Mot Centre damaged my car

[ManyMinors]

As I've said before, I doubt the sill would have been damaged if it had been in sound condition. It had become considerably weakened by corrosion which starts from within on these cars.
Your case is similar to one which involved somebody I know. His Minor was involved in a small, low speed collision, the damage from which would have been easy to repair. He had felt that the car was previously in good condition. It had gained an MOT recently. However, once the front panel was removed it was plain that rust had got hold of the panels behind and weakened them so that more damage was caused than if the car had been in better condition. The insurance company could not be held responsible for this rust - and pointed out to the owner that is was HIS responsibility to maintain the car in good order. He was given the option to pay towards the increased cost of repairs if he wished.

Otherwise the car would be "written off" and his market value pay-out would be fairly low due the poor structural condition of his car.....

Many of our cars probably have similar unknown areas of corrosion. Perhaps we should think about how our weakened cars would hold up in the event of a more major impact? I don't think we can really blame a 3rd party for exposing such deterioration can we?

[RobThomas]

rust1.jpg (161.74 KiB) Viewed 2284 times

Firedrake 1942. Here it is looking backwards from the front wheel.

[bluegrass]

I don't think we can really blame a 3rd party for exposing such deterioration can we?

Yes, i actually do if its by jacking the car in the wrong place. Sorry, we will just have to agree to disagree. Whilst I agree with much of what you say, the garage jacked the car poorly and without due respect to it or its owner, me. The weakness or strength of the panel is irrelevant to their mistake.

[firedrake1942]

Thanks.It is where I thought it was but distorted by the damage, and sealant

[liammonty]

As several others have said, I would take the positive from this - it has exposed an area that was clearly badly corroded, from the inside by the looks of it. I agree that, even if it seems perverse, the garage has inadvertently done you a favour. You can get it repaired and be happy in the knowledge that it is sound again. I wouldn't waste time and energy pursuing it with the garage - you can vote with your feet by going elsewhere in the future.

[bluegrass]

As several others have said, I would take the positive from this - it has exposed an area that was clearly badly corroded, from the inside by the looks of it. I agree that, even if it seems perverse, the garage has inadvertently done you a favour. You can get it repaired and be happy in the knowledge that it is sound again. I wouldn't waste time and energy pursuing it with the garage - you can vote with your feet by going elsewhere in the future.

I agree, thats how i'm intending to proceed.

[IaininTenbury]

I think liamonty has it about right there.
Each end of the sills are the most common jacking point area on 'modern cars', even MM and Series 2 Minors had the jacking point plate at the bottom of the front wing in this very area, which when you consider the structure of a car bodyshell, should be very stroang as lots of panels come together in this area and make for a strong structure. So you can sort of understand a garage, or tester with little experience of older cars going for this area first for jacking on, although I've never seen an MOT centre use a 2 post lift with jacking beams for an MOT test.
Yes its a very unsympathetic way of treating an older car and they should jack under the suspension for the test, but a Minor in good solid order should have been able to stand it. I'm not being smug or anything, I wouldn't jack mine up in that area, and when I had to use the Series 2 jacking point for a puncture a few years back there was a certain amount of creaking and groaning. (From the car not me!)

A few years ago I was involved in repairing an accident damaged car which had been hit side on by a lorry. I spotted that the front chassis leg was cracked around the eyebolt mounting and the owner was very keen on adding this to the insurance repair. Result was another visit by the assessor and he pointed out that the metal was pitted and thinned a little in the area and would have weakened the structure - result no payout. I couldn't really argue as to be honest I agreed with him, but it shows the sort of area you're heading for if trying to claim for damage...

Realistic option as folk have said is just have it repaired properly, and go to a better garage for MOT tests. Better still, stay with the car and watch them do the test which is always useful as they can give advice and discussion about areas that they may not bother to type out as an advisory, and you always get the chance to say 'Now then, please don't jack it there....'.

[IaininTenbury]

Anyone remember the Practical Classics magazine project pickup rebuild? Before they decided on the pickup to do they started on an early MM saloon (highlight) which looked a very original car. As part of the first inspection they appeared to lift the car on a 2 post lift with the front jacking arms under the front end of the sills, and were horrified when the hinge post and door gaps started altering. Then promptly gave up on it, due to time constraints and the amount of work required and moved on to the pickup instead....
I was totally gobsmacked that they tried to lift a restoration project car like that - if you had to name the first part of any Morris Minor to suffer from rust its round that area. So if a group of semi professional old car enthusiasts would do that and then actually write about it in a magazine, what hope is there for the average garage bod.
As I said, best advice is to be there for the test. Watch the tester, talk to him, whilst not distracting him from his job, and you can learn lots about the car.

I was going to write in to PC at the time but wasn't really in the mood....

[les]

I share your sentiments, these 'enthusiasts' are widespread. I've often noticed that lots of people have got brains but lack common sense. Reminds me of a programme on tv. Restoring a traveller, found the new timber bought wouldn't fit ( the body had been welded out of place) so what did they do ? The twits hacked the new timber about to make it fit the distorted metal! Probably slept like a baby that night.

[SageGreenPete]

I think we have two main points here that are in my view rather separate from one another.

1) They jacked the car up in the wrong place.. If they hadn’t, I would not have a holed and buckled panel.

2) There is obviously some corrosion to the panel that is now visible once they damaged it.

One does not make the other ok, they are separate issues.

If someone hit me in the face and broke my nose, I would not be thanking them for exposing the inherent weakness in my face, but would rather question why they are going around hitting people in the face to start with. You shouldn’t hit people in the face, and you shouldn’t jack up a Morris Minor on the sill.

In terms of what to do; I just won't pay for the MOT, and will take it as a lesson learned. It just means i won't go to that garage again, and I will tell people i know to do the same.

I don't agree with your analogy really, it's more like they accidentally hit you in the face and during the hospital visit they discovered some cancer that can be treated before it becomes terminal.

That area is rotten, the deformation and yellow paint won't matter once it's cut away and replaced