MICHAEL McALEER answers your questions.
From Abzy Shaikh:
I moved to Ireland from Britain, and was exempt from VRT on a car I had already owned for some three years. It has only been four months, but due to personal circumstances I need to travel very frequently to Britain and with two children (infants) the car is far too small. Is there any way I can sell the car - what do I need to do?
The exemption rules on VRT apply to: visitors to Ireland who have owned their vehicles abroad for more than six months and who will be resident here temporarily; people who have owned their vehicles abroad for more than six months and who are moving permanently to Ireland.
However, the latter exemption, which applies to you, comes with a sting in the tail: if you are moving to Ireland and are among those exempt from paying VRT you cannot sell your vehicle for more than 12 months after the vehicle is registered.
It would seem you have two options: register and pay the VRT, then sell the car; or bring it back to Britain and sell it there.
According to a Revenue spokesperson, the 12-month limit only restricts you from selling the car in this State. You can dispose of the vehicle outside the State without penalty, and simply advise the Central Vehicle Office at Rosslare Harbour.
The big issue with selling cars into Britain for Irish motorists is that there is no refund of the VRT.
However, as you have not paid any, then this is a perfectly viable option.
From Peter McCullogh:
Can I please appeal to drivers not to leave their house in these frosty mornings before their windscreens are cleared. On Monday morning I came across someone driving along at about 15mph with his head stuck out the window.
His windscreen was sparkling with a layer of frost, and he was reaching out to rub it down with one hand, steering with another and all the while driving along a busy main road.
While this lunatic probably can't read, other motorists who might consider driving off before they can properly see out should please consider the consequences.
I couldn't put it better myself. We're all in a rush these days and it's usually at its peak in the morning.
However, given the darkness, the frost and ice on the road and the inevitable early morning fatigue, adding one more potential danger to the mix - poor visibility through frost-covered glass - is nonsensical.
There's an array of de-icers and scrapers on the market and it only takes a matter of seconds to clear the windows, a lot less than it does to fill out the insurance forms after rear-ending a parked car because you couldn't see.
From John McEnerney, Glasnevin:
Regarding the query last week (Motors Helpdesk, November 16th, 2005) about removing Vaseline-like resin or stains from windscreens, I had this problem recently and found that hot water and vinegar cleared it perfectly using paper towels to wipe it off.
From John Larkin:
Baby wipes are great for cleaning the exteriors of windscreens. They even remove dried-on insects. I never travel without them.
Thanks for the assistance on this. This column is starting to look like it's become fixated with windscreens.
From L O'Neill:
In your review of the new Porsche Cayman S (Motors, October 5th, 2005), you stated that: "the Cayman S recently completed the northern circuit of the famous Nurburgring in 8 minutes 20 seconds; faster than a Boxster S and just slightly slower than the 911 Carrera."
However, I have read reports in the British press that claims it beats the 911.
We had heard these reports before, and when we went to test the Cayman S we cornered the man who honed the car's performance on the famous German track: Porsche's chief test driver, the legendary Walter Rohl.
He dismissed the claims, saying the 911 Carrera beats the Cayman's lap time by five seconds.
The former World Rally Champion knows the Nordschleife track like the Pope knows the rosary, so if he claims the 911 is quicker, even a cynic like me would tend to take his word for it.
From John Clancy, Co Mayo:
Where can I get old-style number plates made up. The type I need to complete a restoration project is chrome digits on black background or alternatively white digits on black background. The old manufacturers were "ACE" and PR Reilly in Howth Road Killester was a stockist.
Our resident expert on such matters, Bob Montgomery, tells us that the only supplier we know of in the country is Auto Jumbler in Clonalvy, Co Meath. He makes some and is an agent for others.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, D'Olier St, Dublin 2 - or e-mail to motorshelp@irish-times.ie