16 replies to this topic

[eebee]

• My ‘64 850 was off the road for 20+ years and I’m now “recommissioning” it to make it MoT standard. I’ve got a new V5 back for it but it doesn’t say it’s historic; is this a post office job ?
• Also, do I have to MoT it in order for it to then be “MoT exempt” in future, or is it automatically exempt due to age ?

Thanks !

[Kaj]

The V5 needs to have Historic on it. I sent mine back to DVLA.
Then you can tax it for free on your phone at DVLA website, takes 5 mins.
You fill in a MOT exemption form which is a self declaration.

My local Post Office were incompetent. Then they asked me if I wanted 6 months or a year!!

[eebee]

Ha ! Good old PO. Thanks, that’s helpful info.

[mab01uk]

Find a good local post office that deals with car tax and know what they are doing, you may have to try a few!.....The DVLA can be a long wait at present and often lose original documents sent in, take copies of everything you send to the DVLA or any documents you hand over to a PO.

Edited by mab01uk, 01 August 2021 - 10:54 AM.

[smurfomatic]

Find a good local post office that deals with car tax and know what they are doing, you may have to try a few!.....The DVLA can be a long wait at present and often lose original documents sent in, take copies of everything you send to the DVLA or any documents you hand over to a PO.

 

I agree with the above - my car became "historic" this year, went to the main post office in town and they dealt with it quickly, got my paperwork back within a couple of weeks. I'm sure that a smaller PO would have struggled! Also agree that you need to keep copies of your V5 or any other documents they send off, had log books lost in the system before and that was pre-Covid

[Jono_h]

My local Post Office were incompetent. Then they asked me if I wanted 6 months or a year!!

Why is that incompetant?  It might not make a lot of sense to take 6 momths when 12 months is free, but someone might have it garaged in the winter and only need 6 months.

[cal844]

I'd take a year if it's free. My car was on sorn so I had to tax it then the dvla helped themselves to £20 from the 6 months they refunded

[62S]

• Also, do I have to MoT it in order for it to then be “MoT exempt” in future, or is it automatically exempt due to age ?

Thanks !

There is no requirement to MOT it to make MOT exempt.

[bpirie1000]

Make sure you read the small print on some clSsic insurance..

They now state that the car must have been presented for an mot every 5 years...... even though they are exempt.......

Brilliant requirement i asked them why... they said if you want insurance then that is easy enough.. plenty other companies i was told....

So i moved......me and my money walked on..they tried to pull the non refund but was within the 14 days cooling off so ombudsman was on my side..

RESULT......

[Woolfie 640]

Any documents you send to Swansea should be recorded delivery. Someone has to sign for them so that is proof the got the documents and any future problems are theirs and theirs to sort out .

[Ethel]

It does seem odd to me that you can claim MoT exemption without having to show the car anywhere. I bet I'm not alone in having a "bottom drawer garage" of about half a dozen V5s that'll now be tax & MoT exempt. What's to stop me resurrecting the registrations on something similar?

 

Interesting about insurers stepping in with their own requirements, will VOSA's recording system be happy with random MoT's on exempt vehicles, or will we hear about people getting pinged by ANPR?

[gazza82]

The DVLA are slowly increasing the number of changes you can make on-line. Keep half-an-eye on their site ...

The FBHVC are also now "key-stakeholders" with the DVLA so their input into how classic cars are handled should improve things for owners ...

[Ethel]

If owners share FBHVC's views on what classic cars are about, but that's a different matter.

[Chris1275gt]

I personally Get my car an mot every other year but I'm thinking of doing it yearly still. In this day and age of needing a competence certificate to virtually do anything.
Working on a historic car as an amateur and being happy that it's road legal would cut no ice in a court of law should you unfortunately end up there. if you can't back it up with a valid competence accreditation for yourself or a valid mot, experience of working on it for donkeys years means very little.
I was a gas engineer for 38 years before retiring but once my competence certification lapsed touching anything on any appliance except user controls leaves you open to prosecution should the proverbial hit the fan. So my message is be careful about not having a mot certificate for years on end and at the relatively small cost of one it doesn't really make sense not to.

[sonscar]

MOT means to me that at a certain moment in time some things were meeting the legal minimum standards applying only to the parts you can see with no dismantling and in the opinion of a person whos judgement may vary from another persons.At refresher sessions VOSA are continually demonstrating testers are being over strict on some things,Corrosion being one( a Land Rover can have a body mount completely missing at the back and be OK)brake discs can be completely covered in rust as long as they meet the brake weight etc.

There are some yes/no such as lights emissions,cats etc but a classic has less of these than you think.A tester I knew used to go outside to some cars and ask them if they had some different number plates and can they fit them?NO? fail.

It is up to every driver to ensure their vehicle is roadworthy at all times.A6month old MOT would be worthless if your tyres were now bald and your brakes worn out.

People on here have alluded to "friendly testers"or the "MOT will be no trouble."

I have 4 MOT exempt cars which have not been tested,sadly my MIni is not one of them and in these uncertain times has become a large ornament.

Have fun out there,life is passing by every day,Steve..