raised levels, this is the end then as we currently enjoy, see Goodwood Breadfast Meetings to assess the loss of the hobby.

Nothing but scaremongering without basis of fact. Where are these hidden emmisions rules waiting in the wings?

urquattro said:

Points on a driving licence does not redress the issue or stop any irresponsible driver from being back on the road, his chances of being caught/stopped are minimal.

So if people without a licence will still drive unsafe cars how will this MOT legislation affect anything either way?

[marshalla]

Nick Grant said:

Nothing but scaremongering without basis of fact. Where are these hidden emmisions rules waiting in the wings?

Creeping out across the EU as we speak. Many cities now have a permit system which prevents older cars being driven into them because of emissions rules.

[Nick Grant]

marshalla said:

Creeping out across the EU as we speak. Many cities now have a permit system which prevents older cars being driven into them because of emissions rules.

Please provide a link to evidence, if you are thinking of Germany classic cars are exempt.

[marshalla]

Nick Grant said:

marshalla said:

Creeping out across the EU as we speak. Many cities now have a permit system which prevents older cars being driven into them because of emissions rules.

Please provide a link to evidence, if you are thinking of Germany classic cars are exempt.

http://www.lowemissionzones.eu/how-to-comply-mainmenu-148 - it varies from country to country. There is an option to require re-registration into a specific category - which opens the door to usage limitations.

ETA : if you can find a way of getting a UK registered "historic" vehicle into one of the German zones, without risking a fine or even a talking to from the local enforcement officers, I'll find a prize for you.

Edited by marshalla on Wednesday 23 May 11:19

[timewatch]

austin said:

timewatch said:

Good news if you have an old banger and want to take the number plate off, just insure it for a day tax and reclaim, no damn MOT to worry about.

Or have I got this wrong?

TW>>>

Wrong, and I am repeating myself here. Current legislation states that you cannot transfer the registration away from an MOT exempt vehicle.

CURRENT LEGISLATION you say?

Then it may change then.

TW>>>

[Nick Grant]

marshalla said:

http://www.lowemissionzones.eu/how-to-comply-mainm... - it varies from country to country. There is an option to require re-registration into a specific category - which opens the door to usage limitations.

That website is not complete in it's information. Here is the German info for for example...

http://www.adac.de/_mmm/pdf/27048_25569.pdf

In particular
"Unrestricted access for historic vehicles

Historic vehicles registered in Germany and carrying an “H” or a red “07” historic car licence plate are exempt from the emissions labelling regulation and do not require a sticker to access low-emission zones.

This exemption applies also to foreign-registered historic cars. However, the vehicles should meet equivalent standards as the vehicles qualifying for a German “H” or red “07” licence plate. As a prerequisite, the vehicles must be at least 30 years old..."

I do not believe there is a conspiricy against classic cars.