Lord Flashart Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Hi everyone. My Car is finally back in the UK and safely tucked into it's new garage. The first step to getting it on the road is an MOT. Is there any modifications that are necassary to get a former North American 59 TR3A through the test. I know about getting RHD headlights but is there anything else I should change before driving to a test station? Cheers all Flash Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bob-menhennett Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Flash I replaced my lights front and rear , out of necessity I add, on my American imported TR4 to accomodate amber indicator lights. Your TR3A probably has a red indicator light at the rear and white at the front but this is permssable for the MOT because of the age of the car. Two other points check that your Insurance policy ,off road Restoration cover, will cover the trip to the MOT garage and the actual test must be pre-booked in case you are stopped by the Police. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodri Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Has it got windscreen washers? They are needed here for MOT. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Has it got windscreen washers? They are needed here for MOT. Not if you remove the windscreen!! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Has it got windscreen washers? They are needed here for MOT. Not if you remove the windscreen!! Stuart. Yep, fit areoscreens, you know it makes sense!! Cheers Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted February 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Cheers guys, The car will need windscreen washers then (alas I have no aero screens yet!). How were are they fitted on the tr3? It has washer jets but thats about all of the system that is in place. Is there meant to be a dash mounted switch? Flash Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 (edited) If you don't fancy removing the screen, you should be able to get all the bits you need (bottle, bracket, manual pump, tubing and tee-pieces) either individually or as a kit for around £20-£30 from the usual TR (or even MG ) suppliers. It's a lot cheaper than buying aero-screens and the manual pump will probably be useless in real life (mine are) but good enough as a quick fix to get it through an MOT. Edited February 3, 2008 by BrianC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vivdownunder Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Hi Flash, If MOT testers look at the same things as our Roadworthy Certificate testers, items closely inspected (apart from the obvious such as rust, brake pads, tyres, lights, wipers, exhaust etc) are Oil leaks No faded tail light and indicator lenses. Chipped windscreen (critical on the driver's side) Wiper blades Rubber boots attached to all ball joints (suspension and steering) Steering play Disc rotor thickness No fraying of seatbelts (if fitted) Correct adjustment of front wheel bearings Good luck with it, Viv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Andrew - Did I read somewhere that your TR may be spending the rest of its (your) life in France ? About 1995, when I spent a day with about 25 members (and their TRs) of the TR Register France and I got a ride in a red TR5 from Chateau Versailles to Chateau Fontainbleau, I was looking at the sidescreen cars and noticed that the brake/clutch fluid reservoirs were all transluctent plastic. Most had retrofitted these from Renaults in scrapyards to comply with the Normes des MInes et Energie. I don't know why the French MOT is operated by the Department of Mines. To comply, thay all had to have a reservoir that was plastic where you could see the fluid level without having to take off the cap. If you are moving to France, check with the Group leaders there about the requirements to import a car to France. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifrog Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Andrew - Did I read somewhere that your TR may be spending the rest of its (your) life in France ? About 1995, when I spent a day with about 25 members (and their TRs) of the TR Register France and I got a ride in a red TR5 from Chateau Versailles to Chateau Fontainbleau, I was looking at the sidescreen cars and noticed that the brake/clutch fluid reservoirs were all transluctent plastic. Most had retrofitted these from Renaults in scrapyards to comply with the Normes des MInes et Energie. I don't know why the French MOT is operated by the Department of Mines. To comply, thay all had to have a reservoir that was plastic where you could see the fluid level without having to take off the cap. If you are moving to France, check with the Group leaders there about the requirements to import a car to France. Don, The service de mines is actually part of the DRIRE which as part of its brief has vehicle type approval duties. One bizzare twist of fate is that although they were sold in France neither the Tr3A or the TR4A were ever type approved in France just the TR3 and the TR4 of which these cars are variants as far as the french authorities are concerned. The only time this causes a problem is when you import a car as the disk brakes in a TR3A and the IRS on a 4A mean that they do not actually conform to the vehicle type approval and need single type approval. This sounds worse than it actually is as normally common sense comes into play during the inspection by the DRIRE (or service des mines) and apart from a few very minor modifications ie the brake fluid resovoir not a lot is needed. Howerev it can take quite a while to get an appointment. There is another way to register an imported car over here which is much simpler and from 1 Jan 2009 has no implications on how the car can be used, that is to register the car as a voiture de collection. In theory at the moment this limits you to using the car in your home department and the departments that border your department unless you notify the prefecture that you are leaving this area in writing 7 days in advance ( a simple matter of sending off a precompleted chit or form). However the Gendarmes have better things to do than inforce this rule and if you are ever stopped by