Tax Exempt, is it worth it?

[corned]

I must admit, I have spent many idle few minutes trawling the ads for an old Land Rover. Mainly for keeping down the side of the garage ready for any winter emergencies.

 

[khimani_mohiki]

the amount of money you spend finding a good one will write off any saving in road tax, an no 40 year old car has no rust unless its been acid dipped and fully restored.

 

[kth286]

are there not tax concessions for people running 'old' company cars ?

maybe worth a look for those considering such a move - so perhaps a double benefit of nil depreciation and tax relief.

 

[Dieselman]

A (tax exempt) pre-1972 example would be a struggle though.

Hmm..Slightly..

Ok, back to BMW 2002 or Citroen DS then. Look cool, waft in style.

 

[Sp!ke]

There are quite a few brand new zero rated road tax cars nowadays.

 

[bolide]

There are quite a few brand new zero rated road tax cars nowadays.

But... if you could afford a brand-new car you wouldn't be worried about saving £230 / year on car tax, would you?

Nick Froome

 

[Sp!ke]

But the OP was thinking of buying one to shove two fingers up to the government.

Besides, you can buy one for around £99 per month, (so that's two months free immediately on the road tax savings) and then depending on mileage, save considerably more than the purchase price on fuel spend alone.

It makes sound financial sense if you could face commuting in some horrible little eurobox.

 

[bolide]

Besides, you can buy one for around £99 per month, (so that's two months free immediately on the road tax savings) and then depending on mileage, save considerably more than the purchase price on fuel spend alone

That makes sense. More sense than buying a car to stick two fingers up to the Government!

Nick Froome

 

[219]

Really , for those of us who like older cars , the tax issue is of little consequence , although the concession is welcome all the same .

I could have a new car outside the door if I wanted ; I just like what I have .

 

[Dieselman]

I could have a new car outside the door if I wanted ; I just like what I have .

So could I, but find the thought of spending ~$95,000 + tax makes me go weak at the knees.

It would be zero rated for RFL though...

 

[A140driver]

Well, I'm one of the unusual group of people who runs a pre-72 car on a daily basis. My car of choice is a Rover P6. It drives quite a lot like a modern car, it has crumple zones, a terrific heater, performs well in snow, has a large boot, the brakes are superb (4 discs), tyres are cheap, a lot of routine work can be done at home, services are very cheap if you can do them yourself, and, it feels special. Mine is only a 2000 auto, and a V8 would have been preferable, but it's terrific fun. Mine is a 1967, so well within the boundaries set for tax exempt cars. I think part of the fun too, for me, is that because of my age, most people would expect me to drive a typical 19 year-old's car, such as a Corsa or Fiesta. Instead I have a Rover 2000, or use a Merc A-class, and I love both cars.
My P6 wasn't all that expensive to purchase, but, since it was purchased in August, it's had, and this is just some of the work: a recored radiator, all gaskets replaced, new sideplates, a new head, new valves, a carburettor rebuild, a new rear (inboard) caliper, new discs and pads all round, new de dion gaiter, new exhaust, 4 new tyres, various hoses replaced, the list goes on. So far, the car has cost about £3.5k in maintenance alone, excluding insurance, petrol, and the purchase of the car.
A big bonus is that classic insurance can be ludicrously cheap on some cars, it's very unusual for a classic to depreciate, there's a great social side to ownership, and they do make you think further ahead, which probably improves your driving. Owning a classic and running one as a daily will also help to teach you more about the car's mechanical side.
I think I was very unlucky with my car, it hadn't seen very much use in recent years, and to suddenly expect it to do big miles was a big ask, but, a well-maintained, and regularly-used classic shouldn't be much less reliable than a modern. In terms of rust proofing, it's a case of keeping the car properly undersealed, cleaning it religiously, and attending to any rust as quickly as you can.
If you have any further questions on using a pre-72 car on a daily basis, feel free to ask.

 

[kth286]

Yep - you can run a modern Bentley or Rolls - OR an old car like above.

I know which will be more admired - well done to you.

