Things that make you go . . .. er. . what?

[soxboy]

Snowboy said:

I'm selling a car.
I won't bore you with the details of the car, but I will tell you a story of the chap who just called to ask about it.

A brief chat about the engine and car and wotnot, then he asks for the exact age.
I tell him.
Then . .. .
"Oh, sorry, that's not right for me then, I've just bought a private numberplate and your car is too old to fit it to."


Now, I know some people love their numberplates, and I'm sure he'll find a newer car, but I just thought some of the people here might find his reasoning just as strange as I did.

Hmmmm. I wonder if he'll read this?

Would the caller have been able to determine the exact age before you told him?

In my drunken eBay/ PH classified world, when all my debts are paid off I am looking at a 993. I also have an eye on a private plate which is an 'M' prefix plate, so car will have to be post August 1994 to fit that plate. If I see a car advertised as simply as a 1994 model but with no mention of the reg letter and/or the plate is blanked, I wouldn't know until I asked you.

I should add that all of the above is irrelevant now as a) I can't afford a 993, b) I've picked up a dateless plate for buttons and c) I'm not too bothered about plates now anyway.

[Snowboy]

There are two odd things actually.

First, I personally find it strange that some people are so precious of their number plates it effect their car decision, which was the point of the first post.

But to reply to the question from the above poster, the advert actually had the month and year of first registration.

[Futuramic]

crofty1984 said:

muley said:

Alternatively

I have a J prefix 1990 plate - I can't put it on a 1991 K reg car - the car is too new.

Yes you can. There's no issue with making a car look (via the plate) older than it is.
You're just not allowed to make it look younger than it is.
Stops people buying (for example) a 1992 E36 BMW and putting a nodescript private plate on to try and pass it off as a 1998 model.

No, no you can't. J prefix was 1991/1992 crossover. K was 1992/1993 - incidentally there is a myth that K was the first reg year to mandate catalytic converters. It was M.

A 1990 plate would either be G prefix 1989/1990 or H 1990/1991.

But you can make a car look older. I'm only being pedantic.

[soxboy]

Snowboy said:

But to reply to the question from the above poster, the advert actually had the month and year of first registration.

In which case I agree that is odd and he needs to read more carefully.

[liamsp]

Futuramic said:

No, no you can't. J prefix was 1991/1992 crossover. K was 1992/1993 - incidentally there is a myth that K was the first reg year to mandate catalytic converters. It was M.

A 1990 plate would either be G prefix 1989/1990 or H 1990/1991.

But you can make a car look older. I'm only being pedantic.

My private plate is a J & on an L 94 car?

[muley]

bmw535i said:

Have you been drinking today? Or have you been buying old cars because you think you can't put your private plate on them?


ETA I have a J reg E46 M3

Yes, I've been drinking. off to sleep it off .