For those interested in old cars.

[great central]

1 hour ago, gr.king said:

Can I ask a practical question please, preferably to be answered by somebody who definitely knows, ideally as result of successful and confirmed personal experience, rather than somebody who simply thinks he knows the rules?

 

Has the on-line UK road tax renewal system been updated yet to allow owners to renew the (no charge) taxation of MOT-exempt historic vehicles, or do we still have to queue up at a major post office with V112 in hand, as was the case last year?

 

I got part way through the on-line process but backed off when I noticed the next step requiring my agreement to a DVLA check on my vehicle's "electronic MOT". I don't know if a previously declared MOT exemption will satisfy the type of check that the DVLA may do.

 

Not personally but my son bought this a few weeks ago

http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/chevrolet/29688-1978-chevrolet-impala-station-wagon-rear-facing-back-seat-ready-to-go.html

 

It already had the taxation class changed to historic vehicle which means taking the registration document into a post office.

Once done you should be able to renew online in the future, he 'taxed' it at zero fee a couple of days after the previous owner delivered it.

[gr.king]

Thanks. Do you think "a few weeks" is enough in current disrupted circumstances to act as the acid test of whether your son's (on-line?) renewal of his taxation can be regarded as confirmed, or might it still be open to belated DVLA challenge when they catch up?

[great central]

As far as I know he got an instant confirmation, certainly been driving the car around since. You should get an email, print that out, should be proof even if the computer record hasn't caught up?

[big jim]

Slightly off topic but reading the description of the Chevy impala above this made me smile

 

”the 5L engine produces 135bhp” 
 

as a comparison to newer cars my 2005 1.6 mini One (superchipped) produces 135bhp and my old 5L phaeton of the same vintage produced 305bhp!

 

Another 15 years down the line and some of the latest ‘run of the mill’ smaller engined cars will leave those pair for dust And give better fuel economy

 

 

[alastairq]

4 hours ago, gr.king said:

Has the on-line UK road tax renewal system been updated yet to allow owners

to renew the (no charge) taxation of MOT-exempt historic vehicles, or do we still have to queue up at a major post office with V112 in hand, as was the case last year?

 

I got part way through the on-line process but backed off when I noticed the next step requiring my agreement to a DVLA check on my vehicle's "electronic MOT". I don't know if a previously declared MOT exemption will satisfy the type of check that the DVLA may do.

 I have two vehicles, both of which have [or, are entitled to] an exemption from Mot...Also both are registered with DVLA as Historic vehicles, therefore attract zero VED.

 

The problems occur, in regard to MoT exemption, with the disparity of the expiry date of the last MoT certificate, and the date VED is due.

 

I have renewed VED on both vehicles, online, without issue.

 

Just follow the DVLA instructions.     

 

VED will either be issued, or you will be told what to do. I suspect the former will apply.

 

There was supposed to be an online Declaration regarding MoT exemption..[which applies to all vehicles  40 years or older ]

 

[So, a change to the previous rules regarding pre-1960 vehicles.....my Dellow suddenly needed the MoT exemption.....something it never needed before....]

 

This online Declaration I haven't yet had to 'sign'....

 

I won't need to worry until later this autumn...

 

Some had apparent difficulty last year..but most problems occurred because the anniversary of the annual VED application did not coincide with the expiry of the last MoT. Thus, MoT exemption wasn't 'required' because a current certificate was still in place. 

Apparently there was an MOT exemption box to tick, but I haven't actually seen one. For either vehicle [one is 70 years old, the other 53] ....

 

Actually insisting on having an MoT test certificate, regardless of age, creates problems regarding any future claim for exemption.  Better off out of the system altogether.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

It’s got carb trouble now, no thanks to some of you lot on Early Risers asking if it did four days before the problem developed!

Edited June 16, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[great central]

4 hours ago, big jim said:

Slightly off topic but reading the description of the Chevy impala above this made me smile

 

”the 5L engine produces 135bhp” 
 

as a comparison to newer cars my 2005 1.6 mini One (superchipped) produces 135bhp and my old 5L phaeton of the same vintage produced 305bhp!

