The reason you need an annual MOT

[Paul H]

Just had my Vitesse MOT’d. All went went well until invited down the pit to see a nycrolock nut missing off the bolt going through the front shocker securing it to the lower wishbone . The mot guy then found a 7/16 af replacement and all’s well with another  12 months mot . 

We need a list of MOT stations who understand our cars . 
Paul
 

[Pete Lewis]

awe  Nuts !!!

pete

[Badwolf]

Don't tell Colin. He'll be over with a van for all the tools.

[Nigel Clark]

That's a salutory story as to why classics need to be MoT tested.

We all do our best to maintain our classics in good condition but having a professional once over every year has to be a good idea. For the £40-50 a test costs, is got to be worthwhile,  possibly to avoid disaster,  but at least for peace of mind. 

Nigel

[chrishawley]

Yup, concur completely about. My GT6 is nearing completion so I had it MOT'd. Given I've done a nut and rebuild I could have supposed that everything would be just so. Errr......

The (old skool) MOT man found;

1) excessive stiffness in steering

2) Locking tabs not turned over on rear hubs

3) Anti roll bar drop link bush fallen out

Not exactly major issues and all quickly fixed. But would have gone unfixed without MOT.

[NonMember]

When my Spitfire went for its first MOT after I'd done a nut and bolt rebuild, the MOT man noticed that each halfshaft flange had only two bolts, and quite a few of the other bolts weren't tight. Given how long it sat as a rolling chassis waiting for the body to be reunited with it, I suspect these were jobs I'd temporarily "put in place" to finish later, then forgot I hadn't done them.

[Ian Smith]

Regardless of make & model of car, The average MoT examiner won't necessarily know the 'ins & outs' of your vehicle. That gap of knowledge is where anyone can trip up. I ask my local examiner to give the vehicle an absolute rollicking. I'd rather find a fault here, than driving on the M4....

It's not always the fault of the examiner: If you've got a 30 year old, inspecting a 60 year old car. When I finally complete my project, I'll give my local MoT guys an instruction... " Give it a B*ll*cking, please"

Finally, Mot's last a year, but there's   no minimum duration of an MoT. If, for example, you've had a vehicle stripped down for major attention, then an MoT is not the bitter pill we all dread....

Cheers,

Ian.

Finally, my local MoT people complimented on a little runabout Peugeot Partner I'd just bought. "Very nice & clean".  Not withstanding, 4 months later, and I'm booking it in for the front strut top hats to be done. 

[Anglefire]

Edd China put a Range Rover into the MOT to see how bad it was - initially the tester refused to test it - they was persuaded to do so - Had a list of 40 failures and a few advisories. Why he put it in I don't know, because a blind man with a blind dog could have seen 99% of the faults picked up.

[johny]

Im afraid its just reality TV. Still better than a some though....

[Anglefire]

I’m not keen on his latest tbh. Too much faffing around. 
There are various good YouTube channels that are much better.  One is a Canadian one which they are fitting a LS v8 into a Gt6. Enjoyable and was a basket case and will be a nice when it’s done.  Another car has been saved with the chassis they rebuilt before having a change of plan. I digress. 🤣

[PeteH]

On 01/09/2021 at 22:02, NonMember said:

I suspect these were jobs I'd temporarily "put in place" to finish later, then forgot I hadn't done them.

A salutary lesson for me then. the 13/60 has been sat waiting for completion for well over a year?, possibly nearer 2, since the tubs went back on. It WILL go for MOT/inspection when finished, just hope my MOT guy has`nt retired by then!.

Bill, is a realy "old time" Guy. Ex RCT, and a collector/restorer of military vehicles. Including an Austin Champ! and a Tank.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

17 hours ago, Ian Smith said:

It's not always the fault of the examiner: If you've got a 30 year old, inspecting a 60 year old car.

Age has nowt to do with it, but training does. We can't mourn the passing of the older generation and thereby claim that the younger ones don't know what they're doing, but that's fine as they're young and didn't have these cars on the road in their day. If you have an MOT Inspector who doesn't know the mechanics - and not just the individual car, but the actual performance of the component he's meant to be testing for - then he has not been properly trained. You cannot give an MOT tester a by-ball by citing his unfamiliarity with the car he's testing. He may have to give it a bit of thought, maybe more than the usual Eurobox he deals with, but in the end either the test is thorough, or he's inadequate and the car is not properly tested.

I have had a few indignant looks from testers in the past when I've asked if there's anything I should know about - usually the rather short reply is along the lines of: "If there was I'd soon tell you." I'm NOT looking forward to my Herald's MOT in October; if I pass it'll be the result of a lot of work and expense on my part and definitely not due to something the tester has missed... 😮

[Clive]

Indeed, the vast majority of stuff is similar to any other car on teh road. Rust is rust, ball joint sare ball joints and so on. There are a few quirks, like rear wheel bearings being difficult to check, and my bugbear is front wheel bearings having a tiny bit  of play. But everything else they can cope with.

