Shock huge MOT fail for Beetle!

Disaster has struck! The Beetle has catastrophically failed its MOT the day before going to its new owner...now what? Is it scrap? Is it repairable?
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[@Morgans_Miles]

As I've said elsewhere, I'm gutted for you mate. Had I known it was rusty, I would not have done the swap - you don't do things like that to old friends knowingly. FWIW, I bought it (for a not insignificant sum) in August last year with the MOT already intact (so, no, I didn't have a 'special' MOT done as someone suggests below) - it had been to (what we thought was) a pretty decent local garage for a 'proper' check over and they said it was sound, hence why I spent the £100s on it getting the brakes done, the servicing done and the cam belt done. Had the Mondeo not come up, we would have kept it... and the shoe would have been on our foot. FWIW, there is a little something winging its way to you next week to help offset the losses - as I believe in doing the right thing and good karma.

[@ollyharris9438]

Great response Tim.

[@preonmodel9906]

At least you’ve made people aware of hidden dangers, a very strong lesson to learn. Thank you 🙏

[@Ju1ian10001]

I'm a an MOT tester my self, and believe me corrosion is easy to find on them, and to be honest if he is saying it's dangerous coz it's on the inner sill's, i would find another testing station. Corrosion on any inner sill or outer sill for that matter will not cause loss of braking or control of steering, in my next comment is the RFR that should of been used, and it should not have been put as dangerous. just for info most body sills have an outer skin a middle section which is where all the strength is and an inner skin where the floor pan is joins, it's very very rare for the middle sill to corrode and rot so body strength on MK4 golfs, jettas and beetle's is not lost.

[@albertbekassy2709]

You probably ran into an MOT dictator. We have some of those in Sweden as well. They keep searching until they find something, no matter what. Any car will fail.

[@LOTPOR0402]

Bit of power goes to a lot of people's spinless heads

[@stepheng8779]

Or one that's actually good at his job?

[@chrisgosling6083]

on the bright side not noticing the defective indicator before the mot has saved you £2 one a replacement lamp 🤔i totally agree on the ulez it is money making programme, there is also a consultation going on at the moment on using the ulez cameras it put in a "pay per mile" charging system which will cost more a peak times and will effect all road users even if your car is ulez compliant but i have noticed he has kept it quiet, at least this way he wont have to get TFL to alter the poll results , love the channel nice to see real word cars not £100k sports cars , hope the next car is a winner for you

[@furiousdriving]

There is a silver lining!

[@michaeltutty1540]

That is a real shame. That car looks so nice. Wonder how many Beetles and Golf's are out there in danger of losing wheels.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

At least the car swoop will still take place. You did some great work on the Beetle and gave it a good head start for further repairs.

[@turquoisecat761]

I would also try and limit unnecessary spending for these car flip episodes which are very good. The original wheels and tyres were fine for the purpose of a trading up exercise, admittedly the tyres were mismatched etc but they were legal and in the spirit of bangernomics were more than viable.

[@extramild1]

Some lessons are free and some lessons are expensive. Just goes to show even if you know cars you still get it wrong.

[@marklittler784]

Hindsight 😁

[@darthvirago]

I would have just gone for an after market leather steering wheel cover too, but Mr FD likes to go above and beyond. I take my hat off to him for giving it his best.

[@Thanos.m]

I believe that there is nothing more important than tyres so I I'm fully with Matt on that decision

[@aapaap8595]

He most likely uses YT revenue for most of the purchases. So it won't cost him much.

[@raysmancave1]

Definitely not your fault, hidden rust problems can't be seen without a pit or lift, welding in these areas can be difficult to say the least. Just before Covid I bought a beautiful 1974 Chrysler 180 that was in a farmers outhouse since the late 80s, I thought to myself, what a beautiful classic project. Cost a fortune having it transported, bits and pieces etc, ended up a lovely example. Just for my piece of mind I took it in for an mot. Oh dear I received a massive fail and a cannot drive their vehicle away from the mot station caution. The car was 2 joined together, luckily I almost broke even selling it for spares.

