Advice please on whether to bother retaining private plate

[ChemicalChaos]

Morning all,

Over the weekend I purchased a Range Rover with a terminally broken engine as a parts donor for another project. It was on SORN at purchase and was obviously immediately SORNed after I applied for the V5.
The car came with the plate R71 ATR and I'm wondering if this has enough possible value to it to be worth removing and putting onto retention to sell (given the rest of the car is going to be stripped, excess parts sold and the remains scrapped anyway, but anything extra income wise to help pay back the purchase would be good, even if its only £50 over the cost of transferring)

I know that a car must have a valid MOT to change the reg, but this is the catch - the current MOT runs out on the 26th(!) and obviously there's no way it'll get another one....

It seems less clear whether the car has to be taxed too or whether you can do it whilst on SORN - I'm assuming you can given the car can't be driven in the meantime whilst changing reg? It also seems unclear to me from a quick browse, if the £80 transfer fee is the same for going onto retention, or whether it's £80 transfer and then a second £80 for a retention if you're not immediately putting it onto another car?

Either way, I know you can apply for these things instantly and electronically now so I think there's still time to squeak it in if it's worth it, but the big question is - IS it worth it?

Answers gratefully recieved

[chrisch77]

The retention fee gets the plate off the car and onto a retention certificate. There is no subsequent cost to put the plate onto another car.

[R6tty]

Can't comment on the value of the 'plate, but you've got up to 5 years after the MOT runs out if it's SORN. They do ask if the car drives (I think), and may want to see it.

[MrBen.911]

I suspect it's one of those plates that could sit on a reg plates site for years without a bite, but you never know you could be lucky and find somebody with those initials and born in '71 who wants it and will pay a few hundred. If it's worth the hassle trying only you can say.

[vikingaero]

Reg Transfers has the following
P70 ATR £154
W70 ATR £278
X70 ATR £371
Y70 ATR £154

Likely that the value will be low hundreds and the retention cert will be £80.

You need someone to come along who really want R71ATR

[ChemicalChaos]

Ta all,

Even if the plate is worth £150 that's still a net +£70 or so to me then, which is better than a kick in the teeth.
Has anyone actually ever had them wanting to inspect the car?

[Scrump]

ChemicalChaos said:

Has anyone actually ever had them wanting to inspect the car?

Not recently, but I did have to have a car inspected back in the eighties!!