(Fairly) expensive day.....

[Baxlin]

Firstly the Mot. And it passed eventually........

Car is 2011 D3 C70 with 42000 on the clock. MoT test at my usual, long association indie. As a precaution I took it far an Italian tune-up before it went in, but emisssions were not a problem.

First phone call: we have a 'dangerous defect', which under the new rules that means the car can’t be driven. Ok, easily fixed, it was a tyre tread actually delaminating from the carcass on the inside edge.

I’ve had the car two years, and that tyre was on the rear when I bought it, so no idea how old it was! So one new tyre.

Second phone call: actually, we’ve found the start of a similar split on the other rear tyre. Only an advisory at the moment, but we recommend a new tyre. The other thing, he continued, the handbrake overall is ok, like it holds the car, but on one side there’s very little happening. Hopefully, it’ll just be the calliper wants freeing, so should be fairly easy..

Third phone call: there’s no easy way to say this, Malcolm, but we’ve had to replace the calliper, and the pads weren’t up to much. So with the two tyres, etc, and including the MoT, it comes to £££s.....

On the bright side, he says, it’s a good, clean, straight car, so there’s no reason not to hang on to it.

Unfortunately, the Admiral Multicar renewal quote hit the email on the same day. The good news there though was that I phoned them, said at that price I was going to do some research, unless they could knock it down a bit. Immediate reduction of £106. Couldn’t be bothered to search, as the premium now is about thirty quid less than last year.

But still the thick end of a thousand quid lighter on the day.
😟

[marc]

Just wait till you get to the point you need new belts etc and have that done with a full service!!!

[Baxlin]

Originally Posted by marc

Just wait till you get to the point you need new belts etc and have that done with a full service!!!

That’s right, hit me when I’m down!
.

[zapcity1]

Or anything roof related. It's why I only have one kidney!!

Great fun cars though.

[domhart10]

Feel your pain, best way I found for it is to source the parts yourself. I purchase all the parts needed myself and then get the garage to fit them. Including at timing belts, oils etc

[Yobbo]

I got stung once with a £1200 garage bill, from that day on I decided I was going to do most of the work myself.
Bought a Haynes manual, low profile jack, impact gun, a couple of torque wrenches, and a socket and extension set, other little bits I had lying around, but I dare say I've saved myself ££££ and obviously the tools have paid for themselves a few times over now.
Every now and then I have to do a bit of internet research for unfamiliar jobs, maybe buy the odd tool, but your confidence grows after a few jobs, I also understand it all depends on the individual, some people are not mechanically minded and some people struggle for space and time but if you've got the itch, pick up the tools!

[Baxlin]

Re post #9, I suppose I am capable of doing many jobs myself - I did build my kit car twenty or so years ago after all.......

But although I’m now retired, and therefore have the time, at 71 years old, I’m not interested in getting under the car quite as often nowadays. My garage will take two cars, but it’s double in length, not width, so it means working outside.

[The Thong]

Originally Posted by Baxlin

Firstly the Mot. And it passed eventually........

Car is 2011 D3 C70 with 42000 on the clock. MoT test at my usual, long association indie. As a precaution I took it far an Italian tune-up before it went in, but emisssions were not a problem.

First phone call: we have a 'dangerous defect', which under the new rules that means the car can’t be driven. Ok, easily fixed, it was a tyre tread actually delaminating from the carcass on the inside edge.

I’ve had the car two years, and that tyre was on the rear when I bought it, so no idea how old it was! So one new tyre.

Second phone call: actually, we’ve found the start of a similar split on the other rear tyre. Only an advisory at the moment, but we recommend a new tyre. The other thing, he continued, the handbrake overall is ok, like it holds the car, but on one side there’s very little happening. Hopefully, it’ll just be the calliper wants freeing, so should be fairly easy..

Third phone call: there’s no easy way to say this, Malcolm, but we’ve had to replace the calliper, and the pads weren’t up to much. So with the two tyres, etc, and including the MoT, it comes to £££s.....

On the bright side, he says, it’s a good, clean, straight car, so there’s no reason not to hang on to it.

Unfortunately, the Admiral Multicar renewal quote hit the email on the same day. The good news there though was that I phoned them, said at that price I was going to do some research, unless they could knock it down a bit. Immediate reduction of £106. Couldn’t be bothered to search, as the premium now is about thirty quid less than last year.

But still the thick end of a thousand quid lighter on the day.
😟

Ignore... Deleted post

TT

[Sysyphus]

Well last weekend I was convinced I had an almost prohibitively expensive repair required. I pulled the codes... misfire cylinder 5 was the only one of any significance so I figured I would swap coil packs around to see if I could move the misfire. On removing pack 5 I could see obvious evidence of combustion products deposited all up the side of the plug well, and the plug itself was wobbling like a seven year old’s from tooth

Popped the plug out and found this:


Unbelievably after examining with an endoscope I couldn’t see any bits inside or any significant damage to cylinder or piston so I put another plug in and it seems to be working just fine. Thinking I should play the lottery this week

[PaddyB]

Wow - that is one eaten electrode. Hopefully it went one atom at a time & there's no damage to anything else. Yes ... buy 2 lotto tickets.

I have to agree with Yobbo - tool up & learn how to do the maintenance schedule; it's not that difficult with the internet to help.