[@lukeloveridge-stanley5135]

I tried this out about 3 years ago, bought a 2002 Fiesta Zetec S as it had a few faults and I've loved it was only gonna keep it about a year or so but it's been a bit of a headache car so I'm stuck with it (not that I'm disappointed) do really miss it! Still has your Alfa's old Alpine in it ready for when I get it back on the road again 🙂

[@cliveprocter3698]

Unlucky Matt, MOT 'd my Fester a month ago and the MOT man spent a while with a small mirror on an angled stick looking up behind the rear axle/suspension and it's only 8yr old, did pass ok but I'm guessing he knows certain out-of-sight places they go.

[@autoazure]

I have had to weld the same areas on my wife's 2001 Beetle. Panels are available for the sills.

[@PaddyWV]

Parents bought a very clean 10 year old Corsa a year or so back. With a near spotless M.O.T history. By the second or third M.O.T with them, it was..... Repair immediately (major defects): Offside Front Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i)) Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i)) Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i)) Almost out of the blue too. Mind you, that's Scotland roads and weather for you.

[@GECKOZFTW]

Should have kept the Mondeo.

[@joneaton3366]

And missed out on the beetle journey videos I, don't think so, things move on new content new challenges

[@ianjenkins4641]

Been done big time taken this in swap

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm420]

The tester took one look at those tinted wind-deflectors and thought to himself...I'm looking for rust.

[@rotary_turbo99]

as someone who used to be a Saab tech at a specialist garage, there was a couple times we rung up the customer about their 80s Saab 900 they just bought and had to tell them that it was basically just a lump of rust with a turbo. Gutted for you, but at least its getting swapped for a something new! :)

[@furiousdriving]

A friend has has 2 9-3s go that way, devastating both times

[@rotary_turbo99]

@@furiousdriving for us it was the wheel boxes on a 9000 aero and the sills and wheel arches on a 900 turbo aero convertible

[@rimmersbryggeri]

Mk1 93s to I think. Bu maybe yo had moved on from the saab garage by then?

[@rotary_turbo99]

@@rimmersbryggeri i worked for a couple years as an apprentice up till november 2019 but yeah saw a few of the older 9-3's that got crusty too

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Another ex Saab Master Tech here !. 1988 to 2002.

[@Parknest]

What a bummer Matt. I was hoping you'd fix it yourself and get it through the MoT. Good to know the deal is still on albeit slightly changed. I've got my 2003 XC90 through the MoT last week and it only failed on the offside track rod end with advisories on the front tyres against 5 failures last year. I replaced both track rod ends, fitted brand new Continental tyres at the front and had the front wheel alignment done. It has now rewarded me with a transfer case problem. My 2009 W204 C200 is stuck at the dealer having a new rear subframe fitted (covered by warranty, fortunately) which I'm hoping to get back soon.

[@habsom1406]

Ooh, I have a '99 S202 C200, best take a look underneath me thinks!

[@ArlenMoulton2]

Such a shame about this one Matt, but you can't win them all, I've learnt that with my last few (unwise) purchases, it just seems like people will only get rid of cars these days if they're totally past it! Just a shame that you got rid of the Mondeo in favour of this thing!

[@sefikempowermentcoachvilla7843]

Feel the frustration Matt , well done on taking positive from the next project and completley agree with Ulez comments our 3 2005 cars here in Surrey aren't Ulez compliant either and we are forced to sell them too.

[@furiousdriving]

Its so frustrating as our air quality is fine, in the counties even at the edge - its a money making con Im sure

[@sefikempowermentcoachvilla7843]

@@furiousdriving 100% scandalous

[@anthonystevens8683]

This is bad news Matt after all the time, effort and money that has been put into this great little car with personality by the bucket load. On the brighter side the MOT is a safety test so in a way it's good that these things have been found and can be fixed. As it's going to someone you know and they know all about the metal moth and they are OK to fix it then that's not so bad. What is good is that this car will get a second wind and get back on the road. Some you win some less so. I look forward to seeing the new addition to the fleet. Take care and thanks for sharing.

