Classic Car Tax Exemption

[Black Cat]

What are the thoughts,  if I upgraded my 1977 Spitfire 1500 engine with say one like that which is sold in the club shop with the stage 2 engine with all the bells and whistles on it, is this considered to be a substantial upgrade, which would effect the classification for road tax purpose?

And is there anything specific that I shouldn't do to the Spitfire which would affect the classification for road tax purpose?

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

You will find even fitting a  6cyl.   2.5 wont affect the classification its got to be  wreally substantial to make a change

Pete

[ShaunW]

Nothing affects the road tax as far as I know. It's the mot exemption which is affected by substantial change. But in the case you describe it's a replacement engine rather than a 'substantial change' imo as the number of cylinders hasn't changed and it's an engine that would have been considered 'normal' within 10yrs of production. 

 

 

 

[dougbgt6]

BC,

Tweeking and upgrading the existing engine type is not a substantial upgrade. A substantial upgrade would be dropping a modern V8 into a Spitfire. The onus is on you, when you re-tax the car on line,  you tick a box (or not) that say "is the car substantialy modified". 

db

[ShaunW]

I thought that was just MOTs Doug. Isn't it just 40yrs and you're clear on the tax? 

[dougbgt6]

Uh....yes, you're right, I'm not being clear, they've tied them both together. When you re-tax they ask you about your MOT and substantial modifications.

db

[Colin Lindsay]

15 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

BC,

Tweeking and upgrading the existing engine type is not a substantial upgrade. A substantial upgrade would be dropping a modern V8 into a Spitfire. The onus is on you, when you re-tax the car on line,  you tick a box (or not) that say "is the car substantialy modified". 

db

Adding two complete, whole new cylinders is a definite, substantial upgrade.

If the box is not ticked to reflect this, and you benefit financially from failing to disclose information to obtain free road tax, it becomes fraud.

[dougbgt6]

Colin,

This has been done to death on here already. Something made by the same manufacturer and fitted to other models in their range isn't substantial. So fitting a GT6 or TR6 engine in a Spitfire isn't substantial even if there are two more cylinders. Additionally there is the age proviso, if it was done long enough ago it doesn't count. It's all there in the government documentation, have a look through the old threads.

Doug

[Colin Lindsay]

5 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

Colin,

This has been done to death on here already.

I agree. So why another thread?

I've said all I intend to. I just don't want members to find out the hard way, that what round-the-bar-table reckons is ok, turns out not to be in court or after an accident.

[Black Cat]

In that case I should be OK with an up-rated 4 cylinder engine.

Did undertake a search on here before posting got to about ten pages and gave up. Got loads of post about things which was not relevant to what I was looking for so thought I would ask.

Sorry if I've gone over old ground.

[dougbgt6]

BC,

When you think about it there's very little new on here, EVERYTHING is old ground! 

Here is the last relevant link, which has further links to government documents.

Doug

 

[Black Cat]

Thanks Dougbgt6 and  Pete and all the other contributors to this post.