Is it ok to push a non-legal car on the road?

[Music Guy123]

Hi everyone,

I am new to PH but thought you chaps might be able to help me .

I've got a kit car, that although is running, it is not yet road legal (I'm slowly preparing it for an IVA). Now, I've got a party 2 miles away from my house and would really like to turn up in the car. I know I can't tow it with a rope as it won't be insured etc. But was wondering about pushing it? I've got a friend who is happy to push it with me (the car is light and we're stupid so we can easily push it the two miles !). It is highly unlikely that we will meet any police, it's in the countryside but I don't want to take chances and if I can't do it, I won't .

So what do you guys suggest?

Cheers, look forward to hearing from you, all the best.

Music

[Monty Python]

Unless it's insured and has an MOT I'd say no - what happens if it rolls away down an incline and hits another car/pedestrian?

[Super Slo Mo]

Legally no, basically. Even for the car to be simply parked on the road it needs to be taxed, insured and MOT'd if applicable.

[LuS1fer]

No. It has to be insured. Your options are a low loader or on another insured vehicle.

[CrutyRammers]

Unfortunately not legal AIUI.
You're only allowed to go to a mandatory test (IVA or MOT), or to take it to a place to have work done as a result of failing a mandatory test, or by someone road testing it to check such work. Has to be insured as well.

[Snowboy]

Nope.

I would expect most coppers to turn a blind eye if it was a few hundred yards or if you were just pushing it on the road to clear driveway space for an hour or two.

But two miles is too far.

[Music Guy123]

Ok, thanks guys. Well, that's sorted that one .

Thank you very much for all the replies...much appreciate it.

[shoestring7]

I might possibly have pushed the rolling shell of a 911 restoration project for a short distance on public roads when I moved house last year to another 1/4 mile away. It may have been steered by an 10 year old while his older brother helped push, but had this scenario actually occurred I would have been under no illusions as to the legality of the exercise.

As it was, the neighbours seemed to love the show.

SS7

[ambuletz]

the whole not on the road thing is so as long as the wheels aren't touching the tarmac right?

Nick 4 food trays from McDonalds, put it underneath each wheel and pull it along with a towing rope.

[Snowboy]

shoestring7 said:

I might possibly have pushed the rolling shell of a 911 restoration project for a short distance on public roads when I moved house last year to another 1/4 mile away. It may have been steered by an 10 year old while his older brother helped push, but had this scenario actually occurred I would have been under no illusions as to the legality of the exercise.

As it was, the neighbours seemed to love the show.

SS7

Clearly that was just a very impressive go-cart you had made for your children.

[trashbat]

People on here have been done for pushing off-road (unregistered) motorbikes along the road or pavement, so I wouldn't chance it.

[BigBen]

I would be more concerned by the fact that 2 miles is quite a long way to push a car no matter how light.

[shoestring7]

Snowboy said:

shoestring7 said:

I might possibly have pushed the rolling shell of a 911 restoration project for a short distance on public roads when I moved house last year to another 1/4 mile away. It may have been steered by an 10 year old while his older brother helped push, but had this scenario actually occurred I would have been under no illusions as to the legality of the exercise.

As it was, the neighbours seemed to love the show.

SS7

Clearly that was just a very impressive go-cart you had made for your children.

No, that was the dolly I used to wheel 200kgs of 'lightweight' German engineered flat 6 along the same route the next day.

SS7

[MeThlAtEdSpiRIt]

Take the engine out and bada bing, bada boom, not a motor motorvehicle any more

• Not sure if this is possible, but worth asking.

[LuS1fer]

MeThlAtEdSpiRIt said:

Take the engine out and bada bing, bada boom, not a motor motorvehicle any more

• Not sure if this is possible, but worth asking.

Not true. There is case regarding car with no engine being left on a road, uninsured.

[gubbabump]

aren't you more likely to a) have an accident pushing a car 2 miles b) draw attention to yourself pushing and c) if its 2 miles wouldn't it just be easier to just drive it? especially as you say your'e not going to meet anyone etc (I don't condone you do it though as the car isn't road legal)

2 miles is a long way to push a car - also its a party your going to? how u getting back?

[TheInternet]

LuS1fer said:

Not true. There is case regarding car with no engine being left on a road, uninsured.

How much of a car has to be missing before it's no longer a car then?

[996TT02]

Haha, this thread reminds me of the time I took a 700cc BMW (that's a car, not a bike...) to the scrappie towed behind any uncle's Landrover.

Ermmm so what you say - Well, I had taken the front and rear subframes (including rear engine) off and sold them, so it had no axles or wheels, so I dragged it on it's roof for around 2 miles...

[B'stard Child]

TheInternet said:

LuS1fer said:

Not true. There is case regarding car with no engine being left on a road, uninsured.

How much of a car has to be missing before it's no longer a car then?

Well I have to do a similar task shortly and all I have to push is a bare shell on a 4 wheel swivel dolly - I don't have to push it two miles tho - more like 1/4 mile.

I don't regard it as a "car" for MOT, Insurance or VED purposes it's just a big lump of steel on a 4 wheeled barrow

[LuS1fer]

TheInternet said:

How much of a car has to be missing before it's no longer a car then?

It's a question of fact. I suppose when it is no longer a car but parts of a car. If all it took was removing the engine, there would be a lot of untaxed, uninsured engineless cars on the roads.