Ask an expert

I would like to own a 1930's - 1940's vintage car. Most however have no registration - some lapsing decades ago.

Is it a big expense to get these old cars "legal" again?

Chris

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 12 September 2009

It would depend on the vehicles structural condition and ability to pass a compliance inspection.

While vintage cars do not have to meet the same standards of the modern motorcar, they do have to undergo a structural and safety inspection as part of the compliance process once the registration has expired.

If there is evidence of structural repairs, they must have been done to an acceptable standard so any proof of who or how the repairs were carried out would be beneficial. If some stripping has to be done to confirm the repair standards then the costs could rise considerably.

If you were to purchase a vintage car in need of repairs then you would be wise to make contact with a LTNZ approved repair certifier before the repairs are started and engage them on the required repair standards. An approved repairer would need to sign off the repairs as part of the compliance process and they are sometimes reluctant to do so if they cannot see the repair methods used, or have not been involved in the repairs from an early stage.

The process itself is not that difficult, the hard part is finding a car which is either original (unlikely) or has been restored to a high standard. Or find one which can be restored to the correct standard at a price you can afford.

Once back in the system you can place the registration on hold to avoid the compliance inspection and process again. When you want to bring the registration back to life the car only needs to pass a WoF inspection in keeping with the vehicles age.