[@garethconnett7672]

Really sorry to hear about the MOT fail it is a risky business especially when rust is well hidden. How about training your dog to sniff out rust on future vehicles which will be at nose height could save you a lot of money, only joking be great if you could though, take care, Gareth

[@Steve-Cross]

I feel your pain. I hope your next project is more successful and rewarding.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Bummer. Thanks for sharing so honestly.

[@willswheels283]

Sorry to hear about that Matt, from the outside it looked a good solid car. That “hidden” corrosion issue is what’s probably sent a lot of that era of Beetle to the Scrapper. Well at least the new owner will be aware of the rust issues with it and knows what he’s getting. I’ve had to send cars to the scrapper before now due to Corrosion and other expensive faults I’ve not been aware of, we’ve all been there at least once.

[@marklittler784]

Yeah that's lucky finding an MOT tester that knows how to fail it.

[@maxarmstrong5015]

That’s why you do the mechanical side of things first before you do the cosmetics

[@furiousdriving]

Didnt think there were any, it looked solid and this should have been a rubber stamp exercise

[@RichieRouge206]

That’s such a shame 😞 was going to say Mk4 Golfs have horrendous rust issues so no surprise if this is riddled. But alarmingly I’ve getting Mk6 Golfs at work with rot in the sills! And not just the odd car either… the ULEZ is the biggest scam going and nothing to do with the environment whatsoever.

[@Ju1ian10001]

(a) The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a ’prescribed area’): this is what should of been used for sills defo not dangerous, forgot to add i have been testing for about 18 years so do have lots of experience, plus used to test a lot of british classics from the 50's onwards and boy the can rot for fun.

[@curtis8516]

Chin up, Matt. I've bought 80's Walkman's thinking I've fixed them after spending money and hours and then it doesn't work at all and ends up breaking. You win some, you lose some. Don't give in!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

We’ve all experienced this with an older car - my experience was with a Mini, which I spent ages doing up, only to find when it was MOT time that it had terminal rust around the rear subframes - it was duly sold without an MOT for £150 - I’d originally had it advertised for £1200!

[@adrianhagerty6905]

MOT’s seem to be down to the persons discretion. My van failed a MOT then had a list of advisories the length of your arm. Following year a list of different advisories 😁. Even took it back for a retest and they failed it on something that wasn’t even on the fail sheet ! So I sold it to a guy in London and now I see it’s MOTD 6 months later with little or no advisories. Madness ! I think personally I’d have done the welding or had it done . Good Luck with your quest to make a buck 😎

[@mikes747]

You win some you lose some! Shame that's happened! Fingers crossed that the new car will bring more success!

[@SteveDull]

Amazing how many smart-arses watch your channel! Onwards and upwards with the new project👍

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Been there, done that got the t-shirt, once bought a Micra for £175 with 2 months MOT the bodywork looked decent enough, it sailed through most MOT's no issue so took it to a garage and got a exhaust fitted, at the time I decided to book it in for a MOT, month later I went in for the MOT and it failed Big time, it was as rotton as a pear underneath, but the MOT tester was the guy that fitted the exhaust.... Could have told me at the time the car was knackered and I might have saved money.... Needless to say i think looking back via the previous MOT's that it was a "special MOT" the car got every year, so I do feel for you Matt, but at least the new owner stil wants the car and you can get the new replacement, a minor setback you can bounce back from.

[@garysimpson3900]

I feel your pain Matt as it looks like a great car. At least you have a solution & we ar all looking forward to seeing this "devisive" new project.

[@danmoney9932]

Hard luck. I had a MK4 golf for years and years which never had any rust mentioned on Mots. It's still going now at 23 years old. I never looked right under it though, wonder if it was like this one! Due to my experience and also that there are still quite a lot on the roads ive always thought they were one of the longest lasting well rust proofed chassis.

