75ZT Community

The car went in for it's 6 year service and MOT today. Biggish service - gearbox oil change, belts change etc (thankfully no cambelt though). Garage phoned me to say one of the rear shocks was leaking, so 2 new shocks and both rear tyres had cuts and needed to be replaced before they could issue the MOT. Total cost £883. I knew the bill wouldn't be small, but £883 seems an awful lot. I had to give them the go ahead as I need to be able to use the car. I think I'll be on bread and water for a month or two now!

Cripes!

Our MX5 went in for MOT today and they called to say it had failed - needs welding on seat belt anchorages... Apparently it'll need "four hours welding" which I hope means it needs four hours work including the welding, not four hours solid with the welder.... It's "only" 9 years old

Always ask for prices before saying yes,
Pedro that does sound a touch on the expensive side, even if genuine OEM parts which I doubt very much will be used.
I would never let the MOT garage undertake any work for me, but we are all different.

Do you have a breakdown of the cost to show how they arrived at that total?

I've been going through the bill and I have to say that I can see how it's mounted up. This garage charges £70 per hour for labour. They charged £100 for the normal service plus adjusting the handbrake; £70 (ie one hour) for changing the gearbox oil, replacing the belts and changing the brake fluid and another £70 for replacing the shocks. Total labour £240, parts £421.07, MOT £54.85 and VAT £132.21. Total £848.13, ie marginally cheaper than he told me on the phone. The real killer was the tyres. They fitted a pair of Continentals at £120 each. I need the car for tomorrow though and didn't have the time to see if I could get it done any cheaper. Could be worse I suppose. I could have a V6 which needed a cambelt change!

Mmmm, soon mounts up doesn't - especially with VAT now at 20%.

Don't know whereabouts in the country you are but labour rates down here (Southampton) at an independant garage are around £50 - £60 per hour. The tyres at £120 each seem dear but then I never buy premium tyres.

At the end of the day I guess you pays your money and takes your choice - £800 spread over a year is about £15 a week which I suspose isn't a lot these days for running a 'premium' motor car . . .

I thought the labour rate was a little high but the time charged was lower than expected, so that probably evens out. As far as the tyres go, given the time, I would have fitted a couple of Falken FK452s which is what I have on the front and that would have saved around 50 squids. I bought my wheels off fleabay a couple of months back and the tyres that were replaced today were 2 tyres that were on the wheels when I bought them and they had about 3mm of tread left, so not a total disaster. I had the wheels refurbed and the tyres were OK when they went back on. I'm just relieved that it wasn't the new Falkens that were cut. Yes, the bill was a bit of a shock, but I'm trying to be philosophical about it. There are worse things that can happen in life.

You are always going to pay high prices for tyres fitted by a garage. But then again I do not know how some tyre places survive, perhaps some people do not phone around.