Would you buy a lorry without a plate?

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Trot_On_Dressage

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As title really. Through various circumstances (too long to mention!) I have a lorry that i cant drive and wont be able to be driven till march at very earliest. Plate has run out and as i cant drive it getting it plated is difficult. It does run and no probs. Tax and insurance expired too ( could tax it though) Anyway, i want to get a trailer instead and am desperate to get horse back out on the circuit. Just wondered before i advertise it if anyone would consider it or i should think again............
 
It would have a big impact on the price and (other than someone with tradeplates) a buyer wouldn't be legal to drive it away. Also you can't tax it without a current test.
 
it can be driven if going to a test centre.. but i got round this by paying the firm that was taking it to come and pick it up!

i bought mine with no tax/plate etc BUT i did get a well known horse box firm come and give it a once over, it cost me less than 40 quid. if you can do this it may be worth the money can give u a written report of there findings.

mine checked over the horse part, floor/ramp/how the box was bolted on, general engine check and ran it and done an assesment of breaks.. basically checked all sounded ok and things did work!

the ceck wouldnt tell me things about break pads insides of the engine but it did ensure that i wasnt buying a money pit that needed hundrends spent on it.
 
Isn't it illegal to have an uninsured motor, even when it's off road? Or does that only apply to cars?
Anyhow, I'd be inclined to get someone to take it to be plated before selling it.
 
Depends really on how old the lorry is and what needs doing to it, it needs to be priced to sell maybe you could get your local mechanic to pre mot it and then that will give the buyer some idea on how much it will cost to plate i work in the commercial recovery business and we recover and repair alot of horseboxes people always want a bargain if it has no plate so be prepared to be knocked down quite alot
 
Thats true it can be driven if going to a test but you run the risk of getting a gv9!

I also bought a lorry without any test but:
we only paid scrap value for it
it had a nice coachbuilt body that would fit on a daf lf chassis we have if it original one needs to much spending on it

I think you would be much better off getting a company to pick it up & test it for you.
 
dont take this the wrong way but the ford cargo cabs rot really badly depending how old it and if its a "ford" not an "iveco" then it will be old if you can get it through its plate i would as without a plate it wont be worth very much the steps and wing are still stocked by local dealer in surrey as that is what really goes 1st
 
I was in the same position as you with my 26 year old Cargo. I had some people come to look at it when it had 1 months plate left. They said it was just what they wanted and they would get their mechanic to come and check it over. I never heard from them again :p

So I worked on loading with my horse, who now loads beautifully in it. It passed it's plate yesterday, only needing a bulb and a headlight adjustment. 52p!!!

The VOSA man even commented on what good condition the chassis and cab are in :)

So, I would say it would be better to get it plated if you can. You may find, like I did, that it's worth it. Good luck!
 
Ford Cargos do rot around the cab, but in the overall scheme of things a bit of welding is not a major expense (I've had two done)

A lorry without a plate is still a saleable commodity as long as it is priced to reflect this.
 
We are looking at lorries now and ones which would be about £8k with a full plate are struggling to get £5k if they have less than a month or aren't plated- it is just too much of a risk imo.
 
Well thats the thing. In this market i will prob only get less than 2 grand with a plate as i have seen other lorries the same make and age going for that. Do i spend money on getting in through its plate or just sell it without for less but at least saving money on the plating and less hassle.

What to do! :confused:
 
depends if you need the money really!

If the body is ok you may get someone spending up to £2k who will then re-chassis it onto a newer truck.
 
we brought a cargo for £200 unseen with no plate
when we turned up it looked awful but soundish , so i honoured my end drove
it straight to station were it was pre booked for a test and it only failed on a lightbulb out,
took it home jet washed the green mould off and it looked ok
was offered £2500 the following week .......so waved it goodbye !!!!!!!!
id do the same again
 
mil1212 said:
Isn't it illegal to have an uninsured motor, even when it's off road? Or does that only apply to cars?
Click to expand...

Eh? Where did you hear that? It certainly doesn't apply to cars, bikes, vans, lorries, whatever if they're SORN. I have two vehicles SORN and they haven't been insured for 5 years.
 
just-me said:
Yes, they changed the rules. You can still sorn but can no longer have a taxed vehicle uninsured.
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Yes you have to send the remaining tax back And declare sorn, this is another thing to trip up law abiding people and generate income from fines!!!!
the scrotes that dont tax have no mot/insurance will carry on as before with cars that they buy for cash and give a false name/adress to the seller, Oh well onwards and upwards...
 
I would probably try and get it tested, even if it failed and you didn't want to put the faults right yourself at least you can show the test sheet to a potential purchaser and they can make an informed decision, I wouldn't but an unplated lorry as have had bed experiences in the past but would buy one that needed some work as long as I knew what it was and the price reflected this.
 
wildwest said:
we brought a cargo for £200 unseen with no plate
when we turned up it looked awful but soundish , so i honoured my end drove
it straight to station were it was pre booked for a test and it only failed on a lightbulb out,
took it home jet washed the green mould off and it looked ok
was offered £2500 the following week .......so waved it goodbye !!!!!!!!
id do the same again
Click to expand...

That is quite a margin! My lorry is in good order. It does have a bit of rust on the cab but body work is perfect and had a new floor 2-3 years ago. I dont expect it to fail or to fail on much on the plate as it is mechanically sound. It is more the fact i cant drive it that is the issue as even if someone came to view it i can drive it for them!

Without a plate would it be worth £1000? or is that hoping for too much?

Maybe i should stop being lazy and get it plated! :p
 
As long as your insured, you can drive it to the nearest Test station, without any plate or Tax. It must be a prebooked appointment with the registration number logged with the test station. If you book through the Vosa website, i think you can print out your appointment to carry with you if you are stopped by the police.
 
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Get it plated.... For the £80 it will cost, it will have a wider appeal, and you should sell quicker and be able to get your trailer. In that price bracket, it could even double its value.
 
I think you are right, i should get it plated but it isnt insured. Can it be taken for its plate without insurance? I dont want to pay for insurance if im not keeping it.
 
Trot_On_Dressage said:
I think you are right, i should get it plated but it isnt insured. Can it be taken for its plate without insurance? I dont want to pay for insurance if im not keeping it.
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No do not drive it on the road without insurance.... you could insure it then cancel when sold, obviously having a test on it will help it sell, if you dont want the hassle maybe take loads of pictures and list it on ebay with a £1000 start price
or the least you would take for it...
 
I have "B" plate ford cargo that is in fab condition and I do not really suffer with rusting at all!
I brought this in march of this year and it had a full plate on, no way would I buy a older lorry with no plate, or at least I would have had a mechanic out to look at it as older lorries do have wear and tear and you never know whats lurking underneath or how good the engine is.
I would def take it for a plating, and even if it fails you can see just what needs doing and whether its worth you doing it or just advising a buyer whats wrong.
I plan to sell mine next year to upgrade, but it will be sold with a full years plating.
 
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