E30 Zone

A friend of mine runs a Fiat dealership, and as both my Polo and the Rieger were out of MOT, i decided to take them there to get the test done so that i can buy some road tax. Took the Polo on Monday evening and picked her up yesterday afternoon, whilst at the same time dropping off the Rieger to him. They dont do the test themselfs, instead they have a MOT place down the road that does it for them. Anyway, i noticed when i picked up the Polo i'd been charged an extra Ԛ£16 just for adjusting the headlights, something i could have done myself, but I didn't really say anything and was told to pick up the Rieger in about an hour. Went back 2 hours later and was told there'd been a slight inccident with the Rieger. By this time my heart was racing so i go running to the test bay and there was my baby sitting there with the bottom of my front bumber completly split in half. To make things worse, the impact of whatever the car hit was so hard that there was a split of about an inch or so on one of the front wings as well. On top of that, the person who drove the car must have had some big boots on cause their foot must have got caught on the card above the pedals and in their panic to get out of the car after crashing it they'd broken the bottom of that piece as well. Now the fcuking car need a complet respray. The MOT place is part of a garage and the manager reckons they can repair the bumper and wing and match the colour as they are a part of a company called ICI (Apparently they make paint and can match any colour) I dont think they can match the paint cause my car has been painted twice. The 1st time, the prat that painted it done the doors and bonnet off the car. We put the car back together on the eve of Max Popwer Live and they were like chalk and chees because Kandy paint is near impposible to match, that's why you have to paint the whole car in one go. I had to get the car stripped back to bare metal and sprayed completly again and the last thing they told me when i picked her up from the painters was "DONT EVER SCRATCH THIS CAR CAUSE YOU WILL BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER COMPLETE RESPRAY" Apparently, even your handspeed when applying the paint will have an affect on the finish. Anyway, i've given them 2 weeks to try and fix the car otherwise they will be looking at Ԛ£4 to Ԛ£5k for a new respray. What i dont understand is that the tos@er must have seen that the car was too low to drive onto their ramp, but he still went ahead and drove the car straight into the ramp. I dont know wheather to laugh or cry now

Very, very harsh mate!!
Get the cnuts to pay for a complete respray, can't you phone your guys who did the 2nd respray on it and get them to tell the MOT place that it requires a complete respray regardless of how much or how little paint was damaged?
Bunch of tossers!

I got straight on the phone to him and that's the first thing that he said. Obviously the MOT place dont want to sell out Ԛ£5k if they dont have to and that's why they are insisting on trying to fix it 1st. I dont want to argue with them, that's why i've given them 2 weeks to sort it. If they cant sort it, then they will have no choice but to pay for a respray. The front bumper is broken in half, so they will have to get a new one. The split on the wing is right at the point where the top of the bumper meets the bottom of the wing (Does that make sence?) Ironically they have a copy of this Months Max P mag and a copy of last Months PBMW

Then they have photographic evidence of what it was previously like

The damage is at the places i've marked with the yellow on the picture. The bottom of the bumper is completly split in half and the arch has got a plit of about 1 to 2 inches

Thats bang out of order - good luck with getting it repaired, but I think you will not be satisfied because you will always see the repair if it is that difficult to match the colour.

It does beggard belief that the MOT station did not realise it was too low for their ramps. My mate has a low RS Turbo and it took him 2 weeks to find a garage that would accept his car without having to remove bodywork or raising it off the ground.

Keep us informed.

Sorry to hear about that Ben, hope you get it sorted soon!

Quick question, is it the current Max P that the car is in??

Si, it is this months. Starts from page 158. Apparently they had wook on the floor to raise the car up, but the guy driving got his foot stuck on the clutch. I'm really glade they were reading a copy of Max P, cause it has an illustration telling you the break down of the cvost of getting similar things done and it has the paint as setting you back between Ԛ£2,500 and Ԛ£7000.

I'm not settling for no bodged repair either. If i can see the slightest difference to where the repair has been done, then i,m gunning for a complet respray and i will take them to the courts if i have to. I will also do them for loss of income cause i will miss out on certain shows and the chance to make some money. We'll see what they say about that

Ah Ben that's harsh fella....I hope all gets sorted...

Muppets.... although accidents do happen I guess (even if it is down to a bit of human error). I think the easiest way is the way you're going. Give them a chance to fix and if it doesn't work out they might be happier to pay for a full respray.

Now then, what were you saying about airbags?

Daryl you sneaky devil. I see your car's going to get a feature in PBMW next month. Kept that one quiet mate.

Dom, i've been to 2 shows now and not won anything, which supprised all of us, so we got together and twigged that every car that has won a prize at the shows we've been to has been riding on aribags and can slamm the cars and raise them up at the toch of a button. It's a real crowd pleaser, so i'm going for one. I spoke to Ravern Hydraulics and at 1st he wasn't interested in giving me any kind of discount at all as he says he doesnt need the publicity. I managed to get a 20% discount in the end, but a fellow zoner reckons his kits are not that good and gave me another company to try. I sent then a polite e-mail and the owner (Nice chap called KIT) rang me. He wants to meet up nextweek sometime for lunch and a chat to see what we can come up with, so i'm well excited

sorry to hear this dude, hope you get it sorted one way or another.

FOOKIN W*&^ers. I would have lost it. its not even my car and i am so angry. feel sorry for you dude. really do. everyone on here knows what work went into that car and how you were devoted to it. you should have beaten the guy with a pole.( lookin at the size of you the guy probly shat it neway) .

Sorry again bruv. hope it gets fixed.

Fcuking idiots, i'd definately want all parts replaced with new items, and then a full all over respray at their expense.

