the "is it tax free" question..

[retro80sboy]

Im sure many other autoshitter have had this.

 

Yesterday when parking my Red Escort 1.3 up on a busy street, a chap who was standing outside a shop having a fag remarked 'you don't see many of those anymore". I replied that I had a fondness of older motors and another fella came over to me to say that "that looks good nick for its age, how old is it". I replied "its a 1990 model, 21 years old now". the old fella then proceeded to say what near enough every person that remarks on my cars in such a situation - "only 4 years and you wont have to pay tax then".

 

This kind of question annoys me for some reason. I explained that this rule no longer comes into force anymore and only applys for cars before the 1st January 1973 - which he was amazed about.

 

anyone else get a bit annoyed when the general public get this wrong, or is it just me being a shite car geek who is over reacting?!

[ashmicro]

The tax thing grips my shit too. Likewise "Certificate of Conformity" know-it-alls - love to see them import a car!

 

- assholes who think all Rovers have Honda engines, including the mong I spoke to in the Motor Factors (punter, not staff) wh said "Na mate, those big old hatchback Rovers from the 70's had a 3.5 Honda V8 from the Legend."

 

- one I really hate is proper fucktards who are the 12th owner of an Impreza Turbo (knackered and usually Barried) - "Aye mate, it has a Bailey dump valve and a K&N filter, she's pushing 700BHP and she's quicker than a BTCC car". No, it's fucking not you twat, I bet it would have bother beating a new Kia C'eed.

 

- Vauxhall "Redtop" fools, who lob in a C20 or XE into a 1990 Nova Sting, and do nothing else to it. Almost always, they hit a tree/lamp-post/other street furniture. "It was black ice (usual in June, yeah) diesel/cowshit on the road/ a blowout"

[retro80sboy]

a great moment a few years ago was when some complete nob of a lad who I can't stand started talking to me about cars.

 

This fella is a grade A tool. whatever you have done, he has done it better. I real smart arse.

 

anyway, he didnt really know I was into cars and proceeded to tell me about this Golf MK1 cabriolet that he had bought. Went on to talk bullshit about every aspect of it, how it had a rare dashboard that was 1 of only 12 produced (?? ) etc etc. He told me it was a W reg.

 

then he went on about how he doesnt have to pay tax because its over 25 years old.

 

what an utter gobshite. I took great pleasure in telling him the tax 'rules'. For the 1st time in his life, the idiot was speechless. Priceless.

[nigel bickle]

I try to avoid or keep my mouth shut. I either look a total tool if I give them the slightest idea of 'stock' -or totally baffle them with cars they've never heard of.

 

Best recent example was an ex Austin employee who insisted I had rebadged my pickup. It couldnt possibly be aDatsun ,imported from Oz. Datsun didnt exist then; did they -and he remembered servicing it just a few years back..

No point in opening the bonnet then?

[trigger]

applys for cars before the 1st January 1972:

 

1/1/73

[dollywobbler]

Pedant mode - the cut off is January 1973, not 1972. (drat, Trig got there first!)

 

Does do my head in though, all these experts and their 'hilarious' opinions. Imagine what it's like owning a 2CV. No-one is every short of an opinion and almost every one is based on absolutely no experience at all. One bloke even asked me if it was a diesel (after watching me fill it up with unleaded!).

 

I did have a colleague with a 'bubble' Rover 416 manual. Despite me telling him otherwise, he was convinced his had a Honda engine. Right up until the moment the head gasket went.

[richardthestag]

yep pisses me off too but mainly because my Stag was built July 73 and susequently is a world different from one that is just 7 months older.

[Cavcraft]

+1 on Impreza sellers. I can't recall a single one not claiming some ridiculous BHP figure. The best way to shut them up is to ask for a rolling road printout.

 

I also vary between laughing and getting pissed off at sellers of Vauxhall 2.0DTi engined cars who say stuff like 'slight problem with the fuel pump, but they're only £80 to fix'.

Obviously not the grand a time ones that every fucker else has then? Ditto K-sealies Rovers with 'it can't be the headgasket as it was replaced three years ago'.

[retro80sboy]

applys for cars before the 1st January 1972:

 

1/1/73

 

aye, thats what I meant, just had the year 72 in my head.

 

look a right tool myself now!

 

edited now to avoid further ridicule

[tonedepear]

I don't think I've ever seen a 1.3 Skoda Felica sold any way otherwise than "VW Engine", despite it being a lovely chain-driven box of non-German rattle.

 

Same as every trader in the world seelling a bubble 416 will tell the buyer it's the Honda engine these, boss. Bulletproof they are. ten minutes after wiping the mayo off the oil cap...

 

And in answer to the original post, yes it does my fucking head in when people say "ooh, it'll be tax free soon".

[Rusty Pelican]

When the Imp stopped production the floor pan was used on the mx5 , Least thats what some mong told me once

[Cavcraft]

Oh, I've honestly seen a few 214s advertised as 'being the BMW engine model'.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE RANT etc.

[pogweasel]

OMG ALL PPL WHO DNT NO EVRYTHING ABOUT OLD CARZ R RUBBISH!

I CARNT BELEEVE THESE PPLS!!!

[ashmicro]

It's not that Pog, it's that these types of people are so insistent that they are right.

[pogweasel]

Just go along with them.

Or better still make up some even bigger untruths about said vehicles. The more wildly ficticious the better.

