Imported car, failed mot, questions

Guess the question kayak needs to ask him self is ….does he want an mot or does he want a car to sell commercially in the UK market.

At the end of the day it’s a Japanese car not a UK car.

@murray once again, with feeling, those are Construction and Use related regs, NOT MOT regs which are different. Trail_Rat has already linked to the relevant required standards required to pass an MOT.

Of course C&U are more onerous and the standard to be aimed for but in the short term if it meets MOT standards then it’s “good enough”.

Ok, sorry about the bad info on the reverse lights!
I was just surprised that my van passed without them – the guy said reverse lights aren’t required for MOT. However, it’s a 1992 so there ya go.

To be fair, I have actually fitted reverse lights since then as they’re handy.

I’d put something like this on for the MOT, wired with a switch from the nearest source of power. 30 minutes work once a year if you don’t want it there all the time.

Guess the question kayak needs to ask him self is ….does he want an mot or does he want a car to sell commercially in the UK market.

I want a car that’s road legal and has an mot.

I’d put something like this on for the MOT,

Matches the shape of the car that. Nice 😉

Importer might well have lashed it up just for the first test- mine was all done properly before it was registered but not everyone does that. Nothing legally wrong with that I think? If I’m right, that could give it a legit MOT on the day and then they sell the car without the light but with a legit pass.

submarined
Full Member

Most JDM wagons are full of mad stuff, are you sure they’re isn’t a button that you thought just shot laser beams into the sky or something that’s actually the fog switch?

I was so excited when I found out that the final mystery button operates the parking-stick-with-an-led-on-thingy. The wiring was broken so I’d had 2 mysteries to solve but a quick fix and… stick goes up, stick goes down. Stick goes up, stick goes down. I watched it for way longer than I should have. Then I took a video and showed it to other people. Then I went round to my mates’ place and showed him.

Standard practice to fit aftermarket fog lights on JDM imports. Anyone who deals with them will be well aware of it.

… then they sell the car without the light but with a legit pass.

The Mot just tests the roadworthiness of the vehicle. If it becomes unroadworthy and you know its unroadworthy, then it’s still illegal regardless of cert, as far as I understand it anyway.

When in doubt always remember most fog lights are used incorrectly anyway.

How far away is the importer? Can you take it to them for its MOT?

Warwick-That London.
Nah…

So now you’ve got me on ebay looking for a Nissan Cube. I haven’t seen one for years. The facelift version is actually quite presentable.

I wonder what they’d be like as a van with all rear seats removed.

Just go for the S-Cargo

But I’m surprised it didn’t also fail on the rear wheels being outside the arches

Point to make here is that it has to be the tread of the tyre which is within the bodywork, not the sidewalls or wheels, so that’s perfectly ok.
I know the guy who used to own that car in the OP.

So now you’ve got me on ebay looking for a Nissan Cube. I haven’t seen one for years. The facelift version is actually quite presentable.

I wonder what they’d be like as a van with all rear seats removed.

The Cube is the small 5 seat one, the Cubed is the 7 seat LWB one. Often Cubed are labelled as Cube in adverts.
They aren’t massive as they are based on a Micra IIRC, but I really want one one day, I just love the look of them. And column shift auto -what’s not to like??

Didn’t buy it from Keighley, did you?

I was thinking the same thing – that place with the “questionable” reputation, are we thinking of the same place??

Interesting read here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1808148&i=40

PS Cubes are awesome

Why yes, they really are.

I would only get one in white or mint or another loud color, they look awfully dull in grey.

Point to make here is that it has to be the tread of the tyre which is within the bodywork, not the sidewalls or wheels, so that’s perfectly ok.

Ok or not stretched tires are pretty naff.

And column shift auto -what’s not to like??

I absolutely love driving it to be honest.
It’s so chilled to drive. You just sort of waft about and I reckon the auto gearbox makes you less antsy on the roads.

Very weird though driving an automatic after a manual. Never feels like you’re quite in control of making it go.

Most JDM wagons are full of mad stuff

Made me think of the factory fitted explosive flare mine came with in the footwell. Not sure if I’d ever need it unless lost at sea.

Ok or not stretched tires are pretty naff.

Each to their own. I think most of the cars on the road are naff, including the ones I own.

