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 MOTs (currently 1,941 views) |
| Colin_Bell |
| Posted on: January 10th, 2012, 17:42:41 |
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Baby Member
Posts: 5
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I have a Mini Jem that I bought in September 95 and have never put back on the road - it was unroadworthy when I bought it, although I remember seeing it on the road when I was younger.
My question is this;
The registration document shows the car to be a Austin Mini and my local garage says he probably wouldn't MOT it as it wouldn't be a Mini (obviously) as it says on the reg doc. despite it obvioulsy being made from Mini bits and of quite an age.
I am aware that back when this car was put together the rules were a bit more lax. Even since I built my Westfield (Q plate registered in 1990 with only an MOT) things have tightened up.
I can however trawl through some pictures on the gallery and do a search on the Directgov website that reveals some cars to be still registered as an Austin or a Morris and are with current tax discs, hence current MOTs.
Can someone help me by telling me if there is somewhere that will MOT my car (once it's back together)?
I would very much like to keep the registration that goes with the car as it is what I remember the car being when I was younger and hankered after it. I'm also aware that the very design of the car would probably prevent it passing the new IVA/SVA test and I don't want it with a Q plate anyway. |
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| Matthew Payne |
| Posted on: January 10th, 2012, 21:52:32 |
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Medium Member
Location: Bawdeswell, Norfolk
Posts: 105
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Hmmm. Very difficult one... You could try and find a slightly 'more dodgy' MOT station.
Mine is Q plated, but shows as a Leyland Mini Marcos on the V5 |
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| jimnaylor |
| Posted on: January 11th, 2012, 10:30:06 |
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Big Member
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 222
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I would think that Roger would be the one to go to for the best answer. But in the interim here is my take on it.
I think your MOT station is being a bit pedantic and I doubt if most other MOT stations would take the same view. Quite a few MM's are still registered as minis and I am not aware of others having trouble. The MOT is to check the road worthiness of the vehicle not its identity. So long as the chassis number and number plate match the log book then it should be OK. In fact the chassis number on the log book should prove its not a mini and that the DOT recognise that it isn't a mini as a marcos chassis number is nothing like that of a mini.
If it does create a real problem Im sure you can get the log book changed to mini marcos. I even got my chassis number changed on the log book with Rogers help (Long story!) |
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Reply: 2 - 4 |
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| John Dickens |
| Posted on: January 14th, 2012, 11:41:04 |
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Big Member
Posts: 450
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This used to be common practice back in the day.
Many beach buggies are still registered as VW Beetles. When SVA was introduced an amnesty was introduced to allow any existing registered but wrongly named cars to be re-registered correctly but that is long passed.
The MOT station is being legally correct and in these days of computerisation they have less wiggle room than they used to. When your car arrives at their testing venue they enter the reg number and the car's registration details appear. If the car they are looking at is clearly not the car described on their screen they do have a real problem.
(Would you believe that they are also timed. If the time taken between logging a vehicle in and logging a completed test is regularly too short they can be in trouble with the authorities).
The same thing occurs if you are ever stopped by the police. The simply look up your details on their magic computers and compare it to the vehicle they are looking at.
Insurance companies can also get a bit iffy although they should be OK if you have come clean to them about exactly what they are insuring. |
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Reply: 3 - 4 |
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| Phil Smethurst |
| Posted on: January 15th, 2012, 01:13:36 |
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Medium Member
Posts: 150
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Colin,
I had the same problem with my Mini Marcos which had been built using a complete accident damaged 1964 Mini. It was never re-registered when the shell was built in 1978 so always appeared on the V5 as an "Austin Mini". I had no problem MOTing the car once back on the road in '95 but as the Ex owner had retained the pre-suffix reg then it had to go to the DVLA offices and be inspected prior to reissue of an age related plate (1964). The car then came off the road again in '96 for 15 years. As I was uprating the engine and brakes I wrote to the DVLA and told them that the car had never been registered correctly and they were great - they sent me a letter back and and asked what I wanted to change it to as they had a few different options in their system. It ended up as a Marcos MkIV.
write to them and be honest with them and I think you'll be surprised how reasonable they are. I think the DVLA changed their computer system around 1998 when SORN came in so if it's pre-SORN I think they cut you a bit more slack. |
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Reply: 4 - 4 |
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