them it is more likley they want to have a look at you car from an enthousiasts viewpoint than as a Law enforcement officer. From Jan 1 2009 the usage restrictions are scheduled to be removed from all cars registered as Voitures de Collection. I have registered a number of imported cars for Friends so if you need a hand drop me a line and I can give you chapter and verse Cheers Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Flash, the only thing I would add is that I believe that any "extras" which have been fitted which are testable items in later cars have to be serviceable. Most obvious example is seat belts. You don't need them for a '59 car but if fitted they have to be serviceable. I believe the same logic applies to such things like a hazard light switch. If the switch is fitted the indicators must work as hazard llights. If therefore there are any redundant/unserviceable upgrade items on your car which would be testable items on a newer car I would remove them before the MoT. I don't know where you are based now but it may be worth checking with any other local classic car owners if they use a particular garage local to you as ones that MoT older cars on a regular basis are much more knowledgeable about old cars. For example they know tapered wheel bearings need a little play to work properly whereas an examiner with a modern car mindset will fail any play at all due to the different design. They may also have to have the fly off handbrake explained to them otherwise they can't get the car on the ramp ! I even had one looking for the condition of rear upper suspension mountings in the boot of my TR4. Good luck. Trevor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Some young MoT inspectors nowadays even need to have the fact that it has a seperate chassis explained to them as well!! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Andrew - Did I read somewhere that your TR may be spending the rest of its (your) life in France ? No Don, it’s not in my immediate plans - it's still full of the French! ) But I will be looking to buy a place either there or Italy in the coming years Cheers Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Full Of French, Andrew you must be joking If you go to the Dordogne or Lot you probably find more British than French people and some of them even drive TR's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 There is a town in the Dordogne where the population for the last 200 years was stable at about 400 citizens. In the last 10 years this has risen to 1700 population. All the newcomers are Brits, selling fish & chips, selling marmalade, British Ale and all the other goodies from the shops and pubs they own on the "rue principale" (High Street). Items that these "immigrants" enjoyed before they left UK. In fact I have heard that it's called "Dordogneshire" !!!! And during the 100 years war (circa ???) between France and England, this area was controlled by the English. I'm not an expert in geneology, but the rumour is that if they tested the French in that area for DNA, they are all related to the English. Those English soldiers were not bored for a moment during those 100 years with all those lovely French damsels to behold and more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Full Of French, Andrew you must be joking If you go to the Dordogne or Lot you probably find more British than French people and some of them even drive TR's The Brit invasion is all the more reason to avoid France then Jean, particularly the Northern areas. Joking apart, I do have a soft spot France but further down, and we're off there later this year for a break with friends who are buying a place at Megeve - I might even trundle down in TRK if I can talk Bev into it. Did I read you’re going to LM08? I'm going (Baldrick is my co-pilot) with Duncan Jolly and about 14 cars from the Camb Followers Group. We're camping at Maison Blanche again, so it would be good to catch up and share a few beers. Cheers Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 There is a town in the Dordogne where .................All the newcomers are Brits, selling fish & chips, selling marmalade, British Ale and all the other goodies from the shops and pubs they own on the "rue principale" (High Street).................. Yet even more reason to avoide that part of France............. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Flashart Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 (edited) Cheers trevor, Very useful information. The car is luckily completely standard so I should be OK. I'll let you all know how I get on! Flash Edited February 5, 2008 by Lord Flashart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Yes Andrew, I have booked with the Register, so shall I take some Belgian beer along Megeve in the Savoy if I remember well, very nice place, close to the mountains, have done some flying in the area when I was young. My second home is further south, not far away from Perpignan, must say the Pyrenées are wonderfull also and the sea is only a few hundred meters away Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifrog Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 (edited) The Brit invasion is all the more reason to avoid France then Jean, particularly the Northern areas. Joking apart, I do have a soft spot France but further down, Cheers Andrew Andrew, Dordogne is not very North unless you are spanish . I have thought of moving to the UK but it took long enough to learn to speak french so I dont really fancy having to learn Polish so that I can live in england Alan Dordogneshire United Kingdom France Edited February 6, 2008 by Kiwifrog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 (edited) Andrew, Dordogne is not very North unless you are spanish . I have thought of moving to the UK but it took long enough to learn to speak french so I dont really fancy having to learn Polish so that I can live in england Alan Dordogneshire United Kingdom France Alan As far as I'm concerned anywhere above Orange is in Northern France, including the UK and Poland Cheers Andrew 'Surreyshire' Edited February 7, 2008 by Andrew Smith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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