What Have You Done to Your Cougar Today?

I debated wether to put this here or in my S97/S600 thread .
I wasn't satisfied i'd bled the rears properly after the caliper refurb/replacements so i thought i'd lift the O/S up so i can check the front pads while i'm at it. Rear O/S bled and ok, wheel back on. Over to the front O/S, wheel off, pads looking good, about half worn nice and even. You know me, while the wheel is off i have a good look around in there. Looks like i need to get the black paint brush out another day just for titification, but then whoaa! what's this? Track rod arm gator looks like a overgrown and twisted witworth thread of old. That's garages for you. This is just one reason i have never trusted any garage to work on my car. The only people who have been anywhere near that track rod are the numpties at Formula1 tyre and exhaust services last year when i took it in for wheel alignment. It took me about ten seconds to slacken that clip with the 7mm spanner and the boot thankfully unscrewed itself. With a bit of hot water and massaging it mostly popped back into it's concertina shape. Tomorrows task is now to check the N/S. Thankfully DG has been parked up for most of the year under cover in the Pidcave. Normal mileage i think would have popped that gator and spilled steering fluid all over the road.
Photo shows trackrod at extended left lock. at full right lock it looked like it was really chewed up.
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I also cleared the disk holes while i was there.
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Good spotting Pid. Only a total muppet would do that.
I booked one of my company vans into F1 for an MOT. The website took the reg number, confirmed it was a transit and all good to go.
1 week later the driver turned up at the agreed time.
” We can’t MOT that pal, won’t fit on our ramp. “ WTF I was not happy.
I spoke to the garage to be reassured.
” sorry mate this happens all the time, the website is wrong”
FFS then fix the website.
Customer services then told me the same thing !

The driver managed to get it booked in somewhere else, the other garage agreed to keep it for the week while driver is on holiday and our driver to collect on the day he returns to work. And it passed too.
I‘ll never again use F1 centres. I might try to book it in again just to see if they’ll take it next year.
 
I'll never use any kind of chain or fast fit centre. The clue is in the name - they're 'fitters', not mechanics (although the first part of that is an insult to actual fitters), and the whole idea of doing it fast usually turns out to mean 'rushed and uncaring'.
All people need to do is ask a bit of advice to find someone more local and personal who can be trusted.
When I moved down here, the supposedly useful 'Good Garage Scheme' website led me to a place that virtually charged main dealer prices.
Now after a bit of asking around, our cars go to a father and son in an old railway shed, there's more junk in it than Steptoes yard, I'm not sure even if the patriarch can read or write, but they know what they're doing, do what they say when they say they'll do it and charge what I consider reasonable rates. Sorted.
 
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I’d pay just to go and explore in that garage, my ides of heaven.
Like you Backseateducation I have my favoured local Independent, that’s not going to change.

It was a question of necessity for the van. The company system failed to flag up that the MOT expired last March so it needed to be done a bit sharpish ! Plus it’s based 60 miles or so from our base. The local Halfords did it last time. Their on line booking system worked but they didn’t have a slot when I tried them.
 
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Pid_16V said:
I debated wether to put this here or in my S97/S600 thread .
The only people who have been anywhere near that track rod are the numpties at Formula1 tyre and exhaust services last year when i took it in for wheel alignment.
Click to expand...
I would have thought the Tw@ dungeon thread:oops:
 
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My C2 passed it's MOT today(y).

The only advisory being the tyres so I'll need to be getting all 4 soon. Thinking about it they have been on for 5 years.

We just need to get the C1 back on the road now, there is welding and rear subframe to be done there which we hope to get done so I can use this one more in the winter.
 
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