MOT vs 20 year old van

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FosterFoster Frets: 1100
Took the Dispatch in for the MOT this morning, its battered and bruised but still drives fine

Flew through the test with only one advisory! Dead chuffed! Even the tester was impressed. 
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Comments

  • Nice one. I can sometimes see many old Hondas flying through MOTs in comparison to, let's say - our business VW cars that are 2-4yo. If something needs doing the money involved is shockingly different too. 
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  • FosterFoster Frets: 1100
    I owned a VW a few years ago, I wouldn't even consider buying one again. I'd rather have my old Metro back
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413

    Japanese cars do seem to be good.  I got my Toyota MOT'ed on Friday.  Just a couple of wiper blades.

    Had it 4 years, 89,000 miles on it, and haven't had to spend a penny on it except routine stuff like tyres and wiper blades.

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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    edited January 2019
    crunchman said:

    Japanese cars do seem to be good.  I got my Toyota MOT'ed on Friday.  Just a couple of wiper blades.

    Had it 4 years, 89,000 miles on it, and haven't had to spend a penny on it except routine stuff like tyres and wiper blades.

    They’re not all great but I suppose you do get a lemon every now and then. In the 90s I had a 4 year old Toyota Carina that had no end of issues.

    The engine light kept coming up: lambda sensor fault. A new one was nearly £500 from Toyota, a mechanic mate sourced a used one from a scrappy for £80. No guarantee it was any good of course but he fitted it and luckily it worked ok. 

    It used the black Forlife coolant instead of regular antifreeze. Great idea in principle but the stuff actually  stains the inside of the coolant header bottle black and although it always looked full the coolant had all gone by servicing time. Turned out to be caused by a cracked radiator with a tiny weep. It was pure luck that I caught the problem before the engine boiled. 

    The cam belt had started fraying at 4 years/30,000 miles. They’re supposed to be replaced at 5 years/60,000. Again, pure luck it was spotted before the engine grenaded. 

    There were numerous other niggles too, but for me it put paid to the “Jap cars are amazingly reliable” theory. In fact the most reliable car I’ve ever owned was a Mk 1 Focus that never missed a beat in the 9 years I owned it. Just needed the usual regular service items, tyres and brake pads. 
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    crunchman said:

    Japanese cars do seem to be good.  

    It's the whale oil. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • FX_MunkeeFX_Munkee Frets: 2477
    As usual the correct answer is an MX-5. Mine has sailed through its last 5 or 6 MOT's with no advisories. It will be 26 years old this year. In 10 years I think it's failed once on handbrake efficiency.
    Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, you give love a bad name. Not to mention archery tuition.
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  • NunogilbertoNunogilberto Frets: 1679
    edited January 2019
    @FX_Munkee I reckon that might pose some practical issues for @Foster though
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  • skunkwerxskunkwerx Frets: 6838
    boogieman said:
    crunchman said:

    Japanese cars do seem to be good.  I got my Toyota MOT'ed on Friday.  Just a couple of wiper blades.

    Had it 4 years, 89,000 miles on it, and haven't had to spend a penny on it except routine stuff like tyres and wiper blades.

    They’re not all great but I suppose you do get a lemon every now and then. In the 90s I had a 4 year old Toyota Carina that had no end of issues.

    The engine light kept coming up: lambda sensor fault. A new one was nearly £500 from Toyota, a mechanic mate sourced a used one from a scrappy for £80. No guarantee it was any good of course but he fitted it and luckily it worked ok. 

    It used the black Forlife coolant instead of regular antifreeze. Great idea in principle but the stuff actually  stains the inside of the coolant header bottle black and although it always looked full the coolant had all gone by servicing time. Turned out to be caused by a cracked radiator with a tiny weep. It was pure luck that I caught the problem before the engine boiled. 

    The cam belt had started fraying at 4 years/30,000 miles. They’re supposed to be replaced at 5 years/60,000. Again, pure luck it was spotted before the engine grenaded. 

