E.U. Roadworthiness Test.???

[MIG Wielder]

I've just been reading another Classic Car mag; which seems to suggest the MOT Test for Historic vehicles is being proposed to be abolished on the grounds that the "improved" and new MOT test regs; may damage older vehicles ??.
So when you get your Historic Road tax exemption >1975 you also get current MOT Test exemption. O.K. these are only proposals but does anyone have actual official references on this proposal please ?
How can new MOT regs; damage older cars ?
Ta,
Tony.

[Carledo]

Not long ago (but before the pre'60 exemption) I watched a test being conducted on a 1919 Crossley tourer. It didn't have brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, front brakes, windscreen wipers or washers, the handbrake was a trans brake like a Landy so couldn't be tested, dipping the headlights meant one went out and more oddities that I can't recall now! Oh and the throttle was in the middle and advance and retard was done manually by a lever on the steering wheel. The tester couldn't drive it properly so got the owner to do it!
Even with all these advantages, it still failed on excess play in the steering and a petrol leak from the tank.
The only bit of a modern test that I don't like is the optional "one man test" rig which shakes the living daylights out of a car. But even this ministry condoned (instigated) abuse should not present a problem to a decently maintained 70s car, most were tested on the pave at MIRA which has much the same effect.

I've not heard anything about this piece of tomfoolery yet and I keep my ear to the ground, but if it does become law, you can bet there will be a hidden agenda, like stopping free use of such cars except for shows etc like some Aussie states do. And Insurance companies will kick off like they did over the pre '60 deal.

Steve

[SprintMWU773V]

I wouldn't be too concerned about the one man test rig, I imagine your car would be thrown about far more on actual roads given their condition.

Don't forget that the EU may want to make the suggestion but we can go above it and say no we want to keep the MOT. Personally I disapprove of any MOT exemption, it's a total myth that all classic car owners keep their car in good and roadworthy condition. We've all seen cars full of filler, dubious welding and other faults and that's just on here! The cost of an MOT is pretty small in the grand scheme of things.

Our MOT is actually pretty tame, leave it be but be sensible with applying it to older vehicles.

[Edin Dundee]

I really don't like the one man test rig.
I saw my car on it, and it looked like it was going to throw itself off the ramp.
Three or four years ago the day after an MOT the car dropped a front anti-roll bar bracket whilst going round a corner.
Now...
It may have happened anyway.
It may have been the direct result of the machine.
If it was due to the machine then the test is wrong - it stressed a component to almost the point of failure, but not quite.
The bracket was undoubtedly weak - but the weakness wasn't picked up during the test.
Just an unanswerable question.
All cars should have an MOT test of some sort, I'm with Steve on this one.

[Carledo]

My local (and very classic friendly) MOT station flatly refuses to have the one man rig after having it demo'd to him, he pays a lad to do the wiggling for him though customers can do it themselves if they wish. I've only seen the rig at a Kwik Fit or something similar that also did MOTs and, to be honest, it horrified me almost as much as the original diesel emission test which had the tester holding the revs on the governor stop for up to 15 secs at a time - and blew up more than a few engines before the specs were hastily changed.
Mark I agree that the British MOT is not all that strict (Compared with say Germany or Japan) but the rules and regs governing it seem often to be composed by people with little or no engineering background. On the other hand, I agree with Bill, we do need SOME kind of roadworthiness check, classic owners are just as fallible as other humans and often even more blinkered about their pride and joy! It definitely pays to get a second, impartial, opinion and as such, I fully support the idea of an MOT, think one a year is just about right and also that nothing should be exempt - even recovery vehicles which have been exempt for donkeys years, let alone pre '60 classics!

Steve

It still doesn't stop me having kittens every time I present one of my cars for MOT though! But perhaps part of that is the risk to my professional pride in case I HAVE missed something!