[@Blackmamba12345]

The issue is with the sills. If the sills rubber grommets have been damaged then it can rust from inside out.

[@danmoney9932]

@@Blackmamba12345 yes I remember seeing those grommets and it was ok around those on mine. I always liked this platform as they don't have nasty plastic arch or sill covers like the mk1-3 golf or BMW's of the same and newer era. Some of those are terrible behind the plastic sill covers but may get away with it as the covers won't be removed for testing .

[@Blackmamba12345]

@@danmoney9932 Trouble is the Golf's mk4's still have plastic wheel arch liners. The mud and debris gets trapped in these over time which is why you see the arches rust also. The sills went on our mk4 Golf which we bought new in 1998. Its on 155k now still original clutch and gearbox and exhaust. Great cars but unfourtenately the rubber grommets were damaged we believe at an earlier mot which led to structural rust issues. We got it repaired but let's say it wasn't cheap. We are thinking of selling it as it needs lots of work doing to the brakes but luckily we have a big driveway area so it's just on SORN for now.

[@danmoney9932]

@@Blackmamba12345 that is true, I never dared look.behind them!

[@TruthTortoise81]

@@Blackmamba12345 I've got a 2007 Polo, couple of weeks ago I had to do a CV joint, decided to take the arch liners off to see what was hiding behind them. The answer was loads of wet mud , but once I'd cleaned it all out there was no rust whatsoever, just clean silver paint.

[@SimpsonsClassics]

Absolutely gutted for the poor little beetle but glad the deal is still being done! Looking forward to the new project coming

[@furiousdriving]

Thanks, and its going to be saved too

[@SimpsonsClassics]

@@furiousdriving that’s the main thing!

[@paulrak]

'Flipping hell"

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I have never quite understood the "brake pipes covered by grease" advisory. In my mind they should be covered with grease otherwise they will rust..

[@LOTPOR0402]

Just covering themselves

[@squeakers27]

Can't stand it when well looked after nice cars get their history riddled with silly advisories then they just cover themselves like -engine undertrays fitted so can't see oil leaks, -brake pipes in grease cannot assess if rusty, -child seat fitted not allowing inspection of seatbelt etc. We might be able to see through them but potential buyers might look up the MOT history and get scared if they see advisories. But it is what it is

[@simonmenzies3142]

I have a bmw 2002 and it was rusted really was in those exact same areas. I thought it would be a nightmare and super expensive to repair. Actually it wasn’t. This car is very saveable Matt. I’d have fun with it now. Boot spoiler decals and give it a bit of personality. Also get it an mit elsewhere in the mean time to be a daily. No one will care like you think they will. Take a look at vgc that approach has done dereck no harm has it. We’re all the same mate lol😂

[@danquinn]

Sounds like a bit of an over enthusiasic MOT tester to me.. It's a shame you couldn't show the extent of the corrosion on the video. Personally, I would get a few plates welded on, probably wouldn't cost too much and would be OK for years to come. Also, you're bang on with your ULEZ views, it's all about the money!

[@andyliv78]

Id do the same. Can't be that bad.

[@LOTPOR0402]

Most are these days ,it's all about who you know

[@davidlipski863]

I had a fail last year on our 2001 Passat which we have owned since 3 yrs old. The back axle was cracked and had to be replaced we found a second-hand axle from a breaker and the garage fitted it. I ended up spending £800 pound in total with a service and cambelt swap. It was worth the money to us as we have put 186000 miles on it and you could not replace the car for what we spent and know what you had.

[@ianallen2]

A car without mot is only worth scrap value. If it was mot ready, the sellers would mot them to get max money from them.

[@glensainsbury428]

Oh man! I am so gutted for you. I have done a similar thing, chin up and move on. Good luck on the next patient.

[@turbostream7925]

My brother bought a 58 plate KA off his friend. 1st MOT had to have the rear end welded for much of the same failures on the beetle. His £1k KA immediately turned into a £1700 car. Happens to everyone at some point. Back in the day my MG Metro failed it's 1st MOT on rust!

