MOT Test and Numberplates

[oldtimer]

Hi all , went for an MOT yesterday , or rather the car did - '69 911E.

Having had it serviced only a week ago was not expecting anything to fail....and stayed with it during the test but allowed a car jockey to move it into the garage and between the test centres . This did not go too well at first as my MFI car is a bit temperamental on both cold and warm starts and requires clutch + throttle control of Olympic standard. It was an instructive experience for both me and the testers !

First off I got my first opportunity to study the underneath , the state of the engine ,suspension , underseal , the brake hoses etc. All was in excellent order , a testament to previous owners looking after it.

Second off the testers wanted to know the factory weight for the MOT computer database as on previous MOTs this had not been recorded - this should have warned me that I was dealing with fastidious minded folk.

Fortunately the handbook was in the glove box and this gave them the answer. We also had to call on the handbook again as the vertical alignment on dipped beam was not to their liking and we needed to adjust something - there were 5 phillips head screw heads set in around each headlight rim , and it turned out that one of them did the necessary adjustment.

In conversation the chief tester revealed he had been a race circuit scrutineer and that in his opinion my car would have to be declined an MOT certificate because the front number plate - a stick on vinyl one - was not attached to a vertical surface and was non-compliant with current legislation. This was after 35 minutes of scrutiny but maybe could have been picked up right at the start. He commented that a picture in the handbook had shown a vertical front plate mounted on a black rubber plinth .....so perhaps my car was not as maker intended.

I challenged this , so he phoned up the authorities for consultation.

They asked if the reg no could be read from the front - answer 'yes'

they asked if it was on a vertical or near vertical surface - answer 'no'

Their conclusion - this was not compliant for the purpose of vehicle identification by automated cameras.

Sooooo , paid up for all this , went round to my friendly specialist - Steve Winter , Jaz ....who advised a retest with an MOT centre used to dealing with road legal race cars ( you know early E type Jags sort of thing) that typically lack vertical surfaces at the front....so I left it with Steve and returned a few hours later to collect car AND an MOT certificate . Job done

Anyone else had similar experience ?

[Helen]

yes MOT centres seem to varie greatly.

i think there are many who just don't like old cars. others are a lot more sympathetic to classic cars. then there are a few i've come across that just don't seem to care and will pass just about any old wreck

[JohnS]

Technically they were correct, I believe - but real sticklers!! My local MOT garage take a more pragmatic view and really like to see the old cars coming through. Much more interesting than endless MOT's on modern Renaults, Peugeots BMW's etc
JohnS

[Bootsy]

this was not compliant for the purpose of vehicle identification by automated cameras.

I love how a new piece of technology (automated cameras) dictates that an old piece of engineering (your Porsche) should be adapted to suit!

I think you did the right thing, find a 'friendlier' MOT teste centre!

[Gary71]

I use the local council place across the road, very fair, and understanding of the limitations of a 37 year old car!

...using both hands to pull up the handbrake for instance...

[smallspeed]

they're technically correct (some might say the best kind of correct :D ) and this has been the case for ever, its not something new to suit new cameras or anything else.. my mini failed its mot for a stickon number plate back in the early 90's and my mg midget has been failing mot's on this since my gramp owned it in the 60s.. there is a bolt on metal one with a couple of velcro tabs in the boot which means the numberplate can be fitted in the mot test centre carpark and removed again after the test!..

i believe (not 100% ) that this is one of those strange conditions which are an MOT requirement, but not required by law; for example the mot test centre cannot fail you for tinted front side windows (ahead of b-pillar) but you can get a producer for it from the police..

[Schläfer]

This is so stupid. Every early 911 that came from AFN when new had the registration 'sticker' fitted to the leading edge of the bonnet, like this one on Vic's car below. It must have been legal at the time because E-Types, Astons were all the same. I'm afraid Mr MOT Man it's been like that since 1965 and I'm not about tear it off now!

[smallspeed]

i never took my sticky one off, just put a second one on the front for the purposes of the MOT.. even on a mini where the front of the bonnet is nearly upright i've been pulled up on it before (although its usually a "your numberplate should be upright" type comment and not a fail)

[jamie]

Change MOT testers - this guy sounds like a right nobber.

I used to take one foglight cover off and tap a current-style plate to my car with one bolt until one time my MOT man laughed it off and told me not to bother.

[Vic Cohen]

Have i taught u nothing John ? Shud have gone to Steve in the 1 st place ! Think what fun it is getting a Cup Car MOT d ??????

[oldtimer]

Hi Vic , I made the mistake of looking at the old MOTs and up to 6 years ago they were all from the place I took it to first , but more to the point itwas Steve that used to take it there

So yeah ,if you talk to Steve now he's stopped taking racy type cars there , they have about 5 testers on hand but they all pass it to the ex scrutineer if it looks a bit racy

Anyway it looks like you just have to shop around to get the right result