A stitch in time

[DPP]

I was checking for play in the front suspension of an Interceptor which was mostly coming from the lower ball joint, it was so bad that when removed a flat had been worn on the balljoint and it had damaged the vertical link/stub axle, this has clearly been wearing for a long time.

For a few pounds spent on an earlier repair this job is now going to get expensive and requires parts that shouldn't wear and are not currently available, this is a car with a current MOT.
If you keep on top of your maintenance its far cheaper in the long run.

[Edgar]

I second that.
Now working on a car that was driving but has a leaking engine, leaking tranny, leaking steering rack and PAS pump.
Also steering rods are shot and upper plus lower ball joints have has their best time. The lower ball joints are party missing their rubber caps. Unbelievable...

All being fixed tight now but what a mess. Maybe good for rust proofing but now time consuming to get it all cleaned.

[Frankoid]

I was checking for play in the front suspension of an Interceptor which was mostly coming from the lower ball joint, it was so bad that when removed a flat had been worn on the balljoint and it had damaged the vertical link/stub axle, this has clearly been wearing for a long time.

For a few pounds spent on an earlier repair this job is now going to get expensive and requires parts that shouldn't wear and are not currently available, this is a car with a current MOT.
If you keep on top of your maintenance its far cheaper in the long run.

Why did the MOT test not pick this up? I was looking at a classic in the £100,000 range with an MOT and the wipers were not even wired up! The vendor had impressed on me it had a recent voluntary MOT so all this makes a mockery of the test for me....

[Martin R]

A split in a rubber boot can be in a position easily missed at home but, on a ramp, with the car jacked up off the suspension, (as happens during an MOT) things become visible.
There have been a number of instances I've seen / heard of where owners prefer to, for example, upgrade their cooling fans in spite of the fact their brakes are leaking or the sills are rotten etc.
Routine maintenance is definitely a good idea and often you will pick up on things before they become a major issue.

[DPP]

Why did the MOT test not pick this up? I was looking at a classic in the £100,000 range with an MOT and the wipers were not even wired up! The vendor had impressed on me it had a recent voluntary MOT so all this makes a mockery of the test for me....

The last MOT was carried out before the car was sold and although its not a basket case it should have clearly failed on other things too. The previous owner was also not good with electrics but keen to have a go after having a problem with the headlights he joined the dipped and main beam together so whatever position you selected they all came on, even an owner who does no maintenance could see this fault which alone would have been an instant fail.

I am very pro all cars having an MOT including my own which go on the ramp for a check over a couple of times a year once for its annual service and a week before MOT to make sure its going to be ok. Im sure some testers can be persuaded to turn a blind eye to things though.
I bought a car many years ago which when I was pulled over by the police turned out to have a forged MOT as the number on the certificate had never been issued. I had to take it for an MOT the next day and it failed on just handbrake efficiency which the tester adjusted there and then, so I couldn't work out why the car had a forged MOT.