Practically Classics Forum

Ok, so with the discussions of MOT exception in the air I just thought I would share what happened to me today.

I took the Jag (1967 S-type 3.8) down to my local independent MOT station. They don't do discount MOT's just normal £55 standard.
The MOT tester has been there for many, many years and he really understands old cars. I must admit I am worried where I will take it when he retires. I always take a day or an afternoon off work to go down there because generally I get to be his tester assistant, pressing the brakes tooting the horn and going in the pit with him if anything crops up.

He showed me the new MOT legislation that has already come in, amongst which was that now all ball joint rubbers “must not allow dirt ingress”. So that means that any rubbers that are slightly perished or a little split must be replaced (what an arse ache). On a classic especially an un-restored car that is multiple failures.
Then also coming in is that all drop bar link bushes must be in good condition...
These new legislations of which here are about 30 apply to ALL cars not just ones bult after 1972, 1992 or 2002!

I am scared that the MOT is not becoming so anal that old cars will not pass.

Just when I am thinking that I wish my car was MOT exempt, I heard a clonk from below as he was in the pit. I turns out my track rod adjusting bolt had sheered and the diss-aligned structure was not good. He got a new nut and bolt and fixed it for me at no charge. He then found that as a result my steering lock bump stops had become bent so he hammered those back in to place and shape.
We both agreed that it could have been dangerous and that a MOT was a bloody good thing. I do look after my car, I do keep it maintained but I had no idea it had those faults, as you need to jack the front end and rock the wheels and check the steering. I do check my wheel bearings etc but I have never checked track rod ends, anyway they looked tight....

I guess the twist in this tail was that my car passed its MOT with the tester deciding that the ball joint rubbers and play in the steering rack were within limits.

He was incredulous about the ball joint rubbers rule and said that they were intact at time of the test they may however split as I drive away.... (If you see what I mean).


I guess what I am saying is that, I am worried for the future, but feel lucky my local garage has some sense .

I'm definitely on the 'we should keep the MOT' side. Some of the rules do seem a bit picky, and it's inconsistent that a car will fail on a slightly split boot but pass if a sharp rusty edge is gaffa taped over. On the whole though it's got to be a good idea to have someone impartial check your work once a year.

I'm surprised that split balljoint rubbers haven't been a fail in the past, another thing they've just bought in is battery security- it's surprisingly never been part of the test before. I don't think we need worry too much about our older motors, most of the new stuff relates to moderns: airbag lights, EM warning lights, ESP systems, etc, and finally they've introduced inner cv joint gaiters on fwd cars, another oddity of the old test that it wasn't included.

I just hope they never make oiltight cars a requirment.......................

"They don't do discount MOT's just normal £55 standard."

Bit expensive mine is £40 lol even with the new silly plain paper

Just a shade under thirty quid where I go- it used to be £25 but went up this year. It's not a classic specialist or anything, just the local testing station, but they do know how to jack a Triumph up. I don't think I've ever paid full price for an mot, I didn't think there was anywhere that charged the full whack.

I live in the South. No cut price pies and whippets here!

s-type wrote:I live in the South. No cut price pies and whippets here!

So does Mr. Rusty.

So do I - £40 top whack where I am, and that's with the kind of care and friendliness that you describe.

Hey ho.

Hardly consider Essex as up norf.

mr rusty wrote:I'm surprised that split balljoint rubbers haven't been a fail in the past,

They were, all of the time I was doing 2 or 3 P6 MOT's a week in the late 70's and thru the 80's they were a fail if they were split, then for some reason that was removed and regardless of the condion of the boot it only failed if the joint was shot. Now the condition of the boots is back in again.....

I pay full price for my MOTs and I am happy to do so! I've been using that garage for years, I am happy with them, and I trust them implicitly with my cars, both to look after them and I know they won't take the piss, and fail it just to get some work in unlike some of these cut price cowboy places that recoup the cheap price by adding it onto labour charges for fixing something that isn't broke! I know if a car comes away with a fail that it's failed because it's not up to scratch, they know I do my own work (unless I can't be bothered which isn't that often) so have little to gain. Plus I get on great with both the testers, one being an ex BL man so we always have a nice chat while he's prodding and poking the cars.

I'm also in the MOT it camp, I'm happy knowing my car is up to scratch (well at least on test day!)