How old does a car have to be for it to not need a cat to pass MOT?

Is it 1993?

How old does a car have to be for it to not need a cat to pass MOT?

Is it 1993?

1992 isn't it? I know that mine is a late 1992 and it's on the borderline of needing a cat but I just got away with it last time.

So 1993 cars need to have a cat.

think its late sept 1992?

Just as long as it's after 1991 it's all good!

aug 1992 (when k plates came out) is when cars had to have a cat.

aug 1992 (when k plates came out) is when cars had to have a cat.

The law applies to cars registered on or after 01/01/1993

The law applies to cars registered on or after 01/01/1993

sorry to sound anally retentive but have u got any proof for that? am decatting my 1992 k reg coupe this week and would like to have some legal mumbo jumbo to back myself up....

The MOT Website MOT Info

Quotes "The catalyst test is part of the MOT test for most class IV spark ignition petrol engined passenger cars with four or more wheels first used on and after 1 August 1992."

So 'hayesey' is correct, "aug 1992 (when k plates came out) is when cars had to have a cat."

Edited 29 August, 200719 yr by kerrly

Hmm,sounds official enough,but i was working in the motor trade when the law came out,and a whole group of us looked into it at the time when the boss wanted to buy a brand new Cavalier GSi 2000 16v - turned out he had to find a used one five months old,to omit the cat because every car had to keep its cat if it was made since the 1st jan that year - 93.

It's possible we're talking about two dates - one for mot tests on cars that already complied and one for the time manufacturers had to have every car sold catalyst fitted? I dont know. There are exceptions. Mothballing is one. If a car built without a cat in '91 wasnt registered until '93,it doesnt need one - that info from a Mini World magazine featuring an unregistered carbed Lamm convertible,and I've seen a similar point made about two mothballed 1981 MGB's. But that's different. Jan 03 is significant in some way to the subject - just maybe not for the mot,then.

The MOT Website MOT Info

Quotes "The catalyst test is part of the MOT test for most class IV spark ignition petrol engined passenger cars with four or more wheels first used on and after 1 August 1992."

So 'hayesey' is correct, "aug 1992 (when k plates came out) is when cars had to have a cat."

My G40 is a Aug 1992 k Plate and I got it through the MOT with no cat, guess it just depends where you take it. One place did tell me the same as ^^^^^^

it can still pass a cat test without a cat if the engine is in good order.

aug 1992 (when k plates came out) is when cars had to have a cat.

so my J plate G40 doesnt need one???

but my L plate gt does!!!

whoops think I've got things a little miixed up lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if its any help ad, you can still buy de cats from vag for your G. about 110 quid.

When my K reg went for the MOT in January the tester couldnt find the G40 model on the system so he tested it as a non cat car. Wouldnt have passed a cat test apperently but dont expect the same treatment everywhere.