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Q Plate or not
Greenie - 31/5/14 at 09:23 AM

Hi people, looking at purchasing a Westfield, and the one I have my eye on is registered on a Q Plate, I have always had this stigma in my head about avoiding these plates, what is your opinion on these...... The car is stunning and with a late Zetec engine, which really appeals to me, should the Q reg is a deterrent?

Greenie


daviep - 31/5/14 at 09:27 AM

No problem


StevieB - 31/5/14 at 10:03 AM

My Q plate westy is fine - in fact a lot of people have said its one of the cleanest westy's they've seen. At the end of the day, it's how well the cars built and maintained that makes it good to drive. The license plate is just a bit of plastic stuck on the car.

I think it has less of a stigma attached for kit cars than it would for a tin top.

[Edited on 31/5/14 by StevieB]


prawnabie - 31/5/14 at 10:05 AM

Its ignorance and confusion that makes people shy aways from Q plates. As long as the car is kosher and is built to a standard you find acceptable it will be fine. The only disadvantage is not being able to put a private plate on, but this is more that made up for my the fact the emissions testing at MOT is basically a visible smoke test.


craig - 31/5/14 at 10:05 AM

I dont know why people get so hung up on it, its only a numberplate after all. If all the components used were of a good quality and it was well built it wouldnt bother me.
Resale may be affected though as most people dont like them.


Greenie - 31/5/14 at 10:13 AM

Thanks everyone, you have all made me make my mind up and go for it, feel so much better now.......


Slimy38 - 31/5/14 at 10:36 AM

The only time I wouldn't have a Q plate on a kit car is if the kit car was a top end one, Cobra or Ultima for example. But if I had the money for one of those, I wouldn't be scrimping on parts!!

I might also look at avoiding a Q plate for some of the replicas, for example Mev's Replicar. OK, the kit will never fool anyone who knows cars, but it seems a bit daft to aim for the look of a historic car and then declare to the world that it is a kit car. (Yes I know 'Q' does not mean 'kit', but lots of other people do think that)

But on a Seven? No problem.


Smoking Frog - 31/5/14 at 10:58 AM

Being an old git I always thought Q = inferior. Kit cars were not always at the cutting edge. For me it's difficult to overcome those first impressions. In reality the only downside seems to be a private plate cannot be fitted. As a plus easier emission test at MOT time (could be wrong here but is it just a visual smoke test).


twybrow - 31/5/14 at 11:54 AM

I wanted a Q - it is ageless, so people judge on specification and condition rather than a preconceived idea of age. Also, I love that as long as mine doesn't belch smoke, there is no further emissions test at MOT time - a real plus not having to put the Cat back in each year.


K13JOB - 31/5/14 at 05:17 PM

Personally I would be more worried about a recent Kit with a non Q plate as it is likely to be incorrectly registered and potentiality liable to be crushed if pulled over by Mr plod.


daviep - 31/5/14 at 07:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by K13JOB
Personally I would be more worried about a recent Kit with a non Q plate as it is likely to be incorrectly registered and potentiality liable to be crushed if pulled over by Mr plod.


Why would a kit NOT carrying a Q plate be likely to be incorrectly registered?


K13JOB - 31/5/14 at 10:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daviep
quote:
Originally posted by K13JOB
Personally I would be more worried about a recent Kit with a non Q plate as it is likely to be incorrectly registered and potentiality liable to be crushed if pulled over by Mr plod.


Why would a kit NOT carrying a Q plate be likely to be incorrectly registered?


It was common practice just use the reg from an old car so you end up with some very strange two seater open top Ford Escorts or Minis and such like or at least that's what is says on the V5. Apart from anything else, how would you explain to an insurance company that the car you say you want to insure is actually something completely different?

Of course a properly registered car described in the V5 that truly complied with the relevant doner vehicle rules at the time is another matter, just beware.