UK MOTs on classics. Important news

[bigstraight6]

I would say all classic cars are maintained to a much higher standard by enthusiast owners than many modern cars, just judging by the state of the tyres you see on moderns in supermarket car parks.

[Dave_Q]

55 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

See also having to nip up the wheel bearings on Dolomites to pass an MOT and loosen them back off so they don't melt because the level of "free play" required to fail is discretionary...

Also the garage leaning off the Dolly's mixture so much it pass emissions it couldn't be driven away from the centre.

Then they passed the 1850HL with subframe partially collapsed into the chassis rails and being supported by the steering column...

It's not exactly hard to get a bent MOT if one is really set on cheap motoring and it's not unusual for an old car to get a lenient test anyway. Certainly my old 740 which had been owned by a copper for 25 years hadn't seen a strict test in a long time...

It's not Moggy Minors doing 500 miles a year causing disasters when Baz has his mate MOT his drift slag E36 on cut springs and stretch tyres which gets driven like it's nicked...

This is a key point, the current MOT is only of limited use if people are determined to get round it, I drive behind plenty of decat Golfs etc that absolutely stink of fuel and would never pass a real MOT.

It's down to the driver to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy on any given day and an MOT doesn't guarantee that.

You'd be better putting the funds into roadside safety inspections and just get cars that aren't safe off the road regardless of MOT or historic status.

[GeordieInExile]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

How would you enforce that? If it’s on an honesty basis, then it’s just as flawed as the current system, with an added layer of complication. If you have to physically submit the car for the mileage to be inspected then who is picking up the cost of this and the system that would record it, and why would the government implement that rather than just require all exempt cars to be submitted for some form of MOT?

Yeah... I'm not sure it's practical unless you enforce installation of a black box in every single classic. Which could just be removed or hacked anyway. 

Back to the drawing board.. 

[comfortablynumb]

I get where you're coming from @sierraman, but a transmission handbrake? That also makes me think he's not clued up on how a diff works, and either way not someone who should be working in a garage, let alone as a tester!

And the lack of a propshaft? I had heard that Freelanders should fail if the rear prop has been removed, not sure how true that is, maybe someone can advise

[GeordieInExile]

3 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

I get where you're coming from @sierraman, but a transmission handbrake? That also makes me think he's not clued up on how a diff works, and either way not someone who should be working in a garage, let alone as a tester!

And the lack of a propshaft? I had heard that Freelanders should fail if the rear prop has been removed, not sure how true that is, maybe someone can advise

Really? My last XC70 passed despite the 4WD system being kaput and a warning light being illuminated accordingly.

[Homersimpson]

9 hours ago, Supernaut said:

No no no.

Those are clearly just coil spring conversions on Series Land Rovers. It's obviously a super easy and straightforward job, hence it's so ubiquitous. 🤣

Just like all the MK1 minis with internal door hinge conversions and changes to rubber mounted front subframes 😆

[sierraman]

4 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

I get where you're coming from @sierraman, but a transmission handbrake? That also makes me think he's not clued up on how a diff works, and either way not someone who should be working in a garage, let alone as a tester!

And the lack of a propshaft? I had heard that Freelanders should fail if the rear prop has been removed, not sure how true that is, maybe someone can advise

A Freelander is a common vehicle that any mechanic ought to know. 🤣

At the end of the day they’re running a business, you go where the money is, they’re not doing it to help folks out. Harsh but there’s sod all money in helping someone scrape old bangers through MOTs. People knock garages but realistically if I was running one I’d want straightforward* repetitive tasks in all day long, timing belts, brakes on fairly recent vehicles where they’ve the expectation and means to be stumping up £60-80 an hour. For the most part most people I know of do not want to get involved with welding 56 plate Focuses up. It’s the same in any trade - I don’t know any plumbers that look for crappy little jobs keeping old ladies Potterton boilers going with bits off the plumbing section in Wilko and work for £15 an hour. They can’t afford to carry on like that, so they want the big jobs and jobs where they can guarantee being a quid or two ahead. 
 

There’s always going to be people needed to work on classic cars but if that’s where they’re focusing their trade finding the workers won’t be easy as it’s become more of a cottage industry and so the hourly rate would be high because if someone has that knowledge as an employee and it’s scarce then they’ve got them on the hook as an employee so they should be expecting pay reflective of that. Obviously that would be passed on the customer and they’d be complaining so you can’t win. 

[sofarsogood]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

What… that £45 every year doesn’t include a full service? 🤣

This needs a government consultation.  😉

[Andyrew]

Im on the fence with this, having a couple of MOT exempt cars i admit it does make aproaching certain issues less pressing, i have a sensible aproach to car care and feel happy my cars are "safe"

However i feel when people think of classics cars they instantly think chrome , skinny tyres and 50mph cruising old tat. Something that needs constant up keep but is fundamentally very simple so most are kept in good working order. 

The 40 year rolling tho now creeps us towards cars that are more universally popular, daily friendly, bigger,  faster and  give an impression of needing less maintenance . This is where i question the MOT exemption side of things.

 

 

 

 

[2flags]

Just remember that a certain frog-faced politician has been talking of taking a 6 figure 'donation' from a certain electric car company owner. Suddenly this has come up on the agenda. How soon before more restrictions are 'suggested?'

[somewhatfoolish]

Pretty shit article; I replied to the consultation and told them :-

MOT exemption for 40 yr old shitters was fine, people are still responsible for driving a safe vehicle and the stats bear out that the original policy was correct.

Rules for EV conversions are over complicated and over regulated, are dissuading people from converting and also encouraging people to lie about conversions to avoid DVLA idiocy.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

16 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

How would you enforce that? If it’s on an honesty basis, then it’s just as flawed as the current system, with an added layer of complication. If you have to physically submit the car for the mileage to be inspected then who is picking up the cost of this and the system that would record it, and why would the government implement that rather than just require all exempt cars to be submitted for some form of MOT?

I THINK it’s Australia where a similar system to this is in place.  Classic car owners can drive x number of days of the year in the classic which is validated in a log book that has to be kept up to date. For a fee they can double the number of days.

From memory, it’s 48 days of the year as a basic but I might be out there.

I don’t fancy that system!

[lesapandre]

Sounds an administration nightmare.

I really would not worry at the moment, retrospective cancelling of the current arrangement is very unlikely.

What may happen is a cessation of the rolling exemption at some particular year. 

But that will be announced as part of a consultation in due course if it happens.

More likely the UK will move to road-pricing which will be another matter.

Just continue having fun in the meantime.