MOT after 9 years off road

[princeperch]

My MX5 has been parked off road at my parents for 9 odd years. I used to use it regularly but circumstances changed, I moved to London, and drive a boring hatchback now.

anyway, my dad decided to get the old thing back on the road. Its got 56,000 miles on the clock, on a N plate, bodywork is in good condition - very straight.

he took it for an MOT today (after getting insurance obvs) and the result was as follows:

I'm not sure whether to be pleased or not. I haven't spoken to him yet, but I guess even if it needs new calipers and pads that's not the end of the world.

the tyres had tread but were deffo at the end of the road so they'll need to go.

I'm more surprised about the observation of the corrosion underneath. The car had pretty much no corrosion in 2008/9 when I last used it. its since been in a garage for 9 odd years and only moved around the drive weekly.

I'm hoping that its going to be surface rust rather than the underside and suspension is borked. I'll post some pictures at some point when I next go home, but all things considered, after being laid up for 9 years that's not too bad a result I thought, and it'll be nice to get the old thing on the road again (even if only for 2,000 miles for insurance purposes).

Reason(s) for failure
•Brake performance not tested (3.7.A.1)
•Nearside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)
•Offside Front Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)
•Nearside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)
•Offside Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)
•Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Advisory notice item(s)
•all tyres sidewalls cracking
•Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
•Offside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
•Nearside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
•Offside Rear Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
•underside of body and all suspension parts very badly corroded

[VladD]

Doesn't seem too bad to me. As you say, the corrosion is the most worrying thing.

[justinio]

It's an MX5. They rot just for the fun of it.

Hopefully its all just surface rust. Assuming it's a Mk1, the biggest problem will be the sills. If they had started to rot through (unusual if they havent). Then unless your handy with a welder, expect a bill for £££'s to get it done properly.

[princeperch]

just spoke to my dad - he said the rust underneath was surface rust and theyre going to scrub it off with a brush and treat it, so its not as bad as it sounds. the sills are all solid. the brakes too were just a bit snatchy and the blokes have sorted that by hand so no need for any expensive repairs there either.

so all in all it needs new brake lines and tyres so that isn't going to be expensive.

quite impressed given its been laid up for over 8 years.

I had some serious fun in that car and it never, not once, let me down or handed me an expensive bill during a time of my life when I wasn't on all that much money and could have ill afforded expensive repairs. As it looked after me, its time to look after it.

[VladD]

Excellent.