OK anyone know the answer to this...

THe Mazda needs new shock absorbers and they have been on order for a couple of weeks. They have now arrived and were being dispatched, along with other bits and bobs today so should arrive tomorrow.

Trouble is my MOT and Car Tax run out tomorrow and the new shocks need to be fitted before I can get an MOT and, subsequently, the tax.

So... is there a "grace period" whereby I do not need to SORN the car for Car Tax purposes and can I drive the car to the garage for the bits to be fitted (given that it will have no MOT or Car Tax and hence probably no insurance)????

I think the answer is 'yes' and 'no'

You can drive to an MOT testing station without a current MOT providing you have booked an appointment to have it tested that day.

You can't have the car on the road without a road fund licence. As you say, no licence on the road means no insurance cover.

Yep I've just done a trawl of the DVLA website and that appears to sum it up. If I SORN the vehicle now I'll not get clobbered for a fine but will be able to drive to a pre-arrange MOT test (fotunately the garage fitting the suspension can also do the MOT).

Thanks

you CAN drive without an MOT or road tax, if you are travelling TO a PRE-BOOKED MOT station for an MOT , or returning home from 'said' place after, or travelling to a garage after to get the car repaired...... the car MUST be insured though.....

if you cannot prove the MOT station was expecting you ect (or you were going the other way ect) you will be prosecuted......

edit: sorry if this was already covered

Ok sound.

So last night I SORNed it and gues what arrives in the post this morning?...

Anyhow at least they are now here and I can get it booked in for both fitting and MOT and hence be covered (It's insured OK).

One thing that does puzzle me though is that without tax I'm allowed to drive it AFTER a failed MOT to get it repaired, but I know it is going to fail without repair (hence making the arrangements to fix it albeit caught out by timing) but do not appear to be allowed to drive it to get it repaired BEFORE an MOT...???

Thanks anyhow

lol... not sure about that one...... can you get it repaired at a garage that does MOT's? that way you can have it booked in on the system for an MOT when you taker it up there for repairs.....

lol... not sure about that one...... can you get it repaired at a garage that does MOT's? that way you can have it booked in on the system for an MOT when you taker it up there for repairs.....

That seems to be the way round the situation.

Just to confirm the rules: Under Part 2, Section 22 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act (Vera) 1994, there is an exception for a vehicle to travel to and from a testing station for the purpose of a pre-arranged MOT test. The exception (ie not having a road fund licence) is only afforded whislt a vehicle is in use for the purpose of testing and does not apply if it is merely kept in the road.

Also, but not written into the regulations!, is the fact that not everyone is technically minded and would know that their car might fail!

Aha - good thinking Batman - I've just checked and the place fitting the shockers can also do the MOT (although it is not the one I would normally use) so that appears to be the way to sort it.

Thanks

You can also drive a car without a number plate or registration document to an MOT station for a pre booked test but it has to be insured (try getting insurance on a car with no number plate and possibly no chassis number ) .I have done this 3 times for kit cars and got stopped once by a beat bobby who insisted I had to have a number plate ,he than called a traffic car who explained the rules to him and had a good look at the car (petrol head )