Today I saw a classic and took a pic thread! Part 2

Rush, Co Dublin today - Presumably a newer body on an older chassis.

(BTW - Was the singular Z series (Dublin 1971) and it's reverse (Dublin 1927) the only pre-1987 series which used a single letter. And what was the reason for it?)

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I happened to stumble across that pic while looking for something else. I took it possibly 5/6/7 years ago (in the car park in Brown Thomas I think) so can't say if it's still on the road.

Fair enough, but I'd say that, barring a massive accident, fire or falling tree, a car with that good a reg that has made it that far in life will almost certainly be kept on the road. Even if it gets a bit neglected, any number of Irish BMW fans/petrolheads would snap it up. The BT car park is a good sign too - it's probably not being run on a tight budget

It (CSI 633) is taxed until June anyway.

Only two owners so probably in long term ownership currently

Type 17 wrote: »

...The BT car park is a good sign too - it's probably not being run on a tight budget

LOL - the driver was much younger that I expected (mid 20's I'd say) but it may not have been his.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

BTW - Was the singular Z series (Dublin 1971) and it's reverse (Dublin 1927) the only pre-1987 series which used a single letter. And what was the reason for it?

Almost all of the single letters of the alphabet were issued in Ireland and the UK over the years, but Ireland only had the letters I and Z to choose from, and I looks too close to a 1, so we only ever saw the two Z's.

26000 Elephants

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Rush, Co Dublin today - Presumably a newer body on an older chassis.

(BTW - Was the singular Z series (Dublin 1971) and it's reverse (Dublin 1927) the only pre-1987 series which used a single letter. And what was the reason for it?)

If the plate is correct, then that chassis could only be from a suffix A rangie which today would be worth a considerable amount of money - a lot more than the mangy Disco they stuck on it. :mad:

26000 Elephants wrote: »

If the plate is correct, then that chassis could only be from a suffix A rangie which today would be worth a considerable amount of money - a lot more than the mangy Disco they stuck on it. :mad:

Orrrrr the owner had two plates made up @ the local motor factors for a score :P

26000 Elephants wrote: »

If the plate is correct, then that chassis could only be from a suffix A rangie which today would be worth a considerable amount of money - a lot more than the mangy Disco they stuck on it. :mad:

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

Orrrrr the owner had two plates made up @ the local motor factors for a score :P

Yes, 26000 Elephants, don't feel too bad, it is doubtful that any surviving early Range Rovers were harmed in the making of that Disco

elperello

I Z
is an Alfa Romeo, still around I think.

elperello wrote: »

I Z
is an Alfa Romeo, still around I think.

Yes I've seen it at shows - it's actually 1 Z, rather than I Z (as mentioned, those two characters are easily confused

)

And isn't Z 1 a Lotus or some such??

Type 17 wrote: »

... but Ireland only had the letters I and Z to choose from, and I looks too close to a 1, so we only ever saw the two Z's.

But why did they bother with it at all when there were so many other combinations available.

(Don't get me wrong. It's distinctive and probably desirable to have it on a plate but the powers that be don't tend to take such things into consideration).

elperello

Type 17 wrote: »

Yes I've seen it at shows - it's actually 1 Z, rather than I Z (as mentioned, those two characters are easily confused )

Sorry!
Put it down to old age. Me, not the car which is a lovely as ever!
ps I think there was an article about it in Irish Vintage Scene.

sligojoek

Hi lads. Slightly off topic but maybe some of the number plate experts can figure something out for me.

About 25 years ago I had a bike from 1977/78. I cant remember. The reg was 9 VYI. Whenever I was stopped by the guards they'd always ask me was that a genuine number. They'd go to the radio and then come back and check the chassis number. This would have happened maybe 10 times over 2 years. I never queried it as I was glad to be told to "Go ahead".
Just wondering is there any significance with that plate. There was never any hassle with any other bike or car I had

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But why did they bother with it at all when there were so many other combinations available.

(Don't get me wrong. It's distinctive and probably desirable to have it on a plate but the powers that be don't tend to take such things into consideration).

I'd say that it's more like they issued it because it was on the list of available reg's, rather than because it was a particularly nice one. In fact, in the UK, all of the single letters were issued first, in 1904. Apparently, A 1 was the first reg issued in London, and has changed hands over 100 times since.

That's the fun of registrations - every vehicle has one, and every reg tells a story - age, location, rarity, special vehicle, don't-give-a-toss vehicle, etc.

elperello wrote: »

Sorry!
Put it down to old age. Me, not the car which is a lovely as ever!
ps I think there was an article about it in Irish Vintage Scene.

