bad mot this time meh

it depends on what hes failed it on

if jagged edges then do as I said earlier and lash it up with a bit of gauze and filler then problem solved as far as mot goes
looking at the arch though it definitely needs sorting properly so is worth it being cut out or it will only break through again with filler / gauze

as for exhaust surely he can mig the bit that's blowing as will be cheaper than swapping the system over for sure, just because its stainless does not mean it cant be welded with normal mig wire.

geezer sounds like a bit of an anal arse tbh, have you got the failiure sheet you can take a snap of so we can see exactly what hes pulled it on?

Yeah ill snap the mot sheet tonight, guess the perks of going to halfords for an mot lol. The arch was on my todo list but worst time of year for an mot i guess

noooooo! bad bad place no better than taking it to f1 or any other quick fit type garage, these type of places have absolutely no discretion as they go exactly by the book to the tee

They have been really good previously, past 2 mots have passed with flying colours

He's failed it on structural corrosion near suspension points on the 30cm judgement.
Technically he's in his rights to do so, a kinder MOT man may of poked it less & marked as advisory if inner arch only scabby on very edge but for sure it needs work inner & outer arch for long term solution.
Will cost you 25% of what it will cost to weld properly just to do inelegant job & get MOT'd to your favour so not much to gain really.
If Mongoose does need welding that going be easy & as cheap as like £10-£20 possibly if body shop add it to arch bill or you pull off offending section & pop in friendly garage - metal work shop. Hopefully exhaust is gasket though as then you can tick that off yourself for pence.
Likes of Halfords & Kwik-Fit are not the best but for sure they have the odd decent employee :-/ assume u got discount on MOT too.

Yeah my fiance is duty manager at the nearby store so pay £20 for my mots, ive got a good bodyshop quoting me for tge arch and a panel has been ordered so guess ill have a shell with good arches, guess it will only make the car worth a bit more when the time comes

Digitalfaze wrote:Yeah my fiance is duty manager at the nearby store so pay £20 for my mots, ive got a good bodyshop quoting me for tge arch and a panel has been ordered so guess ill have a shell with good arches, guess it will only make the car worth a bit more when the time comes

Yes that's true.
Not going be worth a lot as another one with no MOT & rotten arches.
£300 is nothing really, you can pay that for one minor diagnostic-repair & part, many much newer cars will fail on more than your R has.
I repaired what started of as wiper fault & intermittent light faults on a 2008 Pug and that required new fuse box due to corrosion from water ingress & bcu needed reflashing as firmware damaged from shorts or jump starting & was stuck in the famous Pug economy mode, that cost just over £300 :-O
The old R's are pretty goody really & if keep on top of basic maintenance they super cheap & fun classics :-)
Good luck with your repairs & hope a fresh 12month MOT document is soon in your possession ...

My advice is find an independent local garage and get friendly with them. Just stick to them for all the jobs you can't do so they know your a regular. My local garage lets me help him now with lights and horn tests etc. I just sit in the car and do what he asks and he charges me a bit less . Pays off to because he knows I do all my own mechanics so last time I took it the breaks were on solid as I'd not used it all winter, it drove ok but you struggled to turn the wheels by hand, he passed it and said ( I've passed it for you cos I know you'll take it straight home and fix it) which I did , within the hour it was on stands with all 4 callipers off and stripped. Sorted and it saved me trudging back down to his garage

Bones wrote:My advice is find an independent local garage and get friendly with them. Just stick to them for all the jobs you can't do so they know your a regular. My local garage lets me help him now with lights and horn tests etc. I just sit in the car and do what he asks and he charges me a bit less . Pays off to because he knows I do all my own mechanics so last time I took it the breaks were on solid as I'd not used it all winter, it drove ok but you struggled to turn the wheels by hand, he passed it and said ( I've passed it for you cos I know you'll take it straight home and fix it) which I did , within the hour it was on stands with all 4 callipers off and stripped. Sorted and it saved me trudging back down to his garage

+1 on that view.
If you use same one & they know you and car they can trust slipping more things as advisory as they know you on top of the maintenance & it will be done.
Less garages like that these days as if MOT inspector turns up he got some explaining to do plus liability with customers wondering around the workshop & actually involved in job functions is a potential wallet raping for the owner, shame H&S overruled good old fashioned gumption/common sense .
Problem is these MOT guys see some awful shit & deal with car owners who don't even check oil or tyre pressures in a year & complain at cost of a wiper blade so then it hard to let stuff slide as you know the tight f00kers won't spend a dime keeping car maintained & safe & fault will remain for another year.

cheers for the help guys, still waiting for a quote from the bodyshop

Bit slow but hopefully good price !
I would expect in uk pay around £300 at best for decent effort & possibly more if inner arch needs quite a bit of new metal.
Prices & quality of work vary so much though so always worth try a few or going with someone recommended.
Also don't be shy to ask how they doing it in terms of weld spots & fact new outer & inner arch get spotted together along with what seam sealers will be used & what will be done on refitting of arch mould, also ask where finishing of paint will be & any blending edges.
When done it worth making sure both inner arches are well undersealed right up to the outer panel lip & also a sensible coating of wax spray  to inner arches would be good.
If wax spray don't go too heavy as that causes more problems than it prevents as can block water drain paths & big ridges of wax create wells for water to sit & work away at eating your car :-(
waxing & underseal is something you can do & in the better weather too, plus you can milk your halfords discount on the required products :-D

Have a look at this thread if you want feel better about your quotation :-)
http://www.gtir-motorsport-club.com/t121-replacing-rear-arches

http://www.jvce.co.uk/

this was the place i went to, judging by the audi quattro, porsche gt3 racecar and shelby mustang they had in they might be decent and was quoted around the £230 mark a good few months ago for the arches to be done. im shopping around now but its just time as i need the car for work really " alt="" title="">

dont know if removing bumper, seats and door cards will make a differece to the price?

worth removing anyway as may help price & gives them more time on main issue plus saves any handling/ storage issues with parts if you on the job.
Website gives good impression but only way know is look at job they on & ones finished.
I have seen some awful bodywork from some very high tec shops, also seen some beautifully finished panels come out of an old barn.
Really do need research & reference to know who worthy of your hard earned £

I would leave bumper on as they might need it to mach arches to it so they are flush etc