I've just spoken to the manager. He still thinks it can be matched by ICI, but my painter is very sure it can't. Even House of Kolor who supplied the paint said it cant. It will be a real pain if it has to be sprayed again cause the interior will have to come out. The hadr-top and the wheels will also have to be sparyed again I've given them until next weekend to do whatever they want to do then after that, someone is going to be s@itting Ԛ£5k

sorry to hear this ben....

i never let anyone drive my car onto ramps cos its pretty low too.
best of luck in getting it sorted

what a nitemare, sorry to hear this, tossers, you must of had your hands in your pocket biting yout tounge as hard as you could when you saw it i cant see them getting a perfect match, different if it was just a normal paint job, thankgod you had done all the mag shoots before hand

dude thats harsh!! im wondering whether you might have a fight on your hands to get the full spray done after they try and repair it..

Cant see them bein able to match the paint either, you cant match that sorta paint job as there are so many variables

oh man, i would have been going nuts to the tit who done that.

never mind bud, hope it all gets done properly.

Definately gonna work to your advantage for not going total ape at them! I think that with the help of the millions of photo's you've recently had taken it shouldn't be too hard to get a full respray out of em if what they do isn't exactly how it was before!

Of all the cars to break, they choose yours...muppets
My last e30 was too low for most of the post type hydraulic lifts, found that out when driving onto the ramp and nearly smashing the exhaust off!
And hats off to you for keeping your cool Ben.....can't say I'd have been as calm.

gutted for you mate, hope you manage to get it sorted out cos ur E30 is minted

top motor mate, just make sure they dont just try blending the paint onto the door and bonnet and, it will look good until its under artificial lights

Any damage caused by the garage whilst doing the MOT is at their cost, period theres no way of wriggling out of it , stick to your guns dude( I know you will0 ()

That includes engine damage too folks, its the testers responsabilty to ensure the vehicle leaves in the condition it arrived in.

I suspect the damage was caused by the front wheels dipping into the brake roller tester at speed, the ramp for MOT testing must be at floor level, Ie no differance in height between the floor you drove in on and the ramp itself, flush is the word, anything else is not to standard.

you need any trade info to suport the above gimme a bell dude 01622 872 875 ask for me by name and I'll fax copies off if/as required

hope this is resolved ASAP Ben.

Oh and on the subject, if your local mot bay roller tests your brakes and you have an LSD fitted, claim for a new one , its not the correct method of testing those babies, if they dont know how to spot one then AFAIK they shouldn't be testing

Mini rant over

Sorry to hear about the grief you've now got.

I had a problem last year with a BM dealer who crashed my 520i after servicing it and then had to respray from the rear door onwards to the tail lights.

A lot of legal language and threats of court action ensured a speedy response. You've got a sure win case but it's just not the same when you know that your pride and joy isn't the 'same'.

Hope it works out for ya.

ant wrote:Oh and on the subject, if your local mot bay roller tests your brakes and you have an LSD fitted, claim for a new one , its not the correct method of testing those babies, if they dont know how to spot one then AFAIK they shouldn't be testing

Mini rant over

interesting... anymore info?!

LSD equpped cars must be tested using the decelorometer same as 4x4 motors, if the MOT centre dont have one they should not be testing, report the fcukkers

the above does not apply to the newer plate brake testers but they're rare as hens teeth in the trade as they are 5x the cost of the rollers.

No, my secrets out, I'm an MOT tester

im sure the guy who tested my car did the brake thing--and i have an lsd... which has recently spun up the inside a few times on me.... does this mean they shagged the plates????

i would suspect that might be the case Karan..

arg hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


sounds like a rebuild and a bill sent to the garage methinks!!!!

fcuking w4nkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im fed up of removing diffs and putting em back on
!!!

i hate taking my car anywhere, even when i'm standing there i'm on pins
i'm really gutted for you bootyman

sorry to here about your motor ben. it might be a good idea to ring your local vosa area office to get them involved. if the test station don't do a first class job,but you only have to weeks to complain, it might shit them up if you ask them for a VT17 apeal form. but the way i see it they have no choice but to put right no matter what cost next time the tester might not be such a dick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best of luck ben.

This is just typical of these fcuking monkeys. Nae luck mate, that is a stunning car you have.
I really hope you get it sorted out,

Sorry to hear your bad news.Stick out for a full respray.I would stop them before they being because if they repair and spray it and your not satisfied with the match,and they say they cannot see any differance then it will be up to a third party to decide.Can you not find out where you stand legally.There is a lesson to be learned here for all of us when you leave your car in someones else's capable hands.We never leave any of ours at the MOT place as I take planks of wood with me and they let me drive them up the ramps as I know the same thing would happen to my spoilers.And for those of you who have to leave them there do you check your milage before you leave the car.Because lets be honest if you worked at a garage and something like bootymans car came in and you had to pop out somewhere of parts etc you'd take the vehicle out for a spin.Which I know has been done.Sorry again I know how annoyed you must feel.

You bunch of muppets amaze me. Talk about an abbbrogggation of responsibility...

Lets look at the real world.

Most businesses you deal with don't give a sh1t. Largely because they have to employ low trade straff... and that might include some of you lot... who don't give a sh1t.

Since most people are worried about what they can get out of a deal not what they can put into it.

And lets face it most companies hire the cheapest labour possible. Can you see where I'm goin...

Hire monkies get monkey attitude and behaviour.

See... he kneeew he had a car that would need a respray if it was dinked... and he knew it was low so there might be a problem gettin' up ramps n kerbs n stuff...

Yet he's right... they should have been lookin' out for 'im. But oh so wrong too cos no way they would be. Face the real world guys.

You have to think ahead for the people who are going to do work for you and take your cash.

I know it's unfair. Just learn the lessons of the real world.