the law with engine conversions

[Martin_172]

asking on behalf of a mate, whats the law with driving a car with a non factory engine thats not on the V5 or insurance

obviously it will void your insurance, but does it only void your insurance when the company states its void (so you cant get done for driving with no insurance if the police were to stop you?)

also is there any way it wont pass an mot?

 

[Els]

It has to be declaired to the DVLA and insurance if you want to do it legally.....

 

[b3nje]

if they stopped you and noticed you had a V12 in your nissan micra i think they'd be a bit suspicous

 

[AlexS]

asking on behalf of a mate,

Are you sure?! This is like when Lusty asked about the neons!
I reckon you would get done for driving without insurance as it would be invalid, and they wouldn't pay out in the event of a crash. Having said that if you crash it bad enough they probably won't be able to tell what engine it had in it!
The documentation probably wouldnt prevent it from passing the MOT, although if you took the 1.6 sticker off it might get away with it!
You may also get done for driving without tax as the price of tax for a 1.2 is alot cheaper than that of a 1.6 or 2.0.

 

[Timmay]

^^ yep

 

[J203425]

the fact is how many times have you had your bonnet popped by the police?
In seven years of driving I've been stopped hundreds of times and not once have they looked at my engine! Fair enough if they have to chase a corsa at 140mph they might get suspicious. As for the mot they have no interest in what engine is in it as long as the vehicle is roadworthy.

 

[Martin_172]

ive been stoped 3 times in the last 3 years, all 3 times the bonnet has been popped, not sure what they check tho! they done every car they stopped tho not just mine! is wasnt normal traffic cops tho they had VSOA jackets on!

even if you put a 2.0 16v in a 1.2 clio tho you still pay the tax price for the 1.2!

is doing this sort of thing actually illegal tho or is it only illegal once you crash and the insurance company turn round and tell you to f**k off?!

 

[Middo]

you dont pay the tax for a 1.2, you pay the tax for a 2.0 as your car has to be re-registered as a 2.0.

if you stick a lump in and tell your insurance company without telling the dvla then you will be liable for having no road tax. so not worth the risk imo

 

[cliohybrid]

the fact is how many times have you had your bonnet popped by the police?
In seven years of driving I've been stopped hundreds of times and not once have they looked at my engine! Fair enough if they have to chase a corsa at 140mph they might get suspicious. As for the mot they have no interest in what engine is in it as long as the vehicle is roadworthy.

can you say emisions?


the toloerence is different for every model of every liter i think.
emisions that 1.2 give out will/should be lower then a 2 liter.
that why the tax difference.

 

[Martin_172]

jon_16v (think thats his username) only pays 1.2 tax on his 2.0 hybrid because that engine wasnt used in that model of car so it doesnt have a tax band or something i remember reading that here a couple of months back

 

[Middo]

tax bands are more to do with engine emissions than anything else so dont really see how what it looks like has much to do with it tbh

 

[Martin_172]

no its not to do with what it looks like its just the F4R engine wasnt avalible in the dynamique model range so they dont have anything to go by when it comes to taxing the car so it stays the same.

 

[lusty v-tec]

asking on behalf of a mate,

Are you sure?! This is like when Lusty asked about the neons!
I reckon you would get done for driving without insurance as it would be invalid, and they wouldn't pay out in the event of a crash. Having said that if you crash it bad enough they probably won't be able to tell what engine it had in it!
The documentation probably wouldnt prevent it from passing the MOT, although if you took the 1.6 sticker off it might get away with it!
You may also get done for driving without tax as the price of tax for a 1.2 is alot cheaper than that of a 1.6 or 2.0.

, yep I know that trick all too well. lol

 

[Has]

no its not to do with what it looks like its just the F4R engine wasnt avalible in the dynamique model range so they dont have anything to go by when it comes to taxing the car so it stays the same.

surely the 172 was available in the clio range ?
(be it a RS model)

It would be more to do with emissions output as well really.
When you re register the engine and say where it has come from the computer will automatically change everything related to it.

ie, tax classification * estimated exhaust output etc....

 

[Capture_db]

so can you legally put a 2.0 in your car and as long as u tell the dvla and ur insurance your 100% legal

 

[Middo]

simple answer.... no.

 

[Patrick1964]

"In seven years of driving I've been stopped hundreds of times" - WTF ??? no offence, but maybe some driving lessons or a chill pill are in order :dapprove:

 

[16v_jon]

When i changed my engine i called the DVLA and they stated that the tax band stays the same as it goes off the car and not the engine. my car is still a clio extreme 16v and they take that as final along with its emissions for the tax band. mines been done now for 2 years and has had 2 mot's via the new computerised test and no issues. Im still paying £100 tax a year

 

[Storm_Force]

"In seven years of driving I've been stopped hundreds of times" - WTF ??? no offence, but maybe some driving lessons or a chill pill are in order :dapprove:

LOL I was thinking the same thing, may be luck but I have never been stopped. (driving 10+ years)