The legalities of driving written-off chod.

[CortinaDave]

Seriously tempted to buy this ZT

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271530000622

 

Identical to mine , but with half the miles - mine is on 160k.

 

My tax runs out today and I have three weeks MOT, with a fair list of expensive issues to sort out including a borked in tank pump , leaking clutch master cylinder, dysfunctional MAF to name a few.

 

I've had a decent year out of it so I'm thinking time to bail out. I reckon I can pull £500 out of it in bits... And use the bumper to repair this one plus swap any other bits it may need.

 

I've got a mate who can sort out the damage for minimal cash so no issue.

 

HOWEVER - its a cat C - did a check and it's come back as stolen/recovered in May. The yard reckons it drives absolutely fine and I could get it up the road with no issues... But it needs a VIC check and is tested but not taxed.

 

What's the legalities of driving it to get it home? Seller has the V5 But I presume I can't tax it til I've repaired it/had a VIC done.

 

I'm not AT ALL tempted to swap the plates off mine to get it home...

[garbaldy]

It can't go on the road untill its had its vic check however it is allowed to be driven to a pre booked vic once you get it moted.

[garbaldy]

It can also be driven to a pre booked mot without vic check so insure it and book it in.

[skattrd]

Iirc DVLA won't issue the V5 until it's had the VIC done, so you can't tax it until the VIC has been done.

[garbaldy]

^ Yes correct the vic fee used to include the v5 fee as well not sure if that's changed though

[lisbon_road]

And insurance company needs to know it is a cat C.  You probably know that - some are fine with it, many are not.

[cort16]

By the time you've mot'd it, fixed it and got it through it's VIC you're going to be around 1000 quid, which should buy you an MOT and taxed one that's not CAT C.

[CortinaDave]

Yep but that one has all the toys... Including an unfucked dash computer display which is hard to find.

You can't just swap them out as they're coded to the car.

 

Almost everything on the ZT was extra... so it's hard to get one with the goodies... Plus the ones at a grand tend to all be high milers. It's tested til April so only needs a VIC at £41.

 

At 83k with all the toys and a chunky MOT I don't think it's a bad deal repaired at around a bag.

 

Cat C doesn't bother me at sub- a grand. It's never going to lose me much.

[beko1987]

Swap your plates on and stick to b roads on the way home getting someone else to tailgate you to hide your rear? Then tell everyone you trailered it away...

[overrun]

Ring ring... it's for you!

[beko1987]

Surely temporary ringing has less of a guilty concience to it? 

[overrun]

Surely temporary ringing has less of a guilty concience to it?

 

Indeed. That is 100% what I would do and I am saying it on here.

Option 2 would also be considered.

 

F.T.P.

[vulgalour]

Seems very likely buying it would net at least one good car out of the two you'd then have in one form or another.  Personally, I'd be tempted to swap all the good stuff onto the one you've got and use the Cat C one as a spares unless it's not too much hassle to un-Cat C it.

[garbaldy]

As I was informed by a doovla dood once a vehicle is crashed and put on a cat c the mot becomes void and has to be re done. Best look into that one yourself before driving on the road.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I'd be less concerned about the paperwork and more bothered that it's been stolen and judging by the damage, possibly involved in a Police chase. Can't imagine that will have done it much good mechanically.

Unless of course these are stolen by delinquent giffers ,who just want the Werthers and National Trust sticker, in which case it would have been a careful chase.

[lisbon_road]

Mr Vulgalour, you can't un-cat C them, they are always cat C. You can make it legal and well to drive on the road - I've had a few - though I do think it would be good if you could un cat-c them.  Older ones it can be a scratch or something.  Just encourages waste.

[spike60]

As I was informed by a doovla dood once a vehicle is crashed and put on a cat c the mot becomes void and has to be re done. Best look into that one yourself before driving on the road.

This fits with mine, I have a Cat C that was mot'd in April 2011 and again in July 2011.

[dave21478]

Personally, I would day-insure it, book an MOT as close to home as possible and just drive it as is (assuming the basics - legal tread, working lights and nothing obvious about to fall off) and if stopped just plead ignorance. Driving without an MOT is a relatively minor offence and if you are booked in for one, you are probably in the clear regarding that anyway and that also covers your tax issue. 

As long as the insurance is ok, I wouldnt be worrying about anything else.

[New POD]

I always phone VOSA's free phone help line number to ask these sorts of questions.

 

 

 

Although I wouldn't ask them "How illegal would it be if I just swapped the number plates and pretended it was a different car?"

[CortinaDave]

Ha! A bit of research reveals it doesnt need to be re-MOT'd unless the insurance asks... some do, some dont. It can be on the road as long as its taxed and tested and insured. Apparently the need for a VIC only becomes an issue when you need a replacement V5C - DVLA wont issue one without the check.

 

The seller has the current v5 - but whether I as a new keeper could tax it with that seems to be a grey area. 

 

This one's also floating my boat - much closer to home and 135k but looks tidy

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/mg-zt-cdti-135/1059554695

 

I've only got a grand to play with though so I'm not convinced the seller would be too receptive. 

[Lankytim]

I bet you could tax it at a post office with the new keeper supplement. 

[Pillock]

I was also told that a Cat C needed an MoT immediately, but https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ reckons that MG is good through to April 2015.

[cort16]

That grey one in Kilwinning looks really smart.

[CortinaDave]

aye. Knocking him down to a grand is probably unlikely from £1250 though. No harm in trying.

[Retro_Auto]

And insurance company needs to know it is a cat C.  You probably know that - some are fine with it, many are not.ar is cat C

Rubbish ! I sell at least one a week, mainly to 17-year-olds, none of my customers have been refused insurance.

 

An insurance Company KNOWS a car is a C without you telling them as it is flagged-up on the MID database.

 

Logically, if Insurance Companies were to refuse to insure a cat C they would be shooting themselves in the foot as it is an Insurance company that sold it to the Salvage Dealer in the first place.

 

We would all be paying a lot more for our Insurance if the Insurance companies couldn't sell the cat C & D cars that are destined to be returned to the roads.

[CortinaDave]

Went to see the silver one last night - it's *alright*. Had a few more toys than mine but in general it felt and looked a bit tired so I left it.

 

Nothing wrong with it particularly, just it was a bit meh.

[Micrashed]

I had a Cat C. 

It was Cat C'd whilst I owned it, stolen, recovered, twatted about, written off and bought back as salvage.

Insurance were happy for me to smoke about in it with it re-MOT'd with no need for a VIC. If I sold it it would have needed a VIC. Insurance would not have paid out again for a total loss on it though.

Did me another 6 months before the engine let go.