The Bug has an MOT hoorah - oh and some graphical updates

Well hello there.

Enough of the waffling, Here is how the whole MOT accruing experience went.

I use a garage called fox's in guildford. Primarily because its a 2 minute walk from where I live meaning transport is easy, secondly because they openly mock my somewhat ridiculous car for its ride height and general 'Fast goes mildly furious in a tea cup' look. They are yet to rip me off or give me back the car in a worse condition than when I gave it to them, which has been known with several other less reputable outfits in this area.

I drove it down to the garage and immediately made a good impression by scraping it along every nook and cranny their driveway had to offer. On handing the keys over they were professionalism personified and could not be more helpful if they tried.  Remember I said that.

So off I went, walking back up the hill and then hopping in my decidedly more reliable, less interesting, more weighty but technologically less likely to throw a tantrum half way around any given corner, Citroen C4 and went to work.

What happened at work is their business...plus I can't really remember.

I took the view that harassing the garage would only make matters worse and therefore left it until 3.45pm that day to mildly sniff the fox's arse, ready to kiss it full heartedly if the need arised.  The phone call was actually not as bad as expected. Highlights were, it failed. Now let's be honest, you don't put an 18 year old modified car that has spent half the year sideways or trying to be, in for an MOT and expect a clean sweep now do you?

Well I wasn't disappointed, it failed on a brake line that was corroding, a blowing exhaust and a somewhat hard to explain CO reading that was 250% over the legal limit.

My personal explanation for these three afflictions are:

Brake line - that is a simple one, I don't use the brakes enough. Even on the Nurburgring where everyone kept telling me I would cook my brakes and need to fix them post 'rag', I proved them wrong, the 'green stuff'' pads and Brembo discs are still beautiful and have plenty of life left in them, the pads have been on there for 2 years and did not even bring up an advisory. A certain recommendation. Of course there isn't a huge amount of car to stop. I have rarely seen 'big brake' conversions put on MX5s, it's just unnecessary.

The Blowing Exhaust - That's another easy one caused by my own fair hands. Anyone who remembers the 'other back box' I have for the car will be glad that I swapped it to this quieter version. Apparently I didnt use enough gun gum in the swapping procedure hence the blow. Ne'er mind now I have the MOT the crazy blow pipe can be refitted and it won't matter two hoots that couldn't be heard anyway.

The CO reading - Now this one is shrouded in mystery. Long story short last year it failed at the same the garage on the same thing. They deduced it was a temperature sensor. My deduction was that the fwapping great Apexi induction kit was throwing the induction / exhaust loop / ECU / Fuel Air Mix into all manor of spanner inserting crazyness. They replaced the sensor and said it then went through ok. hmmm.  All sounds legit until it failed this year with almost identically high reading! ah well they "managed to get it through by playing about with it a bit". Not complaining.

So that's it. It now has an MOT and mechanically is almost ready for the next rally which is looming like the stay puff marshmallow man at a Ghostbusters convention.

Now I mentioned graphics...

I have struck up a deal with a reputable birmingham company who is going to do something rather special I hope. watch this space is all I can say...

to be continued, but rarely read...