Sill Covers - MOT

[theorganist]

The Allegro is going for its MOT on Wednesday! It has plastic sill covers, I presume fitted from new.

 

This may be a stupid question but how does this affect the outcome of an MOT? I presume the tester does not remove the covers!! It seems pretty solid underneath but does seem a little "cruddy" at the from end of the nearside sill. The underneath has been caked in dirt though so it could be just dried and loose mud!!

[John F]

Nope, the tester can't remove the sill covers to check for crispy bits. They'll probably give you an advisory that there may be horrors lurking beneath the plastic, as they did with my Maserati (and they were certainly right there).

[nigel bickle]

Back in the day, chrome sill covers were a marvellous way of getting crusty MG's through..

 

Bought several ticketted cars with non existent sills- but nice shiny covers.

[John F]

It might be worth taking off the sill covers for a look after your MoT - I checked my Maserati recently and the sills were shot to pieces. More worryingly, the bottom section of the offside B pillar had completely dissolved.

[theorganist]

Thanks for the replies guys hopefully all should be okay then!!

 

It might be worth taking off the sill covers for a look after your MoT

 

I think I will do, if I am feeling brave!!

[Station]

MR2 had NO sills (completely gone on one side), but side skirt/sill cover covered the non-existance-ness and it passed the MOT.

It's a bit of a strange alter-rule, considering how harsh the test is, yet they can't peak or refuse to do a test because of a plastic cover.

[Albert Ross]

Considering we can't even remove wheel trims to make sure all the wheelnuts are present and correct.... It's a shite rule..

[Morgan84]

Golden rule - If you can't see it,you can't test it .

 

Pass and advise

[Burnside]

The prat i used to work with had a mk 7 escort diesel encore with a lashed up gti bodykit fitted so the sideskirts covered the sill's an it passed last may with an advisory note stating that due to the side skirt's they were unable to check the sill's for rust. They must have done that to cover there arse and they were right too as he used expanding foam an underseal to hide the rot. Good luck with the mot.

[Morgan84]

People who really care about there cars have them sound anyhow;those who don't care about tricking the mot man tend to drive the sort of junk thats not worth saving,or even putting fuel into !

[AnthonyG]

If its any help, from my experience working in a breakers in the 1990s, Allegros were probably one of the most rust resistant cars of the 1970s, particularly the later ones. I never saw a really rotten one.

 

Of course, it is now a 30 year old car. I would check the sills after the MOT, then you can get whatever work is needed done properly and not the traditional rush job patch up.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if your 98 Scenic's got more rust, given the state of early ones round here!

[theorganist]

Thanks for that. I have definately seen comments suggesting that they are not that rust prone, indeed my last Allegro had never been welded. This one does seem solid. It is just caked in mud underneath, it looks like it has been out on the GB Rally.!! I do intend taking the covers off after the MOT!

 

The Scenic has definately been attacked by the Welders Gun at some point, the wheel arches are getting a little crusty. They all seem to go in the same place. We looked at several before buying this one and most were a lot worse!

[Pillock]

I made the mistake of taking the bodykit off my GTE before MOT time, hence it failed badly. Admittedly there were no sills left so it's a good job I looked.

Oddly on the GTI it failed on rusty sills and they didn't remove the covers - I believe this was because it was so bad you could see it from below. Ouch.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I sense a shite business opportunity for manufacturing sill (and wheelarch...and is there anything else?) covers to order...'Perfect for tight gits'.

[Albert Ross]

Could we not use wob covered with Fablon, in age old style??

[Pillock]

Suspension turret "covers"? And seatbelt mounting point ones too.

[Lankytim]

There are drain holes on the sill covers which are irresistible to anybody with a screwdriver. Poke one up and wait for the crunch!

[Morgan84]

MOT man is only allowed to use the corrosion assesment tool

[scaryoldcortina]

^ Wrong, we also have fingers, eyes and ears. You can push on a carpeted area and feel/hear the inner sill go crunch right next to the lower seat belt mount, for example....

 

I had to pass a mk2 cavalier convertable recently, it had sill covers. Despite there being visible rust (but not holes) in the door shut and also below on the floor/sill joint I couldn't prove (to myself) that there was a rusted hole in the sill in a prescribed area, so it got an advisory about the covers.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

If you put a cover over the entire car, would you have to give it a pass?

 

No, because it would obstruct the aperture of the doors.

[Albert Ross]

No Norm. A refusal to test would be in order as it could not be inspected.

 

The order for corrosion assessment is Visual, finger pressure, C.A.T. It's quite a subjective thing though. The time for appeal on corrosion is 3 months, (not certain if that includes brake pipes) and all mechanical items not failed (or passed) for corrosion,are 1 month.

[Morgan84]

The magnet used to be a good assistant !

[cobblers]

Oddly on the GTI it failed on rusty sills and they didn't remove the covers - I believe this was because it was so bad you could see it from below. Ouch.

 

It was fairly rotten beyond the sill covers from memory - When we broke it, we rested the front end on some old wheels under the footwells, when we let the thing off the jack, both the footwells peeled away from the sill on the seam, leaving a pretty decent gap. Luckily VW make carpet better than they make mk3 golf sills so the car stayed in the air ish.

[mouseflakes]

I once had a Renner 6 failed on a small patch of rot in a bolt on front body panel that isn't even present on the Renner 4 (same chassis). I was told a Metro would be failed for rot in 'that area', so they failed the 6. The fact that some cars aren't of monocoque construction seemed completely beyond them.

[Bren]

My SD1's sills has the structural integrity of a ryvita - and they were'nt covered up either.Even the inners were fooked and needed repairing.

 

However the car passed all it's MOT's without even an advisory regarding corrosion.

[garycox]

So what happened at this MOT then?

[Morgan84]

My SD1's sills has the structural integrity of a ryvita - and they were'nt covered up either.Even the inners were fooked and needed repairing.

 

However the car passed all it's MOT's without even an advisory regarding corrosion.

 

Maybe you should consider finding a better station to have your car tested at.It's all good and well having a pass certificate,but if the car is falling appart,it will eventually reach such a state it will get beyond a simple repair,and end up becoming very expensive

[theorganist]

So what happened at this MOT then?

 

Well the sills were fine but it needs about five hours of welding to three other parts!! Also a few minor things like a missing indicator lens and a driveshaft gaiter! Will post some pictures up when I get the chance.

 

I work for a steel fabricators so know a few welders, one of them (who regularly works on cars) has offered to do it, but I think it will have to wait till September when I have some spare cash as I have just MOT'd the 14, that needed very little work done.