Garages that don't weld

[James1979]

Our D2 failed the MOT on a rusty Inner wheel arch on the passenger side (holes around the abs modulator). Fair enough. I asked the garage for a rough quote. They said £250 minimum. I knew that on stripping it would be worse and add up to more so knew how hard it was for them to put a solid price on it.

I brought it home. Stripped the arch and moved the brake lines and aircon pipes out of the way, hole in the bulkhead too so that needed patching. Fitting it in around the other half giving birth, I reckon it took me 2-3 days by the time it was painted too. Theres no way the garage could have made money on that or the bill would have sky rocketed. (Im no professional so suspect they could have done it quicker but even so).

I think the disco is on borrowed time. Last year both sills needed welding at the rear arch and the year before the other inner arch at the front needed doing!

What’s the boot floor like? That’s the Achilles heel of discos. Well the earlier shape anyhow....

 

[Gragson]

They get sold to the outer isles where you don’t need an mot

Is that a fact? - Didn't know that! Guessing they don't have plod around to check anyway

 

[reb78]

What’s the boot floor like? That’s the Achilles heel of discos. Well the earlier shape anyhow....

It's fine on this one - those floors were more the D1. The D2 achilles heel is the chassis. Ironically I have looked after that well and ours is fine!

 

[cheb]

If there's no MOT testing on the island you don't have to have one. If you go off that island your first trip should be to a prebooked MOT test.

You can still be charged for having an unroadworthy vehicle.

 

[James1979]

If there's no MOT testing on the island you don't have to have one. If you go off that island your first trip should be to a prebooked MOT test.

You can still be charged for having an unroadworthy vehicle.

I think you can get done for no insurance but that’s a moot point because no one will insure you with no mot unless you re register it agri. Most cars go there to die. They never come back those who commute have a vehicle each side. Cheaper on ferry that way also.

 

[Cobbler]

If there's no MOT testing on the island you don't have to have one. If you go off that island your first trip should be to a prebooked MOT test.

You can still be charged for having an unroadworthy vehicle.

I bet if someone decided to open an MOT test place that would upset the locals!

 

[James1979]

Is that a fact? - Didn't know that! Guessing they don't have plod around to check anyway

Occasionally they go over on a purge for red diesel, unroadworthy ness etc etc. Basically that isle just shuts up shop for the day. They’ll know before the ferry leaves and nothing is on the roads. As soon as they leave after a few hours it’s situation normal

 

[cheb]

I think you can get done for no insurance but that’s a moot point because no one will insure you with no mot unless you re register it agri. Most cars go there to die. They never come back those who commute have a vehicle each side. Cheaper on ferry that way also.

I didn't have a problem getting insurance for my bikes when there was no tester over here.

You've a lot more unconnected inhabited islands than we have, as have Shetland.

 

[James1979]

I think there's specific laws as well regarding each group. If there is a bridge or a ferry of a certain frequency it doesn't count and the same rules apply as the mainland.

 

[My Old Landy]

My local chap does do welding but he won't touch my 90! He won't do any work on my 90 at all as he don't like old Land Rovers

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Maaaany years ago, they used to get rid of 'beyond repair/spares' vehicles by draining the fluids and pushing them off the cliffs - but now they just seem to have them lying about the crofts. a bit like in Caithness....

 

[Joe 90]

Even a lot of car body repairs does little welding. Around here one man specialises in cutting sections out and setting new pieces in. He is that fast and efficient and cheap that all the body repair shops send it to him as it wouldn't pay them and then they can concentrate on finishing it up and spraying.

 

[addjunkie]

Being rural all three of our local garages do auto welding. One is ok as welders go, but your car will have rotted away by the time he will look at it. Another is awful and shouldnt own tools let alone a welder. The third, both father and son very capable, but thats coz they are into cars rather than just fixing them. But they are pricey, the son also tigs for the bling bling car boys.

 

[James1979]

Maaaany years ago, they used to get rid of 'beyond repair/spares' vehicles by draining the fluids and pushing them off the cliffs - but now they just seem to have them lying about the crofts. a bit like in Caithness....

You often get engines on the beaches. Some aren’t drained, you can tell.

they charge a lot to dispose off island so lands cheap, just let them rot. A lot of folk take the screens out and use them as geese hides.

 

[Bobtail4x4]

A lot of folk take the screens out and use them as geese hides.

the bang must be loud.

 

[tom2207]

Even a lot of car body repairs does little welding. Around here one man specialises in cutting sections out and setting new pieces in. He is that fast and efficient and cheap that all the body repair shops send it to him as it wouldn't pay them and then they can concentrate on finishing it up and spraying.

drop me a pm with a note of who and where , I know of a couple of folk who could use his services . They didnt like my quotes so it would be handy to have some one to pass work onto.

 

[tom2207]

Our D2 failed the MOT on a rusty Inner wheel arch on the passenger side (holes around the abs modulator). Fair enough. I asked the garage for a rough quote. They said £250 minimum. I knew that on stripping it would be worse and add up to more so knew how hard it was for them to put a solid price on it.

I brought it home. Stripped the arch and moved the brake lines and aircon pipes out of the way, hole in the bulkhead too so that needed patching. Fitting it in around the other half giving birth, I reckon it took me 2-3 days by the time it was painted too. Theres no way the garage could have made money on that or the bill would have sky rocketed. (Im no professional so suspect they could have done it quicker but even so).

I think the disco is on borrowed time. Last year both sills needed welding at the rear arch and the year before the other inner arch at the front needed doing!

Now that lots out the way you should get a couple of years without welding if your lucky , I do lots of them.

 

[James1979]

the bang must be loud.

Yup

 

[reb78]

Now that lots out the way you should get a couple of years without welding if your lucky , I do lots of them.

I hope so. This D2 was written off once when the other half smushed the front. It was cat c though (think thats the right one for uneconomical to repair). The insurance valued it at £4800 (I valued it at £2500 max!) but cost of repair with new genuine parts got quite high. So I bought it back from the insurance co for its scrap value (about £1200 with The remainder - £3600 paid to us) and repaired it for £400! So it really owes us nothing and with the odd patch over the last few years it remains a comfy and capable vehicle (more comfy than the D3!)

 

[tom2207]

I hope so. This D2 was written off once when the other half smushed the front. It was cat c though (think thats the right one for uneconomical to repair). The insurance valued it at £4800 (I valued it at £2500 max!) but cost of repair with new genuine parts got quite high. So I bought it back from the insurance co for its scrap value (about £1200 with The remainder - £3600 paid to us) and repaired it for £400! So it really owes us nothing and with the odd patch over the last few years it remains a comfy and capable vehicle (more comfy than the D3!)

keep lashing it with acf 50 , every where you can get it , especially down the bulkhead where inner guards meet it , and rear floor . sills again in behind where the rear wheel inner liner meets rear sill section , theres a real muck trap there , and the rear floor towards the rear x member , the bit behind the tank but infront of the x member and inside all the boxes , you can stretch a few years out of them... hth