[PeteH]

I think, As Colin pointed out, and Clive reiterated. IF they are equiped with the basic knowledge, all should be well. Any concern I have is towards to fact that the latest generation of "technicians" have largely been trained on "repair by replacement"?. It may not be a factor, but It`s always in the back of my mind.

I recently, during lockdown, had to almost talk a British Gas "fitter" in to what  was wrong  with my C-H, and that the diverter valve head was the likely culprit. Which proved to be the case!. Problem is (in my view) the training periods have been so truncated, (allegedly 9 Weeks to train a "Gas engineer") that much of what has been taught is lost, due to the intensity?.

Pete.

[Colin Lindsay]

19 minutes ago, PeteH said:

the latest generation of "technicians" have largely been trained on "repair by replacement"?. It may not be a factor, but It`s always in the back of my mind.

There should be - I hope! -  a difference between parts fitters 'technicians' and MOT testers; similar to that between a learner driver and an Instructor. 

[Anglefire]

The last test that my Spitfire went through and passed eventually - was largely due to the testers inability to adjust the carbs - now to be fair as a test they shouldn't have adjusted them as that isn't there remit - but they did try and totally balls them up - idle was too high and they adjusted one and not the other and didn't release the choke cable first. 

 

[Ian Smith]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Age has nowt to do with it, but training does. We can't mourn the passing of the older generation and thereby claim that the younger ones don't know what they're doing, but that's fine as they're young and didn't have these cars on the road in their day. If you have an MOT Inspector who doesn't know the mechanics - and not just the individual car, but the actual performance of the component he's meant to be testing for - then he has not been properly trained. You cannot give an MOT tester a by-ball by citing his unfamiliarity with the car he's testing. He may have to give it a bit of thought, maybe more than the usual Eurobox he deals with, but in the end either the test is thorough, or he's inadequate and the car is not properly tested.

I have had a few indignant looks from testers in the past when I've asked if there's anything I should know about - usually the rather short reply is along the lines of: "If there was I'd soon tell you." I'm NOT looking forward to my Herald's MOT in October; if I pass it'll be the result of a lot of work and expense on my part and definitely not due to something the tester has missed... 😮

Yes, I can understand that, and I'll tend to agree with you. I'd prefer to err on the side of caution, that's all.

[Colin Lindsay]

16 minutes ago, Ian Smith said:

Yes, I can understand that, and I'll tend to agree with you. I'd prefer to err on the side of caution, that's all.

And I'll agree with YOU there, too!

[Badwolf]

I did worry with my 72 Spitfire, that the emissions would fail it, but it went to an old school garage the owners of which both run classics. I have heard numerous stories of garages leaning off the mixtures of older cars to get through the test, without actually knowing which cars require what. Then the cars concerned wouldn't run to get them home to undo the damage.

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, Badwolf said:

I did worry with my 72 Spitfire, that the emissions would fail it

Only if the tester hasn't read the MOT manual. No emissions test for a pre-75 car.

[PeteH]

9 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

There should be - I hope! -  a difference between parts fitters 'technicians' and MOT testers; similar to that between a learner driver and an Instructor. 

I agree that should be the case?. But as I understand it, as long as you can operate the Emisions testing kit, and read the "MOT Testers Bible", there are no other requirements?. As far as I am aware no formal course or test exists?. Does anyone know different?

EDIT:-

It would appear I am wrong, there is an acreditation and testing regiem for the UK MOT examiners.

 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

https://www.gov.uk/become-an-mot-tester/mot-testing-course

Interesting that the first two parts of the five part course are safe working practices, and working relationships within the MOT Test Centre. Part two is how to smile sweetly at some idiot who has endangered you by not following part one, but because you've done part two, you can't do anything else. Part three is then about professional development ie remembering part two daily until it becomes second nature.

Only then do you get to the test bit.

[PeteH]

2 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

https://www.gov.uk/become-an-mot-tester/mot-testing-course

You just beat me to it!. Yes there are formal tests and acreditation. I suspect that is relatively new?. Back in the day the "boss" decided who did the tests!. Now the ministry decide!. Well I guess that`s progress?.

Pete

[NonMember]

There's been an accreditation system for MOT testers for as long as I've owned cars. The test station has to show the certificates for all their testers (and I'm the sort of person who notices such things).

[Badwolf]

18 hours ago, NonMember said:

Only if the tester hasn't read the MOT manual. No emissions test for a pre-75 car.

Yes, I know that but there are tales of testers who don't.