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2018 MOT passed; but not without the spanners.

Chris

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Got the old bus out of storage today and ventured off to my usual MOT stations. As I have said before, if you get a pass from these lads it's because it's right. They might let you off a worn wiper blade if they know you really really well but that's about the limit of it. And only if you promise to come back and show them.

It failed. First ever fail. There was a mixture of straight fails and some minor things.

Headlight alignment was way out. Errm it seems the lamps weren't correctly seated in the holders. Fixed.
Rear OS foot brake imbalance. Usual story. Cleaned greased back on. Fixed
NS ARB broken. What? Yep the small bracket on the axle had snapped. Welded.

Minors, track rod gaiters perished. Had two in stock, replaced. Well why not.
Horn. Get this. You can't have a two tone horn. It has to be one Beep. Mine goes Fffffarrrpppp!!

Yes, the handbrake was spot on. Who'd have thought.

So back up for a retest. Sorted. Rear brake still slightly out of balance but the disc was rusty so that should cut in and it was within limits. Just. Still got a note on the MOT for it though.

And lastly it was noted that there was corrosion on the floor pan and sills. Well anyone who knows my truck will know that there's some surface corrosion. Show me a 21 year old truck with zero. So any vehicle that says it has rust underneath on the MOT history, should clearly be scrapped immediately.
 
nothing major, just annoying niggles then Chris
strange the arb bracket was broken, have you given it any workouts since the last test?
 
Not that I know of. It was undetectable when just parked there. It was only when they started swing like baboons on it they they saw it move.
 
I had both mine done just before the changes came through in France in Mid May.

Now seriously considering on selling both.

They have now made central Annecy a no go zone as well...some new French law Critiqair or some baloney....

Fed up with govt/ EU making us with cars that we maintain to good standards pushing us to the point of saying f£&k it!
 
Got the old bus out of storage today and ventured off to my usual MOT stations. As I have said before, if you get a pass from these lads it's because it's right. They might let you off a worn wiper blade if they know you really really well but that's about the limit of it. And only if you promise to come back and show them.

It failed. First ever fail. There was a mixture of straight fails and some minor things.

Headlight alignment was way out. Errm it seems the lamps weren't correctly seated in the holders. Fixed.
Rear OS foot brake imbalance. Usual story. Cleaned greased back on. Fixed
NS ARB broken. What? Yep the small bracket on the axle had snapped. Welded.

Minors, track rod gaiters perished. Had two in stock, replaced. Well why not.
Horn. Get this. You can't have a two tone horn. It has to be one Beep. Mine goes Fffffarrrpppp!!

Yes, the handbrake was spot on. Who'd have thought.

So back up for a retest. Sorted. Rear brake still slightly out of balance but the disc was rusty so that should cut in and it was within limits. Just. Still got a note on the MOT for it though.

And lastly it was noted that there was corrosion on the floor pan and sills. Well anyone who knows my truck will know that there's some surface corrosion. Show me a 21 year old truck with zero. So any vehicle that says it has rust underneath on the MOT history, should clearly be scrapped immediately.


Strange your ARB axle bracket should break when it’s only recently we’ve been discussing this weakness.

I say weakness, its lasted 20+ years so it can’t be so bad :lol:

Like you Chris, I’d rather my truck fail and be told about these things than just get a pass without proper inspection.
 
I had both mine done just before the changes came through in France in Mid May.

Now seriously considering on selling both.

They have now made central Annecy a no go zone as well...some new French law Critiqair or some baloney....

Fed up with govt/ EU making us with cars that we maintain to good standards pushing us to the point of saying f£&k it!
I don’t like the look of where this is going one little bit.
 
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I don’t like the look of where this is going one little bit.

If I think how much I have spent on full refurbs for my 2 remaining 80s, full leather , headliner, sound proofing, not to say also when I find better looking parts interior or exterior that I replace to bring back to as new as I can and now I am basically forced to sell them. Probably could get 15 K euro each for them, but to me they have much more value than that. Actually thinking about improbably better to break them...., I just think of gull wing doors, tailgate storage, mirror light brackets, roof tent, I am already at 4000 euro investment, leather interior full retrim, roof liner, steering wheel and gear knobs 2000 euro per vehicle...god I better stop counting now....


Sorry Chris for the thread hijack....
 
If I think how much I have spent on full refurbs for my 2 remaining 80s, full leather , headliner, sound proofing, not to say also when I find better looking parts interior or exterior that I replace to bring back to as new as I can and now I am basically forced to sell them. Probably could get 15 K euro each for them, but to me they have much more value than that. Actually thinking about improbably better to break them...., I just think of gull wing doors, tailgate storage, mirror light brackets, roof tent, I am already at 4000 euro investment, leather interior full retrim, roof liner, steering wheel and gear knobs 2000 euro per vehicle...god I better stop counting now....


Sorry Chris for the thread hijack....
Just take them to Hungary can’t you?
Just don’t keep adding up the bills it isn’t good for your health! :shifty:
 
Just take them to Hungary can’t you?
Just don’t keep adding up the bills it isn’t good for your health! :shifty:


If I do that it will be to park them up and not use them, after Hungary joined EU and lost import duties on cars they introduced a registration tax of the same amount. Also if they are in Hungary, basically I will use them max 2/3 months a year....sad state of affairs....
 
Sad indeed :icon-cry:

Something tells me it’s the thin end of the wedge.
 
Not a Hijack at all Mussy. It's a something and nothing thread. Just part of the daily chattage.

I think that they are slowly tightening the noose on older cars. Some new law and anything pre XYZ is exempt. Then something else comes in and it goes a little further back. Then they'll bring something that effectively takes something like an 80 off the road for good. Too new to be a classic but old enough for compulsory scrappage!
 
I’m not enjoying this thread…
And not just because some idiot beurocrats are trying to stop me driving my 80. More because the system is tightening its noose.

Maybe I need to come up with a way to electrify the 80 series and sell kits.
 
I had both mine done just before the changes came through in France in Mid May.

Now seriously considering on selling both.

They have now made central Annecy a no go zone as well...some new French law Critiqair or some baloney....

Fed up with govt/ EU making us with cars that we maintain to good standards pushing us to the point of saying f£&k it!
Is that a diesel ban or all oldtimers?
 
Retro fitting of DPF’s in older private cars will probably be the next step, as has been proposed for older taxis,buses and commercial vehicles in Leeds town centre for 2020.
 
failing for a 2 tone horn, give over, they come as standard on some vehicles I've had!!
There's being strict and there's taking the piss!!
 
Well most are two tone Mogg. But they just give one singe combined beeeeep. Mine does a sort of double Faaarp. They didn't fail it for that, but it went down as a minor.
 
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