 

[finisterre]

Ah Ha! There is time to practice my paragraphing skills while I read your post. (cf spike getting a bollocking on another thread)

Well, I'm one of the unusual group of people who runs a pre-72 car on a daily basis.

My car of choice is a Rover P6. It drives quite a lot like a modern car, it has crumple zones, a terrific heater, performs well in snow, has a large boot, the brakes are superb (4 discs), tyres are cheap, a lot of routine work can be done at home, services are very cheap if you can do them yourself, and, it feels special.

Mine is only a 2000 auto, and a V8 would have been preferable, but it's terrific fun. Mine is a 1967, so well within the boundaries set for tax exempt cars. I think part of the fun too, for me, is that because of my age, most people would expect me to drive a typical 19 year-old's car, such as a Corsa or Fiesta. Instead I have a Rover 2000, or use a Merc A-class, and I love both cars.

My P6 wasn't all that expensive to purchase, but, since it was purchased in August, it's had, and this is just some of the work: a recored radiator, all gaskets replaced, new sideplates, a new head, new valves, a carburettor rebuild, a new rear (inboard) caliper, new discs and pads all round, new de dion gaiter, new exhaust, 4 new tyres, various hoses replaced, the list goes on. So far, the car has cost about £3.5k in maintenance alone, excluding insurance, petrol, and the purchase of the car.

A big bonus is that classic insurance can be ludicrously cheap on some cars, it's very unusual for a classic to depreciate, there's a great social side to ownership, and they do make you think further ahead, which probably improves your driving. Owning a classic and running one as a daily will also help to teach you more about the car's mechanical side.

I think I was very unlucky with my car, it hadn't seen very much use in recent years, and to suddenly expect it to do big miles was a big ask, but, a well-maintained, and regularly-used classic shouldn't be much less reliable than a modern. In terms of rust proofing, it's a case of keeping the car properly undersealed, cleaning it religiously, and attending to any rust as quickly as you can.

If you have any further questions on using a pre-72 car on a daily basis, feel free to ask.

Snap! this was my first car too. Mine was grey with brown leather and I also wanted a bigger engine.

Excellent car. I would love to look round it sometime if you ever attend a meet.

 

[Dieselman]

I think the 2200TC was a good compromise car for the P6, more wieldy than a V8, more poke than a 2000SC

 

[Oli]

I wouldn't say no to a Shelby Cobra, free tax and all.

 

[A140driver]

I think the 2200TC was a good compromise car for the P6, more wieldy than a V8, more poke than a 2000SC

The 2200TC is indeed a great compromise, but unless a car has had an engine swap, there are no tax exempt 2200s.
In the future, perhaps I'd consider changing to a TC head, but at the moment, insurance really restricts me to an SC, and it just so happened that I chose an automatic example.
I shall be on holiday in the lake district with it, in 10 days time, just for a couple of days, with some other friends my age with classics.

 

[Dieselman]

I shall be on holiday in the lake district with it, in 10 days time, just for a couple of days, with some other friends my age with classics.

Taking some older Women away are you..

 

[A140driver]

Who said anything about the women being older?

 

[Deleted member 11979]

We have a 72 Series 3 LWB Land Rover.

I was swayed to it as it was tax exempt, although the fact that it required a galvanised chassis more than offset any saving!

I love driving it, it is so different than any modern car, even a new Defender (they only look the similar) that it is a bit of an adventure every time I use it.

Very reliable, cheap to run, and going up in value. Also, useful and makes people smile (well, this is Devon)

We also have a 73 Range Rover. The difference in value between ours and a tax exempt one is huge! So huge that specialist dealers in Mews Style Showrooms in London doctor the identity to make a tax payable one, tax exempt.

However, for a kid transporter I choose something with all the safety acronyms and plenty of air bags. A 30 year old crumple zone will be all but useless compared to a modern one (not that a Land Rover has a crumple zone)

 

[dinoy]

also remember that is the reason why tax exempt w107 commands double that of non tax exempt due the builtin saving in road tax and road tax will go up to £500 if this government has its way on engines larger than 3 litre.