Cherries On Top

It’s that time of year again: MOT week. I was amazed when I moved to America and discovered that cars there didn’t have to be tested, approved and stamped as roadworthy on an annual basis. (Mind you, given the propensity of my American monstermobile to break down on snowy mountainsides, in scorching deserts and at remote gas stations, I am not saying that this was a good thing.) Back in the UK July has rolled around and as a result, I’m doing the annual rounds of local mechanics.

My car is 23 years old, has a retail value of approximately $400* and drives like a dream. It is, however, ill-furnished for the rigours of the modern MOT. The local Kwik-Fit was the first to take it in. They decided that the car was not permitted to grace British roads for the following reasons: an “excessively pitted” front brake disc, a baldy tyre and rear shock absorbers with “negligible damping effect”. The mechanics informed me, with lots of sad head-shaking and “Oh, your poorly little Mazda” comments, that this lot would cost more than $1000 to put right.

So today the “poorly little car” went to mechanic number two for a re-test. This mechanic decreed that the brake discs, tyres and shocks were fine, but failed it for the following reasons: deteriorated rear wheel bearings and a frayed rear seatbelt.  These are going to cost $400 to put right. I’ve decided to go with mechanic number two. It’s still a bloody pain though. With a car as old as mine, there’s always going to be something worn or holey - it’s the shopping around that gets on my nerves.

If the car didn’t run so beautifully (40,000 miles on the clock) I’d consider a newer model. I like these old Japanese cars though: they run and run and run and run and run.  

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• MOT devotee
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• Words fail me…