There are rear light clusters available on eBay/parts places, if you had a UK spec one would it not have a red light space for the foglight? Running a wire to the boot area is a piece of cake (on many cars anyway). run a wire from that swtich blank behind the dash, out of the driver’s footwell then tuck it underneath the door sill trim all the way to the back of the car and behind the boot liner. Really quick when you get the hang of it. Get some trim removal tools and find out how Nissan do their trim fastening.

Ok or not stretched tires are pretty naff.

Yes they are. Let me see, how can I make my car as uncomfortable and delicate as possible? I know…!

Yes they are. Let me see, how can I make my car as uncomfortable and delicate as possible? I know…!

Yes I agree, they should all buy homogenous grey SUVs to fit in with everyone else, god forbid they should have personal taste and creativity with their passion. 🙄

To be fair he has a point, maybe in a country with actual first world roads but here? Nah, I like not replacing tyres or buggering rims all the time.

Not averse to a bit of stretch either, just don’t see the point when it’s going to get knackered in short order.

There’s style and there is using things outside of their design parameters ,making the item less useful , less durable with no upside.

Stretched tires falls under the latter.

Maybe put a sticker on your homogenous grey box if your transport needs a personality.

But then I did get a 6inch nail through the sidewall of my 4 day old non stretched tire on Tuesday so I see stretching as doubly pointless .

I’d go with lowered and messed with suspension as well. not just an unfordable ride, make the handling verge on dangerous and can barely negotiate a speedhump. I don’t get it. Pretty certain in nearly all cases not notified to insurance company so likely driving without insurance. I saw a petition protesting about a forthcoming law that would require modded vehicles to be tested (I think this is already the case in Spain). Can’t come soon enough.

It’s all a bit academic – this not my the OPs cube in any case.

Posting as I’ve always through Cubes look great. The mini-japmobiles make great use of the space they take up and have some character.

Pretty certain in nearly all cases not notified to insurance company so likely driving without insurance. I saw a petition protesting about a forthcoming law that would require modded vehicles to be tested (I think this is already the case in Spain). Can’t come soon enough.

So you’re assuming, with no evidence, that they are driving illegally? Rubbish. When I modded my cars I found it quite easy to find insurance with all mods declared and it wasn’t expensive. You’ll find a lot of specialist insurance companies get business through the enthusiasts forums so can offer decent rates – most people who do these sorts of mods have spent a lot of money on them and a bit more on insurance isn’t going to be much of a bother. Have a look at how much a set of polished genuine split rim BBS alloy wheels (very popular in a lot of car scenes) go for, it’ll make your eyes water. Add on a set of Yokohamas and it’s mental.
They also look after their cars very well, unlike most “standard” drivers so are often seen as lower risk than you’d expect to the specialist insurers. My last modded car was lowered, specialist racing suspension, uprated boost pressures, bigger wheels with a mild stretch to the tyres, uprated and bigger stainless exhaust. All declared to the insurance company and cost me about £100 extra a year.

And that forthcoming law which you talk about is a huge risk to the massive UK motorsport industry, something in which we lead the world in. Tens of thousands of companies and jobs could be at risk. We have a long heritage in engineering performance and race cars, the vast majority of which are taxed and MOTd. And it might even apply to track only cars too.

There’s style and there is using things outside of their design parameters ,making the item less useful , less durable with no upside. Stretched tires falls under the latter.

Stretched tyres are no less durable than normal tyres as long as they aren’t too extreme. And police forces do check them and people are pulled for it regularly. Most of the extreme stretch photos you’ll see are for shows only as the wheels are generally so expensive most people wouldn’t risk them too far on the roads anyway.
Stretch tyres do have a use in drifting anyway, as they stiffen the tyre sidewalls to make the drift easier to start, allows easier control during the drift.

But hey, you’re all allowed to comment on something you clearly know nothing about, so crack on Boomer. 😂😂

I’ll take your comments on board next time I’m drifting to the shops in my car.

Ha! Had to Google stretched tyres as not heard of the term before.

Cunning idea that.

I had to rig up some yellow indicators for an MOT on a Chevy Camaro I had back in the 90’s… had wires literally taped down the sides of the car just to get it through. It passed.

Ironically I worked in the place that insisted I fitted the indicators. The year after I took it to another place (I didn’t work at) and they just passed it with the red flashing brake/side lights! (Was an old 70’s Camaro.)

