Road legal track cars & new MOT rules....thoughts?

Road legal track cars & new MOT rules....thoughts?

Author
Discussion

WolvesWill

Original Poster:

150 posts

150 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Just curious as to what peoples thoughts are on the changes to MOT regulations that will make certain aspects of the 'road legal track car' much harder to achieve.

It seems we may no longer be able to remove airbags and replace the steering wheel with a more 'motorsports' flavour wheel (OMP Corsica please), or remove all signs of the inertia reel seatbelts to fit harnesses, if my interpretation of the new rules is the same as the testers!

According to the AA, the new changes include the following text:

'The vehicle will fail the test if any airbag fitted as original equipment is obviously missing or defective.

A seatbelt pre-tensioner fitted as original equipment but missing or that has obviously deployed will be a reason for failure.'

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-servicing...

I expect there are a few members here with road legal track cars (think stripped out Clios with buckets, harnesses and an OMP Corsica steering wheel etc) that could conceivable fall foul of these changes!

Does this spell the end of the road legal track car? As it seems a car with a racier wheel, and harnesses, even if they are fitted properly and safely, may well fail the MOT?

Rgm racer

130 posts

167 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
WolvesWill said:
Just curious as to what peoples thoughts are on the changes to MOT regulations that will make certain aspects of the 'road legal track car' much harder to achieve.

It seems we may no longer be able to remove airbags and replace the steering wheel with a more 'motorsports' flavour wheel (OMP Corsica please), or remove all signs of the inertia reel seatbelts to fit harnesses, if my interpretation of the new rules is the same as the testers!

According to the AA, the new changes include the following text:

'The vehicle will fail the test if any airbag fitted as original equipment is obviously missing or defective.

A seatbelt pre-tensioner fitted as original equipment but missing or that has obviously deployed will be a reason for failure.'

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-servicing...

I expect there are a few members here with road legal track cars (think stripped out Clios with buckets, harnesses and an OMP Corsica steering wheel etc) that could conceivable fall foul of these changes!

Does this spell the end of the road legal track car? As it seems a car with a racier wheel, and harnesses, even if they are fitted properly and safely, may well fail the MOT?
Well i'm very concerned as i have permanently removed bags,belts etc.

This will be my fourth year using my car mainly on race tracks but keeping road legal. Why on earth do the authorities keep wanting to move the goal posts and ruin our fun. The testers should be given discretion to decide if mods done to a safe standard and if so a car should surely be passed.

It's unfair to bring in change for the sake of change without stopping and considering the thousands of people that are unfairly affected by it, through no fault of there own.

I'll give you an unrelated example of authorities bringing in a new scheme or rules without stopping and properly considering consequencies. Some cities now have two lanes, with one at busy times only to be used by cars with more than one person in them. The idea is to encourage car share for people doing short commutes to work. Fair enough, couple of work collegues living close to each other drive in together rather than use two cars, Problem is what about the sales rep like myself that effectively drives for his job and does 40k a year or the courier driver trying to deliver parcels, again driving as part of his job. To avoid the queues what are we supposed to do, offer a random stranger a lift just so we get to use this quicker lane!!! Classic case of what seems a good idea, not being thought through properly-rant overfurious

iguana

7,044 posts

261 months

Monday 13th February 2012
quotequote all
Already a 3 page thread on here about it.

My take- a proper dedicated track car will have no MOT issues, one of mine didnt yesterday & he is strict & to the book, I have to peel off my sunstip for test & cats back on etc, regs do give allowance for proper competition cars I understand.

But half ar$ed job i.e some interior out or aftermarket wheels on newer airbag cars may indeed be an issue, but not insurmountable i.e as per cats already.

wellground

450 posts

185 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
I decided to take mine off the road last year, I could see this nonsense coming, and I cannot be bothered with all the hassle. A trailer is so simple compared.

V8mate

45,899 posts

190 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
iguana said:
Already a 3 page thread on here about it.

My take- a proper dedicated track car will have no MOT issues, one of mine didnt yesterday & he is strict & to the book,
Well it wouldn't; the changes haven't come into force yet.


I think seats which don't slide are another no-no.

phil pdp

38 posts

176 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
iguana said:
Already a 3 page thread on here about it.

My take- a proper dedicated track car will have no MOT issues
That's the impression I get from the other thread. That an MOT tester will be allowed to use common sense and pass a car that is obviously a track car (with airbag lights on because of seat changes etc).

XG332

3,927 posts

189 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
What are the WRC boys going to do. As alot are uk registered.

itiejim

1,821 posts

206 months

Tuesday 14th February 2012
quotequote all
XG332 said:
What are the WRC boys going to do. As alot are uk registered.
Less than 3 years old though, so no MOT required.

XG332

3,927 posts

189 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
Still have to comply to the rules. What about older cars?

jagracer

8,248 posts

237 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
If it's clearly a properly prepared track car then discretion is the word regarding airbags etc. this comes from VOSA.

Vixpy1

42,625 posts

265 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
jagracer said:
If it's clearly a properly prepared track car then discretion is the word regarding airbags etc. this comes from VOSA.
VOSA? Speaking Sense?


Are you sure? hehe

jagracer

8,248 posts

237 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
Vixpy1 said:
VOSA? Speaking Sense?


Are you sure? hehe
That's what we were told by them last month. I'll see if I can find anything written down.

b0rk

2,311 posts

147 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
The WRC boys could of course go down the ESVA now IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) route with VOSA as they are virtually hand built anyway.

A road car massively modified for track use could I suppose also be approved via a similar path if VOSA decide MOT testing as type approved is no long applicable.

Rgm racer

130 posts

167 months

Wednesday 15th February 2012
quotequote all
jagracer said:
hat's what we were told by them last month. I'll see if I can find anything written down.
Would definitely be better if there was something testers and we had written down. That way even if your tester isn't fully up to speed or sure about it, we can show them something in black and white to confirm things/back it up