'normal' cars on a Q plate

[DanGPR]

This morning I happened to notice a ~2009/10 Focus ST on a Q plate, what could be the reason for this?

Anyone else seen a 'normal' car on a Q?

[Garlick]

I might be wrong here, but I think it's a (certain level of) damaged repaired?

[hombrepaulo]

Running a dodgy plate and getting it taken away?

[sinizter]

hombrepaulo said:

Running a dodgy plate and getting it taken away?

Possibly this.

[richtea78]

If its stolen and subsequently recovered without being able to trace the original identity I believe its put on a Q plate although would have thought with a modern car it was far harder to lose the identity?

[SteveS Cup]

I always thought that if the car needed an MSA (is that the right acronym!?) test then it had to be a Q plate... ie kit car, total write off...

[CampDavid]

It's history cant - for whatever reason - be traced.

Interesting past, though no longer dodgy

[eybic]

I thought the whole "Q" plate thing changed recently??? e.g a stolen recovered car is no longer put on a "Q"

[Kozy]

There was a Q plated S2000 at Snetterton recently.

I assumed stolen/recovered as it looked fairly standard.

[mikeveal]

As far as I understand it Q plate means its a vehicle of indeterminable age, it does not mean a kit car.

So if the Focus had been de-registered as the result of an accident (or imported) then (re)built from many parts of differing vintages, it would get a Q plate.
If the vintage of the parts used could be proven (including keeping enough of the original) then it gets an age related plate. Unless the owner couldn't be arsed with the process, in which case it's back to Q.

Could be a private plate. I don't know of any reason why you couldn't have a private Q plate.

[Mr2Mike]

Quite simply a Q plate is issued whenever the age or identity of a car is uncertain. AFAIK these days they are only issued if the vehicle has been put though an SVA or IVA test. Once allocated, a Q plate can not be changed i.e. you can't fit a wker plate, sorry I mean private registration.

[gingerpaul]

A Q plate means that the age or origins of the car are uncertain. You can't put a private plate on a Q plated car and you can't get private Q plates. It doesn't mean it's been crashed, stolen, written off etc, although that's what some people believe.

It has one big advantage though. Pre 1975 emissions testing at MOT time. In other words it only has to pass the smoke test.

[Mr2Mike]

gingerpaul said:

It has one big advantage though. Pre 1975 emissions testing at MOT time. In other words it only has to pass the smoke test.

Not any more. Since you have to go through an IVA/SVA test to be allocated a Q plate now, the emissions are based on the age of the engine and proof is required. The emissions limits are then put on the V5 and will automatically be applied at MOT time.

Any cars allocated a Q plate prior to the SVA/IVA will still have the "visible smoke" test however.

[gingerpaul]

Mr2Mike said:

gingerpaul said:

It has one big advantage though. Pre 1975 emissions testing at MOT time. In other words it only has to pass the smoke test.

Not any more. Since you have to go through an IVA/SVA test to be allocated a Q plate now, the emissions are based on the age of the engine and proof is required. The emissions limits are then put on the V5 and will automatically be applied at MOT time.

Any cars allocated a Q plate prior to the SVA/IVA will still have the "visible smoke" test however.

It is true that during the IVA and the SVA before it the engine is emissions tested to the standard required by the age of the engine. For the MOTs that follow however a Q plate still only has to pass the smoke test.

[Riknos]

Aren't heavily modified cars put on Q plates? If the modifications exceed a certain percentage of the original parts, I.E, >%40 isn't original? Many custom cars, kit cars etc get put on Q plates (Look at the stuff they create on Topgear) so this would back up my theory.

Maybe the ST has had another car's drive train and engine put in it?

[gingerpaul]

Riknos said:

Aren't heavily modified cars put on Q plates? If the modifications exceed a certain percentage of the original parts, I.E, >%40 isn't original? Many custom cars, kit cars etc get put on Q plates (Look at the stuff they create on Topgear) so this would back up my theory.

Maybe the ST has had another car's drive train and engine put in it?

Put simply, no. With Top Gear they couldn't care less what plate their cars have. A Q plate is less paperwork. Someone building their own car will be keen to avoid it however as it conjures the perceptions above.

[sinizter]

richtea78 said:

If its stolen and subsequently recovered without being able to trace the original identity I believe its put on a Q plate although would have thought with a modern car it was far harder to lose the identity?

How did it end up with the person driving it if it was stolen, recovered and not identifiable ? Sold through auctions ?

[gingerpaul]

gingerpaul said:

Riknos said:

Aren't heavily modified cars put on Q plates? If the modifications exceed a certain percentage of the original parts, I.E, >%40 isn't original? Many custom cars, kit cars etc get put on Q plates (Look at the stuff they create on Topgear) so this would back up my theory.

Maybe the ST has had another car's drive train and engine put in it?

Put simply, no. With Top Gear they couldn't care less what plate their cars have. A Q plate is less paperwork. Someone building their own car will be keen to avoid it however as it conjures the perceptions above.

Just to add a bit, heavily modified cars could end up on a Q plate, but not necessarily.

[A.J.M]

gingerpaul said:

Riknos said:

Aren't heavily modified cars put on Q plates? If the modifications exceed a certain percentage of the original parts, I.E, >%40 isn't original? Many custom cars, kit cars etc get put on Q plates (Look at the stuff they create on Topgear) so this would back up my theory.

Maybe the ST has had another car's drive train and engine put in it?

Put simply, no. With Top Gear they couldn't care less what plate their cars have. A Q plate is less paperwork. Someone building their own car will be keen to avoid it however as it conjures the perceptions above.

For kitcars, you need to keep a certain amount of parts from the donor car.
Ours had a sierra for a donor car, we used the front hubs, steering column, gearbox, and rear axel. These parts have points to them, if you get above 10 iirc, you get an age related plate. Hense our's is on a K reg.

[Mr2Mike]

gingerpaul said:

It is true that during the IVA and the SVA before it the engine is emissions tested to the standard required by the age of the engine. For the MOTs that follow however a Q plate still only has to pass the smoke test.

No, they now supposed to be tested to the emissions data which is provided by the DVLA to the testing center (and which is printed on the V5). Some people seem to have avoided this, but it's not a given.