A place for more technical discussions. Please make sure you post in the correct section on the site, this way it keeps the site tidy AND ensures you get a more relevant answer.
kirkynut wrote: I keep seeing all these rusty Jimnys on here yet mine has been up to its axles in mud and has next to none, save a bit of surface rust on the chassis.
Maybe my fanatical cleaning underneath has paid off but it often has been put in the garage wet to keep it secure,which I feared would promote rust. Maybe I've just been lucky!
Kirkynut
I'm with you on this. I got my hubby to paint the complete underside with Hammerite the day I picked it up from the showroom. I now send him under it reguarly to hose it down and check it.
According to what I have read the mot testers are not allowed to prod, probe or wipe anything.. To cover themselves they can note it as advisories. That includes the items they cant inspect because of things like shrouds etc. When my lad put his Vitara through the Mot he failed it with a list as long as your arm. I ended up repairing the sills with new metal and derusting, treating and painting the underneath. He had advised him to scrap the car it was that bad! Needless to say I don't take any of my cars there any more. Halfords took over from Nationwide and from the start they were finding loads of defects that did not exist. All of a sudden all of my cars headlamps needed adjusting, for example, even though for the previous 4 years or so the were ok with no knocks or bulb changes to move the adjustment. The fitters looked embarrassed when I tackled them on the issue. They were obviously obeying orders. Because they offer a reduced fee MOT they wanted to make their money elsewhere. The manager, who was a decent bloke, left and now works for the AA as he had had enough of their robbing! The bloke doing the test was fresh from the training school and I think he had never been under a real car with muck and wear!
With things like weld repairs they cannot insist that the patch is left for them to inspect that it is run welded as some have been known to insist. They are their to inspect as seen. Trouble is a lot are "jobs worth" and interpretation of the rule book depends on how they feel or how much they want to rob you. I know go to a local garage who charge the full rate but do a honest job and interpret the manual as it is meant to be.
Looks like a nice repair. Cant wait to see the full monty and find out how you made clearance between chassis and body to repair the mounts.
mickt wrote: Because they offer a reduced fee MOT they wanted to make their money elsewhere.
I too go to a 'full price' MoT and they themselves have told me the garage "over the road" does cut price MoTs but get income from generating work on fails.
If it looks rotten for the mot then the tester can apply pressure to the area with their finger if that goes through they are only then allowed to tap away with the approved test hammer (it's a bit like a toffee hammer) but not excessively! Also if they can't see it they can't test it and that's conjng from the main tester where I work who fails cars on anything he can! For example the king in bearings are only a fail if there is excess play in the joint or grease has contaminated the brake components. The but behind the headlights is fine if you leave the plastic inner wheel arch trim in place as its not clearly visible and no parts re allowed to be moved or removed for the test
Yep the tester used his calibrated toffee hammer lol. Over here in NI our mots are carried out at government run test centres. my uncle maintains a fleet of vans and cars so is at the local test centre a few times a week, the tester I got seems to have a rep for finding something in every car he checks. Failed a 2009 panda as a Bush hadn't been properly installed from the factory, no movement in the joint just one of lips was slightly deformed!.
Anyway checked the car over the crack seems to be failed repair,
Hole in the sill revealed a hole in the floor.
Welded the sill up last night and hit a snag in that some welding wire or spatter managed to get into the cabin at about the front of the drivers seat causing a small fire! Door card can't be salvaged, seat will do fine with some covers, carpet has a large hole but again mats should hide it. Need to find a sill trim, door card and fuel flap release now.
I'm convinced it was a sign, I should have let it burn lol
j99pre might be able to help ref replacement bits. The heat of the welding might have started the fire. I always strip anything away from the area I am welding that's inside the car and have a extinguisher to hand and if possible a car door open. I always disconnect both battery terminals too!
Hi. Thompo, really interested in your crossmember project, how did you go on in the end?
This is my first foray into both the 4x4 and Jimny world, having previously stuck to 70s British Leyland and Fords. Initially I thought this would be a nice ‘practice resto...however things are rarely as simple as they first seem.
Considering various options including; replacing the entire cross member with Lsection fronted off with a cover plate or cutting out the entire back end of a donor car...if one exists!!
I fear we may be beyond 'a spot of light patch welding'
