Fast Marina Magazine

I find it very amusing that it's tyres and spring hangers that have come up in this thread

I agree. It's been a heated debate yet has boiled down to tyres and spring hangers

How many times have you seen an advert on Ebay or similar. That reads No MOT only needs a bulb for MOT, but havent had time to take it. Followed by a long list of whats supposed to have been done, listng how much its cost, the statement then reads im not an MOT tester. They usually want crazy money!! But at the end of the day they are trying to sell the car without an MOT. The car then goes on to appear several times with the same statement, usually getting cheaper every time . Brings into question why it has no MOT and what the quality of the listed work is really like !!
Dave

Tyres are kind of important. They are the only thing between your car and the road. But if the back axle falls off you get a similar result

There's no time limit for a mot to say the computer won't let you log off untill 45 mins is utter rubbish and also perished side walls is not a failure unless you can see the cords
The test possibly takes longer on an old classic especially if corrosion is visible
Let's not forget the mot standards are quite poor and if this 35 year rule came in maybe your insurance company would insist on a mot anyway

It seems that some insurers already will discount rates for pre 1960s cars if they have some kind of proof of roadworthiness. The problem is them knowing who they can trust to provide the proof.

A few years ago I was chairman of our local classic car group and voted on the FBHVC question of removing the MOT for pre 1961 cars, as the government rarely give us anything I voted for no MOT. Since then with one notable exception all those in the club wanted their cars MOT'ed and still take their cars for a yearly check up at an MOT centre. The noteable exception has a rotten poorly maintained Minor, I always avoid it on club runs as it always breaks down, has a hole in the fuel tank so he has to stop to top it up and restarts with difficulty.

Our 1961 Jaguar is still MOT'ed each year and will be professionally inspected yearly irrespective of government policy because I am also getting older and am missing things on my inspections and I have a great respect for Des our local MOT guy.

I recently presented the Jaguar for MOT and had to fit the spare wheel beforehand as I found a nail in the rear tyre (I found it whilst servicing it for the MOT!!) I told Des who says that a nail in the tyre would not fail the MOT, but wear would.

As for tyres I work on the bassis that I throw the tyres away at 7 years old as the rubber is getting hard and need to replace the TC's tyres (easy) and the MkII Jaguar's tyres (very expensive). Our old Porsche was lethal in the wet due to the old tyres, a new set made it predictable. As someone said they are the only contact we have with the road.

Brian