MOT Exemption - Thoughts
Discussion
alfaspecial said:
Thanks for the info chaps,
300bhp/ton My car is MOT'd until Feb and taxed (exempt) to July. It qualifies I believe, as MOT exempt (over 40+ years old & no substantial mods for 30+ years).
I just want to (if I decide to go down the MOT exempt route) make sure I don't make a rod for my own back. As, unfortunately, Lowdrag did when, as I understand it, he tried to change the V5 name from something that was obviously inaccurate (E-type) to the correct name (Lynx XKSS).
How about this. As I don't use the car over winter perhaps I could SORN it in January and re-tax it (free) in February, ticking the MOT exemption declaration ..... any possible gaps in my logic?
Sounds fine, although technically as stated, if it is over 40 years, it automatically qualifies for MoT exemption, so you don't need to do anything and just await the self declaration.300bhp/ton My car is MOT'd until Feb and taxed (exempt) to July. It qualifies I believe, as MOT exempt (over 40+ years old & no substantial mods for 30+ years).
I just want to (if I decide to go down the MOT exempt route) make sure I don't make a rod for my own back. As, unfortunately, Lowdrag did when, as I understand it, he tried to change the V5 name from something that was obviously inaccurate (E-type) to the correct name (Lynx XKSS).
How about this. As I don't use the car over winter perhaps I could SORN it in January and re-tax it (free) in February, ticking the MOT exemption declaration ..... any possible gaps in my logic?
And overall that is the crux of it with all of this. It is all self declaration, there is no official assessment you can go through to determine if a car qualifies or requires an IVA to be road legal or if the modifications mean it isn't exempt.
The only options are submit for an IVA, which means you'll be needing to pass it and register/re-register it or say nothing and continue using it.
The DVLA will not give you a ruling and will only ever offer the 'opinion' of the person you are speaking too. And sadly, if they want to pursue you, they will. Thus there really isn't one simple rule for everyone and every car is a case by case basis.
I contacted the DVLA/DVSA earlier in the year, not specifically about a classic, but about a modified car I want to create. According to the info published it should be fine to retain it's identity and not need an IVA. But the DVLA would not confirm or deny this, even when giving detailed descriptions of what I planned to do. I wanted to ask in advance, as it would be a waste of money to build it first to then see. But the only option they have is to submit it for an IVA, there is no process to actually determine if it needs to be submitted however.
300bhp/ton said:
alfaspecial said:
Thanks for the info chaps,
300bhp/ton My car is MOT'd until Feb and taxed (exempt) to July. It qualifies I believe, as MOT exempt (over 40+ years old & no substantial mods for 30+ years).
I just want to (if I decide to go down the MOT exempt route) make sure I don't make a rod for my own back. As, unfortunately, Lowdrag did when, as I understand it, he tried to change the V5 name from something that was obviously inaccurate (E-type) to the correct name (Lynx XKSS).
How about this. As I don't use the car over winter perhaps I could SORN it in January and re-tax it (free) in February, ticking the MOT exemption declaration ..... any possible gaps in my logic?
Sounds fine, although technically as stated, if it is over 40 years, it automatically qualifies for MoT exemption, so you don't need to do anything and just await the self declaration.300bhp/ton My car is MOT'd until Feb and taxed (exempt) to July. It qualifies I believe, as MOT exempt (over 40+ years old & no substantial mods for 30+ years).
I just want to (if I decide to go down the MOT exempt route) make sure I don't make a rod for my own back. As, unfortunately, Lowdrag did when, as I understand it, he tried to change the V5 name from something that was obviously inaccurate (E-type) to the correct name (Lynx XKSS).
How about this. As I don't use the car over winter perhaps I could SORN it in January and re-tax it (free) in February, ticking the MOT exemption declaration ..... any possible gaps in my logic?
And overall that is the crux of it with all of this. It is all self declaration, there is no official assessment you can go through to determine if a car qualifies or requires an IVA to be road legal or if the modifications mean it isn't exempt.
The only options are submit for an IVA, which means you'll be needing to pass it and register/re-register it or say nothing and continue using it.
The DVLA will not give you a ruling and will only ever offer the 'opinion' of the person you are speaking too. And sadly, if they want to pursue you, they will. Thus there really isn't one simple rule for everyone and every car is a case by case basis.
I contacted the DVLA/DVSA earlier in the year, not specifically about a classic, but about a modified car I want to create. According to the info published it should be fine to retain it's identity and not need an IVA. But the DVLA would not confirm or deny this, even when giving detailed descriptions of what I planned to do. I wanted to ask in advance, as it would be a waste of money to build it first to then see. But the only option they have is to submit it for an IVA, there is no process to actually determine if it needs to be submitted however.
