MOT or not

[stagmuffin]

looks like the MOT for cars over 40yrs old that have not been substantially modified will be exempted from may next yr from all the info I can gather on other sites.suggestions are it will be made public after the election is over . wonder what knock on that will have eg insurance

[Lingen]

It seems a very short sighted plan to me, and has insurance issues, as you say. I used to be an MOT tester, and saw what a dangerous state cars could be in without the owners being aware. I will certainly continue get my local garage to give my Stag a check over each year in those areas that are becoming increasingly difficult to get at as one gets older! I can't understand what the motive is for scrapping them.
Mike.

[022Dave]

For me it's peace of mind that someone knowledgeable has looked at the safety-critical bits, and that the car is safe to be on the road. Like Mike, getting older means scrabbling under the Stag has lost its attraction as a routine task, unless something has broken or fallen off, so I'd still take mine to be tested. If the test becomes non-mandatory for 40+, what would be someone's obligation to fix something that 'fails' the test? Would everything found become 'advisory'?
Dave

[stagmuffin]

that's a fair point Dave but i would imagine that if the car is in an unsafe condition then it should not be on the road driven ,im sure that would bean insurance stipulation as it is already a legal one

[LAMBRETTLAD]

it's a poor law ,but I can see that modern cars are ,at an increasingly fast rate ,becoming further and further away from sTAG TYPE cars, so testing is much more sophisticated , I would suggest we need a basic safety test, which we must share with moderns ???????? So a part A test with moderns moving on to a Part B?????

[mole42]

Sorry Lambretta, but I disagree. I drive 10,000+ miles per year in my Stag and need it to be as safe as every other car on the road, so a full MOT test (which in my opinion is a rather minimum test) is one way to make sure that when that assh*l* pulls out in front of me, I'm able to bring my car to a controlled stop before I injure myself or a pedestrian. A Part 'B' test doesn't do it - we are all using the same roads and if we can't be a safe as the car that was built 10 minutes ago then something has gone wrong with the law.

[DJT]

Madness!

[marshman]

It's a foolish law in my opinion, just like the current exemption for pre 1960 cars. Even the most diligent home mechanic cannot usually test things like brakes properly because they don't have a rolling road. There are more and more people buying "modern" classics that to be quite frank don't have a clue and will drive it until it doesn't go. Ask any MoT tester how many members of the car owning public think an MoT is a service! You see older classics on eBay all the time. Absolute rot boxes, but advertised as MoT exempt. Below is a perfect example. This is from The Standard Motor Club Facebook page a couple of months ago (Feb 19th) The guy had bought and was driving around in a 1950's Standard 8 (or 10) with a bodged repair on a broken rear spring. If it had not been MoT exempt it would have been picked up and sorted, but because it was exempt he thought it OK and just drove it. The other comments beggar belief as well. That top leaf that is broken is all that really locates the axle on that car. Imageine what it will be like withall those late 60's and early 70';s rot boxes suddenly getting back on the road with no sills and floor pan to speak of. Rember the Mk1 & II Escorts and the tops of the MacPherson struts. They were rotting through back in the day let alone now. Thats not to say that there arn't people who are sensible and will get their car looked after if they can't do it themselves, but I fear there will be far too many that won't because quite frankly they don't have a clue. I for one will still be taking my cars for an MoT, exempt or not.

Roger

Simon Rooney

19 February · Whickham







This car has been trying to kill me and my wife over 50mph. I think this may be AT LEAST one of the problems.
Bodgery at its best! ( what's actually holding it onto the front offside spring hanger? That split is the main leaf! (Main leaf now sitting on top of bodge)



















Nigel Toon Proper 50's/60's period repair there. Checked for sawdust in the gearbox/diff and concrete in the sills?

[Dubaidave]

I for one will MOT my classics regardless of what the law says but it stands to reason that it is unlikely that most classics will be able to meet ever increasing emission requirements. Mind you given that it has to be highly probable that most new vehicles will be electric within 10 years the whole MOT emissions test is going to be redundant for many. My TR6 passed today with no advisories!

[PhilB]

I spent several to many years doing a complete rebuild of a Triumph Mayflower.
Before I took it for first MOT I checked everything over and over....including checking wheel bearings and adjusting till I thought them perfect...
Failed on a missing split pin through the front o/s castle nut holding the bearing in.

Motto: MOT it - Got It... (Two heads are better than one. Four eyes are better than two. Sometimes we only see what we only think we see)

[marshman]

I for one will MOT my classics regardless of what the law says but it stands to reason that it is unlikely that most classics will be able to meet ever increasing emission requirements. Mind you given that it has to be highly probable that most new vehicles will be electric within 10 years the whole MOT emissions test is going to be redundant for many. My TR6 passed today with no advisories!

The emmisions requirements can continue as they are, different limits for different ages of car. At least the present test makes some checks on older cars, i.e. no excessive smoke. It also does a basic check of corrosion, brakes, play in steering, tyres and lights. Now don't get me started on tyres

[marshman]

Just looked at the gov website and there is no change on what was said previously. They are still reviewing the results of the consultation. Now they have announced the election I don't expect an announcement anytime soon.

[HersnotHis]

I find this an interesting dilemma.

My stag went for MOT yesterday after just less than 800 miles since its last. Very unlikely that anything had deteriorated or not been attended to (e.g. brake pads) and yes as for the past 11 years on record it passed with one minor advisory.

I am in full agreement that a regular third party check is vital, but should be mileage and elapsed time related (e.g.3000 miles/3 years) with any of road/SORN being only terminated with MOT.

This may at first be seem difficult to administer but an annual mileage record check at a MOT station for say a fiver could be an option.

I also agree that the MOT on a modern car is significantly more extensive than that of a 45 year old car and thus a cheaper say 2/3 cost test should be introduced for cars of a certain age.

BTW since it appears that VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda cars have flaunted the emission tests how is that these cars are passing the MOT test???

H

[marshman]

I find this an interesting dilemma.

My stag went for MOT yesterday after just less than 800 miles since its last. Very unlikely that anything had deteriorated or not been attended to (e.g. brake pads) and yes as for the past 11 years on record it passed with one minor advisory.

I am in full agreement that a regular third party check is vital, but should be mileage and elapsed time related (e.g.3000 miles/3 years) with any of road/SORN being only terminated with MOT.

This may at first be seem difficult to administer but an annual mileage record check at a MOT station for say a fiver could be an option.

I also agree that the MOT on a modern car is significantly more extensive than that of a 45 year old car and thus a cheaper say 2/3 cost test should be introduced for cars of a certain age.

BTW since it appears that VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda cars have flaunted the emission tests how is that these cars are passing the MOT test???

H

It is an interesting point you make, but I still think the annual test should remain regardless. Mileage is irrelavent. Rubber deteriorates, damp garages cause corrosion, brake pistons seize. One other point is rodents, they chew plastic and rubber pipes, well they do here!

I am not really aware of that many differences between testing a 70's car like the Stag and a modern car, ither than checking there is no ABS or engine management light on the dashboard, oh an fog lights. In fact a lot of modern cars have so many covers over the engine and so many undertrays etc. that the poor mot tester can't see half of the important bits.

With regards diesel emmisions it isn't really an emmissions test it is a smoke opacity test. It just tests for excessive particulates. VW breached the NOx and other emmissions rules. The test on petrol actually tests levels of CO, HC etc. The diesel test just looks at smoke levels, and it is very generous on those, especially on turbo diesels.

Roger

[DJT]

I bet this one hasn't done many miles since its last MOT, but should it be exempt on that basis?

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