Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Brake Recall - A Related Issue

And that to me is the really bizarre thing. Modern cars need far less servicing that old stuff, and it's easier than ever for home owners to do it themselves. No need to adjust tappets or carburettors or ignition systems, spark plugs need changing every 50k miles, modern synthetic oils last 12k miles or more. Brakes and running gear are just as they have always been, just need cleaning and checking.

All you need is a laptop and a copy of the relevant software (I bet Bimmercode would work for the CX cars) and away you go. Plug it in , read the diagnostics, reset the service counters, do an oil and filter change, and away you go. I did all the servicing on our Fiat 500 for the 7 years we owned it and I think I needed 3 tools (brake bleed spanner, oil drain plug wrench, screwdriver). I bought a copy of the software that will do pretty much all Fiat models for £125, and the Mini SE doesn't even need that, just a brake inspection and fluid change every two years, and the cabin filter changed.

What a dealer stamp will never tell you is how long the mechanic spent just pottering around the car, cleaning, inspecting, and adjusting all those tiny little bits and pieces that make the difference between a car that's been properly looked after and one that has been merely maintained.

I do find it worrying that the people who know the least about their cars, and therefore need to have the most trust in whoever it is that has been looking after it, seem to put their faith in the most unreliable means of assessing it. Dealer stamps mean bugger all. This is why you need to build a relationship with a trusted dealer like BHM and listen to what they say, or be prepared to pay for a professional inspection from an independent.

Whilst there are some very good home mechanics

Well you know what they say, when buying a car privately make sure you have a look at the owner's workshop. That will speak volumes as to how well the car has been maintained

I completely understand that some people prefer to have other people look after their car for them, there are all sorts of good reasons why this makes sense (lack of space or facilities, inexperience, no time, etc) but I do worry that people might buy a car believing that the presence of dealer stamps alone means that the car has been well looked after: whereas all too often it simply means the car has had the bare minimum of attention.

Your experience with your wheels being a perfect example. One job in the annual service is to remove all road wheels to inspect the tyres and re-grease the splines. Clearly in your case this hadn't been done - so what other service steps had also been skipped? The issue with rusting spark plugs in Ford engines is extremely well-known in the Morgan world, hence the numerous top cover projects we've seen over the years, and so there's absolutely no excuse for a main dealer to miss this either.