Congrats Team Pug, we passed the MOT!
Her MOT was Monday 4:30pm.
She is my first petrol car.
My sister bought her first car many years ago, she got a Peugeot 106 which was also petrol.
It failed on emissions and needed a catalytic converter. Back in those days a new cat would be several hundreds of pounds; thus - she scrapped the car.
So, one of main worries for this MOT was emissions.... After he'd done the emissions test which was better than excellent, I relaxed a little...
However, despite being otherwise in a fantastic state with all the work I have been doing (and with some help from a friend) she did fail the MOT on Monday.
The rear offside top suspension horizontal link bar had excessive play in the ball joint.
This link bar holds the wheel up straight if you will, with excessive play the wheel was able to move outwards and inwards - movement which is fairly unsafe, so of corse it failed on that.
That was the ONLY failure reason.
I went across the way to the motor factors, got the new link bar - £27 would you believe? Up North where my friend lives (the mobile mechanic) they are £9, I presume that's trade price but even still, I paid THREE TIMES that amount.
Wanting Miss Pug MOT'd asap I paid this price, got home and me and Dave fitted the new link bar together. It wasn't an easy job, like with anything the bolts were corroded to such a state it took will power and effort to remove the old one - and that's with the MOT tester being kind and ''lubing it up''.
I shall not tell you how weak I felt in my knees when a man checking over my car told me he was just going to lube her up for me........
Anyway, moving on.
Being a typical woman I wore a nice low cut top to impress.
As he failed the car, he said 'Hey, come here - you know what you're doing'
I went over, laid my chest onto the ramp to get a closer look at what was going on. I saw it alright.
Anyway, got back up from leaning said boobies on the ramp - only to see I had slight oil issues in a delicate area......
Anyway, as we were leaving the test station we asked about a re-test and booked her in for the next day (Tuesday).
Tuesday she went back for her re-test and she flew threw that with flying colours.
The ABS light hasn't been on for a few days now, so all appears well.
Please don't think because she's passed an MOT the jobs are done.
I still have LOADS to be doing.
* Oil and fuel filter change
* Auxiliary belt
* Timing belt and tensioners
* Cam belt
* LOOK at spark plugs, process of elimination with that job........
The importance of being a car owner is not that you drive it all the time, it's the importance of maintenance. Cars are like us, they need looking after. You look after them and they will look after us.
Even though I have put the oil and fuel filter change before the belts, I intend on doing the belts before the filters.
I do have a very annoying squeaking (auxiliary belt is slipping) and I do not have any previous service history so even I don't know when the last cam belt was done. That being said, because the car has been stood a while all belts will need doing to edge on the side of caution, as with any rubber they perish, crack etc - so definitely going to get those belts done soon........
When I finish the above list, I then have to go track down a donor car for some parts I need... Nothing major I grant you, just little niggles that I want sorted.
And on other news, My good friend Maria is on holiday and she's been told specifically Miss Pug wants a post card.
She's addressing it to; Miss Pug, the sexy thing on the drive...........
She best remember to do it and I shall post a picture when it arrives, Would love to see the post womans' face ;)
Over and out - for now.
Ready to be a family car once again:
Ready for MOT: (Notice the D8 estate in the background)
I know I mustn't over-do the whole sticker thing but I am trying to decide between these load:
These: are almost a definite cert....
Miss Pug 2001 - 2023.