[@furiousdriving]

Ka's are also notorious for hidden rust, all going because of it now

[@chrisgosling6083]

@@furiousdriving no all the ka's are going because collin @shineautomotive keeps crashing them😉, there is a growing number of race classes for the KA even a 24 hour induro KA group, its a fun cheep way into moto sport started by burton power and there is a lot of support from them

[@100SteveB]

That's a shame Matt, but at least your MOT guy spotted it. I prefer a tester that is on the ball, to one that might miss something like that. I have been using the same MOT station for years now simply because he sometimes spots things I had missed. But at the same time he's never tried to drum up business for his own garage by trying to fail a car on something it really should not fail on. Like you, if there is something I have missed, i would prefer it if the MOT tester finding it, rather than missing it. Anyway, hope the new owner can get it taken care of without too much hassle, and am looking forward to what you get in return, sounds intriguing.

[@Jeffrey_M]

I had a Rav-4 that was Toyota dealer serviced all its life. It had 200k miles and had passed an NCT (Irish MOT) less than a year before. I had just acquired it and taxed it with full confidence it would fly through another test (it's a Toyota sure). Well... the car failed majorly on a corroded fuel tank, and the straps holding it actually broke while on the tester's ramp (it was driven out by the tester in the NCT centre with its fuel tank dragging off the ground). I looked into used fuel tanks but none were available and a brand new tank with straps was cost prohibitive from Toyota. I cut my losses and moved on from it. I was down the cost of road tax but got the purchase price back from a person I sold it to. These things happen to many of us I'm afraid. Old cars can be a minefield and even the most knowledgeable can get stung. Don't be hard on yourself about it.👍

[@admiralalcatraz6080]

I have just done all the same welding work on my beetle, they are sort of know for it. One of mine was where the rear sills bolt on. The other was where someone didn't jack it properly.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Fabulous looking car from the outside! I would never have guessed it would fail its MOT. No wonder I see so few running on UK roads.

[@andypicken7848]

Mat your experiences are very big learning curves for second hand car buyers and a warning to all. The VW is a very disirable and tidy car but underneath its rotting. If I was a perspective buyer and a couple of quid was knocked of the asking I would have bought it. You have made it more clear thats its so easy to make a mistake when buying old cars. Thanks again

[@donnysweekendvanlifetravel7854]

Best way I have found with older cars to trade up do bear minimum run it in for mot see if anything it fails on then way up the cost ability off doing it then it's only cost the 50 quid for mot glad you still doing the deal with the mystery car all the best donny

[@BRED510]

Failed on the sills for rot. Told you to check it. They all go there. That isn't bad its normal New Beetle, they go where the wing brackets bolt on, mixed with a bad water/mud trap they all rot just in front of the rear wheels, or just behind the front wheels. I can send you pics of my old 2007 New Beetle, and it never failed an MOT, I spotted some bubbling and it 'progressed' from there.

[@furiousdriving]

I did it wasn't visible on a jack

[@BRED510]

​@furiousdriving as you've said, it very much is if you know the cars and where to look. After having 14 of them, I can spot it pretty easily. Welding wise you have to unbolt the bottom of the wings to get to it, you can splay them out enough, or just remove the front/rear clams entirely.

[@m0ogy]

Welcome to new Beetle ownership I say, just done ours (2003 1.9TDi) to as new standard, both rear sides as you say go where those brackets fit, I found the only NOS bracket in the USA! sadly many parts obsolete now

[@BRED510]

​@furiousdriving also if you do want another New Beetle that's quick and ULEZ/CAZ compliant for your wife, look for a 1.8T. Avoid the 06/07 facelift cars as the sills on that year are the worst of the lot, believe it or not they are better the years before and after that.

