Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) New toy...

OK, I just used Google to look and agree the Black and White looks better than the white front/yellow rear. I guess 95% of MGB's are pre 1/1/80 so not likely they will notice the car and think it looks like it was made after 1980, especially with the bumper conversion. Pity it is not MGB instead of MPM.

But trying to read the rules is a bit confusing, the first letter shows the age, and some other letters show the county. What happens if an old car loses it number plates, do you have to get them specially made to match the year of the car, or they happy to just give you some new ones?

Chris ... you go to an approved car shop with your reg docs and they'll make you one while you wait ... or you can get them made up off the web with the same proof.

K

Ps ... with the old B&W ones there's nothing to stop you painting your own in your shed as long as you stick to the proper sizes and spacing

I've never understood why the government changed the law to allow cars up to 1980 to use B&W plates in the first place, it seems a completely arbitrary date.

Prior to that they were illegal to use on cars produced after 1973 which is when the yellow/white plates became mandatory.

There again I don't understand the government thinking on many aspects of car ownership so I shouldn't be surprised.

Mph .... the use of B&W plates went with the rolling '40 year old register as historic' rules so weren't illegal after 1973 for registered historics .... this went on until someone decided it was an administrative oddity they didn't need and decided it didn't apply any more .... counting 40 years back from that decision made the cutoff 1980.

K

With my paranoid hat on:

B&W plates will make it easy to enforce use restrictions on historic vehicles when they are imposed. IIRC, there are several countries where historics have limitations on use.

While you wait I expect they are not a pressed metal design like here. My front plate got badly damaged in an accident, the panel beater bent it straight but it looked shocking and I half expected to get pulled over for not having a clear to read plate. I had a number plate matching the car for my bike rack that cost $50, I could either get new plates straight away or wait 6 weeks to get ones made to match my old ones for the same price. As I had the bike rack plate I decided to wait 6 weeks rather than have to replace it.

Chris ... laminated plastic for the new style plates and have to have certain printing on them ... the black plates most people go for are pressed aluminium with slightly raised letters/numbers ... I think they look the best (other opinions are available 🙂) ... but they range from that to painted on wood/metal backing to being hand painted direct on the bodywork on some oldies.... never heard of a genuine old black plate car being hauled up for it's plates (tho some modern cars with poorly spaced letters to try and spell a word do get pulled along with too small and 'fancy' plates ... but they're just dead illegal with no question)

Paul ... nothing to stop you putting 'modern' plates on a historic as far as I know (unlike the other way round) ... though I think if there was to be any restriction rolled out the plates would just flag up as 'registered historic' on the cameras for enforcement purposes by number irrespective of the style.

No sign of any restrictions here so far (though who knows if some green politicians sense an easy headline?) ... some other countries do have restrictions I believe and you could see the likes of the German carmakers strongarming their Govt into banning all cars over 5 years old to keep their sales up 🙂

K

TBM
That looks a cracking car. On chap on the base where i work has one. It's never let him down. Be good to hear what DaveW has to say, being an old MG fellow.

She's home!

Eventful drive - the previous owner never used her in the rain. Had he done so, he would have found at that after 2 minutes of use, the wiper blades launch themselves into the opposite carriageway. Thankfully, same fitting at the Mog, so have some spares in the shed.

Also, got one of those appalling Accuspark ignition modules. Got 30 miles into the journey and got a massive misfire (again, previous owner hadn't done much more than 15miles at a time - just local usage). Cooled her down and then got another 10 miles, Repeat times 4..

Will order a H&H like I've got in the Mog, and see if I can get some points and condensor to swap in tomorrow......

Great news and well fielded, now your fun begins