Another Broken up car??

[Ian Williams]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1933-Austin-S...2664824673

Seems a shame if it is, whats there looks to have been on the road recently, is it me or have the change's to the UK licensing laws encouraged more and more of this sort of thing.

[Mike Costigan]

It was a blue saloon in 2013, so it's certainly lost its body within the last few years; if anything, DVLA has made it harder, not easier, to retain a vehicle's identity once major components are changed. There has been a noticeable increase in eBay listings of part-completed hot rods in the last year as people have realised they may not be able to register the finished vehicle; a lot of them don't appear to sell ...

[JonE]

I recognised the seller name, and its interesting he has registered a separate 'cars' ebay address recently to the one which sells all the high value parts...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-7-Seve...SwBjdaJsya

[Ian Williams]

I thought the abolishment of the MOT meant that if you have a valid V5 you can put just about anything on the road. I was also of the impression that if you can no longer build a car up from parts and be given an ager related plate, you just buy a cheap saloon with V5, break it up and the worlds your oyster for another LWB Ulster rep.

[Tony Betts]

Hi IAN,

You are half way there.

With a modern V5c and an Ulster body you can get it on the road, but the v5 will still say saloon.

We are yet to see what the DVLA does about that in the future.

If you want it legal it's not so easy.

Even if you go by the rules and deserve the changes to the v5. The DVLA are understaffed to put thing right. And putting the paperwork right can be very stretched out.

Even for something as simple as changing the taxation class from not eligable to historic can take an age.

The thread on this got very strung out, and complicated. Just like the DVLA themselves.

Tony.

[Ian Williams]

Thanks Tony, being half a world away makes it hard to fully appreciate the current situation in the UK, I have always considered it to be a backwards step deregulating vintage cars, the days of scrap yards being fully of donor sevens is long gone, yet there seems to be a resurgence of decent cars being broken up since MOTs were abolished. As many of you know I am an avid special builder as well as restorer, however I hate to see complete cars broken up to make a special, particularly if the original car was viable and the resulting special is an ill conceived out of period miss mash. We are blessed in that there are still a lot of parts out there from which specials can be constructed without resorting to vandalism, I guess each to their own, and for every car destroyed the survivors become more valuable! Trouble is we sometimes loose rare cars, the unique Mulliner from a couple or years back, and recently an RG over here are just such examples.

[Erich]

I am quite new to Sevens and to prewar cars in general. It seems that everyone wants a sporting car and there is a dearth of appreciation for something like an RP. Some of it seems to do with value. Value of a particular vehicle shouldn't be measured in terms of its monetary value at a particular time. As these vehicles are very much examples...operating time capsules, we should encourage and educate those interested in taking apart a perfectly serviceable car, that there is great historical value in keeping them together. Just my two cents(two pence) worth.

Erich

[Nick Lettington]

Good luck with that view Erich. Recent experience would suggest you'd have more luck herding cats ... I'd never part a car from it's registration number but some folk do. Did I read on the old forum about a German idea to make people responsible custodians of motoring heritage? Sigh... Time to play more Elton John?

[Erich]

Nick, I admit to being a bit of a Luddite. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I have worked with others to preserve architecture of the Modernist period. Lots of fails, and a few triumphs.

Erich in Seattle

[Albert S]

The whole buisness is a disgrace,from the registration number seller to the re storeable vehicle breaker who hides behind the veil of "well it's helping to keep other vehicles on the road" appeal ! Cheapie !
Rileyand Alvis people have been suffering for years and as for Bentleys...but sadly it's a mindset representative of our society,be it the floating of Mutual Building Societies to the sale of utilities, coin a few quid without care to the larger picture.. apologies, rant time over!!
The final draft of the impending new legislation was due in November .. anyone have any knowledge if it having materialised ?