    There were numerous other niggles too, but for me it put paid to the “Jap cars are amazingly reliable” theory. In fact the most reliable car I’ve ever owned was a Mk 1 Focus that never missed a beat in the 9 years I owned it. Just needed the usual regular service items, tyres and brake pads. 
    Thats so weird. 

    My mk1 Focus has that same lambda sensor issue. I replaced both but eventually it came back. In the end I got fed up of chucking money replacing all the items it 'could' be and traded it in, for a mk2.5 focus. 

    Was a decent car though. So was the facelift version. 


    The only easy day, was yesterday...
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413

    I had a Mk1 Focus that was pretty good.  The C Max I had after that had lots of problems, and the Citroen I had after that was even worse.

    After those experiences, we paid £749 for an extended warranty on the Toyota when we bought it.  Turned out to be a total waste of £749.



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  • FX_MunkeeFX_Munkee Frets: 2477
    @FX_Munkee I reckon that might pose some practical issues for @Foster though
    Pffft  - still one of the few cars I can carry a full size set of ladders in (as long as it's not raining too hard)
    Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, you give love a bad name. Not to mention archery tuition.
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  • FX_Munkee said:
    @FX_Munkee I reckon that might pose some practical issues for @Foster though
    Pffft  - still one of the few cars I can carry a full size set of ladders in (as long as it's not raining too hard)

    You know you’ll have to prove that with pics one day... ;)
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  • strtdvstrtdv Frets: 2356
    I've never seen a reliable French car (we always had Renaults when I was a kid and they were without fail terrible.

    I wouldn't like to own a BMW out of warranty either.

    My wife's last car was a mk 5 golf. It's 11 years old, we gave it away to someone who needed a car last year and it's still driving well.
    Don't know how reliable our current mk 7 golfs will be though. I'll probably change mine in the next 12 months when I don't need a diesel anymore.
    Robot Lords of Tokyo, SMILE TASTE KITTENS!
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  • FosterFoster Frets: 1100
    My mate has an MX5 which is brilliant (apart from the bollocks way they mount the alternator....). The only thing you have to worry about them is the chassis rails rotting away and the headlights being as useful as a candle.

    I can't say it would be practical for me to sell the van and get an MX5, there's not much space in them to convert to a day camper...
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356

    This is the most spectacular MOT  failure I ever had when my band was running a 15 year old Transit van .... basically the whole thing was rotten as a pear ..... I turned up at the garage and asked if it had passed .... he said "passed !!! I'm still sweeping it off the ramps !!" 



    Current band Transit is 12 years old 160, 000 miles ... no probs so far 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Don't buy a Mazda. I needed a clutch change - £480! 

    When I drove old Mini's you could buy a clutch plate for £10 and fit it yourself.
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  • FosterFoster Frets: 1100
    You can fit a clutch on a mazda yourself...
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  • NikcNikc Frets: 627
    edited January 2019
    Jap cars are usually good, VAG stuff overrated as are BMW and Merc - Ford as much as it pains me to admit it is pretty good although often lazy owners don't look after them. Vauxhall - is the EML on ?? oh don't worry it will be soon just like all the rest.
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  • robgilmorobgilmo Frets: 3355
    I dunno, VW seem to hold well, my old Passat is as good as gold, I would never own vhall, ford or merc though, or a Beemer, like Audi Bmw cars are designed for people with tiny little hands, is it any wonder their indicators never work, the driver can't be arsed trying to hook his hand around to operate them.
    A Deuce , a Tele and a cup of tea.
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  • Haha....I agree about the intermittent (at best) indicators.  I also notice that BMW, Audi and Merc drivers invariably drive as if they've stolen the vehicle.
    I've driven Lexus for the last six years.....faultless. (posh Toyota from Japan)
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  • westwest Frets: 994
    My Vw t4 52 plate 115 k just passed no advisory too , my mk 4 golf was amazing it passed nearly every mot apart from consumables in the 8/9 years i owned it .... 
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