My wife's MK1 failed the MOT on a sticky handbrake/calliper, a missing or split exhaust clamp, a missing tie wrap/clip on the NS steering rack gaiter and a bulging tyre. Oh yes also failed on missing seal on the fuel cap? Which was rather good as when I got the car home the cap was missing!.
When checking the sticky calliper I discovered that both rear brake cables were starting to fray badly, and also the centre cable adjuster was so rusty that when I tried to move it snapped. The cables are cheap at £13.00 each for the rears and £7.00 for the centre one.
The tyres are a different story. The existing tyres are Continental Vanco 2 XL's - - the front ones are down to 2mm but the rears looked absolutely fine. When I examined the one it failed the MOT on I found that it had indeed bulged in the tread area not the side walls. Definitely a fail. I intend to put Dunlop's on it - at £65 each. I had replaced two of the continentals as a result of punctures etc. but was a bit miffed that this one had started to disintegrate - so I looked up my receipts and found that I had bought them in 2005!! not bad going. But it made me realise that tyres can die of old age as well as just plain wear and tear.
