Last year I bought a 1958 Hotchkiss Jeep in what I thought was quite good condition, I was assured it would fly through an MoT and so being a novice vehicle owner,I bought it. This was in August last year.
Since last August the Jeep did less than 30 miles, to my parents barn and back where it's been kept over Winter.
As it was un-registered in the UK and I was bringing it back to France it took me 4 months to get it sorted out, lots of red tape and form filling, to get the Controle Technique (MoT) I had to buy a complete set of brakes and discs all round, a new carburettor as the one on it was cracked and spat petrol all over the engine, then the lights stopped working, then the batteries died and had to buy new ones, to get it MoT'd then registered cost me just over 900 Euros, as it costs 140 euros just to register the vehicle. I also had to take it ti 2 MoT's and got charged both times.
For the past 6 months it's sat covered up in the barn, two weeks ago I rubbed it all down and re-sprayed the jeep the colour I wanted and added all the bolt on bits and stencils etc.. ready for June, all was going well until I decided to take it for a road test. I took it staedy and did about 20 miles, at a junction I could hear a loud hissing sound and looked at the temperature gauge rapidly rising...
I spent most of yesterday trying to discover the problem, (being a first time mechanic and having no manual!!) the radiator is knackered, the head gasket is knackered, the waterpump is knackered, there was no thermostat, some of the pipes are split in places and one or two other bits, so I called Jeepest and ordered all the parts I need, another 700 euros!
So if you're new to buying old MV's like me, make sure you take an expert with you when you go to look at one, it'll be expensive if you don't!!
Right now I've got my fingers crossed I'll have it all ready for June.
Steve