Motor World - DOOMED

[Guest]

After getting the Cuore back on the road, I've been needing a tax disc holder as my last one disintegrated. I also required some general garage supplies, primer, filler, etc. so I popped down to Motor World in Castleford to find the shutters down. Bit odd. Went past again yesterday, as well as today, and the shutters have remained. How peculiar. As there is really nowhere else to go in Castleford for general motoring supplies, I decided to investigate.http://www.am-online.com/news/story/Mot ... n/42898199"Motor World, the UK independent automotive car care retailer, has closed 95 of its 237 retail units and appointed BDO Stoy Hayward as administrators."Toss! Is this the end for reasonably convenient (if mildly overpriced) motoring supplies? Probably not, but all I want is a sodding tax disc holder. I can't keep balancing it on the dashboard, it'll blow out of the window or something eventually. I don't want to go to Halfords, they'll only have Ripspeed ones which are £30 and made out of chrome and brass and neon lights. Plus there's always an army of people in cheap suits trying to get me signed up for the Halfords credit card and I can't get away with pretending I'm 20 forever (there's an age cut-off).In conclusion, what a crock.

[mk2_craig]

I'm sure Motor World went bust a few years ago too, presumably salvaged from administration by a management team who ultimately didn't know what they were doing. I was looking at their website just the other day too!Whenever I've needed a tax disc holder, I've always gone down to the relevant main stealer and asked for one foc - more often than not they'll give me four in a vain attempt to prevent me from coming in again without spending money

[Ratdat]

You can get them in the post office.

[KruJoe]

Count your blessings, you still have the Andrew Page on Hunt St - from my experience AP are usually helpful and know their stuff- unlike the spotty YTS fodder at my nearest, the M.World 10 miles away...

[Guest]

I'll be alright regarding the tax disc holder (I actually know where there's a pile of blank ones, I just wanted one of those snazzy ones that say "MOTORSPORT" on or something), bit of a sod about the primer and suchlike though.Wonder if the ones in Wakefield are still open? They seemed a bit quiet usually so it doesn't bode too well for them.....

[r.welfare]

I can't believe that somewhere the size of Wakefield doesn't possess some quality independent motor factors! In fact I saw a couple of likely-looking places on my drive from Saltaire to our offices in Cutler Heights last week which I suppose aren't a million miles away - although north of Watford my geography is well shaky.Newbury had a Motor World as well, but in all honesty I wasn't aware of it's existence until I saw a similar article in the local paper last week. Good job the "Motorists Discount Centre" I usually frequent still appears to be open.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Do you have any branches of Les Smith where you are? They seem to be a similar anti-Halfords type motor factor to Motorworld!

[CortinaDave]

I quite like those magnetax jobbys that halfrauds sell for 2 quid or so. Save me having to buy one again.My holy grail of tax disc holders for me is the RAC - FORD ones that came free with early 90's Fords. Always a joyous moment if i buy a motor and the unused original RAC - FORD disc holder is still in the paperwork folder and I can slap it on. They look great.

[r.welfare]

Those Magnatax ones are GR8. But I don't recommend the "solid metal" jobs with tiny allen bolts holding the cover to the magnetic ring (oo-err missus), they're a right pain in the arse.

[Guest]

Never even heard of Les Smith! There are a few autofactors in Wakefield (including said Andrew Page), but I've never had much joy with them, as they're full-on "order at the counter" type places. What I need is a convenience store for car tat, with a varying selection of engine oil, primer, paint, oddments and crap easily-broken tools. What I'm left with is sodding Halfords.I love original dealer tax discs, sadly only one car I've ever bought has had one (a Daihatsu dealer in Effingham, what a brilliant name for a town).

[mk2_craig]

My holy grail of tax disc holders for me is the RAC - FORD ones that came free with early 90's Fords. Always a joyous moment if i buy a motor and the unused original RAC - FORD disc holder is still in the paperwork folder and I can slap it on. They look great.

I took a test drive in a low-mileage K plate Scorpio not so long back, this had the exact tax disc holder you describe in the owner's manual binder! Sadly I didn't feel bolshy enough to steal it.

[retrogeezer]

Wilkinsons is where you need to go....magnetax ones for £1. They say 'TAX PAID' on one side but just turn it over.

[Owain-328i]

To be honest the Motor World near to me was crap. What mainly put me off going there were the staff, who were all pikeys, even the managers came across as total dick heads. The loud music always pumping in there didnt help matters either.

[Guest greenvanman]

I'll be alright regarding the tax disc holder (I actually know where there's a pile of blank ones, I just wanted one of those snazzy ones that say "MOTORSPORT" on or something)

Secure it to the windscreen with a big 'X' of brown parcel tape for extra shite ponts

[MrRegieRitmo]

Never even heard of Les Smith!

Seems they were a Southern concern, but guess what?......http://www.bikebiz.com/news/21762/Les-Smith-in-administrationthey are no more..... Looking at other results it seems that at some point they were actually taken under the wing of or became part of Motor World which has also ended in tears now hasn't it!http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=les+smith+motor&btnG=Search&meta=When I thought of them, I was picturing the Chichester branch which I'm assuming is now no longer there after finding out that they've gone out of business. As I don't work in Chichester anymore I don't keep abreast of the goings on there so didn't realise they'd gone under!

[MrRegieRitmo]

But I don't recommend the "solid metal" jobs with tiny allen bolts holding the cover to the magnetic ring (oo-err missus), they're a right pain in the arse.

