I have a horrible feeling that one of these days they'll tighten up on emissions for the pre-cat cars and we'll have to say goodbye to them.
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"Just you wait till someone writes it off for you!"
Oh thanks Hugo! LOL
Martin I wonder what they'll do next to push those who need their cars the most off the roads. Cats aren't environmentally friendly either, but if they ever did come up with something like that they'd have to have some clauses or else beautiful old classic cars like the Austin would never be allowed on the road.
It's going to be interesting to see just how many of todays top spec all singing all dancing computerised new cars are roadworthy and viable in ten years from now.
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You have rediscovered something I've also been enjoying and also posted about a few days ago. I'm in between cars and am riding around in a '93 Civic in a faded shade of funereal black which looks like it should have been scrapped years ago but goes superbly well. The Odometer says it's done 178,000 km but like most women I'm sure it is coy and creative about its age. My mechanic put it up on the hoist, clucked, did some ritual gum-sucking, shook his head and said Boss drive it till it drops there's no point in spending any money on it, it's perfectly OK.
The joy of parking it and not having to worry about will it be there when I get back (no self-respecting thief could possibly want it), never mind if someone dings the doors, bunging the cheapest gas in, use any old oil as long as there's enough of it etc is quite a liberating experience.
My new car arrives next week. That's a worry.
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Yep, its a really satisfying form of inverse snobbery when you can announce to your mates that your aged banger got a ticket without any work.
My '89 525 AND my SO's '91 Golf recently got through this way, all in the same week. Im still bragging two weeks later.
I definately think it helps to find a garage thats always busy - I think their less inclined to be picky come MOT time. In my experience, if you use those stations that offer half price tests you are (usually) entering the lions den.
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If someone does write it off, you get to go shopping for a new car with £500 in your pocket and beat the system all over again!
Gareth
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You're right, Andy, it is a kind of inverse snobbery. I feel a bit aloof in that I've had only one MoT failure in 30 years - and that was on my Triumph 2500 at its very first MoT in 1975. I always go over my cars before taking them for the test but on this occasion I had failed to see that a rubber steering coupling was almost in two parts!
My first MoT was in October 1960 when they were introduced. The test was very simple then, however my 1937 Morris 8 (BBC 919)still failed miserably. It had loads of wear in the leaf-spring shackles, brakes that were almost non-existent and a frightening amount of free-play in the steering. MoTs are a real nuisance but I can see why they were needed.
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Reading this thread with interest! My banger (an N reg Seat Toledo) is in the garage today for its MOT. You all know the feeling on days like this, pacing the corridor and waiting for the dreaded call.
I'll post later and tell you all how it does!
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An N reg car a banger???? Our "best" car is N reg (306 XSi), and it's the newest car i've ever owned!
Our banger is a £200, 1984 audi 100 estate, bought as a builders van for our house renovation, and still going strong. Didn't so much as sail through the MOT as limp through, but it only cost £150 to get it through - if it breaks tomorrow we'll have had our moneys worth!
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"1984 audi 100 estate"
An excellent vehicle, IMHO (quite a few still around) and old enough to be relatively simple. It's things like cats, computers and ABS pumps that cost serious money to fix, and therefore render an otherwise sound vehicle to the scrap heap.
Not all progress is forwards.
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At my recent MoT I was told by the nice lady receptionist that soon the MoT system of issuing a certificate is going to be ......yes, you guessed it... ..computerised. She was a bit shady on the details but it seems that no certificate will be issued at the time of testing, and the test result will be held on computer at presumably DVLA. When applying for your road tax at the PO, a valid MoT certificate will be confirmed via a computer link to DVLA.
Plus of course, the police will have immediate access to check your vehicles roadworthiness. Got to be a good thing? Oh, and the test fee would also increase to pay for the new system.
Anyone confirm this?
It was also mentioned that they system was trialed recently, but was unsuccessful because hackers obtained access within a few minutes of going on line!
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Andy B, this ties up with what I have read [1]. In July, I asked my usual MOT place [2] what the latest was. The nice lady receptionist indicated it had however been put on long-term hold due to technical issues.
[1] possibly on here.
[2] in north Hants.