 

Another 15 years down the line and some of the latest ‘run of the mill’ smaller engined cars will leave those pair for dust And give better fuel economy

 

 

 

Yeah but none of them will have the burble

[jwealleans]

Quote

Has the on-line UK road tax renewal system been updated yet to allow owners to renew the (no charge) taxation of MOT-exempt historic vehicles

 

I have four historic, MOT-exempt vehicles (tractors) and have always renewed their road tax online with no difficulty at all.

[Hobby]

Did mine last year online, for the first time, as I hadn't had an exempt vehicle before, no issues...

[boxbrownie]

Now we know why Moss was so good....he practiced all the circuits on his Nintendo first 

[Nick C]

15 hours ago, gr.king said:

Can I ask a practical question please, preferably to be answered by somebody who definitely knows, ideally as result of successful and confirmed personal experience, rather than somebody who simply thinks he knows the rules?

 

Has the on-line UK road tax renewal system been updated yet to allow owners to renew the (no charge) taxation of MOT-exempt historic vehicles, or do we still have to queue up at a major post office with V112 in hand, as was the case last year?

 

I got part way through the on-line process but backed off when I noticed the next step requiring my agreement to a DVLA check on my vehicle's "electronic MOT". I don't know if a previously declared MOT exemption will satisfy the type of check that the DVLA may do.

 

I taxed mine back in October online without any problems. Doing a vehicle check on it now comes up with a green box for MOT with "no results found" in the box.

[Rugd1022]

11 hours ago, big jim said:

Slightly off topic but reading the description of the Chevy impala above this made me smile

 

”the 5L engine produces 135bhp” 
 

as a comparison to newer cars my 2005 1.6 mini One (superchipped) produces 135bhp and my old 5L phaeton of the same vintage produced 305bhp!

 

Another 15 years down the line and some of the latest ‘run of the mill’ smaller engined cars will leave those pair for dust And give better fuel economy

 

 

 

It's sometimes difficult to get your (my!) head around the power / litres and power / weight ratios across different manufactures, or even the same manufacturer. I'm not sure how much the 1994 - 2001 Maserati Quattroporte V Evoluzione weighs, but its 3.2 litre twin turbo V8 is rated at 335bhp and 4.2 litre Ferrari derived V8 in the 2003 onwards Maserati Quattroporte V which weighs around two tons puts out 400bhp. Going way back to the late '50s the Maserati 3500GT was rated at just 220bhp.

 

And to think I was excited when I found out my first Mini 1000 could manage a staggering 39bhp....!

 

Another Maser archive gem from the early days when the brothers produced batteries and sparkplugs....

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Rugd1022

[Kickstart]

7 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

It's sometimes difficult to get your (my!) head around the power / litres and power / weight ratios across different manufactures, or even the same manufacturer. I'm not sure how much the 1994 - 2001 Maserati Quattroporte V Evoluzione weighs, but its 3.2 litre twin turbo V8 is rated at 335bhp and 4.2 litre Ferrari derived V8 in the 2003 onwards Maserati Quattroporte V which weighs around two tons puts out 400bhp.

The QP4 is 1647kg according to the Maserati Catalogue Raisonne.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[gr.king]

Thanks again for all replies about on-line road tax renewal.

 

The "declaration of MOT exemption" page does indeed appear immediately after the step at which I bailed out last night.

 

All done now. Application reference printed off.

[gr.king]

Confirmation of tax e-mail now received and printed too.....

[alastairq]

You ought to also get an email...but it will be on every enforcement computer for all to see.  Happy driving!!

[alastairq]

odd, I posted my last before your last appeared.....but now they've swapped places.......Must be this covid queuing thing?