At the end of the day it’s a Japanese car not a UK car.

True, to an extent, but we’re talking details, not major structural differences, like the steering wheel and everything else being on the other side of the cockpit, like every other European car…

Stretch tyres do have a use in drifting anyway, as they stiffen the tyre sidewalls to make the drift easier to start, allows easier control during the drift.

But hey, you’re all allowed to comment on something you clearly know nothing about, so crack on Boomer

Yeah, like everyone drifts their modded cars on public roads and supermarket car parks! They’re a bloody stupid idea, and even worse with extreme amounts of positive camber applied, on a car being driven on regular roads; low-profile run-flats are truly horrid things to drive on, something that I do actually know something about!

You really do come across as smug, patronising, and condescending, though. #rollseyes

Anyone who modifies a vehicle for use on road to make it less safe (easier to lose grip being a prime example, blacking out windows and lights being another) is a ****.

Alternatively people may have hobbies – such as autocross, drifting, etc. – and may modify their vehicles to be better suited to those hobbies compared to an off-the-assembly-line-vehicle whilst remaining within the legal requirements for a roadworthy vehicle. The alternative would be that such hobbyists are only allowed to use a separate event-only vehicle which seems a bit elitist to me.

And who decides what’s “safe” anyway? It is insanely easy to lose rear traction in my car, even with all the driver aids switched on, to the point where I think a lot of modified cars would struggle to do so as easily. And yet mine is entirely unmodified and as approved for use on UK roads by whatever certifying body does such things. Is the owner of a modified mx5 a bigger **** than me? Specifically in terms of how dangerous their car is rather than personally 😅

Anyone who modifies a vehicle for use on road to make it less safe (easier to lose grip being a prime example, blacking out windows and lights being another) is a ****.

I agree, I assume you reserve the same ire for those who remove payload bulkheads from vans and are an advocate of crash safety standards for camper vans.

I don’t have a problem with window tints, sun strips and such, yes they can be too much (I saw some twunt with an iridescent red windscreen the other day) and that should absolutely be clamped down on but in some cases they improve safety despite what you may think.

Interestingly the same legislation can be used against e-bikes.

Transport regulatory review proposes new offences on vehicle tampering

I like modified cars and I like modifying cars but stretched tyres definitely trigger me a bit. They do have their place but it’s very specific and not usually applicable for the road. But I know I cut people slack for doing other equivalent things like really slamming a car or excessive camber so, it’s likely i’m being a dick.

I assume you reserve the same ire for those who remove payload bulkheads from vans and are an advocate of crash safety standards for camper vans.

Years ago I was sent on an evasive driving course and (the dull non-handbake turney) part of it was reveiewing risk scenarios. The film of loads in a crash was disturbing, so yes I’m aware of the dangers.

But I’m less bothered about folk endagering themselves with some shonky ikea cupboards in a lifestyle veeehicle than I am them fitting inappropriate wheels that endanger me too.

Does this look like the sort of thing I need?

Wiring kit on Amazon

It depends on how neat you want the installation and seeing your woodwork it’ll need to be neat 🙂
You’ll probably buy the bits for around the same amount and then you’ll need a few crimps and a crimper, but you’d need crimps and a crimper to get the bought assembly to length without a coil of excess cable.
A single 21W bulb should be okay without a relay providing that you use minimum 5A cable and switch and a 3A fuse. Get advice on this if you’re unsure.
You can pull a lower current using a red LED (e.g. https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collections/fog-light-bulbs/products/2x-ba15s-red-stop-fog-led-4014-30-smd-brake-rear-light-glb382-p21w-classic ) which are available in conventional bulb-holder fittings.
LEDs aren’t e-marked for use here but only LED headlamp bulbs are targeted on the MoT (LED headlamp assemblies are different).
Removing a reversing lamp bulb (if that’s the route you’re using) can throw a dashboard error, so check for this

really slamming a car or excessive camber

I like cars but I cannot fathom why people do this. It just looks broken.

Different strokes for different folks. Some really like “low and slow”

molgrips
Full Member

I like cars but I cannot fathom why people do this. It just looks broken.

I don’t like it but I can appreciate when other people like things.

I don’t like it but I can appreciate when other people like things.

It’s a pity that other people are so blinkered.

Cheers @timba. I’ll have a look. 👍