cars and transportation - 'old timer' registration

rakfaray wrote:

Hi All,
I am Brit nationality, resident in Hungary, with residence card, address card, tax number, Hungarian driving licence, etc - I have recently registered a motorcycle here brought over from UK. I also own a UK - registered vehicle, a Land Rover, which I brought over from UK some 15 years or so ago, but couldn't drive it back due to mechanical problems, so it's been stored here off road since then. I have now restored it to a working and road-legal condition, and would like to get it registered here, with Hungarian plates. Due to it's age (47 years) it would possibly come under the 'old timer' category. It would probably not meet modern emission standards, but as far as I know, these are more relaxed for 'old timer' vehicles. How would I go about registering it here as an old - timer ? - I'm familiar with the imported vehicle registration procedure as I've recently done it for my motorcycle - a bit long winded and bureaucratic, but do-able, with patience. The Land Rover is still UK - registered, and due to its age, does not require an MOT in UK, so I wouldn't need to drive it back there for one - I've thought of keeping the UK plates and just getting insurance - the 6 month usage restriction on foreign vehicles in Hungary would apply, but as I live not far from the Slovakian border, maybe a trip over the border and back would reset the 6 month clock ? - but I'd prefer to get it registered and legalised here if possible ..... I'd be grateful for any advice/info on this matter ....

Actually it's not that bad but you might need help.  I wouldn't bother with all the Slovak border business. It no longer applies - rules on residents changed.  Insurance on UK plates is ridiculously expensive. I was told my car  was no longer eligible for insurance in the UK so I imported it. Better to get it here as you'd get a green card automatically.

Have a look here: MAK Old Timer (in Hungarian). 

If you don't speak Hungarian, then stick it through Google Translate as it works well.   

I've got an older hobby American car as well which I aim to get past 30 years old so it can have an OT plate but others I spoke to in the past told me it wasn't worth it as it's very restrictive - like you can only drive it like 10K km per year although where that rule comes from, I don't know.   I doubt I drive it more than 6000 km per year.

My hobby car is 23 years old now so I have to get it through another 7 years for eligibility.  It's becoming difficult for spare parts. I needed some from Austria scrapyards but no chance of getting there and back with the pandemic.  Land Rover should be much easier.

Thanks for the info - it looks like going for registration as an old timer is the best bet - my brother's wife is Hungarian and she helped me a lot with getting the bike legalised here - the mileage restrictions wouldn't be a problem, if I do get it legalised it wouldn't be for use as a regular runabout, only for the occasional run to the builders yard for cement and into the woods for firewood - also very handy in the winter here as I live up in the hills near the Danube, and can get quite a lot of snow. There's quite a following for LR's here, I often get passers-by asking about it, there's also a company near BP that specialises in rebuilding 'classic' LR's, they recently had a refurbished vehicle, same year and model as mine, for sale at 11,000 euros - I paid £700 for mine, some years ago !  ....... thanks, I'll have a look at the MAK link, you mentioned ...

rakfaray wrote:

Thanks for the info - it looks like going for registration as an old timer is the best bet - my brother's wife is Hungarian and she helped me a lot with getting the bike legalised here - the mileage restrictions wouldn't be a problem, if I do get it legalised it wouldn't be for use as a regular runabout, only for the occasional run to the builders yard for cement and into the woods for firewood - also very handy in the winter here as I live up in the hills near the Danube, and can get quite a lot of snow. There's quite a following for LR's here, I often get passers-by asking about it, there's also a company near BP that specialises in rebuilding 'classic' LR's, they recently had a refurbished vehicle, same year and model as mine, for sale at 11,000 euros - I paid £700 for mine, some years ago !  ....... thanks, I'll have a look at the MAK link, you mentioned ...

I've got an American 4WD which I've owned from new, bought in 1997.  I sometimes drive off road around here and it's pretty good in the snow.  I had to tow my wife's car a few weeks ago and it was effortless. It's big engined (by European standards) with plenty of horsepower but it's very heavy - probably around 1.8 tonnes. Fuel consumption is atrocious but I don't really drive it much.

I also use mine for taking stuff around as I live on what seems like a building site.  My car is very original (sort of) and I do get people looking.  Most of the running gear has been replaced but it's all what I would call consumables  like shocks, bushes, bearings etc.  This year it's been new exhaust, some bushes, tie rods, fuel tank straps, gearbox oil filter/oil pan change and O2 sensors.  I have to import nearly everything.   I do all the work myself - our usual mechanic said he was worried to work on it!

Cars are a bit of a hobby and now I'm thinking of becoming a bit more retired and more part time,  I'm considering doing an electric conversion on something easier like a VW new shape Beetle or Golf - I know others have done it.   If I really knew what I was doing I might consider doing something like an electric 4WD conversion with something like a Suzuki.  VW and Suzuki because of the parts hereabouts.

Anyway, if you get on with the OT plates, please post your experiences!