MOT exemption for cars over 40 years old

ilikewatch

A colleague alerted me to the news that from May 2018 MOT tests will become optional for cars over 40 years old: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/mot-exemption-cars-over-40-years-old-arrives-may-2018

Not sure how I missed this, but as the owner of vehicles registered in 1972 and 1976 I'm quite pleased.

However, I reckon that a fair few "projects" will suddenly reappear on the road without having had the expensive welding and repairs that they would have required to pass an MOT. I class myself as a fairly responsible owner, but will be glad to avoid spending hours every year trying to make my Beetles windscreen washers work for long enough to pass the test!

Do you think that this change in the law will result in the roads being full of tax and MOT exempt retro death traps?

martinthebandit

ilikewatch wrote: »

Do you think that this change in the law will result in the roads being full of tax and MOT exempt retro death traps?

No, next question?

ilikewatch

martinthebandit wrote: »

No, next question?

Ok, I know the roads won't be full of them, but I bet there will be a surge in the number of unroadworthy vehicles on the road, shortly followed by an increase in accidents and subsequent hike in the cost of classic insurance. Maybe some classic insurers will even insist that classics have to have an optional MOT before they will provide insurance (or evidence that the vehicle is being maintained properly)?

Richard53

I am a fan of classic cars (or, more properly, 'keeping decent old cars on the road where they belong') and I have no objection to an annual MoT test, even for pre-1960 vehicles which are exempt at the moment. As long as the test is conducted sympathetically, with due regard for the age of the vehicle and its abilities (emissions etc) I can't see why anyone wouldn't want to have it done.


OP, if your Beetle's windscreen washers don't work, you shouldn't really be driving it on the road. If you're driving it regularly, but only fixing the washers for an annual MoT, then with respect you need to rethink that.

facade

I'm fairly sure that on the beetle I messed with once, the washer was a pressurised bottle that got its pressure from the spare wheel, and the button was a simple valve, so not much to actually go wrong.
You could renew the whole lot for a couple of quid (so with inflation, about £200 now)

ilikewatch

Richard53 wrote: »

OP, if your Beetle's windscreen washers don't work, you shouldn't really be driving it on the road. If you're driving it regularly, but only fixing the washers for an annual MoT, then with respect you need to rethink that.

If the car got any sort of regular use I would sort the washers and replace the air pressure based system with an electric pump, but given that the car never covers more than a couple of hundred miles a year, in nice weather, in town, I haven't bothered. I'm pretty sure that the only time the wipers themselves have been used by me is when I do my own checks, or when they are tested during the MOT, the car certainly hasn't seen any rain during my ownership.

ilikewatch

facade wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that on the beetle I messed with once, the washer was a pressurised bottle that got its pressure from the spare wheel, and the button was a simple valve, so not much to actually go wrong.
You could renew the whole lot for a couple of quid (so with inflation, about £200 now)

Yes, been there, done that. The problem is that the new pattern parts aren't made to the same standard as the originals, and the seals tend to leak, meaning that you can't rely on the system remaining pressurised for any length of time. Occasionally it surprises me and stays pressurised for months, but other times it only lasts minutes or hours.

I am actually in the process of trying to replace the valve in the washer stalk with a microswitch, and if I ever get it working will add an electric pump for the washer. In the meantime, given the minimal use the car gets, I'm happy to take the risk of the washers not working.

marlot

There's a fine and no points for not having an MOT anyway.

The big offence is having an unroadworthy car.

Given that its harder and harder to find MOT testers who know what's what with older cars, and how few of these older cars there are, I think this is a reasonable approach.

The insurance on my caravan (also MOT exempt) requires me to have it professionally serviced and checked each year. I can imagine classic car insurers doing something similar.

PS. THis is a great website if you want to see how many older cars of each model are still around https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/

My first car was one of these https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/vauxhall_victor_sl#!tax just a handful of them left now!

AdrianC

marlot wrote: »

Given that its harder and harder to find MOT testers who know what's what with older cars...

If only somebody would put a list of known classic-friendly test stations together...
http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/legislation-and-fuels/historic-vehicle-friendly-mot-stations/

Joe_Horner

AdrianC wrote: »

If only somebody would put a list of known classic-friendly test stations together...
http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/legislation-and-fuels/historic-vehicle-friendly-mot-stations/

To be honesy, I've found most independents to be pretty "old car friendly". Half decent mechanics tend to appreciate the chance to get sonething that's older than they are up on the ramp, and are more than capable of making intelligent judgements about condition.

Besides, within the main items that are testable (basically structure, tyres, brakes, lights and steering the standards are no lower than current cars. Except for handbrake which needs to be better on many classics.

Ad for emissions, the pre-cat levels really aren't hard to meet unless your engine is either clapped out, badly mis-tuned, or some cobbled together Franken-mill with wrong carb or ignition settings.

AdrianC

Joe_Horner wrote: »

To be honesy, I've found most independents to be pretty "old car friendly". Half decent mechanics tend to appreciate the chance to get sonething that's older than they are up on the ramp, and are more than capable of making intelligent judgements about condition.

Besides, within the main items that are testable (basically structure, tyres, brakes, lights and steering the standards are no lower than current cars. Except for handbrake which needs to be better on many classics.

Ad for emissions, the pre-cat levels really aren't hard to meet unless your engine is either clapped out, badly mis-tuned, or some cobbled together Franken-mill with wrong carb or ignition settings.

Agreed. I've also had places take it as an opportunity to educate the yoof about "proper cars, lad"