I want more! Magazine content!

I hope you've all enjoyed the Spring 2025 issue of icsunonove magazine.
The quality of the magazine is highly dependent upon contributions from you, the members.
So my thanks must go to Max Willcox, Rob Warren, Sam Read, Richard Morris, and Gareth Lloyd, whose articles made this magazine a good one!
(My apologies to Max for mis-spelling his surname in the mag)

My article cupboard is now bare!
If you have an idea for something for the mag, be brave!
Put finger to keyboard and send it to me.
editor@x1-9ownersclub.org.uk

Including but not limited to -
Me&My X1/9, Humorous/disastrous experiences with an X1/9, My first X1/9, Road trips and tours in an X1/9, Show and Event reports, Motorsport reports, Technical articles from simpler tasks to more involved issues. And anything else that inspires you!

Just words, or words and photos, or just photos - I look forward to you filling my cupboard!

In anticipation
Gomer

Hi Gomer,

I’m so glad that my article made the grade!!
I did email you scans of some original X1/9 sales brochures I have. Did you get them?
The only job I have coming up is a rear brake caliper/piston rebuild. Probably been done to death but I can document it with photos.

Gaz.

Our lovely Editor Gomer needs articles for the next mag to keep him happy.
Please don't let him get upset, and feed him some articles.

I am currently trying to document a few of my straightforward electrical upgrades but will take a little time to access in my car and photograph them etc..

In the mean time the classic car - 40year old car UK government classification as Vintage / etc is of interest to me as my car will reach this point in the autumn.
However from the little research I have done so far suggests that it isn't as simple!
- Do you have to wait until a further year has passed to register it with the DVLA as vintage?
- When do you really not have to pay tax on it?
- What is the process?
- MOT?
- Timeline?
It strikes me many UK owner must have done this or be considering the process,
perhaps one of our members could document the process they have done, pitfalls etc?
A wee article would be valuable and of course non technical / not oily?
What does everyone think?

Yes I think that would be interesting to understand the process and pitfalls.

As always, it will most likely be quite difficult as the government really dont like giving anything away!

Also, I think it might be linked to year of manufacture possibly and not just registration date.

I found it quite simple Andy.

As you say, it is linked to the year of manufacture and can be applied for from the April 40 years after the vehicle was manufactured.

They assume cars registered in the first few days of January were built in the previous year.

My x1/9 was registered on 2nd January 1980, thus built in 1979 so I applied for its historic status from the 1st April 2020 though I didn't bother til June as I wasn't using the car at the time. Now I get an annual letter telling me to apply for the (free) tax.

MOT is optional, but the car must be insured, if not put on SORN.

Here is the relevent bit from the government website. www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles/apply-for-vehicle-tax-exemption .

Ok, but I picked up this on gooogle:

=======================
What cars are exempt from ULEZ?
You may be wondering, ‘Are classic cars exempt from ULEZ?’. Well, you will be relieved to hear that there are a couple of ULEZ exemptions that may fit your beloved car.
In fact, all vehicles built before 1 January 1973 actually qualify as ULEZ exemptions.
However, when it comes to other classic and historic cars, ULEZ charges will only be removed if they have a ‘historic’ tax class status registered with the DVLA.
To successfully have your car’s tax class changed to ‘historic’ and get it qualified as an ULEZ-exempt car, it has to be at least 40 years old. This means that many modern classics, which were made in the 1980s or 1990s, will not count as Ultra-Low Emission Zone classic cars.
If your classic car is nearing the 40-year mark, you need to be careful as ULEZ requirements are different to MOT exemption regulations.
When your car turns 40, you have to wait for that year to finish before you can apply to have your car’s status changed to ‘historic’ and get a ULEZ classic car exemption. An application can then be made from 1 January the next year.
However, the DVLA will not process any applications asking for a transfer into the historic class until 1 April, so your application could be waiting around for a while.
If you’re unsure whether you can get a ULEZ classic car exemption, you can enter your vehicle’s details into the government’s Clean Air Zone Service portal.
You should note that if you are disabled, your car will not be granted an ULEZ exemption. However, you can apply for a ULEZ grace period that extends to 2027. If you do not apply, you will still be eligible for a ULEZ fee.


How do I ensure my classic car isn’t charged?
To make sure you aren’t charged when you drive your classic car, you need to have it registered as a vehicle of historical interest.
To do this, you need to do the following:
• Update your log book
To change your car’s registration, you need to have its tax class altered to ‘historic’. To do this, you need to fill in the applicable section on your car’s log book (V5C Registration Certificate). In Section 1, ‘Change my vehicle details’, write ‘historic’ for your car’s tax class.
You should then sign and date the bottom of Section 8.
Remember: if your car has just turned 40, you need to wait until 1 January the following year before you can apply for this change.
• Fill in a tax application form
You then need to fill in tax form V10 and write ‘historic’ in the tax class section.
• Go to a Post Office
Once you have filled in the above forms, you can go to a Post Office with a tax-issuing facility to check and process your application. You will also need to take along a valid MOT certificate (it must be valid from the first day of the new tax period). If your MOT certificate has expired, you’ll need to fill in form V112.
=========================================

Ok, the above relates to ulez but it does seem to point at historic vehicles and the aformentioned process which seems more prescriptive than just simple and hence my question. Or is this just to be congestion / green exempt???

The process is quite simple, we”ve just done it to our two Alfa’s. First check your car meets the requirements on the UK.GOV website, www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles then Print and fill out form V112 (MOT exemption), declare your car falls into Category R, sign it then take it along with your logbook down to the post office and tell them you want to change it to historic status….they do the rest, they give you a receipt of the request and you sit back and wait for the new logbook to arrive a few weeks…

www.gov.uk/government/publications/histo...t-exemption-criteria

www.gov.uk/government/publications/decla...f-exemption-from-mot

Might be worth putting a short piece about that in the next mag?

Certainly useful info for cars coming up to the 40 year mark. Sadly I have another 4 years to wait

Why did I buy a GF??

Indeed, I have received your scans Gareth, keep them coming!

I’m working on the Summer issue at the moment and it’s going to be thinner than the last 2 mags…unless I get some more content from you good good people.
It doesn’t have to be War and Peace sized, though larger articles are good, it can be as simple as a photo and a sentence or two about your pride and joy!

Ever optimistic
Gomer

I wouldn't take Rosie to London anyway, but putting her reg into the ULEZ thingy shows I would beed to pay although she's historic according to the V5, so I wouldn't trust the system to work properly.