Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[stevel98]

..and there's me thinking that blue E-Type on the news recently was just another classic restoration!

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/classic-jaguar-e-type-goes-electric

Its a great idea and I hope that a few other classics live on with electric power, as, if I have to commute in an EV, then this would be better than a Nissan Leaf or similar.. Hopefully more derelict classics will find a new lease of life with electric power instead of rotting away because the IC motor's day's are numbered.

[petelang]

It's heresy. Someone should be taken out and shot!
Peter

[Penman]

Hi
I hope they have fitted a sound system to replicate the 6cyl's sounds.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[lowdrag]

Well, having carefully examined the new DVLA proposals for changes next year, it will not be possible to change the engine for an electric motor without having the E-type's chassis number withdrawn and a new 17 digit VIN plate being issued, the car passing the IVA, and a Q plate being issued. If any of you out there have a car that is modified, especially the bodywork, then I suggest you read the consultation document very carefully. It would seem that a vast number of our beloved cars will fall into this tender trap, including mine. A Bentley saloon converted into a Le Mans body? Q plate sir. A DB4 remodeled to be a Zagato? Same thing. Engine modified to give more than 15% more power? Out out, I say! A Geoff Uren Cortina Savage? No chance. And so it goes on.

[BigJohn]

[alanb]

[ukdave2002]

[lowdrag]

Most importantly, my car can score the eight points, but since the body shell has to make up five of the points it will not pass. Here we have not just hot rods but Bentley saloons converted to Le Mans replicas, GT40 replicas, C-type, D-type XKSS replicas (even if they are perfect copies) Bugattis, Austin Seven specials from the 30s, Ferraris, Aston Martins - the list goes on and on. The whole heritage of cars in the UK is being thrown out of the window. Now consider any car of no matter what make; has it the original engine, brakes, steering, has it been modified in any way? We are all in this boat that is sinking fast. Quietly, the DVLA launched a consultation paper, and the FBHVC latched on to this four years ago and have been pursuing the matter ever since. I have had a long discussion with them and the problem goes far deeper than you might think. Take the eponymous Morris 1000. How many have had an engine upgrade to a 1275CC, (let alone the Fiat-engined ones!) how many have fitted Spridget brakes? The car is now modified and not original. My E-type was changed years ago from the three-pot to four-pot calipers. Makes the car safer, but it is classified as modified. Apparently, and this is a statistic I didn't know, Triumphs form 4% of the historic vehicles existing and they reckon that 90% of their cars are modified in one form or another. We are all going to be caught in one way or another by these new regulations written by burocrats and not engineers. UNESCO class things of historic interest (and this includes cars) as anything over 30 years old, a definition that has been accepted in France for classic cars, but not in the UK. I could go on, but I suggest you take a look at the FBHVC web site and drop them an email quoting as many examples as you can. They have a meeting with the government officials Tuesday. To save you looking, here is the link:-

http://fbhvc.co.uk/about-us/news/

[Paul fairall]

[BigJohn]

I'm intrigued as to how the relevant Gov. Dept. will work out the 15% power increase.

"Oh I say, that engine looks bored, stroked, and with a warm camshaft too, we must put it on a Dyno forthwith"?

I think the logistics of that won't work. I have a Mk1 Escort with a pushrod engine with 1100 on the rocker cover, ignoring visible external tuning parts a Kent engine looks the same across the board (an 1100 could be a 1300 or a 1360, a 1600 could be a 1700 or a 1760). Heads, Carbs etc. are interchangeable, inc. rocker covers.

How would a modern mechanic know the difference across all the makes of vehicles needed to be inspected? How would he know if my car had 1100/1300 suspension legs and brakes, or 1600 Mexico/RS2000/Capri 3 litre ones fitted? Am I meant to admit these things, old vehicles have had so many changes and modifications whilst in the bangernomics phase of their lives how would anyone know except an expert. This is excepting certain classic cars which tend to only need specific parts, Main stream family cars like Fords aren't included in that grouping

[petelang]

Probably in league with the Insurance companies, who, let's face it, would love to find any reason not to pay out a claim in the event of "something happening" even if not your fault, who could insist on full disclosure of every aspect of modification, possibly even refusing to insure you unless the car was inspected, tested, whatever.
As everything is on the insurance database you would not get far without ANPR flagging up uninsured vehicles.
All part of the blending together of State departments and good old private business to help certain companies increase their profit opportunities.
OK, I'm cynical but........
Peter

[lowdrag]

[Paul fairall]

The 15% increase is a grey area difficult to enforce unless you remove your 30hp sidevalve and fit a 5.7 Chevy v8, a bit of a giveaway.
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1957 ford popular

[Paul fairall]

[ukdave2002]

Is this a regulation that will be implemented retrospectively ?