My New Car

[Tark]

Here are a few pics of my new car. No Longer a JOY boy! No Alloys and No big bore exhaust! I Now Have a Diesel Saloon car!!

It is faster than the Clio though as its a 1.9 Turbo! Goes pretty well to tell the truth. Very good condition too!

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/passenger_front.jpg

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/driver_back.jpg

Had the tow bar fitted so I could tow a caravan for when I go racing. (News to follow soon)

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/front.jpg

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/back.jpg

Spot the obvious mistake in the photo.....

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/driver_inside.jpg

Put my MP3 CD Player in too! Still have the original though.

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/306/driver_doors.jpg

I have new numberplates on now too as these were a little cracked and screws going rusty. I have www.TarkRacing.com plates on now! :lol:

[Lateshift]

might just be me being behind the times, but if you are 19-20 and you have your car licence, but have you taken your trailer test? ;)

[Tark]

I have looked into all of that.

You are allowed a trailer of gross weight 750Kg. If the tralier weight is over this then the combined weight of bothe towing vehicle and trailer must not exceed 3500Kg.

So I am ok to tow my little 2 berth caravan as it only weights 750Kg with a max weight of 1500kg and my Car weighs well under 2000Kg.

[Biker Dude]

the mistake....... would it be puttin a trakracing.com sticker on........or the dent above the 306?

[Tark]

Its a www.tarkracing.com sticker for a start. And that wasn't a mistake. The dint was there when I bought it.

Think flaps. :wink:

[Biker Dude]

yeah saw only 1 mud flad but didnt think that was a problem or is it the petrol flap open still?

[Ride-or-die]

is it the fact that ur lost and managed to crash into a bloody field like a specific biker has a few weeks back (no need to mention names) and now ur thining holy feck in in a field wheres the exit!!

looks like a very SENSIBLE purchase tark

[Tark]

I lost the mudflap driving onto that field! LOL. Found it on the way back off so we are complete again now! :wink:

[gixer400]

i was looking everywhere for mistakes, but couldnt see it until i was told. damn im blind. looks like a good buy to get to and from race meetings in, plenty of miles to the gallon and good pull. id love to have a caravan, id live in the garden

[Doninha Princesa]

Nice car Tark, I got a 106 for my b.day. Red, havent even seen it yet. Dads sposed to have picked it up bout 3 times since my b.day, which was nearly a month ago, dunno y i expect him to actually do it every time! You'd think id learn, but i do have one, its outside one of his mates houses and needs something fixed that'll only cost bout £30 but he's far too busy obv!

[Lateshift]

Tark, what i am referring to is the recent law that was passed that states that if you want to pull a trailer you now need a seperate test that enables you to drive B+E vehicles (E being drawn trailer).

I am not up to speed with all the details but i am fairly sure that unless you passed your test over 3 years ago you are only qualified to drive the car and not pull anything, again look into it because the last thing you need is getting pulled for incorrect licence issues ;)

This only came to my attention because when i was running the TA centre in Southend, one of my jobs was to ensure that anyone joining, got the correct driver training and licence, everything was fine right up until DSA decided that for our guys to pull a trailer they also now have to take a B+E test, and thats the civilian one, exactly the same back at my regular unit too ;)

I stand corrected, this has been in since 1997!!!

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=211



now unless you have taken a B+E test or managed to take your test before 1997 (which would mean you took it at age 11? :D then you need to make sure you cover yourself here ;)

[Tark]

Oh well! I guess I had better look into it! :roll:

[Lateshift]

Dont roll the eyes at me mate, it isnt my fault, personnally i think its a crock of ****, but i would be the last one that would want to see someone else lining plods pocket for yet another little loophole that no-one seems to mention until you get caught ;)

[superstacker]

I could be wrong but i think the military operate the new license rules for towing a landrover and trailer but the weight laws are still in place. It just seems to be military policy to make people do this new bloody test!

I can check when i get back to Stafford though.

[Tark]

The rolled eyes were not aimed at anyone. Just in general that just when I think I have it all sorted you find out that I still cant take my caravan to the race meetings! :roll:

Where can I do the test at or find out about it?

[Lateshift]

I could be wrong but i think the military operate the new license rules for towing a landrover and trailer but the weight laws are still in place. It just seems to be military policy to make people do this new bloody test!

I can check when i get back to Stafford though.

No its policy for everyone unfortunately :(

Its caused havoc in my Troop (Ex troop as i left for a different job today! :D ) simply because we send all our recruits on a civilian driving course, they pass their test in a civilian car, they come back to us and then take a conversion in a land rover, we then send them to do a trailer test, and then bring them back to do a conversion to land rover and trailer :D

That all in all takes us around 2 months!

3 months on average to get a soldier (if they pass first time on each category) from provisional to C+E and i know that is using the Military's special permission to allow a B licence holder to take an LGV test under the age of 21 and before 12 months has elapsed since taking their B test.


Tark, apologies for the comment, i did at that time think that you were taking the rise because i was sticking a hurdle in your path, however i think the actual trailer test part is a formality, best bet would be to speak to DSA in your area to find out what they recommend.

I cant see it costing much and it is a piece of wee-wee to pass ;)

As i said before you would be surprised at how many people come unstuck with this, half of the problem is that the Examiner when you pass your test doesnt specifically state "You can drive a car only" :(

[Tark]

I reversed it up Sams drive in a dead end street with only enough width for 1 car and hedges on both sides of the street and drive so hopefully I should be able to pass.

[lee]

any licence pre-1997 seem to have a far lot more standard catergories that you can drive on a simple car licence after this date.

after that the DVLA have limited it down to:

B = car
B1= look like a milk float
f = agricultural tractors
k = Road rollers
p = tracked vehicles

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/vehicle_cat_desc.htm

this should help though

[Tark]

And after all this that was said I have done my own research to find that I was right in the first place! Thanks Guys!

:lol: :lol: :lol: I know you were only trying to help so thanks for the concern.

Here are the rules that allows me to tow my caravan:

Driver Licensing Requirements for Towing Trailers in Great Britain

CAR DRIVING LICENCE FIRST OBTAINED SINCE 1 JANUARY 1997

Category B:
Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to 8 passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) OR a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

For example:

a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle.

Whereas

the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle.

Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle’s handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

As for towing caravans, existing general guidance recommends that the laden weight of the caravan does not exceed 85% of the unladen weight of the car. In the majority of cases, caravans and small trailers towed by cars should be within the new category B threshold.

[Lateshift]

ah well a good result in the end then :)

can't be too careful, although i have to say that the difference in information does seem to be far too misleading :?

[Tark]

Yeah cheers for the help though. It would have been a downer to get pulled and find out I didn't have a licence. I have checked all the weights of the Car and Caravan and it all seems above board.

[Tark]

In Fact here is a picture of my Car with the Caravan hitched up:

http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/Caravan/caravan&car.jpg

Or Clcik the link here:

Tarks Caravan (http://www.tarkracing.com/images/other/Caravan/caravan&car.jpg)

[Biker Dude]

them's nice wheels mate!!

[Tark]

I am currently looking for 2 13" Wheel trims if anyone has any spare! :lol:

[lee]

going to town on it then!!! :lol: :lol: