Ford Connect Torneo

All cars in Spain need an MoT it called the ITV here.

Dual purpose vehicles such as a Connect need 6 monthly ITV's once over 10 yers old, as they are van derived so fall into the 'commercial vehicle' pool.

You can swop your UK driving licence for a Spanish one subject to conditions, one is to pass a quick test in Vera done on a simulator.

I'd recommend Insurance via Linea Direct or Liberty Seguros - prices comparable to UK but anyone over 25 can usually drive on the insurance, handy when family come over.

Purchasing - vehicles here are a lot more expensive than in the UK and you pay to have them registered in your name.

Like anywhere garages are a lot more expensive than buying private and the warranties are not all they are cracked up to be - A friend bought a diesel freelander and after literally only a few hundered KM's the turbo blew up, the warranty did not cover it!! He spent a large amount at Land Rover in Almeria getting it fixed.

Personally, I'd buy private and keep the money saved in my back pocket for IF it's needed**

You'll probably get 5 minute (that's how long they've been here) Joe's or Arthur's telling you otherwise but speaking as a City & Guilds qualified mechanic I think I'm probably better qualified to opinionate

** If a cars running well with no major faults at purchase

Good luck

Chris

You need to get your Spanish licence no more than 6 months after you get youre residencia.

Seems like the test for the licence varies wherever you live.  Ie, here in Huercal Overa you need to go to a policlinica wherein they'll test youre eyesight, general physical health and get you to do a short two handed machine driven test wherein you have to keep a "blob" inside two sets of lines, one right, one left, if you dont set off the alarm too many times then you have youre picture taken, sign some forms and send off youre licence, you give up youre UK licence, but some keep a copy. You can get a shrunk down copy of youre licence as well as youre passport at various places.

We had help from CAT Services in La Alfoquia, took around 6-8 weeks to get it back, but you can get a temporary paper licence to cover you.

Pay attention to speed signs, the Guardia set up pop up speed limits and it's expensive, they have direct links with the DVLA in the UK.

Not clear on categories for vehicles like the connect tourneo, a neighbour has one and it can be a bit of a grey area between private and business.

An ordinary vehicle, car etc that is under 10 yrs old gets a two year ITV, older than 10 yrs you'll get and need to have re-tested every year. Brand new I think you'd get 3 year ITV's.

Our 2014 car needed a test last year so from brand new it's 4 years before the 1st ITV here and our test is valid for 2 years.

Chevy's right in that some older ''cars'' derived from van type vehicles are classified as cars and it's a bit grey but I think it's all as I said on the newer tackle.

A friend had a berlingo that was a car under old rules and the tyre shop put car tyres on it, he took it for the ITV and it failed as it didn't have the correct van tyres on it rated to carry the appropriate weight!

ITV rules and regs state that a vehicle being tested has to conform to factory spec simples, you can probably get away with slightly different wipers for example but tyres, headlamps etc are strictly adhered to.

Yes of course, I never suggested otherwise - what I was alluding to was that on the one hand it's not a van yet on the other it still is, highlighting the disparity for claritys sake.

As for wipers and lights, and factory spec - so long as they perform the function - broadly speaking - a) clear the screen and b) illuminate properly in the right beam pattern, I don't think there's a problem.

The O/E eqipment could be different but it can't be failed for it.

Headlamps are the very first to be looked at especially if youre vehicle is RHD, partners Honda Insight RHD had to to have new lights at almost €500 each !!, tyres must be the same on each axle but not mixed and matched like in the UK. Two Dunlops on the front for example and two goodyears on the back, factory spec as per the log book etc.

Ha ha - now your changing sides Chevy - I never said you'll never pass an ITV with rhd headlights - I was speaking about domestic market cars here in Spain

I'm bringing my LHD BMW X5 over soon, the car was bought 1 year old in Germany as EU spec. I'll change the RHD lights it runs on in the UK for the original LHD ones when it needs an ITV

Rear lights need no mods - fog and reverse lights on both sides of the car of course.

It's a 4.4 V8 petrol with a lot of BHP and a massive amount of torque.....