Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[47p2]

I'm not one for signing petitions but I saw this one which I decided was important enough to add my name to. I hope some of you guys and gals can also sign it and maybe our corrupt government will listen to the motorist instead of the culling of perfectly usable cars which still have many years life left in them. Click here...
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ROVER
One of Britain's Fine Cars

[Ray White]

What is the evidence that good cars are being scrapped because their owners can't afford excise duty? I see none.

The main reason for cars being prematurely taken to the breakers is because of uneconomic repairs. One of the main reasons for this is that manufacturers are producing a recyclable product. Gone are the days when the average guy could keep a car going on a shoestring by maintaining and repairing it by himself.

[Vintage Fly Guy]

Not quite sending it to the scrappers, but getting rid of it due to a high road tax band, yes, I have a friend who did just that with a Suzuki Vitara he bought from an elderly neighbour who was giving up driving. He didn't realise how expensive it would be to tax until he'd bought it, so taxed it for a few months via Direct Debit instalments and sold it at the first opportunity. So yes, it does make a considerable difference to some people.

There's also the apparent inequality of the road tax system; for instance, I have a 2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 as my daily driver (which I've owned since 2007), if I'd have gone for one just 12 months newer then it would have cost me an extra 330 quid per year to tax due to what I consider to be a 'jealousy tax' that the previous Labour government applied to 'executive' cars, saying it was emissions based. The irony is that the later models that copped for 760 pounds tax per year actually produce lower emissions than my 2005 model, which is just 430. Another splendid example of the logic of politicians, eh!

[alastairq]

I have the same costly tax issue with my 2002 Suzuki Grand Vitara [petrol]...If I had managed to get hold of the same vehicle, but a year older, the tax would have been more than half what I pay now.

Diesel engined versions of my 'model year' pay even more tax.

The penalty of suzuki using other folks' diesel engines?


However, I offset the VED monthly payments with low maintenance costs...Or, I like to think so, at any rate.
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[MikeEdwards]