Test drive-no tax?

[minimike]

Somewhat predictably, I am after another Roadster....I'm viewing a private sale one in the morning. The HPi check is good . However it revealed the car is SORN at the moment. I guess that makes a test drive a little bit awkward. So how do I test drive it without any tax?

It is MOT'd and technically I am insured 3rd party on my current car insurance, but that is all irrelevant without road tax. Any ideas?

[lamcote]

As far as I can tell you can't take a SORN car on the road unless it is going to a booked MOT. Also your insurance may well not cover you for driving another car if it is not insured by its owner as well.

I'm not sure there is any (legal) way around it other than the owner taxing and insuring it prior to your test drive. Unless you have access to some private roads.

[minimike]

Thanks lamcote, just been googling it and I think you're correct.

Fingers crossed he lives on a private 'A' road then............lol

[lamcote]

You might be alright if it's being sold by the Queen or a foreign Ambassador?

[minimike]

Well I didn't buy the car. It had lots of good points but ultimately it came down to it not really being 'immaculate' like the ad said. There was a spot of rust where the front wing meets the bumper and a fag burn in the drivers seat. The car had obviously spent a lot of it's time outside stood too. The green tint around the mirrors and all the seals were testament to that. I know I could have made it loads better with some love and attention but decided to wait for a better one to come up.

The low milage 37000 was genuine I'm sure but it was low because it has been sat unused on a drive for a lot of it's life, not because it had been cherished.

Maybe I'm being too picky after all it is 12 years old, but it's hard to forget how nice my old one was when I sold it.

I am struggling to get to grips with the crazy prices that some folk are asking too? Is it because of the time of year?

[smarty72]

Out of interest, what was the asking price for an unloved, but low mileage, MR2?

[minimike]

It was £3700. Red cloth with a service history. I had a good check around the car and there were lots of good points. The oil was clean and the sub frame looked okay too. Interestingly it seemed to be corroded most where it was mounted, not near the exhaust. There was a lot of surface rust on the suspension and other components suggesting to me that it had been kept outside all its 12 years.  The seller would take £3500, it was not too bad but I was a bit gutted that it had been described as immaculate when it clearly wasn't. That was 4 hrs in the car for nothing and a waste of £18 for the HPI check.

Got my eye on a black 03 which does look and sound immaculate, I think £4995 is a bit steep though. Its done 31k FSH. And its miles away.....

[1979scotte]

I would not pay over the odds for low mileage.
Cars that have stood most of thier lives can have issues as much as high milers if not serviced correctly.

[minimike]

I know what you mean.
I wish people would describe there cars accurately! Especially when you are travelling fair way to view.

[Topdownman]

If you want to enjoy the car as it should be then best to factor in new suspension and brake calipers/handbrake cables as part of the purchase as even a late car will most likely need these now.

I agree that low mileage is not that desirable and would suggest that the money saved on a high mileage one would probably pay for a professional rebuild of the engine.

[minimike]

Would you go for a pfl then? Is it possible to find a pfl with a FSH that has not suffered any engine damage? You could then remove the intact pre-cats and the engine would last.
Or is the pfl engine just too risky?

[Call the midlife!]

The issue of FSH has come up a lot lately, mainly disputing their actual value. I know for certain that they're not a difficult thing to fabricate, I mean mine came with pages and pages and a lot of main dealer stuff which ought to be checkable. But what main dealer is going to want the hassle of looking back for 5 year old servicing or longer? And small, independent places could quite easily get away with fabricating a few stamps in your book here and there.
Same with the pre cats, the tide of opinion is turning against worrying about removing them if they're intact as long as the servicing is up to date.
Personally I smashed mine to bits as soon as I bought the car, in the better safe than sorry frame of mind!
I've got an x reg PFL with around 104k on the clock, it uses a little oil and at last service a fortnight since it's showing signs of oil in the plug threads but nothing major.
I'd say the key is to buy the best example of the one that floats your boat, wether it's got service history or not or been to the moon and back.
As previously mentioned, low milers might have been serviced regularly but stood for 8 months a year and that's not much better than being driven all year round and serviced every 18 months.


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[minimike]

I think you have just about hit the nail on the head. I took the pre cats out of my previous car, instant piece of mind. Think I might widen my search, been checking Autotrader, Gumtree and eBay every 20 mins just in case! lol

[Call the midlife!]

I think (unfortunately) you're buying at the wrong time of year too, which you probably already know but can't avoid. I bought mine in February for a good price, probably wouldn't have got it for the same now.


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[minimike]

I'm not in a rush really, but once you get the idea in your head.......I am going to wait for the right one, even if it means waiting for winter.

[Call the midlife!]

I give it a month...[emoji23]


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[Topdownman]

There are a few Mk3s on the MR2OC site for sale in the north maybe worth a look?

[minimike]

I give it a month...[emoji23]


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We are all the same!

I would not bet against you. I did drive the silver one I viewed on Wednesday, great feeling when you get back behind the wheel in a roadster  s:D s:D  

I will have a look on MR2OC, must be the only place I have not looked yet.