[ashmicro]

^^ That's an idea. Flux capacitors, vertical steam traps, giggly pins on laffin shafts, and my personal fave - the "Rambler Valve"

[Pete-M]

Free tax, ffs. This really grinds my gears.

 

I've only had two cars which actually got free tax, the '61 P5 and the '72 P6B. Yeah, it's nice wandering into the Post Office and getting a tax disc for bugger all, but the number of people who think it's enough of a reason to buy an old car are mental.

[catsinthewelder]

Had a bloke a few doors down from my old house who was a proper tool, a bit like Retro80sboys Golf fan.

 

He always had a better story than you however improbable. The most memorable conversation involved him wanting some welding doing, I egged him on a bit and soon he was announcing himself to be a fully trained welder with loads of experience. I said he was welcome to borrow my little Clarke 100 but the gas had run out. He said it was fine as he had some propane I tried to tell him that Argon or Co2 were generally the recommended types but he was insistent that propane was what he normally used, after mentally trying to work out how big the crater was I was still tempted to lend him the thing

[scaryoldcortina]

^^ I lent my mig to someone once who brought it back saying it was broken - He'd used a whole box of swan vestas trying to light the gas

 

Also, I have a '98 rover 420D to fix for MoT next week - first thing the owners said was "It's got a Honda engine, so it's been dead reliable...." They were rather suprised when I laughed my pods off.

[Guest]

Had more than one person tell me my Amazon is FWD and has a two stroke engine because 'my mate had one just like that and that's what it had'.

 

Also, 'Golfs don't rust, that's why they're the best.'

[richardthestag]

Just go along with them.

Or better still make up some even bigger untruths about said vehicles. The more wildly ficticious the better.

 

We do this at work, Department of MisInformation DMI

[scooters]

Like stereos and what you shouldnt feed a small child. More crap is talked about cars than anything else.

 

I have I admit been guilty of having one too many and banging on about the merits of this car or that but only applied to pre 1999 cars. I freely admit I know tap all about new cars.

 

The biggest tossers are the ones who presume to lecture you about the car you are working on .....in front of them...when they a..:clearly know nothing and b....don't click that the fact you own the car AND are working on it that you may actually know a bit about it.

 

The eejit who insisted that the reliant scimitar I was up to my elbows in coolant was rare as it didn't have a rover v8 and was in very good condition as his neighbour had spent months. Welding his one which was really rare as it had a Volvo engine...and didn't I know that it is the car that holds the mileage record ...imagine that...a scimitar...princess Anne had one you know......blah blah....

 

Sadly you can't escape as you are trying to fix yer bloody car!

 

Mind you it wouldn't matter if you were cutting the grass, walking the dog or anything...some folk you try and cross the room to avoid at parties...they just get you when you are occupied and can't escape...some folk are born tedious.

[fordperv]

I love tossers like this when im in the capri, had one guy turn around and say thats a nice 2.8 laser as you can expect i laughed my socks off, i laugh mostly when people come up to me saying ooh watch out they are lethal in the wet then when i ask them if theyve driven one and they reply no but my mate had one

[Mash]

The tax-free business doesn't bother me too much but I do find it odd how long the myth has been perpetuated. It's nearly 15 years since the rolling date was knocked on the head.

[Station]

- Vauxhall "Redtop" fools, who lob in a C20 or XE into a 1990 Nova Sting, and do nothing else to it. Almost always, they hit a tree/lamp-post/other street furniture. "It was black ice (usual in June, yeah) diesel/cowshit on the road/ a blowout"

 

The bloke who bought my car has crashed about 90% of the cars he has bought, M3's, Imprezas, Corsas, etc. I think people started calling them 'redtop' in the early 90's.

 

My dad always says my cars could get free tax, he says it everytime, including one from 1987.

 

Same as every trader in the world seelling a bubble 416 will tell the buyer it's the Honda engine these, boss. Bulletproof they are. ten minutes after wiping the mayo off the oil cap...

 

I've seen that quite a bit, even to the point of assuming they just had a load of old Honda engines put them in to cut costs. I'm sure the recent V6's were Honda engines,but not the 1.4/1.6/1.8, etc. It's a pity tbh!

[AnthonyG]

Rover 75s all have BMW engines, except the 2.5 V6 one which is of course made by Honda..

..and they are based on the E39 5 series, in fact are almost the same car, apart from the dashboard and seats.

 

I am surprised people stil get the tax thing wrong, Gordo did away with it in his first budget, nearly 13 years ago now.

[peter9000uk]

I thought only the 75 diesel was a BMW engine. The 1.8 is certainly a Rover HGF engine and to my knowledge BMW don't make a V6

The 2.5 V6 refered is definately not a Honda lump as Honda pulled the plug on Rover as soon as BMW were involved, didn't want them getting their technology.

 

Plus aren't the 75s FWD with the exception of the V8 powered one?

[RoadworkUK]

Yes. And there is barely any E39 in the 75 platform, on its launch loads of journos were muttering to each other about it being basically a 5-series under the skin, but in reality that's just not the case. The rear suspension used a devolopment of BMWs "Z-Axle", though, which first appeared on the Z1. The Honda V6 was last used in '96, then the KV6 (an all Rover design) was introduced, and is worse in pretty much every way.

 

My 825Si has one.

[eddyramrod]

I am surprised people stil get the tax thing wrong, Gordo did away with it in his first budget, nearly 13 years ago now.

 

I'm not. If they were thick enough to keep voting the bastard in, they're certainly thick enough to forget his rampant anti-car policies.