[@m0ogy]

@@BRED510 We've owned one for 6 years now, you become quite an expert over time, I still can't work out why the roof on the RH side rusts and the left doesn't , TBH other than that and the inner sills, they don't rust as bad as Golfs IMO

[@anakinskywalker4113]

Wow you are so lucky to be living in the UK. Being able trade as you please. As where I am in Victoria Australia if you buy, sell or transfer the registration of 4 or more vehicles in a 12 month period. You are legally required to have a motor traders license. Which comes with so much red tap. Also Our roadworthy tests ( MOT) cost approximately £125 per test that’s before they find anything.

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

How did all these serious issues occur over 2500 miles? Either your current testing station is very over zealous OR the last tester is due some investigation. Mondeo man must be feeling very smug.

[@habsom1406]

Great point Malcolm, I was thinking the same! 🧐

[@dainsmart6237]

So you swapped a £400 Mondeo for a £2000 Beatle mmm something wrong there I think someone new more than let on( pre mot are available)

[@adrianrowden8266]

No, he valued it at £2K after all the improvements he made prior to the MoT.

[@michaelevans1658]

Take one car at a time and repair completely before moving on

[@kathykirby5837]

I'm sure most people have purchased the odd dog. I certainly have, even with the most thorough checks sometimes you miss something. Put it down to experience and look forward to the next project 👍

[@user-ih7gc7dt9l]

You are taking it very well which makes us appreciate you all the more so it’s good for the channel in that respect. 😅

[@Daz_Stap]

Is Matt the first person to have a car unexpectedly fail an MOT test after spending money on it elsewhere? No. Will he be the last? No. Did he turn around a car that a lot of people didn't like at the start? Yes Did we enjoy the videos? Yes Why give him a hard time? We've all been caught by a car at some point in our lives.

[@rogerlee6599]

Darren : "Well said, Good Sir !"

[@danpullin6610]

Yes very well said, totally agree

[@schlookie]

Agree. Audi exists to bite me on the bum.

[@billybattams-scott]

I’ve bought cars and didn’t know about serious rust issues.

[@rob5944]

Or perhaps more accurately caught by an owner....

[@jo_clarke1960]

Wasn't a fan of the Bug however, I still watched the vids as they are the entertaining/informative and interesting part, with things for many of us to learn. Those who failed to or will not watch vids on other vehicles you may aquire are missing the point. Those of us into cars have all been there, the dreaded MOT an that thing which suddenly appears. Priced mine last year as about £5/600 for a 20yr old MPV in my head. Oh boy was out, turned out to be £900 nearly, seems our public health issue has raised the cost of everything, tyres, brakes, you name it. When talking to my mechanic, it quite a lot of people have been caught out, with a number skipping the "Monitor", section which they would have previously had repaired and just doing the essentials, could have saved £200 at least on mine by doing the same but, they'd be "Must's" next year anyway. Somethings are false economy, a "Monitor" on a brale disc you have to have the tyre changed on, may as well have it changed when up in air, otherwise you paying twice for some of the time. It's a pity it failed but probably better for the friendships the Tester knew where to look in the long run. Hopefully even with he lose on this betewwn the 2 so far you are up, just not as far as you'd hoped. So, 2CV, Hillman Imp next then 😁

[@tastycarburant]

A good opportunity to get more practice in with the MIG!

[@andyliv78]

Maybe the rusty door/roof etc was a clue. I have an Octavia vRS which is the MK4 golf platform with none of those issues and it's very clean. I do take care of it though.

[@jamesbarnes4619]

Exactly

[@ianmead7712]

Hi Matt tough one hey and at least it shows the test centres ain’t doing you any favours hey but good luck which ever way you go

[@simonmenzies3142]

You haven’t taken a bath at all. You’ve been given a good future video to make and show others with this same problem how to fix it. If it’s a common hidden area then it makes fkr a perfect video

[@SunJetViking]

We've all been there. Feels so frustrating but we all recover eventually. Looking forward to the new car. Love the series! Now to put my Furious Driving sticker, that came in the mail, on my car. Cheers from Sweden. (Edit for correcting sentence)

[@neilwalsh4058]

Can plainly see your disappointment Matt and that's rare for you as you're normally a glass half full kinda bloke. All's not lost with your trading up mission, which I and lots of people really enjoy, as you have the options stated. Stick at it fella, you're an inspiration for us all. You've been pretty unlucky though , both cars you've taken in swap+cash / swap deals have turned out to have pretty serious corrosion.