Sorry, I wasn't having a go, but it did strike me that we were just talking about the dangers of misinterpreting letters as numbers - 1 / I or 2 / Z or Q / O / 0

welder

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

And isn't Z 1 a Lotus or some such??

Yes a yellow Elan

sligojoek wrote: »

Hi lads. Slightly off topic but maybe some of the number plate experts can figure something out for me.

About 25 years ago I had a bike from 1977/78. I cant remember. The reg was 9 VYI. Whenever I was stopped by the guards they'd always ask me was that a genuine number. They'd go to the radio and then come back and check the chassis number. This would have happened maybe 10 times over 2 years. I never queried it as I was glad to be told to "Go ahead".
Just wondering is there any significance with that plate. There was never any hassle with any other bike or car I had

That's a standard reg from Dublin in the late 70's, nothing special except the single digit is a lot rarer. Maybe they were wondering if some digits had fallen off your reg-plate, which was a common issue with 70's standard issue red/white plates. On the other hand, you'd be surprised how little some Gardai know about Irish registrations - I have a ZV-reg 1976 car and have been asked, at various times, where is my NCT, where are my Europlates and is this an Irish-reg car...

millington

Type 17 wrote: »

Great to see that this car is still on the road, I remember seeing it around Dublin when it was new.

Still on the go

http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/blackrock/brookfield-mews-brookfield-mews-brookfield-terrace-blackrock-dublin-1314364/

quadrifoglio verde

millington wrote: »

Still on the go

http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/blackrock/brookfield-mews-brookfield-mews-brookfield-terrace-blackrock-dublin-1314364/

Now that's a car that earns its keep

SmartinMartin

millington wrote: »

Still on the go

http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/blackrock/brookfield-mews-brookfield-mews-brookfield-terrace-blackrock-dublin-1314364/

Uses to see that regularly around the city. Afair there was also 633CSI, 635CSI and CSI635, all on matching models. One was red, can't remember which. A check on motorcheck.ie shows none of them exist anymore.

SmartinMartin wrote: »

.... Afair there was also 633CSI, 635CSI and CSI635, all on matching models....

I've often wondered how the reserve system worked in pre-1987 issues.

Given that CSI only ran for probably a few weeks in August/September 1982, how would 6 series owners or potential owners know it was coming up (when the ZU series finished) to have time to reserve it?

And if they weren't reserved by customers, would they have just been issued on any bog standard vehicle (or would they have been reserved anyway by the state?

SmartinMartin

At that time things were much "easier" in the tax office. The big dealers had contacts and could get their hands on a number if required.

PaulK_CCI

Correct, this was a dealership thing in the early eighties and I'd say if one dealer found out about this 'free marketing gimmick'' a lot of other followed: Fiat had 127 and 131 in a lot of issued cars. Saab had 900 in a lot of registrations for their 900 series. Porsche obviously with a couple of 911 issues, bmw had a lot of numbers to play with 630, 633 and 635 and others.

PaulK_CCI wrote: »

Porsche obviously with a couple of 911 issues,

131d911 is on a Peugeot 508

From 2013 to 2017 there has only been one -911 plate Porsche...in 2015, and a UK import.

Sign of the times eh?

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

131d911 is on a Peugeot 508

From 2013 to 2017 there has only been one -911 plate Porsche...in 2015, and a UK import.

Sign of the times eh?

Back in the 80's, reserving a number was free, you just needed to know the guys in the tax office - these days, it costs €1,000 to reserve anything.
Apart from the cost itself, I'd say that many people are put off by the fact that others will think that they are stupid/shallow to be dropping a grand on a reg (reservations were much more common before 2011, when it was "only" €250).

w124man

elperello wrote: »

I Z
is an Alfa Romeo, still around I think.

I use to pass that car most days as it lived its early days in Rathdown opposite the main gates to Terenure College

Silvera

There was a policy of 'holding back' particular plates - like 131-D-911 - for possible future issue (e.g. to s/h imports), but this stopped in recent years. IMHO, it's a waste of taxpayers money not to hold back such numbers.

The fee was €315 (IR£250) from 1992 up to 2009. Revenue's excuse for the increase was because it hadn't been increased since it's introduction in 1992?!

Having said that, although not-transferrable, its still 'cheaper' to reserve a plate here than in the UK (in most cases) and in many other European countries.

Type 17 wrote: »

Back in the 80's, reserving a number was free....

Ah, that explains how a fire tender in Dundalk had XZY 999.

I use to wonder how they got away with 'wasting' rate payers money.