Services with a smile

LET the forces be with you when buying your next used bargain - the Police, ambulance and armed forces to be precise.

Their cast offs may no longer be fit for active service, but they can make excellent transport for Civvy Street.

Many have been almost too well maintained. Forget normal service schedules, these vehicles have seen the inside of a workshop with fastidious regularity because it's vital that they don't break down.

The Ministry of Defence holds sales in conjunction with British Car Auctions and, according to BCA, the most sought after vehicles are large 4x4s, such as Land Rovers and trucks.

There are also specialist dealers who sell them on to the public, such as Keith Gott of Alton, Hants.

Gott says that many buy old Army Land Rovers for fun, but they are also cheap workhorses. Prices range from 2,800 to 3,500 for an late 70s or 80s diesel Series III in fine mechanical shape, although bodily they may be a little war-torn. The better Defenders, which replaced it, are worth considerably more.

Another Hants specialist, Safari Engineering of Eversley, says prices are related to the vehicle's condition and specification, not age and can range from 900 to 9,000.

The biggest problem when buying an ex-Forces vehicle is that they come unregistered as they use their own military system. However, many dealers will reregister vehicles for Civvy Street before selling them. Doing this yourself is simple enough because all vehicles will come with a form that you can take to your local Vehicle Registration Office. You'll also need to get a current MOT, as military vehicles are exempt from the test.

You can drive to an MOT station and have the car tested and recorded on its chassis rather than a registration number.

There are no such problems buying an ex-police patrol car because they are all issued with a fresh MOT before sale.

However, ex-Panda and motorway pursuit cars lead hard lives and are likely to look jaded and in need of cosmetic surgery with an abrasive paintwork polish to remove the residue of "jam sandwich" transfers.

Police chase cars aren't the souped up hot rods they used to be and any specials are now reverted to standard spec, although suspension and brake upgrades usually remain.

Cars will not require a lot of future work. With the care lavished on them, they are usually a better bet than a thrashed and unloved ex- company car for the same money.

BCA Auctions Hotline 01530 271005, Keith Gott 01429 544330 (www.keithgott.co.uk), Safari Engineering 0118 973 2732 (www.safariengineering.com).

Copyright 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.