Morris Minor Owners Club

I am struggling to get a list of legal requirements of late 1950's cars. ie, seatbelts not needed, the rear indicators can be red, number plate etc.

Does anyone have any links to comprehensive lists? I'd like to know what is tested and to what extent when it eventually goes in for an MOT (exhaust noise level, colour of indicators on front, do the indicators have to be able to been seen from the side? etc)

(I'd also like to apologise for the number of threads I've created in the last week or so )

Many brownie points available for any help!

There is an official Gov site with MOT requirements - i'll leave you to Google for it! I can say for Minors - if it was like that when new- then it's ok today for MOT. So - 50's car I'm sure doesn't need seat belts - but if fitted are tested and can fail the car if not right. Number plates can be black/silver, exhaust is a visual check for smoke emissions - and the noise must not be 'excessive' - but the sytem will be checked for leaks and sufficient hangers - and can fail on either if deficient. Roll on the posts - that's what the forum is here for!

Probably easier to ask specific questions rather than me write everything down, but, as BMC said above, if its original to the car then it will be OK for MOT. Old cars do not have to meet the same standards as modern ones.

The only areas I'm not sure about are the indicators. Specifically, do the indicators have to be visible from the side? Do they have a specific colour for the front (do they need to be amber or can they be white)? Does the flash rate have to be between 60 and 120 flashes per minute?

No. Indicators do not need to be visible from the side
Assuming you have trafficators. Therefore Flashers would be a retro-fit which means they have to meet the modern standards. I.e. amber flash and a reasonable 'tick' rate

Certainly 60/120 is the flash rate. To be honest the tester won't know or care about colour - as long as they flash! And no side repeaters required.

Dan_Harris wrote:No. Indicators do not need to be visible from the side
Assuming you have trafficators. Therefore Flashers would be a retro-fit which means they have to meet the modern standards. I.e. amber flash and a reasonable 'tick' rate

I think flashers were standard on mine (1958, trafficators replaced in 56, please correct me someone if I am wrong). Does anyone know at what date did modern standards became law? (ie pre 1965 cars the rear indicators do not have to be amber)

Anyone know of good MOT testers in south Hampshire that I can start to befriend?

Yours is the same year as one of mine. I have all red rear lenses and white fronts which are flashers and side lighths. It passes MOT's with no problem.... Rear lights on Moggies changed in 64 along with the combined front sidelight/indicator unit.

This is quite a good link! http://www.ukmot.com/index.asp

bmcecosse wrote:This is quite a good link! http://www.ukmot.com/index.asp

Thanks for the link, very very useful site!

The trafficators were replaced in 1961 so a '58 would have had trafficators and no flashers, therefore, strictly speaking the car should have original trafficators or amber flashers made to modern standards.
Only the cars made between 62 and 64 had red at the rear and white at the front

(I'd also like to apologise for the number of threads I've created in the last week or so )

no need to appologise for that, although posting all your technical queries in 'General' and none of them in a technical section may need an appology in future! ;-)
I've moved a few today so no need to worry just now.

Seatbelts not required before 1965, but crazy to drive without them, and if fitted they need to meet the requirements.
Minors didn't have flashing amber indicators until 1963 (or maybe late 62) so before that a flashing sidelight / brake light is ok - however the rules state that original equipment is ok, and there is no disclamer about modifications. Therefore some may argue that, apart from the 1961/62 cars, the flashing brakelight/sidelight does not really meet the rules - but the rules are not clear enough. Either way a flashing indicator is far better than a trafficator for other road users!

Side repeaters (side mounted indicators) not needed until mid 1980's!

Exhaust noise level - A minor exhaust is much louder than a modern car anyway. The rules allow a car to be failed for excessive exhaust noise but as the test station doesn't have a noise meter it is open to interpretation (i.e. a friendly MOT station is a good idea if you want to fit a really loud exhaust).

The only retrofit rule I'm aware of is rear reflectors which were not fitted on the VERY early cars, so had to be added later.

I'm trying to get them in the right places, they haven't all been in the General Section, promise! Some have been in the technical section! (Further Brownie points for any future inconvenience caused by posting in wrong sections! )

I completely agree with the seatbelt comment though, they're currently at the top of my priority (merely using the seatbelts as an example.) I am still reaching for the seatbelt and frantically looking for the seatbelt everytime I get in the car, hehe.

The exhaust noise level is confusing, although custom (q-plated) vehicles have to be under 102 decibels so hoping it'll be ok. I am actually trying to get a quieter exhaust fitted but priority is the seatbelt, the current one sounds lovely but is a little anti-social.

rayofleamington wrote:test station doesn't have a noise meter it is open to interpretation (i.e. a friendly MOT station is a good idea if you want to fit a really loud exhaust).

..or a deaf tester?

This link may prove to be useful too:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm

All the best!

There are a couple of areas where retrospective legislation applies.
Vehicles with fixed windscreens are required to have windscreen washers and all vehicles are required to have double dipping headlights and two stop / tail lights (there may be exemptions for veteran cars) but apart from that the requirements are "as built"
Turning up for an MOT with a clean car sets the tester in the right frame of mind - does not guarantee a pass but he may be more lenient.

mike.perry wrote:There are a couple of areas where retrospective legislation applies,
Vehicles with fixed windscreens are required to have windscreen washers

Really?
Mine both have but I didn't think they had to!

Oh yes they do!

luridhue wrote:Anyone know of good MOT testers in south Hampshire that I can start to befriend?

No but I have always made a point of using MOT'ers with grubby floors/walls/overalls and catalogues etc vying for space with old car parts on the benches. Just feels more "right" for an old car as opposed to the telly in the waiting lounge and complementary rubber plant type, one of which tried VERY hard to fail my brothers old car for having insecure seat mountings, ie the seats tipped for rear access without having a latch to overcome. Took a lot of arguing to get the failure sheet overturned (once an item has failed, it can't then be passed in the same condition....) The old school type testers with (unlit of course) fag in the mouth seem more likely to have that old fashioned, non PC asset called "common sense"