Mazda mx-5 1993 - Accident 1999 - welding left wing
Discussion
Hi,
Have mazda 's' Ltd 1993 in black. when I bought the car I knew about an accident on the left wing under wheel. It has passed mot last year despite this and I was told it was repaired fully even though the first owners insurance company reported as Cat C.
My mechanic did the brakes and discs (and he is a good mechanic, never rips me off). He said the crack had only been put together with silicone sealant and not welded. he said it should have not passed mot. Now I have to find a welder to do it - going to get the work done whatever the cost - as the car is worth it. Mot is due july so plenty of time yet.
Also need some bilstein front shockers (pair) - anyone have any not used??
Have mazda 's' Ltd 1993 in black. when I bought the car I knew about an accident on the left wing under wheel. It has passed mot last year despite this and I was told it was repaired fully even though the first owners insurance company reported as Cat C.
My mechanic did the brakes and discs (and he is a good mechanic, never rips me off). He said the crack had only been put together with silicone sealant and not welded. he said it should have not passed mot. Now I have to find a welder to do it - going to get the work done whatever the cost - as the car is worth it. Mot is due july so plenty of time yet.
Also need some bilstein front shockers (pair) - anyone have any not used??
Bad luck on finding out your repairs weren't done properly. I presume we're talking about this car?
Do you have any photos of the area in question? Or can you give any more details?
Is this crack in a structural part of the car, i.e. the chassis itself or is it a cosmetic crack somewhere?
If it's cosmetic, sealant is a pretty odd way to repair it, but not necessarily a dangerous one. Minor welding shouldn't cost you too much at all but it's difficult to estimate costs without seeing the car.
If your mechanic says the car shouldn't have passed its MOT, it might be worth reporting the garage that issued the MOT: I think there are details on how to do this on the back of the MOT.
Nothing wrong with a properly repaired cat c but were you aware it was Cat C when you bought it? If so, I hope you didn't pay anything like the £3300 asking price you mentioned in the other thread; especially if you're now also having to replace brakes/pads and suspension.
If you weren't aware it was a cat c, it might be worth pursuing the previous owner, although I suspect you won't get anywhere unless you have something in writing from them specifically saying it hadn't been written off.
Do you have any photos of the area in question? Or can you give any more details?
Is this crack in a structural part of the car, i.e. the chassis itself or is it a cosmetic crack somewhere?
If it's cosmetic, sealant is a pretty odd way to repair it, but not necessarily a dangerous one. Minor welding shouldn't cost you too much at all but it's difficult to estimate costs without seeing the car.
If your mechanic says the car shouldn't have passed its MOT, it might be worth reporting the garage that issued the MOT: I think there are details on how to do this on the back of the MOT.
Nothing wrong with a properly repaired cat c but were you aware it was Cat C when you bought it? If so, I hope you didn't pay anything like the £3300 asking price you mentioned in the other thread; especially if you're now also having to replace brakes/pads and suspension.
If you weren't aware it was a cat c, it might be worth pursuing the previous owner, although I suspect you won't get anywhere unless you have something in writing from them specifically saying it hadn't been written off.
Edited by Risotto on Tuesday 5th June 12:53
Hi, yes I was aware of the accident - checked mot online also plus the vehicle report saying it was cat C. Have not a clue where the crack is - mechanic did not show me and I did not ask him.
Yes that is the car. I expected things to be wrong with it as even the air con unit is missing. I only paid £2,900 as he reduced it when another buyer did a check on it. He said he was surprised as far as he knew in three years he had it - it had never failed. I have the old mot certificate and just wondered whether the station advised him to get it done and he has just left it. Should i report the mot station?
I will try and get some mobile phone pics to see where it is and post them on here.
Yes that is the car. I expected things to be wrong with it as even the air con unit is missing. I only paid £2,900 as he reduced it when another buyer did a check on it. He said he was surprised as far as he knew in three years he had it - it had never failed. I have the old mot certificate and just wondered whether the station advised him to get it done and he has just left it. Should i report the mot station?
I will try and get some mobile phone pics to see where it is and post them on here.
Edited by shawtj2 on Tuesday 5th June 14:27
Before reporting the MOT station do have a look at it. I do have sympathy for inspectors as they are often hounded by the ministry, and every car that goes through would have the opportunity to have comeback on it, it is their livelihood and most of the ones I have dealt with are pretty honest. At the end of the day they have roughly an hour to put your car through the test, and have many areas to look at. Ask yourself - would you have noticed the repair? If it was silicone an old trick it to put silicone on and paint over it - it can then look like 'weld' - despite the MOT man having a test hammer he/she's not allowed to smack bits of your car that hard.
Sorry, went on a bit there! Sorry to hear about the damage on your car, show us some pics and it might be easier to work out what the options are for repair/priority.
Sorry, went on a bit there! Sorry to hear about the damage on your car, show us some pics and it might be easier to work out what the options are for repair/priority.
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