Body repair - Rusted sills - Looking for Dublin15 garage

ozmo

Looking for a garage in the Dublin 15 area - that will do body repairs -

Was told by NCT it would be about 200 to repair - Small area of Rust on the sills near rear wheel arch - needs a plate welded and repaint area.

I have rang and dropped into several - but the only one I can find to do it quoted 500 - before I go with this - can anyone recommend another place that will do a decent job and be somewhere midway in terms of costs?
Ideally be D15 or somewhere on train line.

thanks..

ozmo

Went with one of the southside garages recommended.. Cost 350 Euros took 2 days.

Garage didn't put the final coat on it so NCT could see the work - but put on a rust primer.

Failed NCT because they couldn't see the weld. Is this common to fail like this? Do they expect people to go around with bare metal, no paint until they can can test it? It would rust immediately if a weld wasnt covered ? no?.

What to do now - any advice? Only have two days left

nd

I've brought a few cars with paint over the weld and it wasn't a problem. The nct manual afaik doesn't say anything about the repair weld needing to be visible, just that it is solid. Could you ask to talk to the manager/supervisor ect. And maybe give them the garage phone number.

ozmo

nd wrote: »

The nct manual afaik doesn't say anything about the repair weld needing to be visible, just that it is solid. Could you ask to talk to the manager/supervisor ect. And maybe give them the garage phone number.

The tester was in a bad mood - he couldn't work my alarm remote and when I showed him he sped off - I think he took his embarrassment out on the car.

He gave me the option of taking all the paint off again and a retest or getting a separate engineers report and retest

Surely the easy way out here is to just bring it to a different centre?

Wibbs

I'm with KKV on this Os, take it to another centre if you can. I have found centres and testers can be extremely variable at times and frankly some are **** and jobsworths eager to find fault even when not present.

Story Bud?

The repair now needs to be certified by an engineer. Not a mechanic. I was given a form to have completed by an engineer the other day.

I haven't brought it to be looked at yet as I came straight on my hols after the NCT.

Story Bud?

Wibbs wrote: »

I'm with KKV on this Os, take it to another centre if you can. I have found centres and testers can be extremely variable at times and frankly some are **** and jobsworths eager to find fault even when not present.

I brought the MR2 to be tested six weeks ago. Everything passed except for headlight alignment which got sorted but unfortunately I had an issue with the battery which had to be replaced and as a result I missed the retest date - really just a case of bad luck.

Brought it back Friday and the lad was an absolute prick, from the minute he took the keys. He tested my car for 45 minutes and found a Fcuk load of things wrong with it. It failed on emissions which were absolutely fine just six weeks prior, haven't even driven it much at all since then. He actually told me that he gave it "an extra long test". You'd expect that every test should be the same, but apparently not.

He actually put his finger through the rust on the sill so I came out with a hole in the car that wasn't there going in. I wasn't happy but what can I do? If the faults are there, they're there. Seriously considering now getting it repaired but not putting it through the retest and instead going for a full test again.

Wibbs

Story Bud? wrote: »

I brought the MR2 to be tested six weeks ago. Everything passed except for headlight alignment which got sorted but unfortunately I had an issue with the battery which had to be replaced and as a result I missed the retest date - really just a case of bad luck.

Brought it back Friday and the lad was an absolute prick, from the minute he took the keys. He tested my car for 45 minutes and found a Fcuk load of things wrong with it. It failed on emissions which were absolutely fine just six weeks prior, haven't even driven it much at all since then. He actually told me that he gave it "an extra long test". You'd expect that every test should be the same, but apparently not.

I've had nigh on the exact same experience. Missed a retest because of life really getting in the way and comparing the two test sheets a month and three days and less than 200 kms apart if you covered up the reg number at the top you'd swear you were dealing with two different cars. Oh and a couple of so called "fails" have subsequently turned out to be bullshíte with it. One of the "fails" were headlights not working and I watched as the goon tested them and they'd burn your retinas with the brightness. It's an extremely variable test in my experience. I'd certainly have little faith in it as an indicator of car health when buying secondhand for example.

ozmo

Update: Brought it back to nct - and had site manager look at it - he wouldn't budge - not saying its done incorrectly only he cannot see the repair - must be a brilliant job if they cannot detect it

There is obviously a metal plate in there as magnets sticks to it and I have 6 very clear pictures of the car at various stages of repair the garage took while doing the work.

