Car repairs reasonable - welding and shock absorbers

harveybobbles

Clean the shocks off and get the car MOT'd at a Council run MOT centre.

jeffsmith

Have cleaned off the right hand shock absorber this evening. Will see how it looks over the next day or so.

I looked at the potential of perhaps using Zip Car for a year, and I think the convenience of having my own car is worth the extra cost so...

Will arrange to get the welding done. Hopefully the mechanic there will be able to advise me on the potential of the damage of the rust and how salvageable it is.

Thanks for all the responses.

colino

I know it's nice to hold onto what you already know, but every mild steel car has been trying to oxidise itself to dust since its plate was rolled. The MOT failure hasn't just happened, it's rotten. Unless you want to treat it like Triggers Broom, it has already fallen over the edge of the cliff.

Stooby2

harveybobbles wrote:

Clean the shocks off and get the car MOT'd at a Council run MOT centre.

That is very poor advice. If the shocks are genuinely leaking then they need to be replaced. If they carry on leaking they will stop damping, giving at best a very uncomfortable ride, and at worst, becoming dangerous as the dampers work to control rebound as well to keep the wheels on the ground. I have seen leaking damper oil make it onto brakes.

Kwik Fit are notorious for advising you need new shocks - they tried it with me once when I was getting an exhaust done. Apparently my brand new shocks that I'd fitted a couple of weeks before were "totally shot" according to the mechanic.

If you're not happy with the cost, take it to a garage you trust and get them to check the shocks and quote for the welding, then you can decide what's best

jeffsmith

colino wrote: »

I know it's nice to hold onto what you already know, but every mild steel car has been trying to oxidise itself to dust since its plate was rolled. The MOT failure hasn't just happened, it's rotten. Unless you want to treat it like Triggers Broom, it has already fallen over the edge of the cliff.

Are you saying that's it'd be more sensible to write off the car? I was planning on asking the welder to make a judgement call on how salvageable the car is. Haven't used his garage (he was recommended by a friend at Kwik Fit) but he seemed honest.

Thanks

AdrianC

jeffsmith wrote: »

Haven't used his garage (he was recommended by a friend at Kwik Fit)

Don't walk away. Run.

colino

Take it to a friendly, local, recommended place for assessment, but bear in mind plating to get through this years MOT is not curing the rust bug. Even cutting out all of the rot and replacing with new metal (prohibitively expensive) only fixes that area, the rest of the shell is the same age and will continue to deteriorate. Your call.

jase1

Unfortunately rust is the big achilles heel of the 323 -- a real shame as the mechanicals are superb. But I agree with others here -- ask the independent what he thinks of the rust -- it might not be as serious as KF are making out from an MOT perspective.

AdrianC

colino wrote: »

Take it to a friendly, local, recommended place for assessment, but bear in mind plating to get through this years MOT is not curing the rust bug. Even cutting out all of the rot and replacing with new metal (prohibitively expensive) only fixes that area, the rest of the shell is the same age and will continue to deteriorate. Your call.

If it's a localised rot-spot, due to a mud/water trap, then there's no reason why cutting the grot out properly, replacing it properly, sealing/painting/waxing properly won't last for many many many years to come.

Whilst I wouldn't say "prohibitively" expensive, it won't be as cheap as slapping a coverplate over. But it will be better value.

jeffsmith

Have decided to get the welding done. Having cleaned off the grease from the front shock absorber it still looks clean after 24 hrs and a short drive to the garage... fingers crossed.