Driving test on a 'well loved' car

Thumpette

Hey y’all! :rolleyes: I am less than a week away from my test now and have been getting as many lessons as I can. Have another 2 hour one booked on the day before the test and another pretest right before the test.

My sister has kinda sewed some seeds of doubt into my head about the car I am doing the test in. It is a 99 Polo with no power steering. I think I am grand without the power steering- it might be tougher on the maneuvers but I have done loadsa practice on it now. The thing she has made me paranoid about now is the fact that the car had a number of dents on it. Believe it or not none of these were actually inflicted by me- but her thinking is that they will automatically assume they were and judge me harder based on them.

The car also got broken into at the weekend so its got an extra bash or two with a crowbar. The doors are all opening and closing grand and the lights are all grand and its totally road worthy.

I cant magic wand the bumps (or afford to get them sorted) so my only option os to use the instructors car. The problem with this is that I am just not so used to it- it feels very different- has the indicators on the other side etc, and I think it just might add to my confusion.

Do people reckon the dents on the car will really affect my chances? Surely if I drive well I will pass and if I don’t I will fail regardless of the car- but I am a bit paranoid about it now.

Cheers

Graham_B18C

I can't see why the dents would make any difference, Just tell him that your car was broken into a few days before the test and you didn't have the time or money to get it repaired. Can't imagine it'd make any difference to whether you pass or fail, best of luck with it!

Calhoun

did my test yesterday and passed . my car has dints all over it from when i crashed into Sallygap in Wicklow and had paint stripped away from the side wing from when i clipped it off the pole outside my house.

Once the car is in goodworking order and meets the required checks it should be fine.

Betsyohoh

Hi,
first of all good luck, secondly I wouldn't see a problem but just check your tyre depth, it's not something I would have thought of but I heard of someone not being allowed to do their test because of this.

B

Alanstrainor

Betsyohoh wrote: »

Hi,
first of all good luck, secondly I wouldn't see a problem but just check your tyre depth, it's not something I would have thought of but I heard of someone not being allowed to do their test because of this.

B

Your minimum thread depth is 1.6mm. Although it should be noted that this is the "minimum" it would be recommended that you change your tires well before this.

qz

You're being tested on your driving, not on the car.
ie: I had mine washed and shiny and looking spanking new, but I still failed :pac:

dudara

My car has a different coloured rear door because someone drove into it one night while parked outside. I did the test with it and passed.

Just make sure that all mechanical aspects of the car are OK (lights etc) and that it is reasonably clean inside it. (Actually the day I passed my test, I hadn't time to clean the inside due to work so the tester was sitting with some water bottle etc).

Good luck

Thumpette

Thanks everyone for the advice- deffo decided to use my own car anyway. Sure we'll see what happens!

One of the tyres is getting in need of a change actually- my instructor told me its 3mm at the moment but I guess as long as its legal it'll be fine for the test.

Anyway fingers crossed!

RedzDrivingScho

Taken from the RSA's website.......http://www.drivingtest.ie/frameset.html

" The passenger door on the tester’s side should be working properly and, in particular, should be
possible to open from the inside as well as the outside,"

Don't worry about the dents and bumps......as long as it's legal it'll be ok....

Best of luck with the test....

John Mason

my passenger side window decided to stop working the day before the test and it was a scorcer when i took the test had to explain to the tester that it wasnt working and he still passed me

the only thing is i dont know if you smoke but dont do it before the test, they refuse to bring you out if there i a recent smell of smoke, apparently - well that is according to instructor

good luck

Wishbone Ash

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

my passenger side window decided to stop working the day before the test and it was a scorcer when i took the test had to explain to the tester that it wasnt working and he still passed me

In an NCT, only the driver's window is required to be working for the vehicle to be deemed 'roadworthy'.

John Mason

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

In an NCT, only the driver's window is required to be working for the vehicle to be deemed 'roadworthy'.

i didnt know that, thanks Ash but it is fixed now anyway.:)

Thumpette

Just passed Looks like the bumps didnt matter after all!

Alanstrainor

Congrats!

Thumpette

Now that I have passed (still cant believe it! :rolleyes: ) I want to get my licence as soon as possible. I went to the Garda station yesterday but they were all out of the forms.

I’m hoping to pop into another station this evening to get a form but I’m not sure what else I will need. I got passport photos and have the certificate of Competency. Does anyone know what the fee is, and what form it needs to take- ie do I need to get a Bank draft or anything?

Thanks

Photi

It's 25 euro for a 10 year licence if I recall correctly. You'll need this fee, 2 signed passport pictures and the cert with a completed form. Congrats! It's a great feeling, isn't it?