Track Car - MOT

[Cup_Phil]

I know a lot of people on here are worrying about the new MOT laws and how it affects track cars

Well I've just had mine done and it passed!
I know I can only speak relative to the MOT'er who did my work - but basically my car is running ITB's, a Group N Exhaust with 200cell sports cat, Omex 600 with all the standard dash lights disabled as it lights up like a christmas tree otherwise

Got the MOT station and the guy drives it in and asks "Is this a track car?"
I say yes and explain it mostly lives in the garage but I occasionally drive it around at weekends if the weathers nice
"OK I'll test it as a track car then" - good start!!

45mins later he's back. The car flew through the emissions test, virtually zero, which for ITB's and a Group N exhaust I'm gobsmacked about
It also flew through the braking test - even the rear showed nearly double the force needed to pass - which being a cup in the past has caused me loads of problems
"It's failed on one thing" he says "your sunstrip is too big - go and take it off and come back" LOL Woooooo!

Took the sunstrip off the car and nipped back - fully passed and only a £30 dent in my wallet. A single advisory on the certificate just says "Vehicle tested as a track car" which he said covers his arse if I go off driving like a tw*t on the road lol

Win!

 

[Gandi69]

So theres two sets of MOT standards effectively? Road and track?

 

[Scrooge]

Never heard of that before.

 

[Revels]

Surely it being a track car or not, has absolutely no bearing on whether it's safe to drive on the roads?

 

[Scrooge]

Exactly it's either road worthy or it's not.

 

[MarkCup]

Sounds to me like your car would have passed 'either' test if there is such a distinction.

Does yours have fixed buckets and a replacement wheel/no driver's airbag?

 

[Cup_Phil]

Fixed buckets. All airbags removed. Harnesses.

Its the same test it's just that he said the bits where it's left to the testers discretion he would be a bit
more lenient as its not a daily drive. top bloke really

 

[MarkCup]

So airbag removal being an instant failure (as I understand the new regulations mean) is left to the testers discretion?

 

[Martin.]

This is good to know, thanks for the OP.

Out of interest, what's a group N exhaust?

I'm planning on tracking mine, and was a little concerned with sports cats etc getting through the MOT ok.

Also, do you know how close you are to the maximum noise level on tracks? Normally its about 100DB I think.

Cheers

 

[Wests Renault]

Thought an MOT was an MOT, didn't realise there was a 'track car' MOT....

It either complies by VOSA's standards or it doesn't surely?

 

[Will.]

What happens if you crash on the road and your insurance sees that it was MOT'd as a track car? Genuine question btw, not flaming.

 

[Cup_Phil]

Thought an MOT was an MOT, didn't realise there was a 'track car' MOT....

It either complies by VOSA's standards or it doesn't surely?

Correct. What I think he was trying to say, as I've explained, is the parts of the MOT that are left to testers discretion (ie. has an airbag been removed, are all the lights working that are supposed to be) they were a little bit more flexible with as I don't use the car every day

What happens if you crash on the road and your insurance sees that it was MOT'd as a track car? Genuine question btw, not flaming.

It's just an advisory - the car is fully MOT'd so it won't make any difference to the insurance

 

[pastieman]

The new regulations had not come into force as of yet hence why it passed... They have given 3 months grace so start seeing failures in April.... The new items to check and fail are not even on the mot system they are waiting to get everyone who is a tester on to a seminar to make sure everyone is updated to what the new regs will be!!!
Then a special notice will be sent to the testers when I comes into place !!

I go to seminar on the 8th of march

 

[Tunst]

If its a Track car most testers will see it as "If its not there it cant be tested" Usually they will advise the things that aint there just to keep vosa off their backs if something happened others will just leave it..

We have a couple of VW's that have removed the ARB for more "lowz" they just get advised on having no ARB

 

[mattypy282]

dont the new rules mention the air bag and abs light not the actual air bag its self. as long as these lights are off then it should pass.
i hope so as i have a omp wheel

 

[SBV116]

Did used to have this query when i was MOT'ing kit cars etc, they have some random rules.

 

[jenic]

The new regulations had not come into force as of yet hence why it passed... They have given 3 months grace so start seeing failures in April.... The new items to check and fail are not even on the mot system they are waiting to get everyone who is a tester on to a seminar to make sure everyone is updated to what the new regs will be!!!
Then a special notice will be sent to the testers when I comes into place !!

I go to seminar on the 8th of march

Thats good news, mine is due at the start of April, so will get it done March

 

[pastieman]

if air bag was fitted as standard under the new rules it will fail...

anyone wants a look at the testers manual here is a link it also includes the new stuff

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/tgi00000001.htm

 

[Gman]

if air bag was fitted as standard under the new rules it will fail...

anyone wants a look at the testers manual here is a link it also includes the new stuff

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/tgi00000001.htm

This isn't strictly true, as cup_phil has found if the car is used in motorsport events or track days it's up the the mot'er to use his/her discretion when it comes to the new SRS related rules. In the seminar for the new rulings coming in it was stated that the tester must be sure it's a vehicle built to a standard for either a motorsport events or track days, this is to stop people with a standard car other than a aftermarket non-airbag wheel claiming it's a track car.


It' easy to say a MOT is a MOT but a driver in a car fitted with a full cage, good seats and a properly fitted harness isn't going to benefit from a airbag being in the wheel, where as a driver of a standard car with the airbag removed is much more likely to benefit from an airbag.

 

[pastieman]

Very true garman then again I have never had a track equipped car in for testing so never really had a second thought about it....

Thanks for you input matey as it has woke me up abit lol

When did you have your seminar

 

[Sir_Dave]

I would suggest Phil, that this MOT is similar to the 'engine from pre-1993 car has been fitted' note that allows the tester to test for higher emmissions, ie for de-catted cars. Not overly sure how legal that is, but apparently it works for some people, & probably covers the MOT testers backside if they get inspected.

Quite how you would fit a pre 1993, non-cat engine into a 2005 clio i have no idea.

 

[mattypy282]

dont rally cars have to be road legal to go from stage to stage. at the end of the day an mot is an mot surely. i just dont under stand how they can bring in new rules that affect cars from before the date the rules are brought in. i personal think this is a joke they will using obd tools soon to check if a car has be remapped the way things are going

 

[mark123]

Rally cars need an MoT even on single stage events I think.