Yes they are - I bought one to jazz up the Fiesta. Very fiddly & drawn out just to get the disc in place then after that it never stayed on the screen long anyway & would fly off (possibly dangerous?) whilst driving as it was too heavy for the small adhesive blobs supplied to tack it on with!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sorry Hirst, I hate motor world! I hate the staff in em. Invariably they are morons, like halfords staff but with more food stains down their jumpers.

[TheScrapman]

Les Smith mysteriously caught fire in Andover about 5 or 6 years ago - opened up again within weeks with the Motorworld banner.Pity really, Les Smiths were loads cheaper than Halfords - they'd been there for 30-odd years too so had a large hoard of NOS parts on the shelf.Was amazed when I popped in for a front brake hose for a 1960 Morris J2. They had it on the shelf.

[Guest]

Sorry Hirst, I hate motor world! I hate the staff in em. Invariably they are morons, like halfords staff but with more food stains down their jumpers.

Don't get me wrong, it's never been great, just the least frustrating.Though in their defence, one of them was actually pretty apt at ordering weird car-specific parts in - I used to go there on my lunch and order in a single thing (usually sub-£5) and they would ring me up a few hours later to say it has been delivered. The logistics of it baffled me. I can only assume they used to send up a Sprinter van containing a single oil filter (I've never seen anyone else in there ordering/picking up parts), which is perhaps why they made no money.In conclusion, it's all my fault. Soz!

[Timewaster]

Holy Shit! Makes me glad I quit my job as an A1 motorstore manager last month! Now at EDF energy. People will always need electric.

[andrew e]

You can get them in the post office.

99p, ask my wife nicely and she'll sell you car tax too Motorworld seem to be allright down south, but I'm only comparing to halfords or the awfull counter service in eurocarparts. Strangely I blogged this lost last night oon ARonline

[CortinaDave]

The post office ones are rubbish though and refuse to stick to the window for any length of time

[Milford Cubicle]

Magnetax is my favourite, stick it on the windscreen under the rear-view mirror to keep it out of the way - job done.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Went off to Motorworld in Bognor today to get some oil, an oil filter & see what they charge for batteries (geddit??) after Aidan said "gone under? Nah they're still there!" so off we went, saw it there clear as day but the main entrance is around the other side by the parking lot. Sure enough it was empty with nothing more than a lorry which looked like it was being filled with stock as a reverse in the trend of what normally happens when a lorry stops outside a business! (a functioning one....)

[Richard]

I prefer the kind of tax disc holders with a pocket that you slide the disc into. If I have a conventional holder I usually stuff a rag behind it for the first few weeks of a new disc.

[uncle silvia]

Hey there is nothing wrong with Halfords (I work there )To be honest Ive found the quality of staff to vary a lot across the country myself, but speaking for ourselves most of our long term staff at the Plymouth branch pride ourselves in our Knowledge and quality of work, and the fact that lots of us are actually car enthusiasts and dont just see it as a job! This is kinda shown in the cars we drive (My Corolla, Datsun 120Y, 71 VW type 3, Sirocco etc etc) and most of us are members on here!!I love talking to customers about their cars and trying to sort things out or adapting things thats maybe a little different to the norm! Well I was sorting a sat nav for a DB7 last week and next week ill be working on a Karman Ghia This is what makes the job interesting for me!!Not all Halfords are useless

[shite_meister]

Hey Uncle Silvia do you work at Marsh Mills? I think I saw your car there-didn't think that it was yours at the time, there was another nice old Jap car there I'm sure it was a Mitsubishi Gallant Coupe in cream.I've just e-mailed Halfords to ask why they charged me a tenner on some wax when the big sign next to it said buy today for £4.99.It never fails to amaze me about the massive amount of stick-on crap people buy.I recently bought some Draper ratcheting spanners-normally I steer clear of Draper on account that alot of it is just shite however I bought these spanners coz they felt good and I knew a few mechanics who used them daily, so the retail was £110 or more but being staff I got them for £48, bargain I thought untill I saw the exact same set in Halfords for £29-the packaging was identical but different colour so they obviously made by the same company.

[blackbird]

That's odd I went past my Motorworld and there was a big bike chain accross the door and some blokes clearing the place out I figured they had shut down , not much money in ram raiding the place for furry dice !!!Look out in markets and car boots for cheap stuff from there!!!!

[uncle silvia]

Hey Uncle Silvia do you work at Marsh Mills? I think I saw your car there-didn't think that it was yours at the time, there was another nice old Jap car there I'm sure it was a Mitsubishi Gallant Coupe in cream.I've just e-mailed Halfords to ask why they charged me a tenner on some wax when the big sign next to it said buy today for £4.99.It never fails to amaze me about the massive amount of stick-on crap people buy.I recently bought some Draper ratcheting spanners-normally I steer clear of Draper on account that alot of it is just shite however I bought these spanners coz they felt good and I knew a few mechanics who used them daily, so the retail was £110 or more but being staff I got them for £48, bargain I thought untill I saw the exact same set in Halfords for £29-the packaging was identical but different colour so they obviously made by the same company.

Yes thats me and my Corolla at Marsh Mills and the Mitsubishi Sapporo belongs to a mate of mine that I posted a few weeks ago on here! My Coliege owns a 76 Datty 120Y that can be seen there sometimes and now we also have a 71 VW Type 3 fast back in our stable too!! Were you just passing through??TBH the Halfords Professional range of tools are execellent and come with a lifetime warenty............. which is nice!!

[Father Ted]

Motor World Preston New Rd Blackpool - open and trading in shite as normal today as I nipped in to buy a rear brake light for the bike and some £2.99 alan keys so I could free off one of my bar ends which was jamming my throttle full open - not good