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".. due to technical issues"
Which just confirms that government and computers don't mix.
Almost every large-scale IT project in the UK has failed, including various NHS projects, the passport system, attempts to marry up PAYE and NI (not to mention tax credits!) and the attempted integration of the court systems.
This is all very well when the failure just causes inconvenience, but it's scary when they try to replace legally required documentation. I hope the hackers keep testing it!
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Why stop at computers? Has the (any) Government actually acheived anything positive through change? Railways, traffic, NHS, coal mines, schools, defence cuts, British Gas, the Post Office, Air Traffic Control, the decline of industry in general, immigration, policing and crime, spring to mind.
Has anything actually improved? I think not. Everything, including sadly the quality of life, is in decline.
This is not a political rant against the current party, nor some rosy tinted view of life in other countries, but an observation of the success of politics in this country in general.
These things seem to matter more when you have kids and you contemplate their future.
Rant over. Yes, its doom and gloom time, but thats just how I see it. Preparing for that edit button.........
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And the 70-limit was meant to be temporary measure!
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So was VAT. Or was it Income Tax.
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Why stop at computers? Has the (any) Government actually acheived anything positive through change? Railways, traffic, NHS, coal mines, schools, defence cuts, British Gas, the Post Office, Air Traffic Control, the decline of industry in general, immigration, policing and crime, spring to mind.
"Yes, but apart from the roads, drains, education, legal system, central heating, art, theatre and wine, what have the Romans ever done for us?"
;-)
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Nice one, GJD. I still have some sympathy with the original sentiment, nonetheless! :-)
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So do I as it happens. But the opportunity leapt out at me as soon as I read it and I couldn't resist.
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>Which just confirms that government and computers don't mix.
Except it's usually private sector companies that install and manage those computer systems.
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When I gave up my job as an MOT tester in 2001( May)we were being assured by the men from the ministry that full computerisation was , after several years preparation ,about to be introduced . Two and a half years later I'm told the idea is on hold due to technical difficulties . ( Did someone mention Air Traffic Control ? )
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"Cats aren't environmentally friendly either"
I've often wondered how they are disposed of. Do you still tie them up in a bag and drop them in the canal? :-)
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"Cats aren't environmentally friendly either" I've often wondered how they are disposed of. Do you still tie them up in a bag and drop them in the canal? :-)
Sounds a bit cruel but it's must be easier than trying to fit one in the exhaust system.
I've still got the scratches to prove it!!
:)
Tell me is it true that Tabbys give less problems during the emissions test than the Black and White variety.
It's just I've got one of each.
Hugo
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Sounds a bit cruel but it's must be easier than trying to fit one in the exhaust system.
Ah, but guaranteed to make your engine purrr......
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FAO Owen
Yes, an N reg car can be a banger. My evidence for saying this is the fact that the garage have just called to tell me it needs £250 worth of welding to a sill, possibly more. Yikes! He went on to say that they do not normally do welding, but do happen to have a bloke around on Tuesday who might be able to do it.
This immediately made me a little suspicious (I am paranoid about this having had a bad experience recently when MOTing my other car). I have a mate in the trade who can give me a second opinion and will ask him to look at it tonight. I just find it hard to believe that I can have a badly rusted sill when there is no visable evidence of rust on the car at all. Ironically, i had the oil and filter done on the car recently, and the bloke that did it put it up on the ramp for a quick inspection. He told me I had a leaking shock that needed replacing. I was expecting to have to have this done, but this was apparently not an MOT problem at all.
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>> "Cats aren't environmentally friendly either" >> >> I've often wondered how they are disposed of. Do you still >> tie them up in a bag and drop them in the >> canal? :-) >> Sounds a bit cruel but it's must be easier than trying to fit one in the exhaust system. I've still got the scratches to prove it!! :) Tell me is it true that Tabbys give less problems during the emissions test than the Black and White variety. It's just I've got one of each. Hugo
hmmmmmm
I just put a tiger in my tank and off I go :D
And don't tell my three moggies either!
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Ah Stripes!
That'll be the Tabby then
Thanks for that, I've got a choice of two.....
Now, which way round do they go.....
Hugo
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