My 20 year old has a new MOT. No advisories

[Sweety]

Fantastic new on it passing & doesn't have to be sadly sorn off the road until you were well enough to sort it out I really sorry Rustic but after looking at the photo's your truck isn't as clean as you've made out it to be, I mean look at those tyres they need some tyre dressing put on them

[Terranical]

Originally Posted by rustic

I wonder if it's the bushes on the rear axle, and not the drop links...

That is a possibility, hopefully will have the answer tomorrow.

[rustic]

Originally Posted by Sweety

Fantastic new on it passing & doesn't have to be sadly sorn off the road until you were well enough to sort it out I really sorry Rustic but after looking at the photo's your truck isn't as clean as you've made out it to be, I mean look at those tyres they need some tyre dressing put on them

I did say it was due for a wax.. Hasn't been washed for 7 weeks, mind you in that time it has only been out for an MOT.
I'm really embarrassed about those tyres, and the mud flaps too...
I'll post some pics in a few weeks when I get those sorted...


Need to road tax it on line today.
In all the 20 years, The Mav has been available to me 24/7 365 days of those 20 years, except during the few hours of having a service or MOT. Well and the time it was garaged for a rear wheel bearing at a Nissan dealer, and that was only for half a day lol.

The important thing is that the Mav has been available should my wife need it, if there was a problem with her car.

[Terrano Steve]

Reliability is everything I take my hat off to you can't imagine my truck passing mot 1st time when it is 10 years old

[rustic]

Originally Posted by Terrano Steve

Reliability is everything I take my hat off to you can't imagine my truck passing mot 1st time when it is 10 years old

Well it has had 17 MOT's in my ownership, it has had a few advisories in that time though...
Stone chip on the windscreen,( mind you... still the original windscreen), tow ball obscuring part of the number plate, wiper blade started to split, errrmmm... I think that's about it.
Oh, and a bulb that failed on the day, but the garage changed that, and just charged for the bulb.
However I still loose sleep for the two nights before the test, and very anxious during the test, which I now book as a while you wait appointment.
I usually have two coffees, read the newspaper, pace up and down like an expectant father, and talk to the girls on reception...
It is our local Ford garage, and the Mav only goes there for the MOT.
So it's in their interest to find work, but they seem very fair.

When we had the Picasso done there, it had a few advisories, mismatch on rear parking brake, bit of play in the front ball joint, a yellow painted bulb that was more white than yellow, two tyres that were close to the limit.
I was waiting for a pass before I invested in new tyres lol. The rear parking brake was a simple calliper replacement, only took 20 minutes. I always had problems with one side, it ate hand brake cables. The handbrake cable worked a cam, that manually pushed the piston onto the brake disc, and it often stuck on.
A new caliper solved that one.
I prefer preventative maintenance than fire fighting.
Having had a few second hand rust buckets before, I always thought... if only something was done before all the rust came through.

When we bought the Austin Ambassador, I looked at the older Princess, and noticed where they had started to rust, eg behind hidden trim etc, it's that what made me start to remove trim and waxoyl behind it. We had that car 13 years, and when we sold that it was immaculate.

It used to make the neighbours laugh, when we got a new car, as on day one the headlights were on the grass, the battery was out, the door panels on the floor...

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by rustic

It used to make the neighbours laugh, when we got a new car, as on day one the headlights were on the grass, the battery was out, the door panels on the floor...

This had me in hysterics

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by rustic

It used to make the neighbours laugh, when we got a new car, as on day one the headlights were on the grass, the battery was out, the door panels on the floor...

Wow that's impressive the above comment reminds me of when I bought my only brand new car a Mk1 Astra 1600 SR in Gold Metallic with Recaro Seats like the GTE.

I drove it home from Ilkeston to Hilton where I used to live in the dry. I put her up on 4 axle stands, then brush painted her underneath from front to rear with black underbody seal. It took a week to dry properly then I sprayed her with Waxoyl to which I had added a small amount of yellow paint so I could see where I had missed with the spray. Did all the cavaties, sills, door panels, tailgate, bonnet etc.

When I parted with her after 7 years she looked like new and I saw her once when she was 12 years old and she had no rust on the front wings!

My stance now is when I buy a used vehicle I want the bodywork to be frozen in time from my ownership so I do the Waxoyl, regular underbody washing etc and have never needed to replace rusted bodywork even though I have kept some vehicles for 10 years.

Sadly as I have got older the waxing has become less often but my 1997 Merc is still in good condition, we have had her for 11 years now.

[rustic]

One thing is for sure, it's never too late to start the waxoyl process.
It does help to stop the rust in it's tracks.
Provided the right preparation and application is followed.

However... it is not a one time application.
If the rust gets behind the underseal, it still continues to travel behind the paint finish.
It is essential to look for this separation, that starts to look like a split in the underseal, at this point you need to remove any loose or flaking underseal, waxoyl or paint, and reapply the waxoyl again.

Hi wash areas like wheel arches and the lower suspension wishbone require yearly application, and the underside requires regular top ups.

As I have said before, I keep a couple of jam jars full of waxoyl, and a brush in a poly bag, everytime I do something, like remove a wheel, I apply waxoyl to anything that needs it. Brake bleed screw and the brakepipe unions on the rear of calipers and slave cylinders. Avoid anything rubber as it swells it up.

My Mav is not without rust, but you have to keep on top of it, prevention is always better than cure.