183 replies to this topic

[miniman retford]

I almost felt sorry for you in the first 2 pages

I didnt. It shouldnt have been on the road anyway !

[Wakey-Dan]

Lol this is true. Now my only sympathy is with the mini. Stupid people do stupid things now its the car that has to suffer.

[minimarco]

Lol this is true. Now my only sympathy is with the mini. Stupid people do stupid things now its the car that has to suffer.

You should reevaluate your priorities when you have sympathy for a car over a person. It's just a car.

Stupid people do stupid things

Yeah, like taxing cars.

[Tanya]

I almost felt sorry for you in the first 2 pages

I didnt. It shouldnt have been on the road anyway !

Lol this is true. Now my only sympathy is with the mini. Stupid people do stupid things now its the car that has to suffer.

Oh dear - I make mistakes, say and do the wrong things and make poor judgements from time to time but I thought we all did that and put it down to being human rather than being stupid. miniman retford and Wakey-Dan - when are you running your 'How not to screw up from time to time Training' as I (along with most of the population) could really benefit!

[firefox]

I almost felt sorry for you in the first 2 pages

I didnt. It shouldnt have been on the road anyway !

Lol this is true. Now my only sympathy is with the mini. Stupid people do stupid things now its the car that has to suffer.

Oh dear - I make mistakes, say and do the wrong things and make poor judgements from time to time but I thought we all did that and put it down to being human rather than being stupid. miniman retford and Wakey-Dan - when are you running your 'How not to screw up from time to time Training' as I (along with most of the population) could really benefit!

Hope you dont mind me adding, are they all squeeky clean, hands up everyone

Edited by firefox, 28 September 2012 - 05:13 PM.

[Ethel]

Well said Tanya, it's easy to make the right choices when you can afford to.

It sounds like Mini Cheddars stuck to the law as well as he could, if he'd been an uninsured, untaxed & not registered his address on the V5, they probably wouldn't have found him to bother him. I hate to think that trying to play by the rules and insure the car could have been what flagged it up for the clampers as easy pickings. Still it's easier money than chasing the totally unregistered, uninsured, MoTless death traps.

[twink]

Not everyone can lay their hands on £500. I know I can't. It is a lot of money to some people me included!

Edited by twink, 28 September 2012 - 05:39 PM.

[Noah]

If you weren't quite as far away as you are i'd say you could leave it on my drive.

[Wakey-Dan]

Lol this is true. Now my only sympathy is with the mini. Stupid people do stupid things now its the car that has to suffer.

You should reevaluate your priorities when you have sympathy for a car over a person. It's just a car.


I am an expert on people and I lose more faith in them everyday, (except a few select family and friends). I would choose a car over most people no question. Humans are clever, people are stupid.

Stupid people do stupid things

Yeah, like taxing cars.

Who still has their car, me or cheddars?

Edited by Wakey-Dan, 28 September 2012 - 06:55 PM.

[Shifty]

Ok, enough is enough, lets not turn this into a moral crusade, mini chedders knows he's screwed up and really doesn't need his nose rubbing in it.

He asked for advice and the best way to try and deal with the situation, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight not doing it in the first place is an obvious choice. I've done stupid things before(and got caught as well) as I'm sure many other have.

If you were closer I'd happily let you chuck the car on my drive for a while, maybe if theres someone reading this with some space who could help?

[Mini Cheddars]

Any updates on this?

It's safe now over at Minispeed in their garage but I had a right mare getting it over there, regardless of having to fork out £423 to release the car. One of the members in my club offered to help pay off about half of the fine, which was VERY nice of them!

I think I was about 20 miles away when the car started playing up. Cutting out at low revs, knocking noise and gearstick jerking about when pulling away from a stand still/changing gear; all whilst stuck in god-awful traffic coming out of Reading and no bloody hard shoulder to pull into and examine the car. Eventually I found a trucker's lay-by and pulled into there. Got out the car and looked underneath. Link pipe had come away from the backbox. I also popped the bonnet to see if I could find out why the car was cutting out. Top engine steady was undone and I have no gearbox-subframe engine steady. So all the engine must have been rocking back and forth like a rocking horse. Especially in stop/start traffic.

