It drives really well and is properly maintained. I wouldn't drive an unsafe car.
(Well not nowadays. I used to drive a very unsafe 1948 Austin 8 before I sold it to a good friend. He's still alive by the way. I bought it back from him later and my brother turned it into a dune buggy. My second car a Triumph Herald - don't laugh - got ordered off the road because it didn't travel in a straight line and the bonnet kept opening at any speed over 30 mph.
My third car, a Hillman Super Minx was OK but just before I sold it a mechanic pointed out that the entire chassis was broken in half and the fact was disguised by dodgy welding, glue and paint. We had travelled in that car up and down the country at seriously high speeds. Luckily we didn't hit anything or it would have crumpled up like a cigarette packet - pre-seat belt days.) Anyway I digress. The Rover was failed on three counts which I will recount in turn.
1. Noisy rear wheel bearing. What? What the hell is that? Apparently the WOF people spun the wheel and heard a noise. Jesus (sorry Jesus), every bloody car on the road has a little bit of noise somewhere. Its called age OK. My joints make more noise than that bloody wheel. Cost - $250 for a second hand one.
2. Spongy brakes. I won't make any jokes about things going soft with age as I don't want to embarrass anyone but hey, if it works, what's the problem? I had the brakes checked and the brake linings, brake drums and slave cylinders are all OK. What now to get a WOF? The ABS system has to be removed, sent to Auckland, checked and replaced if necessary. Cost - anything between $500 and $1500.
3. Saving the most ridiculous to last - tyres. The two front tyres have different load ratings. What's this you may ask? The left one , a 205/50 R16 has a load rating of 91V. The right one, a 205/50 R16 has a load rating of 87W. Apparently a load rating differential of more than 2 means a failed WOF. Mine was 4. These are the same two tyres I might add that were on the car when it last got a warrant 6 months ago!
A picky inspector noticed the difference and failed it. Now, I checked up on the load ratings differential and above 2 means that it is unsafe at speeds of 240 kph. I like to drive my cars fast and have been clocked at 141 kph and unclocked at 180+ but 240? What pedantic civil servant working at MOT came up with that? Not our friend R. who is an analyst there as he is the one that used to blow up peoples letter boxes and front doors and shoot up washing lines with his shotgun. Cost - $200 for a new tyre even though the one being replaced has plenty of more wear. Bloody Nanny State? Yes, I'm starting to think so.
11 comments:
Sorry about the Rover TC, but let's face it, anyone who still drives any type of car produced by the amalgamation of dodgy practice called British Leyland needs his head examined, let alone his car (HAHAHAHA)
Strangely, I also drove a Triumph Herald and a Hillman Minx (and Hunter) The Triumph waas a piece of crap, but I loved all the Hillmans I drove (I did't own them, they were my Dad's)
Thye tyre business sounds a little odd, couldn't they have swapped one for the spare?
It's so nice to be back.
Did I say it was great to be back?
I feel in the mood for some naughty pictures
I asked them to swap for the spare. Its a Pirelli (expensive tyre) and the right rating but... it has a tyre tread going in a different direction to the ones on the car!
"I feel in the mood for some naughty pictures"
Good it will stop Nicola telling me off. She can focus on you and your peccadilloes instead.
Rover. I loved our Rover too. They are like a pet.
Warrants are always a challenge as cars age.
I had to look up what 'peccadilloes' meant. Well, you learnt something new everyday.
I think you need to explore where is the friendliest place to get your WOF done. I always found the testing station in Thorndon very friendly towards my old Corona- maybe there's a friendly one near you. You do live in Northland after all.
Yes I do live in Northland where probably more than half the cars are unwarranted and unwarrantable going by some of the clap-traps I see on the roads. The point is though that they are applying the law. It is the law that is the ass.
I'm not a big fan of Rovers. Got nothing against them though.
Why does the link on the bass bag site refer to you as Comeinyourpants?
Seeing how the weather's hitting the North, maybe the WOF should now include inflatable flotation bags, or a spare dinghy in the boot.
Hope the weather hasn't caused too much damge for you up there.
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