[@philbosher6959]

Definitely should of kept the Mondeo.

[@johnclarke2997]

As a tip. Do the MOT first and get a list of work to do before spending. That seems to be the normal way of doing a flip. At least you get chance to flip or tip. Not to worry, I suppose the future owner can fix these items if he wants a nice looking VW Beetle.

[@peterriggall8409]

Bad luck. No one saw that coming. Good news that the new owner is prepared to take it as is and you cut your losses. 😟

[@PenryMMJ]

Unlucky with that one Matt. Makes me wonder how many Beetles are running around with a valid MOT that they probably shouldn't have.

[@squeakers27]

Sad about the MOT result, ashame MOT tester was actively looking for that specific rust but I am so so glad that you aren't scrapping or breaking the car, as you said it is too good a car with it's history and condition, just needs welding but understand weather and time constraints but giving it to the new owner at a discount knowing they will repair it is a good result. All the best, look forward to seeing the new car. Not a multipla is it? Not the pink wrapped one hubnut had 😂

[@mainwarc]

This is why this channel is great the honesty.

[@cosmicsman666]

same area went on my golf mk 4. Cost me £300 and was undersealed too.

[@asciimation]

I've always wondered about people who don't indicate when they think there is no one around. My brain automatically works by thinking I am turning so indicate. I don't consider who is around. I just do it. Do you consciously think I am turning, is anyone around, yes, indicate or no, don't indicate? Do you check for cars and motorbikes and cyclists and pedestrians when looking to decide? Maybe it's because I am a programmer the former seems a far better way of doing things than the latter!

[@RoxhamCottage]

Drivers who don't indicate as a force of habit seem to forget to do it when they ought to in my experience.

[@O1Richard]

Shame about the corrosion, grit on roads in winter will kill many cars. As for indicators I usually put hazard warning lights on and walk around the car before an mot.

[@greengrass9572]

Maybe you need a new mot tester , some are too keen with their corrosion hammers keen to cover their own backsides , find a good one.

[@roygardiner2229]

Sorry that this happened. It's galling, because you have been so scrupulous in renovating it. It seems as though the car is worth "saving", if that is possible. Yes, you will have lost money but these things happen. Some new owner will love the car. I have to say I did prefer the Mondeo.

[@markf4720]

Gutting! But at least the deal's still on, just a sideways trade instead of upwards this time! Just goes to show that even if you are a petrol head and look over a car thoroughly, you can still get caught out and everyone in the trade does from time to time also - especially when dealing with classics. Onwards and upwards (or sideways!), looking forward to seeing the next one!!

[@BazAdams-]

The MK4 platform, especially the golf is actually really good against rust I had a 1999 MK4 Golf that had literally been sat on a driveway for 3 years & there was zero rust on the underside, my brother has had Boras & Golf's and they were the same. However my Skoda Octavia suffered with exactly the same problem as your beetle They usually rust on the front wings due to a foam pad that is supposed to reduce vibrations that essentially just holds excess water. The MK4 Golf was over engineered for the most part, the one I built with my brother during lockdown actually hit a lamppost at 70mph & you wouldn't of expected it to have been such a speed with the amount of damage it occurred I've seen newer vehicles come off alot worse at less speed in fairness. Shame about the news Matt, but only upwards from here mate!

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I'm not surprised about terminal rust on an on the surcface mint VW of this era. I have even seen brake caliper bracktets almost rusted away on a passat.

[@ThomasCollectables]

The next owner has done very well with this considering all the effort you have put into it.