I think that is the way to go. If I decide to go that route.
The modified/kit car scene has changed beyond all recognition.
Thanks to IVA, gone are the days of building something from scratch. Panel conversions are 'the' thing.
I know someone who has a D-type replica. On (yes) a Triumph Vitesse chassis / engine.
You'd have thought if you were going to 'do' a D-type you'd want a Jaguar basis BUT his reasoning (I think) was that the only way you could do a Jaguar panel conversion would be to butcher a separate chassis Jaguar, such as a XK120 - which obviously would be sacrilege, these days..... so for him a Vitesse chassis was the way to go.
TBH I don't know if he started it or just bought a part finished kit. But I don't think he had any problems re registration. It certainly looks the part in Ecurie Ecosse blue
Some of these panel conversions look pretty good.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... (watch out: photobucket)
http://www.tributeautomotive.com/250swb.html
But unfortunately, for me, it is still 'just' a BMW with a body. A beautiful body.
What's your project? Fascinating to do something original.
Already said, but in the day we "found" a brown log book for our respective marque and built what we wanted to build. I've done it years ago, and with the help of the official club authorised person the car was fine. But today, we really have no idea as to where we are. There are so many replica cars out there, and if you want to build a C-type then all you need is an XK120 official log book. I asked the DVLA many years ago if the C-type was classified as an XKC but they said such a definition did not exist, even though there is plenty of proof it did, so an XK120 it is. You are home and dry. But let's move up the scale and think about the people who have taken a DB4, shortened the chassis by 9 inches and recreated a DB4 Zagato. I'd stay rather quiet about it if I was them. How about all the Bentley MK 6 saloons which are now Le Mans replicas. The same reply. The whole thing is a minefield and I was naive enough to believe what I was told only to be kicked severely in the teeth. Lie low, dear friends.
Edited by lowdrag on Thursday 21st November 06:04
lowdrag said:
Already said, but in the day we "found" a brown log book for our respective marque and built what we wanted to build. I've don it years ago, and with the help og the official club authorised person the car was fine. But today, we really have no idea as to where we are. There are so many replica cars out there, and if you want to build a C-type then all you need is an XK120 official log book. I asked the DVLA many years ago if the C-type was classified as an XKC but they said such a definition did not exist, even though there is plenty of proof it did, so an XK120 it is. You are home and dry. But let's move up the scale and think about the people who have taken a DB4, shortened the chassis by 9 inches and recreated a DB4 Zagato. I'd stay rather quiet about it if I was them. How about all the Bentley MK 6 saloons which are now Le Mans replicas. The same reply. The whole thing is a minefield and I was naive enough to believe what I was told only to be kicked severely in the teeth. Lie low, dear friends.
Building cars from a log book: This applies to just about every valuable car....... vintage Bentley / Ferrari / D -types etc Maserati 250F'sYou know what they say: Of the 100 made there are only 150 remaining!
A friends father (this is in the 1950s) had (wait for it) 7 Invictas (S types), low chassis in various states of dereliction. Only one was on the road. He'd bought them for pennies as donor cars, just after the war when old cars were just old cars.
Unfortunately, when he moved house he left the derelicts in an attached 'barn', promising the new owner he'd pick them up when he had the space. Of course, the years went by and the new owner, of the house had them taken away as scrap.
A low chassis Invicta - just the engine / gearbox / axles and chassis (the required 7? points) would easily be worth what £250k a throw. Times 6 £1.5million
Still his son, my friend, bought, and still has, a Lotus 11. He paid £250 in 1970-something.
lowdrag said:
I've been following low chassis Invictas for over 30 years hoping to buy one one day. They are now around £1 million, and when I first fell in love they were £75,000. I was offered a replica three years back at £500,000. Unless I win the lottery they will always be out of reach.
Beautiful cars. John's Dad's remaining car was sold many, many years ago to some who tried to rejuvenate the marque. Mike Bristow, in Chippenham. I think he made a number of continuation models such as this one.https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20931/lot/246/
From what you said, £192,000 sounds like a bargain, but then I suppose it is merely a 'continuation' car
The article says says that 68 of the 75 cars manufactured survive..... ie 7 cars are 'lost'
Given that I was told that 6 were scrapped in one go..... it looks like, over the years the survivors must have multiplied! One engine from one chassis becomes one car, the gearbox from the same donor becomes another car. You know the rest.
The seller / creator of this one tried to revive the marque with a modern twist. 2004-2012 S1
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/first-drives/...
Unfortunately, outside of those in the know, the Invicta was not really a 'big' enough name - unlike Bugatti or Bentley.
But then, superlative cars from any era were merely superlative in their time
And time waits for no-man.
And here endeth the lesson!
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