Pre MOT look around not going so well

[sotal]

I thought I'd best give the Bongo a good look over as I knew a few bits needed some attention.

First I thought I'd best have a poke at the rust bubbles that had appeared just above the sideskirt towards the rear. These appeared before so I sanded back last time but it was all filler that I sanded back to. I gave it a good paint last time but it soon came back through the filler. So this time I sanded the filler back to good metal - unfortunately there wasn't any so I now have a fairly large hole in the side of the bongo, it spreads right down underneath so I presume it needs a new sill or at least a patch welding in?

A couple of tyres look like they are very close to the legal limit so I guess I'm going to need a pair of those.

One headlight bulb had blown - have replaced that though!


So the sill seems to be the worst thing I can find - and as the MOT runs out in a few days - I may well struggle to sort that in time. Will see if I can get some quotes tomorrow.

Any thoughts or tips from anyone that has had to remedy similar before?

[sotal]

I've had the bongo for 4 years.

We had a bit of an issue with the arches rusting shortly after purchase and they were replaced. However there is a little rusty coming back through on the arches. We have a few other patches coming through in isolated spots.

This was the worst bit and did have a hole. It needed sorting and wouldn't have passed the mot.

Think I'm going to send it in for the mot with the big hole in the side. I'll book it in for a time when they have time to weld it up after as I won't have time at the moment. Then they can mot it and check that it doesn't need a lot more. If it needs loads of work then I'll have to get it home for repairs and I'll take a while to repair it. If it just needs the tyres and the welding then I'll have them sort it straight away.

[sotal]

I've got it booked in for next week.

I gave it a proper look round and it is going to be expensive this time! Most of it is where I knew there was rust starting.

I've given it a good poke because I would prefer it be safe and done properly. At the end of the day I'm carting the kids around in this.

Last year it had a patch on the rear cross member. This year it needs a matching one on the other side of it, plus another 2 smaller patches below. One was hidden by the tow bar but was basically making it so that the towbar wasn't holding on to much at all on that side. I've removed the towbar so they can see the hole properly and can repair it. I don't think I'll replace the towbar.

The side needs a good bit of welding as I mentioned before but the inner sill on that side also has a hole in it, as does the inner sill at the rear of the passenger side.

Other than those areas, the rest looks good. I'll have to wait and see how much it is going to cost. I got a quote for the one area but now there is quite a bit more to go at

One bit that worried me was that when I undid the screws holding the side skirt on, water pee'd out of the screw holes for ages. A big puddle ended up on the drive. The water coming out was clear.

Also I was going to leave the spare wheel off for the MOT to give more room to see and fix the holes in the rear cross member - I take it they don't need it in place?

1 tyre is fairly new, the other three are all going to be borderline - I would say they were just about legal. So there is more expense!

[sotal]

Mot all sorted now. Not the cheapest but I wanted it sorted properly.

Couple of advisory jobs left for me to do but it is back up and running again. Time to get away in it!

[Bob]

Glad you're sorted.

Enjoy summer Bongoing.

[sotal]

Yes will be doing. It hasn't been used enough yet this year, time to get going! Into our 5th year of ownership now if I remember correctly!

The other car was in today for its MOT, and it flew through again so both cars are good to go.

Just need to plan where to go now