CLUBS’ FEARS OVER MoTS ON MODDED CARS
Owners of modified classics worry that they’ll be penalised by the safety testing regime when new exemption rule is brought in
Clubs and classic owners have told CCW that they fear modified classics will be caught out by future legislation after MoT exemptions for tax-exempt cars are brought in next year.
The Department for Transport is pushing ahead with plans to exempt most classics more than 40 years old from annual safety inspections next May – but it says that modified cars will still need to be tested, and hasn’t outlined what the criteria for these classics will be.
Rich Stern, captain of BMW Car Club GB’s ’02 Register, says: ‘Most police officers wouldn’t be able to tell my ’02 is modified as it has subtle period upgrades throughout, so if MoTs remain mandatory for cars like mine, would they really be able to enforce it?’
‘ We will finalise what “substantial change” means in November’ TOM AMBROSE, DFT
Owners of modified classics are facing an uncertain future – with many believing that their cars will be handed Q-plates following the Government’s decision to stop MoTs for classics.
As reported in last week’s issue, most tax-exempt classics will be exempted from MoT tests from 20 May 2018 on an annual rolling basis.
However, the consultation also disclosed that ‘substantially changed’ cars will not be exempted. DfT press officer, Tom Ambrose, says: ‘If they (pre-1978 vehicles) have been modified in such a way that it meets our definition of “substantial change”, the vehicle would need to get an MoT. We will finalise what “substantial change” means in November.’
The Department for Transport (DfT) revealed the plans this month following a consultation process, in which more than half of the respondents opposed the idea.
Owners of unmodified vehicles built before 1978 can still have their cars MoT tested – but it will no longer be compulsory from next year.
It was proposed during the Government’s consultation process that the same eight-point rule devised by the DVLA to determine whether a modified vehicle should be re-registered should be used.
The DfT says in a statement: ‘ We have assessed these issues with the DVLA and the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). We will discuss the definition with stakeholders before the guidance is issued and ensure that the guidance is the subject of regular review.’
One classic owner, who didn’t want to be identified, says: ‘If the DVLA succeed, CCW’s “I modded mine” owner interviews will have to be renamed “I modded mine and then got a Q-plate”.
‘Ridiculous, isn’t it? It’s all incompetent uneducated ruling. Why should anyone get penalised for upgrading a 998cc Morris Minor to a 1098cc so that they can keep up with modern traffic, only to get clobbered with a Q-plate? Many people will just give up and we will have fewer cars, less car shows and no industry. This ruling is great for investors but not for enthusiasts.’
Captain of the BMW Car Club GB ’02 Register, Rich Stern, says “We really need to see what will define modified. Would it make a difference if a car is modified using parts from the same model but different specification?
‘Most police officers wouldn’t be able to tell my ’02 is modified as it has subtle upgrades throughout, so if MoTs remain mandatory for cars like mine, would they really be able to enforce it?’
One of the respondents to the DfT’s consulation notes in response to the proposals for ‘substantially changed’ classic: ‘It is commonplace that when a car undergoes modification, the brakes, steering and suspension are also upgraded, thus making it a better vehicle than the original.
‘Granted, there are some shabby ones out there, but any unsafe chassis or any other modifications could be quickly spotted by means of a visual inspection, such as the MoT.’
Many industry experts are also concerned about MoT exemption. Ben Field of Hampshire-based specialist Vintage Tyres, says: ‘It’s a massive concern – some of the tyres I’ve seen on pre-1960 cars are shocking, and I worry this will be the case with later cars exempted from MoT tests too. ‘The whole premise is that it’s a safety requirement, but suddenly it’s been deemed as not being necessary for thousands of classic cars.’