MOT Failed in first few seconds...

[xnbradley]

Just dropped off #32 at my local F1 Autocentre for its MOT...

As I was walking down the street towards work... I get a phone call... it failed its MOT as the tester reversed the car out to bring it into the garage... power Steering not working at all... doh...

I did think it was heavy but like a complete Newbie... the guy I bought it from said that it was heavier than normal cars because of teh suspension/tyre width/grip etc... this is how sports cars drive... I have been building up my arm muscles since...

Feel a bit silly to be honest... although I am really looking forward to driving it when the power steering is actually working...

oh well... mustn't grumble...

 

[gingerdave]

Your pit is getting deeper!.One day you will reach the bottom.We've all been there,well some of us :grin:

 

[xnbradley]

Just had another call...

Also failed on emissions and it needs some welding done...

So I think it is time to take it off the road and spend the winter/Spring getting it all sorted... good thing I have the Puma Black to run around in... although I have to put it all back together now... doh...

wife is not going to be happy...

 

[tuonokid]

The emissions failure might not be too much of a problem. With a FRP the car needs to be really hot to get the cat working as it's further away from the exhaust manifold than in a standard Puma. If they've tested it without getting the car hot it will fail. If the failure is on exceeding CO tell them to get the car stinking hot and then re-test it. It may well pass then.
Barry

 

[xnbradley]

I might be out of my depth here...

maybe need to let someone else who knows what they are doing restore her...

really torn...

 

[Ian G]

Think its more a question of cost than knowledge.

Do also remember steering assistance equipment is exactly the same as the standard car, ie. cheap and fairly readily available. Might struggle a touch on the pipes but I try to carry a stock. Pump / rack no shortage at all.

Emissions ditto the above, more of a lucky set of parameters when you test rather than anything you can do from an engineering point of view. Save perhaps a new cat but I'd try all the tricks first.

Welding, again just expense which you need to weigh up against the value of the car. It would need to be pretty severe to trouble FRP prices.

 

[xnbradley]

So the official report...
Power Steering Inoperative
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded offside rear
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle is excessive.
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after second fast idle excessive.

the guy said it would not cost a huge amount of money to get through the MOT... just a small bit of welding near break line.... dont know what to do...

 

[Ian G]

Define not a huge amount, probably less than you'll lose selling with no MOT.

 

[XAF]

It's ultimately how much you can justify spending and how long you want to maintain a usable car for. As Ian said, the cost of getting it through this MOT isn't going to to be uneconomical in comparison to the same work as a standard Puma. However, the work you do this year will only be a temporary fix, it's a plaster over the wounds, not long term health! Next year there will be another failure point on other areas unless it starts to get some deep rooted love, and that costs. A lot!!

If you want it to last many years, you need to do it properly, not just patch up and scrape through. If you want to enjoy it for what it is for a couple of years, patch it up and enjoy. I'd suspect from what you've shared so far without major intervention in 2-3 years it may be past the point of no return.

 

[tuonokid]

Agree with what James and Ian say. As regards the emission test it sounds just like what I said to you in the first post on here it's failed on Carbon monoxide (CO) so it needs to be stinking hot before it's re-tested otherwise your garage may say it needs a new cat which is an expensive proposition.
Barry