The thought crossed my mind to call the RAC but I couldn't work out exactly whereabouts I was and the battery in my phone was dreadfully low anyway. About 8% and I needed the rest to get me to Minispeed. So I decided to attempt to fix what ailed Charlie in the lay-by. Got my jack out, got my axle stands out (thank god I had them with me!), got my 13mm ratchet spanner and socket out and got to work. First was the top engine steady. Easily fixed. Next was the exhaust...

Jacked the car up, stuck the axle stands underneath and got to undoing the exhaust clamps. Not totally. Just loose enough for me to knock the pipes back together and the clamps could just hold the exhaust in place. Took about half an hour in total and I got FILTHY. Hands soaked in oil and grit and arse damp from the ground. Not pleasant. Still... I got it going...

Oh and a copper drove past in the slow-moving traffic as I was parked up, but the boot was open so I don't think his ANPR camera clocked my registration plate. Close one! Tyres aren't the most legal in the world!

I phoned up Minispeed and told them I probably wouldn't make it there before they close because of my bloody problem. He said that's fine and to just park it round the corner at BHP and post the keys through the letterbox. I did that and thought I'd walk round the corner anyway to see if anyone is there. Just to tell them I've arrived and the car's round the corner. Saw the garage shutter open so walked into the shop. No-one there. "Hello?" I said. No response. Walked round to the shutter. "Hello?". Still no response. About 10 minutes later the manager (I presume anyway) came downstairs. I told him I was the late MOT guy and he said that's fine and to just park it in the garage so it's safe.

So I walked back round to my car, turned the key and all it was doing was turning over. Not kicking into life. "Great. I've flooded the engine. I think". So let it settle for a bit. Tried again. No luck. Kept trying for 5-10 minutes and eventually decided to just push it into the garage. Bloody car!



So the car is over at Minispeed now and will get MOT'd on Monday. I won't be able to go over there again until next Saturday but will stay in contact via phone.

I almost felt sorry for you in the first 2 pages but after seeing how easily your gonna let it get crushed i have no sympathy.

People have managed to keep it on the road for over 30 years now youv'e given up on it so easily.

Its worth the 4-500 quid in parts. Just man up, do the right thing and buy it out. Whether you strip it down and sell the parts to make your money back and then sell the shell with log book etc for someone else to sort out or pay the fine and put it back on the road yourself, just do the right thing. Just sounds like your full of excuses to me. Leaving it in the pound is your least financially viable option.

It's all well and going saying "just pay the fine" but when you don't have that money to begin with, let alone pay out and still be able to afford to live, then you have to make tough decisions. I really couldn't see myself being able to afford to pay the fine but as above, someone offered to help.

TL;DR? Car saved. Had a nightmare getting from Reading - Byfleet with exhaust coming apart and car conking out. Now back home munching into some Pop Tarts.

Edited by Mini Cheddars, 28 September 2012 - 08:13 PM.

[Mini Cheddars]

Oh and I would like to thank the people that offered/would have offered to hold the Mini if closer. Makes the Mini scene a joy to be a member of. :)

[EDIT]To save triple posting, I'll just edit this one.

One of the guys working at the car pound said he was gonna buy the car at auction for £200-£300. So looks like it could've gone to auction rather than get crushed.

Also, another guy pointed over to a gold coloured Pug 207 or something. Said that it had already been there two times and each time the owner pays to get it back. what the hell.

Edited by Mini Cheddars, 28 September 2012 - 08:19 PM.

[Wakey-Dan]

Good work cheddars, sounds like a struggle but you got there in the end.

Glad you did the right thing, looks a nice machine and I know it's a lot of money but youv'e saved most if it by not keeping it legal for the last few months! (I mean that as a positive, not having a dig)

And as I said earlier it's worth it now youv'e got it back, having it crushed just didn't make sense.

[Chance]

Commitment!! Fair play to you

It would have been so easy to give up on it!!
I feel lucky that I dont have to pay that much board!!

Last few hurdles and you can enjoy your mini again

[brad-the-bear]

good job pal another mini saved would have let you keep it on my drive but your down south lol.