MOT conundrum

[Paddy]

Right, listen to me.

Get another MOT done and another quote at another back street garage.

If the cost is a lot less, get it done. If not, look at other aspects like, are the tyres nearly worn, what's the exhaust looking like, do you need a bigger or smaller car, etc. If yes, scrap and buy another banger with 12 months MOT, if not, toss a coin.

HTH

All garages will rip you off for an MOT unless you know them well and can trust them. The only fair way to get an unbiased MOT is to use on run by the local authority and does not do any repair work. (There are lists on the net)

I had a car fail two years ago and I took it to an independent MOT centre and it passed without doing any work.

I now get my MOTs done one month be expiry just in case any work needs to be done.

[BoredBloke]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIA...eType=news/woc

That can't be too expensive

his Audi R8 isn't much better either. How much does it cost to make a nice car look that tulip!

[TimberWolf]

Another garage have said they can't understand why my quote was so high (they think it should be more like £350, though I suspect that would have been less had I not said the other garage quoted £500, oops), though they'd need to look at it before they can quote accurately. I'll take it there on Friday for a quote, if I don't find anywhere better. I would still have to take it back to the original garage for a re-partial MOT though. Still at £350m, it is more tempting to keep the car.

[TimberWolf]

Here's the report:

Offside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak
Nearside rear anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Nearside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Offside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush

[AtW]

Here's the report:

Offside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak
Nearside rear anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Nearside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Offside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush

Did you let your wife drive it over weekend?

[TimberWolf]

Did you let your wife drive it over weekend?

The other garage thinks my last garage may have been a bit quiet and wanted some business. They were indeed quiet.

[swamp]

With bangernomics you must ditch the car at the first sign of trouble, preferably with an MOT.

It may be worth spending £40 on a different MOT, but otherwise if you pay £500 to fix the car you can run it for 6 months and get your money back.

[TimberWolf]

Is it worth my even bothering to roll into Quick Fit and getting a quick quote, or are they expensive on the whole? Obviously they would try and flog me tyres and an exhaust.

[BoredBloke]

Is it worth my even bothering to roll into Quick Fit and getting a quick quote, or are they expensive on the whole? Obviously they would try and flog me tyres and an exhaust.

I've found them to be the worst - to the point that I don't ever go there. I know somebody who went there and when she went to pick it up they told her that the brakes were defective and needed a serious amount of work. When her husband went in to see what they did to work this out, the guy said that he'd taken the wheels off while it was on the ramp having its exhaust done and that it really needed a lot of work doing. My mate asked him how he managed to get the wheels off without having the key for his locking wheel nuts.

The last time I used them they replaced my exhaust from the manifold to the end of the car, but failed to tighten it properly. It popped it's bolts off on the M40. I wouldn't have liked to be in the car behind when they few out behind as I was clogging along. It sounded like somebody had shot the car as they flew off.

[Rantor]

Here's the report:

Offside front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak
Nearside rear anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Nearside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush
Offside front anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush

Basically, you need to redo most of the roll-bar bushings and change the front shock absorbers.

This is straightforward (and doable yourself ) unless the bushings are only removable with a press.

For a competent garage this is likely to be under 2 hrs work.

If it is only the bushings/fixings plus two shocks then the parts should be well under 100 quid.

If you want to keep hold of an older car, you either have to go down the bangernomics route or buy yourself a socket set and a high-capacity swearbox.