[@ianallen2]

Depends where you live in the UK as to the value of the car. I have seen them for sale around £800 and £900 where I live. The same as the new Mini. Fairly cheap. Only greedy preople think they are worth in the £K brackets and never sell them, unless for a big drop in price.

[@paulgray2387]

You swapped that piece of rust for the Mondeo…gutted. Hope the Cambridge peeps are happy…

[@Lot76CARS]

Matt, we feel for you and didn’t see that one coming for sure… we can all be wise after the event but now it how to get out of it at the lowest possible cost. Wish you well with it.. we’ve all been there..

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

That is a shock, at least you can still do a swap which is better than breaking for parts.

[@steelcity791]

Sorry to hear this Matt , the Mondeo would have been a keeper for me .

[@Lobo-ih3bh]

It’s happened to all of us, it’s always gutting. But you still had the fun of playing with it and we enjoyed watching it. Win some, lose some!

[@Christophergriffiths1972]

Oh dear! Let’s hope the next car brings you better luck.

[@danielrussell446]

Matt so sorry to hear about this it is such a nice car and proves you just sometimes don’t know where rust is taking hold I hope it gets saved and look forward to what the next one is

[@darrenwilson8042]

happened to us - my wife had a nice clean looking Hyundai Atoz for a couple of years - went for the 2nd MOT in our ownership and failed on massive structural and dangerous rust underneath. To look at it was a minter given its age and low miles but the tin worm worked hard fast and deep beneath - when I was showed on a ramp it looked pretty damn scary tbh

[@ianfrost3529]

If you watch car throttle with a ford ka with the front chassis legs were totally rotten. My auntie had a KA that she had for 4 years after I saw Car throttle. Check hers it had it was rotten. But there was no way you could see it until you took the plastic’s off

[@darrenhillman8396]

Such a shame, Matt! But I would take it on the chin and say you should be glad that the MOT examiner has been properly diligent! There are still too many “back street” MOT establishments with an examiner that seems happy to turn a blind eye to part of a car covered in road crud which hides a potential mess of major rust and or structural defect. Beryl will be spot on after some restorative welding to her her inner bits. And your mate will have a good solid car. Curious as to what the next flipper will be…! Maybe its time to concentrate on the fleet rather than trying to flip a car for some profit! Even though it has backfired with Beryl, it worked well with the Mondy (which you should have kept!!), so don’t be too downhearted! Best wishes from Wirral!

[@davefrench3608]

Bugger, sorry to hear you’ve had an expert mot inspector Better to be safe than sorry though

[@marksmith3469]

What a shame matt if had been the summer it might have been OK for you to do the repairs

[@slippinjimmy2149]

I can recommend a very good, very reasonably priced weldor who also happens to be a VW afficionado.

[@furiousdriving]

Problem is currently solved but will see..

[@minisareus]

You should have got the MOT man to show you where the rust is

[@gaddmeister]

Is there any chance you could share the hidden rust areas of beetles?

[@T16MGJ]

Bad luck. As the saying goes .. 'appens. Mayor of London has made things very inconvenient for many car users in so many ways.. it is a revenue generator pure and simple. Even my MG ZT260 V8 and ZT-T 1.8Ts are all ULEZ compliant. Although London born and bred me now avoids the madhouse the city I once loved has become ... like the plague. Back when I and my London born wife lived there, we had about two hundred friends and relatives living within the M25. Now none. Not a one! All taken London "Flight". Such is progress... 🙃

[@skodakatie7341]

That is such a pity, this Beetle is a real cutie, not to mention the time and effort you have invested into making this car the best it can be. I really feel your pain Matt, however, I’m sure the next car will be very interesting content for the channel, just as this one has❤.

[@paultaylor9652]

Nice one Matt in being honest, you could of sold it on and had it been in an accident nasty things could of come from it.

[@Daz_Stap]

Ah Matt, I'm sorry to see that Beryl had a hidden secret. At the same time, I am very curious to see what her replacement is going to be. Is it a brand of car you already own??