Chicken & Egg - Steps in getting an old car back on the road

baldbob

Looking for advice in getting a car back on the road that's been sitting undriven for 2 years.

I've been living abroad for 5 years. Just got my Irish learner permit renewed. I've bought a family car which has been off the road for 2 years. Hasn't been taxed or NCT'd in the last 2 years either, no one was insured on it. Its in good condition though.

Some insurance companies won't even give me a quote until its NCT-d, how I am supposed to get it to the NCT shop without insurance? Towed there and back? Seems mad.

For taxing it, should the car be transferred registration to me from the family. Or should it matter? I hear there's a possible issue of back-taxing for cars in arrears?

Is the solution to (i) transfer registration (ii) get it taxed (iii) get it towed to NCT, hopefully pass and towed back (iv) get insurance and then drive?

Ah the joys of bureaucracy....

djimi

Which insurers wont quote you? I have never been asked about NCT at the quote stage of taking out a policy.

If there are arrears on the tax then transferring the car into your name will wipe them. The car needs to be in your name either way for it to be insured legally.

Francie Barrett

I've never heard on an insurer that required an NCT certificate, maybe you were just unlucky to get a quote from one of the sticklers that do require it.

baldbob

Liberty Insurance wouldn't give any quote without seeing the car had passed the NCT on their database. Other insurers didn't mention it yet so fingers crossed shouldn't be an issue.

But all this aside, I see from another post that strictly speaking its illegal to drive the car to the NCT centre if the old NCT expired 2 years ago... so may have to get it towed there anyway?

corktina

Get someone else to drive it there who has insurance? The guy who would normally be accompanying you maybe? Still illegal for it to be on the road with no NCT and tax though.

Don't worry about arrears of tax, you are only liable for them from the first of the month you registered it in your name.

aujopimur

If it has a timing belt, replace it.

djimi

baldbob wrote: »

Liberty Insurance wouldn't give any quote without seeing the car had passed the NCT on their database. Other insurers didn't mention it yet so fingers crossed shouldn't be an issue.

Interesting. Im with Liberty and they never mentioned NCT to me, but it never occured to me that they would run a check before issuing a quote.

Clungewellies

In my experience, if a car is older (over 12 years old), a few insurance companies require a proof of a current NCT (scan of disc). I'm currently thinking of doing a similar thing with an old family car. It seems to be a bit of a grey area, as when I asked some said that a current NCT is required for insurance.

However I think the best thing is to get onto the insurer and ask if proof of a scheduled NCT would suffice in lieu of an a current disc, with a view to sending this on once you have attained it.

It is a bit farcical though.

djimi

Clungewellies wrote: »

It seems to be a bit of a grey area, as when I asked some said that a current NCT is required for insurance.

I have seen some policies stipulate that the car must have valid NCT alright. Others word it so that it is requires NCT in a roundabout way.

Its just that I have never heard of it asked at the quoting stage before.

Clungewellies

djimi wrote: »

I have seen some policies stipulate that the car must have valid NCT alright. Others word it so that it is requires NCT in a roundabout way.

Its just that I have never heard of it asked at the quoting stage before.

Sorry scanned the thread too quickly, I have NEVER heard of an insurer not quoting because of no NCT to be honest. This should only become an issue later for sure?

baldbob

It was one of those "Computer says NO" moments....

Daniel S

djimi wrote: »

I have seen some policies stipulate that the car must have valid NCT alright. Others word it so that it is requires NCT in a roundabout way.

Its just that I have never heard of it asked at the quoting stage before.

I just got Liberty insurance, it's states the car must be in a "roadworthy condition", i.e. needs an NCT.

djimi

Daniel S wrote: »

I just got Liberty insurance, it's states the car must be in a "roadworthy condition", i.e. needs an NCT.

Roadworthy and road legal are not the same thing. A car can be perfectly roadworthy without having an NCT (ie not road legal), and likewise a car can be fully road legal (tax, insurance, NCT all current) and not be in a roadworthy state.

Daniel S

djimi wrote: »

Roadworthy and road legal are not the same thing. A car can be perfectly roadworthy without having an NCT (ie not road legal), and likewise a car can be fully road legal (tax, insurance, NCT all current) and not be in a roadworthy state.

But from an insurers point of view, there's no difference.

Sure a single seater race car would be road worthy by that definition.

If I can drive a single seater on the road, someone let me know please!

djimi

Id be very interested to see how a court would define it if asked to rule on such a case. Roadworthy means mechanically sound; if thats all the policy states then it is very ambiguous.

goz83

Daniel S wrote: »

But from an insurers point of view, there's no difference.

Sure a single seater race car would be road worthy by that definition.

If I can drive a single seater on the road, someone let me know please!

Not really actually. NCT does not equals road worthy condition after the car leaves the nct centre. You could leave the nct centre and put on a set of shiny alloys with zero grip on the tyres and smash into the back of some poor soul. If the guards, or insurance assessor spot this, you can be sure that you'll be hearing about it.