I was 17 and just had a few months driving my beloved Austin 1300, my first car. I was it, king of the road, and then it was MOT time. My dad suggested I took it to the local Leyland dealership as they would know the car better and he hasn’t a clue about cars. This was with hindsight and now in my late summer years I now know, a disaster waiting to happen... Said dealership had a field day on my 6 year old pride n joy. It failed on every conceivable thing it could, ball joints, gaiters, headlights, sidelights, steering rack, windscreen wipers, washer bottle, the lot. I was devastated, this was going to cost a zillion zillion spondulies. ( I now know they saw me coming and wrung their hands together in expectation of a huge wad ) I nearly cried going home, my dad wasn’t much help as he had no clue about such things, but John the mechanic across the road fixed the gaiters, washers and lights, I helped and learned a bit more. Then he put it into another more down to earth garage for its MOT, and it passed with flying colours. I was over the moon.Total cost £10 and two pints of beer. I’ve been dubious of any dealership ever since. What was that MOT disaster you’ll never forget. Was it on your bay per chance?
Took my cortina for a MOT and it failed on major rust to both footwells, I got a bucket wallpaper paste and a newspaper and paper mache the footwells, I then got some underseal and slapped that on the outside and spray painted the inners I even ran a piece of string along the edge to look like a weld, I took it back and it passed, the following year I got a dodgy one from a bloke down the pub
My Honda 550 was sound as a pound then went for a mot where the tester started to prod the exhausts with a screwdriver and ended up making a hole where there was previously nothing. An argument ensued and I never went back where i'd bought loads of stuff before. I've blanked the really bad experiences out.
Peugeot 205 gti 1.9 when i was 19. Car looked mint on the surface, I braked late and the wheels locked then..........nothing. I crashed into kerb and onto a roundabout where the wheels dug in to the wet grass and soil and slowed me to a rapid stop. When the recovery driver tried to drag it out, most of it remained firmly stuck in the mud Apparently a glorious blend of other 205's had made up my lovely cut and shut.
My sills a couple of years back. Both sides all three layers. That was fixed. Took it back for retest and it failed on something else as the main mot test guy was on holiday.. another £500 on top of the £4100...
Bought a Scirocco gti with a MOT at 18 for £50 got it home and found a flat tire jacked it up and the car didn’t move. Opened to door to see the jack complete with jacking point sticking through the floor
I remember back in the day vw had a good reputation for solid build compared with other makes but those Sciroccos really did rot badly.
I remember getting an mot to do on a Ford Orion back in the 80’s. That was two cars welded together right across the middle at the b posts.
Not my first but when my better half took our Daly driver in and they took the absolute Micky. She picked it up with a huge fail list I drove it round the corner to a different place and a pass after the a brake light bulbs that popped on the way as I'd checked them the night before. I knew of the story's about taking the Micky of unexpected people but wow
I practiced mig welding on a metro ,most of the floor...The mot man pulled a patch off He said "son scrap it ,I won't charge you for the test " Fair do 's
X reg blue metallic Nissan Cherry 1.2(I think). Fred Flintstone inner sills and footwell. I think they all went like that...
I just had a thought I could do a " how to paper mache a bay windows bottom 6 inches" at the spring Techenders @snotty and @Suss can be my glamorous assistants
My 68 bug. I was expecting to use it as my first car and I was 14. It failed on lots of rust. Beam. Wheel well, four bumper hangers, floor pan, rear valance, inner rear arches and rear floor behind back seat. Dad threatened to scrap it so I put it in the garage and put a crook lock on it and took the keys. Still got it now thirty years later But no rust left