[alastairq]

Power-to-weight ratio rules....my base model '67 Mustang, with it's 200 cu in [3.3 litre] 6 cylinder motor has about 100 bhp per tonne....[before I've eaten cake]...in normal traffic conditions it steps off the mark, and increases intermediate speeds, very smartly...for a 53 year old. If it had a 305 V8 in it, I doubt it would drive very much better.....the additional weight up front would certainly alter the car's present 'poise' on normal roads...and the sub-20s fuel consumption might irk more than it's present 23-25 mpgs...

Somehow I find the off-beat rumble of a US V8 to be somewhat tiresome on a drive out....[and would likely only appeal to young teenage hangabouts, too?}

 

My Dellow, with its sidevalve Ford engine [pushing out a heady 50 bhp at the wheels, last time it was 'tuned].....and weighing in at sub-400 kgs...has a better power-to-weight ratio, and is a hoot to drive, even if the gearing forces it to run out of revs [if not steam?] around the 70 mph mark....the sort of speed, given it's driving characteristics, which takes bottle to sustain...as well as ear muffs. Lively? Understatement!  But, with only 3 gears to play with [why do we need more??]...acceleration is relative...I can beat mobility scooters!

 

My most modern daily, a '94 Daihatsu Fourtrak, has just over 100 bhp at around 3800 rpms [red line at 4200!!]....but weighs in at around 1 3/4 tonnes..yet, because of the very different power characteristics of a quite big [2.8 lighter] diesel, where the ability to pull stumps is favoured....it drives as well as any modern [made-this-century] vehicle.... without the worry of a plastic front bumper falling off roadside. [Or, anything remotely resembling electronics?]

 

During these covid times, the latter [as well as it's shared duty stablemate, a horrible thing made this century]....have been parked up and sorned....

The first two do duty for any trips out I may need to make....they actually affect my pension less.

[Kickstart]

4 minutes ago, alastairq said:

Understatement!  But, with only 3 gears to play with [why do we need more??]...acceleration is relative...I can beat mobility scooters!

To me, changing gear is part of the fun. Hence buying a 6 speed gearbox MX5. And I still mostly double declutch.

 

i have bikes with 7 speed gearboxes.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Rugd1022]

2 hours ago, Kickstart said:

The QP4 is 1647kg according to the Maserati Catalogue Raisonne.

 

All the best

 

Katy

 

Is that the large / expensive book that occasionally pops up on ebay....?

 

 

[Kickstart]

25 minutes ago, Rugd1022 said:

 

Is that the large / expensive book that occasionally pops up on ebay....?

 

 

Probably! I have 2 editions, once covering from 1926 until 1990 (red cover) and an updated one covering 1926 until 2003 (blue cover). Both are 2 volumes in a slip case

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Rugd1022]

I've just posted this in the non railway modelling thread and thought it would go nicely in here too - I'm not sure of the scale and don't know who built it, but what a lovely piece of work it is - it's a 1954 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta with coachwork by Pininfarina....

 

 

 

 

[boxbrownie]

Surely it’s a model made by Pinin or Masser for display or exhibition?  It looks so well made, that bodywork must have been a nightmare.

 

What came to mind was back in the 60’s I used to see in the window of Beatties in London very large scale model cars made of metal, wood, plastic, leather (seats) and rubber, I think they were an Italian maker with a name like Polk or Polti, something like that......and bells?

[Rugd1022]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

Surely it’s a model made by Pinin or Masser for display or exhibition?  It looks so well made, that bodywork must have been a nightmare.

 

What came to mind was back in the 60’s I used to see in the window of Beatties in London very large scale model cars made of metal, wood, plastic, leather (seats) and rubber, I think they were an Italian maker with a name like Polk or Polti, something like that......and bells?

 

I've seen another couple of photos of it elsewhere David (possibly Car & Sportscar Classic mag) and I'm sure it was done fairly recently by a professional modeller with no connection to Maser or Pininfarina. Will have to do some more rummaging! There's something about quality large scale model cars that really draws me in.

 

Meanwhile here's a bit more old school Maserati porn.... the Allemano coupe adverts appeared in 'Autos International' magazine back in the '90s....

 

 

 

 

[boxbrownie]

Looking at those pictures it is a crying shame where Maserati are now