NCT'd

[mrges]

Might as well share this here..... not too many other folk I know are interested enough!

Each year I thoroughly clean the car prior to the test, including getting underneath and into the wheel arches (I clean the shocks and springs, brake lines etc), do all the usual checks (lights and tyres), and each year it has failed on something (emissions or suspension or no switch for fog lights, etc). This year I decided to do NOTHING - not even wash the car, just drive it to the centre and see what they say. And did it pass? ....... of course not! (why break with tradition!). However it failed on...... a blown bulb on the side repeater on the wing (I was surprised this was recorded as a "Major Fail"). So off I went, got a replacement bulb (€1.50), fitted it, and back for a visual inspection. Guy came out, it flashed once, and he passed it (with no advisories). So had I have checked, and replaced the bulb, then I would have had my first ever "first time pass".

So now to give it a good clean (including underneath). Tax for the year has been applied for, so I hope to get value for that, and drive the car more than I usually do.

[Pops]

Well done passing the test, you go to the extreme in preparation , was there any advisory about the diagnostics failing to connect to the abs system. You had more success than me today, the German had a different result. Tester, while standing beside the car sort of showed the results sheet and at the same time said "well, it passed the emissions but the left headlight needs adjustment, then pointing at the sheet he said and a bit of welding needed in the back" then he disappeared, when I got in the car there was a failed dangerous sticker attached to the windscreen, looks like I'll be stuck under the merc for a few days

[mrges]

Shit.... that doesn't sound good!!! Is that a situation where you can't (or aren't meant to) drive the car away? How bad is the welding work? It's something I've never tackled - For the past few years I have tried to find a "night class" in "basic welding" (like a "Welding for Idiots/Welding 101"), but have had no luck (not helped by Covid, of course).

Best of luck with getting it sorted.

[Pops]

Hi Graham, the car is parked outside the house ever since, I haven't had a chance to get it up on the ramps and have a good look yet but just on my knees looking under it there's a fair few scrape marks so no doubt he used a screwdriver to try poking holes and had success, I rember a few years ago watching the tester doing the same to the mx5 but as I had already done the rust repairs he had no success. Its a nuisance having to do it but if its a genuine safety issue then it would be better to fix it.
Have you checked GRETB for any welding courses, if you fancy having a go you can borrow my welder after I do the merc repair and have some fun before committing to any training course

[Pops]

As for driving it with a failed dangerous sticker on the windscreen, I didn't see it from the outside as the car was parked facing a 20ft wall, I only saw the back of the sticker after I reversed away from the wall, I pulled it down and then saw it said failed dangerous, at this stage I was driving away from the test centre anyway, as I hadn't had my reading glasses with me I couldn't read the written warning about driving it, that's my excuse as the tester never told me about it, he probably disappeared as fast as a greyhound chasing a rabbit so that I couldn't challenge the test results

[MaXimu5]

Slightly off topic here. As mrgs implies, it seems to me that this forum is fading away. Compared to pre covid there are few new or active posts... is this because most (younger?) owners have moved to Fakebook, twitter or what? Or because drivers have parked their cars up for a few years till values rise? Or because people are just too busy surfing the net or what...?
We park our mk1 up for the winter as full years tax is expensive but even when it qualifies for classic tax next year I can't see us using it as a daily year round runabout...
I see the odd mk1 on the roads, not that many mk2s for some reason, mainly mk3s with, rarely, a mk4 here and there.
I miss the yearly runs we had to the Burren or Connemara but with covid getting worse will that ever return?
Maybe we are lucky but we have never had any real nct problems, fortunately. Our jap Eurostar is rust free, totally reliable and our fun ride for the past ten years. Long may it continue. She's a keeper...
MaXimu5

[MaXimu5]

Predictive text....! Eunos not Eurostar. Obviously?

[Pops]

I've also thought it's gone very quiet here for a long time, more using Facebook I suppose, I'm not into modifying mine with turbos or having it scrape along the road so I don't bother with the Facebook sites. Having said that, I wonder how many have moved on from the mx5 model so are now using different forums
Mine is 2 years away from the €56 tax so it is only taxed for the 6 months of our glorious weather and Due to the lack of use of both the cars the thoughts of selling one or even both is going round and round in my head, costs roughly €1500 between tax and insurance to have them sitting in the shed and driveway but as you said, they are going up in value

[Steve]

Yep, it has slowed, I suspect if we met up more often we'd have more traffic
I'd love a spin round the Burren or Connemara soon if anyone is up for it. There is a valley down that way I've been meaning to explore, the Sheeffry pass and its an excuse to head down the Maam Valley at least

[Pops]

Might be interested in a trip but would have to be around the 3rd week of August or later

[Pops]

Had a quick look at that route, looks like it will be a tough test for the suspension

[Steve]

yeah... Sheeffry pass might need a scouting trip in the Jeep first before I commit to it heheh

[93 Mk1]

Slightly off topic here. As mrgs implies, it seems to me that this forum is fading away. Compared to pre covid there are few new or active posts... is this because most (younger?) owners have moved to Fakebook, twitter or what? Or because drivers have parked their cars up for a few years till values rise? Or because people are just too busy surfing the net or what...?
We park our mk1 up for the winter as full years tax is expensive but even when it qualifies for classic tax next year I can't see us using it as a daily year round runabout...
I see the odd mk1 on the roads, not that many mk2s for some reason, mainly mk3s with, rarely, a mk4 here and there.
I miss the yearly runs we had to the Burren or Connemara but with covid getting worse will that ever return?
Maybe we are lucky but we have never had any real nct problems, fortunately. Our jap Eurostar is rust free, totally reliable and our fun ride for the past ten years. Long may it continue. She's a keeper...
MaXimu5

It has been slowly getting quieter around here ever before Covid. As some have mentioned, I think most use Facebook and the likes. New profiles are usually just looking for a car and then gone again into internet obscurity ! Forums are for an older breed I suspect. I'm not into the JDM Yo! modified scene and never will be.
I haven't driven my own car in over a year now as I have been travelling since last summer and hence I haven't been on here so much as a result.
Mk1"s seem to have gone scarce, definitely way more so than in the past, and prices have risen big time over the last 12 months. Two higher priced cars that were on DoneDeal recently seem to have sold pretty quick !

[Pops]

Another mk1 on dd €6000, advertised as near original so I wonder if it's priced a bit low seeing as how the prices have gone lately

[93 Mk1]

Is that the R-Limited ? I've looked at so many that I can't keep track ! I was surprised the prices went up so quick though.