Not going bother going back - as suggested here - I've booked a re-test elsewhere.

zilog_jones

So they would only accept a half-assed repair with visible welds? Sounds ridiculous.

You should lodge a complaint with the NCTS if the other test centre passes it. Also, you can check the NCT manual for what is really required.

ozmo

Passed without any modification at another Dublin Center - I know which one I will be using from now on. He checked it was solid metal using a small hammer - said it was a job well done when I asked.

Thanks for the link to the NCT manual - it confirms the first test center were wrong in what they were asking for.

unkel

Story Bud? wrote: »

He actually put his finger through the rust on the sill so I came out with a hole in the car that wasn't there going in. I wasn't happy

Your car was so rotted that a man could stick his finger right through it and you are complaining about it? Seriously?

Wibbs

unkel wrote: »

Your car was so rotted that a man could stick his finger right through it and you are complaining about it? Seriously?

Talk about gross misrepresentation of another post. *slow handclap*. The other poster continued on, you know, the bit you left out;

Story Bud? wrote: »

I wasn't happy but what can I do? If the faults are there, they're there.

I dunno what your issue is Ted, but maybe apply some accuracy?

Story Bud?

unkel wrote: »

Your car was so rotted that a man could stick his finger right through it and you are complaining about it? Seriously?

No. I wasn't happy that six weeks prior no one picked up on any of these issues and that if my headlight alignment was OK at the time, I would have driven out of the test centre oblivious.

I'm certainly not happy with the inconsistency of the testing and the fact that if you get a different tester, you get a different test. Do you think that's acceptable?

I'm not happy with how rude the tester was to me from the minute he took the keys.

I'm not happy that six weeks previous, I had gone to remove a bag from the boot when the tester was taking the car and he told me it was fine to leave it. On checking in for this test I asked the guy on the counter did I need to empty the boot (same stuff in it) he told me nah it'd be grand. I failed on boot not being empty and when I pointed out to the tester that I has asked he told me no one there's no way I would have been told that, essentially calling me a liar.

I also said, as wibbs said, if the faults are they're they're there. I've no issue with it failing on those items (which is exactly what I also told the tester on the day). My issues, are those outlined above.

I'm quite surprised at you trying to spin my post as something entirely different to what I posted tbh and actually conveniently cut some of the following text out in order to do so.

zilog_jones

Story Bud? wrote: »

I'm not happy that six weeks previous, I had gone to remove a bag from the boot when the tester was taking the car and he told me it was fine to leave it. On checking in for this test I asked the guy on the counter did I need to empty the boot (same stuff in it) he told me nah it'd be grand. I failed on boot not being empty and when I pointed out to the tester that I has asked he told me no one there's no way I would have been told that, essentially calling me a liar.

It is expected that the boot is clear as the inspection of the boot floor for rust or damage is part of the test. Specifically the NCT manual says this:

The bodywork check includes an examination of the boot. Where this cannot be opened or contains
items which would make the examination difficult, the bodywork check is considered to have not been
completed and the vehicle cannot be passed.

The problem is there are many remarks like this in the manual that are too vague or subjective. Does an easily movable bag (assuming not something unreasonably heavy) count as an "item which would make the examination difficult"? One tester might find that OK, whereas another would have zero tolerance for anything in the boot - and that is grounds for failure.

It's a failure of the NCT and the NCTS that people can have differing opinions on aspect of the test, and that people can give you arguably incorrect information about the test.

unkel

Story Bud? wrote: »

I'm certainly not happy with the inconsistency of the testing and the fact that if you get a different tester, you get a different test. Do you think that's acceptable?

My bad, I must have read your post a bit quicker than I should have.

And I agree that there should be consistency. The test itself and the manual are probably as consistent and well defined as can be, but the job is done by people, not robots. All qualified mechanics though afaik.

I can understand people get frustrated by perceived injustices / inconsistencies but they will just have to live with them I'm afraid

I've put the guts of 100 cars through the NCT and I've had some ups and downs. Particularly the one time that my car failed because the "Cliath" on my D reg plate looked a bit more like "Oliath" - I kid you not. If you do a search on boards you might even find my post about it, including pictures

Overall I feel the NCT is doing a very good job testing cars cheaply and efficiently (and by the rules that they do not make up themselves)