Jump to content

Dollywobbler's Omegawd - Cruisin' (old people can do it too)


dollywobbler

Recommended Posts

Turns out a friend of mine is driving to Bristol on Thursday! Excellent. I can avoid the train. I'll swing him some petrol money, and will spend the rest of the train fare on a hotel. Then I'll have the whole of Friday to unleash Capers.

If you want an extra pair of hands on Thursday night for bonnet-opening/head scratching duties, give me a shout, it'll give me summat to do of an evening in Bristol...!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck dw.

 

We do seem to spend a lot of time on here going through the whole 'driving to a pre-booked mot' thing. Maybe we need a shite cars FAQ? Not that I'm volunteering as I am both mechanically inept and haven't lived in Uk for years.

 

I did drive a car to a prebooked mot in London from county Kerry a couple of years ago though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck dw.

 

 

Seconded, good luck - I am sure it'll all be fine.  At the risk of sounding like a dangerous renegade - even getting nabbed for no MOT is a fine, no points, so while not ideal it wouldn't be the end of the world (assuming as others have said) there aren't any Construction and Use things they can nab you on.  (NB I am not advocating anything illegal or hazardous to Nuns and Kittens).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the handle just pulls all the way back without feeling it pop it'll open with the two man technique, once open there is a small bracket holding the cable to the front panel on the right of the bonnet catch, 8 or 10 mm bolt, loosen it and pull the cable towards the passenger side by 10mm and retighten the bolt, job will be a goodun. I should have a 3.0 petrol Elite of that vintage in for breaking soon, if it's jewish racing gold ( Z489 ) I have a facelift version in currently with mint panels you are welcome to any that are of use

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seconded, good luck - I am sure it'll all be fine.  At the risk of sounding like a dangerous renegade - even getting nabbed for no MOT is a fine, no points, so while not ideal it wouldn't be the end of the world (assuming as others have said) there aren't any Construction and Use things they can nab you on.  (NB I am not advocating anything illegal or hazardous to Nuns and Kittens).

£60 fixed penalty if the Copper bothers at all. About a year ago Mrs N was spoken to by a Traffic Copper at some lights , he just said "Do you know your MOT ran out 3 weeks ago?" She of course blamed me, they just told her to sort it and drove off.

I'm terrible for only realising things need MOT when I come to tax them, so now you don't need to I'm likely to have more cars with no MOT

Goes off to check all my cars MOT status.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Operating to the letter of the law and within the spirit of the law are not entirely the same thing. Has anyone here been stopped by Plod yet and did they get away with their pre-booked MOT that was 200 odd miles away?

I don't mean to sound negative or get all pedantic, I just don't want to see this beast lifted to a compound and all the hassle that is involved for you DW (even if it is a Vauxhall, they're all shit you know!).

 

If I can be of any more help* do let me know......

I got stopped driving 250 miles last year to Essex that ran out of MOT two months before. Police did everything by the book, checked tyres (one was bald) and then issued some paper work. I got two letters a couple of weeks later, a 100 pound fine for each (no mot and tyre).

I thought they were going to seize my car but apparently it's all changed now.

 

Honestly, you will be fine going to a pre booked MOT, do it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd expect those front subframe bush advisories to be the wishbone compliance bushes. Like an e36/46, when they go keeping the car in a straight line can be "interesting". It would be advisesble to get the front and rear track control arms deseized and check the pitman arms for play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. As with most shite old cars, there will be a list of 'get an MOT' items, then the 'make it better' items. I find those are the most difficult to do anything about (thinks of creaking rear end bushes on the S-MX...)

 

The plan at the moment is to head over on Thursday, get to the car about 10am on Friday and book it in for an MOT that afternoon near Bristol. What happens after that point is entirely in the lap of the MOT gods. I'll either be driving home chuffed to bits, cursing and raiding my savings account to buy a few bits, or catching a train home and crying into my beard. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's only Monday. Roll on Friday FFS, I really want to see how this goes!

 

 

I'd expect those front subframe bush advisories to be the wishbone compliance bushes. Like an e36/46, when they go keeping the car in a straight line can be "interesting". It would be advisesble to get the front and rear track control arms deseized and check the pitman arms for play.

I had an E36 with this fault! As you say, trying to drive the thing in a straight line was impossible. I shouldn't of driven it like that really but needs must.

It was easy to fix though, I just bought a whole new lower arm kit from memory. Don't think it was that expensive either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No MoT = no penalty points.

If it is safe, drive it. Worst case scenario is a fixed penalty fine. Police are not interested in tax.

Must be insured obviously. If you can get it on the MID, so much the better, it'll not ping ANPR.

Not true I'm afraid. Surrey police road cops twitter feed has several cars a day pulled over for no tax or insurance or mot. Cars are now seized under their new powers.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/surreyroadcops?lang=en-gb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That will be more for no tax and insurance than the MOT. I suspect the latter is just coincidence. I'm also betting that these cars were not pre-booked for an MOT.

That's true, but I was referring to the sentence that police aren't interested in no tax. That may have been the case last year but certainly isn't now.

 

Tax and insured is a must.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lift for Thursday: Arranged

Hotel for Thursday: AirBnB - arranged

Lift to the car on Friday morning: Vendor has very kindly pretty much insisted. Arranged.

Back up: User_1979 will be attending on the Friday morning. Arranged.

MOT: Test booked for 2:30pm on Friday. Arranged. (thanks User_1979!)

Insurance: ZX now gone, policy switched, another £20 gone. Arranged

 

Excitement levels. OMeGa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lift for Thursday: Arranged

Hotel for Thursday: AirBnB - arranged

Lift to the car on Friday morning: Vendor has very kindly pretty much insisted. Arranged.

Back up: User_1979 will be attending on the Friday morning. Arranged.

MOT: Test booked for 2:30pm on Friday. Arranged. (thanks User_1979!)

Insurance: ZX now gone, policy switched, another £20 gone. Arranged

 

Excitement levels. OMeGa.

Excellent! Told you the vendor was a sound guy!

 

 

What are you going to do if the car fails the test though?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...