Insuring vehicle for MOT.

[chainsaw_masochist]

An elderly friend requires to have his currently SORN vehicle MOT’d. The car is 25 years old, in vgc and appears to be working fine on being started up and driven in and out of the garage several times recently. What would be the easiest way of getting the vehicle legally covered for the purpose of the short journey to the MOT station? Is it essential that a day’s insurance is taken out by the said friend? – this could be unviable as he has not been insured for around four years so any accumulated NCB will have long since withered on the vine. Or would an accompanying friend (myself, say) be able to arrange with their own insurers to arrange suitable cover?

It is intended that once the car is successfully tested that it is then properly taxed and then sold.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

 

[Tigercubrider]

https://www.dayinsure.com/cars/

 

[HERTS P&D]

Get the garage to come and pick it up, they can drive it to the garage and be covered by their own insurance.

Andy

 

[Doggit]

If he doesn't insure it, then it can't be driven on a public road. Yes, you could insure it for him, and then you'd have to drive it to and from the MOT garage. And if there was an accident whilst you were driving it, it would affect your policy, not his. In addition, who would then insure it for the purpose of selling it. If you rely on the third party insurance of any potential buyers, then it wouldn't get repaired if any of them damaged it. And you're friend would have to check their policy before he allowed them to take it for a test drive, because if they didn't have any insurance (heaven forbid) then you friend would get done for the offence of permitting no insurance.

You could check and see if the garage could collect it under their garage policy.

 

[Mottie]

Why tax it before selling it? The tax is not transferable anymore, plus, you'd still need to insure it to tax it. Once the insurance has expired or been cancelled, you must sorn the vehicle.

Only way, as said above, is to get a local garage to collect and deliver but unless it's something particularly exotic, I don't think an mot will add much more than the cost of the mot to the selling price on a 25 year old car. More so if it fails and needs repairs.

Why not just sell it as it is and let the new owner worry about it?

What car is it?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Or your friend could insure it as normal and then cancel the policy within the cooling off period, though an admin fee is likely.

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

You have raised a few points here for consideration here, guys, so thanks for this.

Doggit: Yes, without insurance in his own name he is always going to be compromised with regards a potential buyer requiring a test drive. We will check out the charges for the garage pick-up but our original intention was to use a station that carries out tests alone rather than does the repairs. In view of this we may have to look elsewhere.

FMT: Yes, good point. Cancelling the insurance when sold might work also.

Motman: I did not suggest taxing the car though this may be subsequently necessary. From my own perspective if given the hypothetical choice of two identical vehicles of this age, one with a years MOT the other without but less the cost of the test and possible repairs, then I would favour the tested vehicle. Obviously with you being in the business I certainly value your opinion and it would clearly be more straightforward to sell-as-seen. The car is a 1992 Sierra 2.0i DOHC Ghia Estate (auto) with leather upholstery. It seems that there is a pretty strong market for these vehicles (though others may disagree). Friend’s car has been in a dehumidified garage whilst laid up (the car, not the friend). Take a look at these, though:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Sier...532806?hash=item1c8346b286:g:lZcAAOSwOgdYwxLz

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-SIER...aadf484&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=2&sd=122461532806

 

[Tigercubrider]

What's being asked for a car isn't what it may be worth

I have a Volvo that's 16 years old and I doubt it's worth a grand by now. It's got every bell and whistle

 

[Doggit]

With the number of cameras about nowadays, it's just not worth risking things. You need insurance, tax, and a valid MOT to be able to take a car on the road nowadays

You can go to any garage for the MOT test, and if they suggest it needs any repairs, you are then allowed to take it elsewhere for the repairs, and then take it back for it's retest.

At the end of the day, a car is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it, but I think this needs to be viewed from the point of keeping your friends licence clean, and then be grateful for whatever he gets for the car

 

[Mottie]

Motman: I did not suggest taxing the car though this may be subsequently necessary. From my own perspective if given the hypothetical choice of two identical vehicles of this age, one with a years MOT the other without but less the cost of the test and possible repairs, then I would favour the tested vehicle. Obviously with you being in the business I certainly value your opinion and it would clearly be more straightforward to sell-as-seen. The car is a 1992 Sierra 2.0i DOHC Ghia Estate (auto) with leather upholstery. It seems that there is a pretty strong market for these vehicles (though others may disagree). Friend’s car has been in a dehumidified garage whilst laid up (the car, not the friend). Take a look at these, though:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Sier...532806?hash=item1c8346b286:g:lZcAAOSwOgdYwxLz

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-SIERRA-GHIA-I-5-DOOR-HATCH-1987-PX-SWAPS/262945727281?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140328180637&meid=a998acfe48b44f23824f12a4daadf484&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=2&sd=122461532806

I was under the impression you were going to tax it when you said this in your first post: "It is intended that once the car is successfully tested that it is then properly taxed and then sold."

I note that the cars you give examples of are still unsold so perhaps the owners have too high an expectation of their value but assuming they are a sought after model with a cult/enthusiast following, for cars like that to a specialist collector, an mot is usually the least of their worries because they generally will be enthusiasts and will know the cars inside out and if it's as good as you say, they will snap it up. Have you tried advertising it through an owners forum? Good luck with the sale - I've restored a few classics in my time and it's good to see them still on the road.

 

[DaveHerns]

I've never seen a Sierra with leather upholstery.
I believe that if someone is driving this car under their driving other cars cover ( and this is not always given these days) the vehicle still has to have insurance covering it in the owners name. Otherwise it will come up on the ANPR system .

 

[Tigercubrider]

My insurance only covers me if the other car is insured.
Otherwise kids would insure a milk float and buy a Ferrari to actually drive

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Motman: So sorry about this. It is my own ineptitude I am afraid. This is due to having to currently tax and insure two other vehicles in my charge rather than the vehicle in discussion. What I should have said was that our initial task was to have the car tested and then, subsequently, we can consider getting it taxed in due course.

Yes the cars currently remain unsold so you could well be correct re optimistic values. I will keep an eye on them as there are only a few hours left for both of them. Good point re the owners’ forum, this might be the way to go.

_____________________________________________________

Dave: I have seen leather on the Cosworth variants but I guess it was an extra for this model.

I suspected that this might be the case re the insurance. With this in mind I would certainly have given my own broker the heads-up re our intention to ascertain where we would stand for cover.

 

[Pickup]

Get the garage to come and pick it up, they can drive it to the garage and be covered by their own insurance.

Andy

May not be true, some motor trader policies only cover vehicles which are also insured by their owners. Think it's a bit like driving another car on your own insurance where you've not (usually) got fully comp cover.

 

[DaveHerns]

Values are picking up on Sierras, even non XR and Cosworth variants. An XR4x4 Estate would be nice.