welleyes
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« on: 16 October, 2016, 01:42:21 PM » |
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Has there been discussion within the club concerning the DfT consultation document on testing of old cars? It is easy to find on the net and can be replied to on line, by email or by letter. The closing date, I believe, is November 2nd. This is part of the enacting into UK law of Directive 2014/45/EU.The title of the DfT document is Vehicles of Historical Interest - Consultation on exemptions from annual roadworthiness testing. It always helps to actually read these documents. "To be considered Historic, a vehicle should be composed of only original components." I assume that this does not include such obvious consumables as brake and clutch linings, valves and springs, etcetera; all of which must be regularly renewed. There are other considerations with old vehicles (and new ones, actually);, if a connecting rod fails, it will almost certainly cause damage to major engine parts such as cylinder block, sump, pistons and so on, all of which would require replacement if the vehicle were not to be written off. Crankshafts, under normal usage, wear and can only be reground to a limited degree before the journals become too small for safe use. We might assume that such replacement with newly manufactured parts would not change the status of the vehicle, but we may be wrong. It is normal these days to fit modern signalling equipment (flashing indicators). Conversions from cable brakes to hydraulic are common.
So you see that while, on a first reading, it appears benign, on a second look it is rather less so. My brother and I run four prewar cars. All four are in constant use. When annual testing was required by UK law, they passed with no problems. None has ever been involved in an accident during our ownership. Since it is many decades since two of them were last repainted, I have no doubt that they look a little drab. During our use, the Aprilia has had a replacement block and sump and new rods after an original rod broke. Both Morgan three wheeler engines have had new bottom ends using the old rods, one has newly manufactured heads and barrels. All gearbox and bevel box internals have been replaced because they wore out, new "swinging arms' in the Morgan rear suspension and so on. The Frazer Nash has had many parts replaced during its long life. I would expect something similar to be the case with many elderly cars which have led an active life.
Remember that this consultation exercise is part of enacting 2014/45/EU into UK law. In the Directive, 'vehicle of historical interest’ is defined as 'any vehicle which is considered to be historical by the Member State of registration or one of its appointed authorising bodies and which fulfils all the following conditions: manufactured or registered for the first time at least 30 years ago; its specific type, as defined in the relevant Union or national law, is no longer in production; it is historically preserved and maintained in its original state and has not undergone substantial changes in the technical characteristics of its main components.'
That all seems reasonable until you read also in the Directive that member states may exclude certain vehicles from testing. A list then follows of such specialist types as circus and funfair vehicles, forestry, agricultural and fisheries vehicles and so on. What tops the list? This!
"Vehicles operated or used in exceptional conditions and vehicles which are never, or hardly ever, used on public roads, such as vehicles of historical interest or competition vehicles." Your cherished Lancia, if over thirty years old, may be used for parades or driven to car shows where you may sit all day showing it off. Not what I want. But, of course, the FIVA exists to protect us; they will help. Will they?. Patrick Rollet, chairman of the FIVA has given this opinion. “By ‘historic vehicle’, we mean a mechanically propelled road vehicle at least 30 years old, preserved and maintained in a historically correct condition and not used as a means of daily transport. These vehicles are part of our technical and cultural heritage and, in our opinion, should not be lumped together with old, badly maintained cars that are used as cheap, everyday transport, when considering the problem of urban air pollution.” Rich men's toys with an FIVA registration will probably be okay then. We are very very concerned about what appears to be an intention in the EU to severely restrict the use of old cars. We are even more concerned that the FIVA appears to collude with that intention. You may feel that none of this threat is real. That is what Morgan owners with children or grandchildren thought. They hoped to encourage their offspring to drive them. Directive 2012/36/EU denied them that hope until the offspring had passed the motorcycle test for the most powerful class of two wheeler. That meant waiting until they were 24, taking three tests, owning three motorcycles and spending a lot of money. Rather a lot to ask of someone who just wants to drive a three wheeled car. The optimistic majority of the Morgan Three Wheeler Club insisted until the bitter end that Brussels did not mean what they had written. They were wrong. Preparing for the worst makes sense. Once a right is taken from us, it will not be returned.
Please read both the Consultation Document and the Directive. If you think there is a problem, respond to the consultation, write to your MP and MEP and write to Sir Greg Knight, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.
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