UK scene v's Ireland

Capri

Just seen a few UK 'youngtimers' over the weekend - (expats over for the GAA ? ), and it highlights the difference between there and here. Over there the low road tax means that youngtimers of any vintage / cc can be driven and maintained without any penalty from the UK govt. Here there's the them/us artificial year/cc barriers that mean that scores of cars are lying around rotting until the magic 30 years crops up then they suddenly go from worthless high tax machines to classic valuable low tax. Maybe somebody with a suitably large warehouse (and bank account !) should buy and stack these pre 30y/o motors as a future investment before they rot into the ground :rolleyes:

carchaeologist

There's also the 'sher I'm not buying that 1980 plus year car because of the NCT test'
Here pre '80 will always command a premium because the typical Irish man believes the NCT the be witchcraft.

Diabhalta

I had a chat recently with one English gentleman at a show in Cork and the main difference at classic cars shows between Ireland and England is, that people here like to touch cars and do whatever they want with them (sit in them if the car is open, try the suspension - like I saw some old fart trying a Triumph Dolomite at the same show, left/right front of the car up and down... yes, it's working well as it should). Nobody is messing with cars at shows in England (which makes sense), and when you compare Ireland to England, people at shows in Ireland are mostly just hillbillies with no consience and sense for order. I'm sorry for being straightforward, but that is the way the things are unfortunately here. No, this has nothing to do with "driven and enjoyed'.

macplaxton

The tax rates aren't low, they are just the two bands for vehicles between 1973 to 2001 (Next year 1974 to 2001). Pre-'73 historic class (tax-exempt) motors command a premium to save £140 (not more than 1549cc) £225 (over 1549) a year which is considered a lot of money to those getting paid peanuts (min. wage £6.19 there).

So anything 1973 to 1983 is cheaper to tax here.

Insurance is dirt cheap, easy enough to get on a daily / only too.

Diesel is dead expensive, so not desire for tractor engines like here.

MOT for post 1960 cars every year. No one grumbles about it as it's been done for the last 50-odd years and you can always take it somewhere else or leave it to get fixed. Harder work / far away in some areas finding Class I/II motorcycle and Class III test centres.

Fairly flexible rules on mods / kits if you jump through the paperwork hoops.

Don't really "get" the Retro ride thing with Carlos Fandango wheels fascination.

Horse for courses really.

corktina

pre 74 now I think

macplaxton

No, not until April 2014. It was in the Mar 2013 UK Budget.

These days they always announce stuff aeons in advance of it actually coming into effect.

Agricola

carchaeologist wrote: »

There's also the 'sher I'm not buying that 1980 plus year car because of the NCT test'
Here pre '80 will always command a premium because the typical Irish man believes the NCT to be witchcraft a revenue raising corrupt farce

FYP

I'll preface by saying that I agree that an annual national car test is a very good idea as it takes a lot of unsafe wrecks off the road and forces people to maintain their cars. I also agree that the price of 55 quid is not extortionate for a full check up of your car....

but....

I would personally not even comtemplate buying a post 1980 classic unless I had a very big wedge of money burning a hole in my pocket. This would allow me to buy a car that would have had so much resto work done on it that it'd look like it just rolled off the factory line.

Ive seen the NCT change the goalposts so often in the last couple of years (in line with the recession of course) that Id have very little faith in getting something like my late 70s 924 through a test. Its perfectly road safe (IMHO and that of garage who I got to look at it up on a lift) but I'd really doubt it would get the NCT's exacting stamp of approval somehow. Id imagine a lot of people here are of a similar mind when it comes to buying budget classic so yeah, pre 1980 will be more sought after. It doesnt mean everyone is a wreckless hoodlum that is happy to drive a death trap though. Im certainly not. Its just being realistic.

carchaeologist

macplaxton wrote: »

These days they always announce stuff aeons in advance of it actually coming into effect.

They try that here too, and still **** it up in reality.

Basil Fawlty

I suspect that the NCT will move to 1970 or even 1960 in the next budget. NCT text manual for 2012 has all the procedures for vehicles of that age. I dont see how a real classic car enthusiast could have their car in anything less than full road worthy condition.

Capri

There's days when you'd be tempted to sell off everything and just get out of the kip to the sun and rust free classics with good service backup :rolleyes:

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/find/vehicle/vehicleSearchResults.xhtml?keywords=&photosOnly=false&sellerType=All&maxPrice=10000&refine=true&transmissionGroup=Automatic&distance=0&address=90210&firstRecord=1&sortType=distance&engineGroup=8+Cylinder&numRecords=25&minPrice=500&priceOnly=false&conversationId=99857



http://www.autotrader.co.za/caryearrangeszar/before-1980/search

http://www.autotrader.co.za/caryearrangeszar/before-1980/search



http://www.autotrader.co.nz/used-cars-for-sale/year-1960-1995?sort=OlderVehicles

JoeySully

Basil Fawlty wrote: »

I suspect that the NCT will move to 1970 or even 1960 in the next budget. NCT text manual for 2012 has all the procedures for vehicles of that age. I dont see how a real classic car enthusiast could have their car in anything less than full road worthy condition.

They seem to be unable to cope with current demand in some areas. Test wait times are were over 2 months when I tried to book in July. I would love to see what happened if they added 1000's more.

I think perhaps the manual references "pre 1980" cars for the purpose of inspection for importing them?

macplaxton

Basil Fawlty wrote: »

I suspect that the NCT will move to 1970 or even 1960 in the next budget. NCT.

Nope. Despite some thinking otherwise, periodic testing of motor vehicles isn't written into the Finance Act. (The last lot of changes came under the Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2009)

If anything moves this soon, it'll be an EU directive.

All member states can have different arrangements for historic vehicles to the main vehicle pool.

Basil Fawlty wrote: »

NCT text manual for 2012 has all the procedures for vehicles of that age.

JoeySully wrote: »

I think perhaps the manual references "pre 1980" cars for the purpose of inspection for importing them?

I've got a copy of the previous 2 NCT manuals and they reference vehicles from certain dates, so I'm kind of thinking it's always been there anyway. If there's a particular example you'd like to check, I'll put up the page.