Story of an MOT

[simpo two]

Cracked windscreen. MOT failure for sure. Suddenly the end of the month is looming and I'll need a new tax disc.

Windscreen man is booked for 'between 9 and 12'. MOT is booked for 2pm. It's 29 Dec and the only window for getting the new tax in time is either today or tomorrow morning...

Hurrah! Windscreen man arrives about 10.30am. Biggest panic over. He gets to work and finishes just before it rains. Phew. Now off for the MOT with shiny new windscreen.

BUGGER! Car has failed on 'excessive play in joint'. How much is a new joint? Can't be much surely. Garage rings local Jag dealer parts department. Parts deptartment busy. Time for Simpo to wade in. Simpo gets through to Parts. Ah right, the joint is actually part of a suspension arm thingy and I need the whole thing. Terrific. Oh, and I need the fixing pack too. How much? £218 But they have one in stock, and I need my MOT. I jump in the Griff and go and get it. However by the time I get back the garage has packed up for the day. Doh.

Arrive next morning at garage clutching big box with large Thing in it, and Fixings Pack on top (actually a bag with some bolts in it. But they're very good bolts, as this lot cost £30. Only Jaguar could charge £1.50 for a fecking rivet...)

Plead with garage to fit part, as the post office closes in about 4 hours. I go home and wait.

2 hours later the garage rings. 'We can't get the wheel bearing out, it's seized in'. I go down and see. They've heated it, bashed it with hammers and even tried to cut it out with an angle grinder. No luck. I need a new wheel bearing as well But Jag Parts is closed now. Game over for the weekend. Arse.

My next trip is to a party on New Year's Eve and I daren't go out with a dud tax disc due to high predicted Plod outbreaks. At least I have the Griff, but not ideal on a miserable, windy, rainy night.

Tuesday morning. I ring the Jag dealer. Yes, they have a new wheel bearing. £50 maybe? Oh ha bloody ha, it's £183. Feck me, how do they price these parts? At this rate I shall be buying myself a new Jaguar, bit by bit, right down to the bloody exhaust trims. So it's back in the Griff to get the bearing.

At last, the end is in sight. I drop the bearing into the Garage and they show me the old bearing , which is now out, but completely shagged. Just one of those things, apparently: steel part in aluminium casting = corrosion. Anyway, Garage fits bearing (the car has been stuck on their hoist for the last three days) and I collect the car and MOT certificate (hurrah!) and scamper off to the PO to get the new disc.

Tax: £175
MOT failure certificate (why do they bother?) £46
Strut thingy: £218
Bearing: £183
Fitting: £90

Total for not very much: £712, but at least I can get the VAT back. Main winners: Gordon F Brown and local Jag dealer. Bah.

[jeremyc]

You just know some smartarse is going to ask why you didn't get a new tax disk before the old MOT ran out.

So why didn't you?

[simpo two]

jeremyc said:

You just know some smartarse is going to ask why you didn't get a new tax disk before the old MOT ran out.

Christmas and various logistical problems didn't help, and also the fact that the old MOT ran out on 13 Dec, before you can apply for a new disc.

Don't they have an MOT every two years in the rest of the EU?

At least the local garage are a good bunch, and within walking distance.

Edited by simpo two on Tuesday 2nd January 19:06

[motorwise]

jeremyc said:

You just know some smartarse is going to ask why you didn't get a new tax disk before the old MOT ran out.

So why didn't you?

the MOT has to be in force on the day the tax disc starts (1st of the month is good enough)