General Quiet around here ain't it!

[oopsadaisy]

Have we all gone into winter mode and mothballed out little cars for the winter?

Got ours out today and gave it a blast up and down the main drag a few times to perk up the battery a bit.

Shame really, but given that classic 500's don't like the British climate very much, I reckon quite a few never see the light of day from Autumn until the weather improves!

Do many of us use their car as a daily driver, or do we all hibernate for winter?

 

[Panda Van]

Tis' right quiet on here - can you keep the noise down ooooooopsidaisy!!

The tax reminder has come through for mine and im debating if I should bother or not - quite fancy using him around christmas with tinsel and a few decs hanging off him - "deck the 500 with bells and holly tralalalalalalalala" so maybe I will ......

 

[oopsadaisy]

Tis' right quiet on here - can you keep the noise down ooooooopsidaisy!!

Sorry if I woke everyone up!

No tax issues for us - Being tax exempt is gives me the greatest pleasure every year to walk out of the post office with a tax disc for the next 12 months without having parted with a penny... ! :devil:

 

[panda1408]

I dont think ours will be coming out much now, probably only the odd time when the weather isnt completely terrible.

Just had a new bonnet fitted after the damage to the old one from when it flew open, looks much better now, and while it was in the bodyshop alot of people (mainly new 500 owners) were stopping to look at it

 

[Charlotte]

Tis' right quiet on here - can you keep the noise down ooooooopsidaisy!!

The tax reminder has come through for mine and im debating if I should bother or not - quite fancy using him around christmas with tinsel and a few decs hanging off him - "deck the 500 with bells and holly tralalalalalalalala" so maybe I will ......

Interesting. I thought all of the "old" shape 500's would be tax exempt?

Put a tree on the top of it, that would be soooooo cool

 

[the stig/130]

Tis' right quiet on here - can you keep the noise down ooooooopsidaisy!!

The tax reminder has come through for mine and im debating if I should bother or not - quite fancy using him around christmas with tinsel and a few decs hanging off him - "deck the 500 with bells and holly tralalalalalalalala" so maybe I will ......

I bet your 500 is on `free road tax disc` but.... i bet most are tucked up in bed for the winter! softies! a pal of mine told me he was asked if he wanted 6 or 12 months (free! grrr!) disc!

 

[Panda Van]

Decided to re-tax him and will be using him throughout the winter - have to pay for tax as he is a 1973, I did check to see when he was manufactured and he was assembled in early '73 so no getting around to free tax

 

[the stig/130]

aww, that`s a bit tight! my 130 was registerd in nov 73, but built in march 73.boo-hoo!

 

[Ulpian]

No idea if this is the appropriate place to post, but I've just been visiting family near Genoa and I noticed just as many old 500s (immaculate) still being used, and parked on the street, as the new ones. They are tiny of course, and although a collector's item in Italy too, their small size makes them very practical on narrow urban streets. A new tiny car to genuinely replace the old 500 would be greatly appreciated in Italy.

 

[vvatc]

Not only do I have to pay "road taxes" (in the States it's an annual title and/or registration fee) but I also have to pay taxes on the original purchase price. So, when I move back to Maryland in a few months, I'll have to pay for a Maryland title, registration for two years, a historical license plate and sales tax of 6% of the purchase price!

 

[Ulpian]

I thought motoring in the US was supposed to be cheap?

 

[vvatc]

I thought motoring in the US was supposed to be cheap?

Well, I can't say if it's cheaper than anywhere else. I don't pay road taxes here in Italy and I've never owned a car anywhere else so I don't have anything to compare the taxes to.

The gas is less expensive. Also, the road taxes, registration and title vary depending on which state you live. In Maryland, I have to pay a one time 6% sales tax, but then the registration is apx $130 for two years. Compared to my home state of California where the same car would be about $1,800 for one year and I would pay sales tax of 7% (I think it's 7% maybe 6.5% I don't remember...)

I guess overall it's cheaper...

 

[oopsadaisy]

Also, the road taxes, registration and title vary depending on which state you live. In Maryland, I have to pay a one time 6% sales tax, but then the registration is apx $130 for two years. Compared to my home state of California where the same car would be about $1,800 for one year and I would pay sales tax of 7% (I think it's 7% maybe 6.5% I don't remember...)

I guess overall it's cheaper...

Wow! Can you imagine if our government tried something like that.... differing rates of road tax for people say, in Yorkshire to those in Surrey?

That's a huge difference..... more than 1000% between California and Maryland. I wonder how that was calculated, and why?

I guess the attitude may be 'if you don't like it then move' but it seems very harsh!

 

[vvatc]

yeah...it's wacky. Some states have a fixed fee based on vehicle type and others base the fee not only on vehicle type, but fair market value. So the newer your car, the more you pay for registration (like California.) My home state has been on a decline for the last three decades...but this is the wrong forum that!