Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

They should have brushed some underseal over the crack before the MOT.

I thought no MOT was required on cars over 40yo?

I think alot of insurance companies require the car to be 'roadworthy' and the easiest way to argue that is with an MOT I guess. My Mk1 golf doesn't need an MOT anymore, but I'll put one on it... if it ever sees the road again.

Taken this for an MOT today, after 3 years in the garage. I’m crossing my fingers for a pass with minimal work.

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I used to love these as a kid!

2018 Fabia went in for MOT today.
At last year's MOT the garage tried to do me for £1200 for shock absorbers. I practically cried on the phone and it became an advisory.
This year, I went to a different garage to see if previous garage was trying to fleece me. New garage checked them - no issue.
Full service all fluids and MOT - £220.
First garage = fuckers.

This. I tried to build up a relationship with my local garage, so I didn't really check advisories, but when I went though 4 years worth of MOT results, not one was the same. None of the advisories were even noted the next year. Fuckers.

My wife had her company car MOT'd at a different garage - they stole the spare tyre! Which caused problems when she had a flat tyre 200 miles away.

I know in the grand scheme of things it’s nothing fancy, but I grin like an idiot when I’ve got the roof down. Sometimes with a Christmas tree poking out the back.

Superleggera giving away the Italian tailor behind the Bond Suit.

If poss it's best to find an MOT station that doesn't do servicing/repairs and then they won't try and f' you

If poss it's best to find an MOT station that doesn't do servicing/repairs and then they won't try and f' you

Most local councils provide exactly this: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot/#hidden

Or don't send a woman with a car for an MOT as guess what happens.

I think you meant don't send anyone who looks like a clueless mug, a suit would be equally likely to be exploited by a profiteering garage.

Oh no, I mean don't send women. From experience with girlfriends and knowing a female trained Ferrari mechanic who loves older 60-80s fiats.
They will be talked down to, or the bloke they are randomly with will be talked to as the owner.

Don't get me started of honda motorcycle repair centers. As that one was one of the reasons for an relationship end, as the work done was so sub standard, and reduced the then gf to tears as she wasn't listened to. All I could do was go back and speak to the arse that dealt with my then gf about not being an arse.

No idea about the suit thing. But then I run in different circles.

Is there some faux Pas I am committing? As I knew a clueless suited fuckwit that had no issues in Romford.

Can list two garages in Haringey, both I had a discussion with, then a couple in and around hackney

From the X1/9, t-bar MR2 mk1 and slk. There is a lovely feeling of cold outside and warm heater.

Gets even better with the roof down, heater on and heated seats and steering wheel.

1200 quid for just to shocks?

I had a one of those for a while, the tree with a roof down thing was the main fun around Christmas.

Also, slinging an mtb on the back seat with the front wheel on the boot lid like a sort of piss-take pickup truck vibe.

Eventually, cumulative repairs made it untenable ;(

My best garage experience was when I lived in Walthamstow, it was just around the corner and had good reviews, perfect I thought, until I received a PCN for entering a traffic calming zone... they forgot to tell me not to arrive between 9-11am and couldn't be arsed when I pointed that out.

Whilst I can see that it would have been nice if they had forewarned, I'm not sure I see a huge degree of fault in not doing so. Was the traffic calming zone not signposted at all?

Normally I would agree but the signs are at a weird angle when turning in from the road and they are hidden when not in use. I was only mad for a few days haha.

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The LTN signs are always badly put up, the ones near the school street near us are the same:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fCuuRkg1JCaGYxGNA

Either pissed people having a laugh moving the sign around, or it was people who objected to the LTN moving them. I don't think anyone ever got fined at the School Street LTN I linked to, there were no cameras and very little official enforcement (only a bunch of volunteers that encouraged motorists to take the obvious alternative route).

ooh maybe! Does the New Escort manual cover the 1600 GT crossflow engine? Just bought something with one fitted.

I've got a mk6 Golf auto. It has an auto handbrake adjust setting where you do a couple of things in a particular order and the lever tension increases again.

Relatively recently pads and offside rear caliper were replaced.

I retightened the lever a few weeks ago, maybe 3.

Recently the car has been groaning a bit when I get in. I gave it a bit of a push with the hand brake on and the car moved.

Is the handbrake tension different from the cable tension?

I'm worried about auto adjusting the tension again without understanding the difference.

It’s had its tappets replaced and cambelt.

MOT tomorrow. When the mechanic took it for a test drive he mentioned;
Split gator
Near illegal tyres
Track rod end
Rear wheel bearings

So that’s my salary gone