MOT's no longer required for 40 year old cars

[Barrykearley]

Even my vans going in at 25kmiles - don't care it's not due - still needs checking over 

[andydclements]

We all should already know that an MOT test has limited value due to its limited scope for defining failure.

I remember in the 1968 Elf, somebody had swapped out the fixed seatbelt for a roller one, which could be fine. The problem was that to safely anchor a seatbelt at that point, where the floor was only standard single thickness sheet, needed  it to be secured to both the horizontal floor and the vertical body (in this case, the rear storage pocket). In  order to secure to the floor, it had a 1 1/2" washer fitted to the exterior, so in a crash that bolt and washer would just rip through the floor and the seatbelt would achieve nothing.

Common sense would say it's unsafe, but no MOT test could fail it because the belt was of an appropriate type, wasn't missing, and the bodywork wasn't rotted.

 

So, while having an MOT pass is probably a good idea even on 40+ years old cars, it's not enough without some other common sense.

[andydclements]

They were only like that to test the nerves of passengers. Only found one who was REALLY nervous, now what was his name

Actually, got rid of that light setup.

[Escape]

In Belgium, cars over 25 years (now changing to 30 years due to pressure from the EU) have been exempt from MOT for a long time. But they are limited to leisure use, i.e. no commute to work, school or any professional use (which includes transporting trade goods). You also need an MOT when selling or reregistering a car.

I do have to point out that the Belgian version of the MOT is quite useless. As it is done by an independent body which has no link to a garage, it is just ticking boxes, without looking at the actual impact on safety or how things can be fixed/improved. Don't even start about any modifications, you'll pay extra if you have a 'sporty' steering wheel (that's considered tuning) and could fail if the gearstick doesn't have the shift pattern on it... It also depends a lot on who does the checking, I've routinely seen test being skipped, including the brake test on a Range Rover because it was too much effort to set up the rollers for a permanent 4wd! The only useful tests are for the suspension, as that's often difficult to asses yourself. Even then, the test for the shocks is so poorly set up that some light cars have problems passing, unless you put some weight in the boot and/or lower the tire pressure far below spec.

So I don't really see much added value. It's mainly a long time waiting and hoping you get lucky. I would prefer having the testing done by a garage, that way at least possible issues can get fixed, instead of throwing money at a piece of paper.

Filip

[oilmagnet477]

Just because the Govt 'don't require' an MOT, it doesn't mean you don't have to have one.

If you have an old car and you feel the need to test it then j.f.d.i

Surely, the removal of a bit of the 'nanny state' and a reduction in red tape is a good thing?

There will always be muppets who abuse rules/others etc but having an MOT regime has never failed to prevent that.

In some respects, if you consider why the MOT was introduced in the first place (to remove old and decrepit cars from the road back in the - was it the 60s?), there is perhaps more argument to suggest that old cars should still need an MOT but it is all about % and stats from the Govt perspective.

Accidents and insurance claims made by or against classic car drivers (whilst actually driving the cars on the road) is probably SO infinitesimally small as a % of overall road users that the Govt are simply not interested - same as the tax disc - yes we all benefit when our cars are over 40 years old but the net cost to the treasury is minimal and it sweeps away a problem that would otherwise cost more to administer than it gained - plus, it is a vote winner (however miserly) for enthusiasts - the national classic car support business (ie - all those tax paying businesses that make a living out of us lot) is far more valuable to the tax man.

[molemot]

Typical. I've had my 1982 turbo since 1988; it's never failed an MOT. Got to wait until 2022 before we benefit from this, by which time I'll likely be dead. The rolling "No car tax" thing will be the same....

[Daniel]

I'll be having my S2 tested regardless...... I've found a decent station near my office. He doesn't budge an inch so I know a pass is a good pass. Apparently classic car owners prefer it that way and I'd agree.