Very upset that Kylie the K11 has been scrapped recently (according to database) ??? Like mostly because of excessive corrosion and a couple of other things it failed the MOT and from there has seemingly ceased operation..., such a shame after all the effort and work put into that project which seemed vast. Can I get quick a quick update on what's up with Kylie? However as I am presuming that it was scrapped so, was it too much to bother fixing up? Shame
Hey all, haven't done an update in a while, and unfortunately this is a rather sad one ?
A little over a month ago I was getting Kylie ready to be parked in my drive before going off to university. The car's MOT was due on September 20, so of course getting the MOT done was one of the things I needed to do.
So a couple of days before leaving, I took her round to get tested, and this is where the bad news started to flow in.
As we all know, K11s notoriously suffer from corrosion on the sills, and sadly Kylie was no exception. After getting the car up on the lift, we found that the condition of the sills was so atrocious, you could punch a hole in them just with a small push of your thumb. This was of course a major fault. From the outside they looked ok, which was probably the cause of the false sense of security I had over the last year! Upon further inspection, it looked as though they had been hastily repaired in the past, most likely to get it to scrape by the MOT after failing for the very same reason. This is the only decent pic I got that shows the depth of the rust.
On top of the ruined sills, the rear brakes were out of balance. On the rolling road, the car could only just stop the right wheel, and the left one just kept spinning. I was told this was some kind of valve that distributed brake pressure across the axle, and replacing it would cost quite a bit. I'm not entirely sure how true that was because I'm not at all clued up on Micra's braking systems, but nonetheless it was another thing that urgently needed addressing. This was also a major fault.
The nearside front brake was slightly sticking as well, along with a small oil leak at the gearbox and a small hole in the centre muffler. These were only advisories though. I was told that the rest of the car was in very good nick, which makes it failing on such a common issue that much more frustrating.
So long story short, the car failed quite badly. I was quoted at least £250 to fix the sills, which isn't actually too bad, but with the brake issue needing fixing as well, the cost to repair the car to a roadworthy state would have greatly offset the value of the car. Uni was also just 2 days away at this point, and my parents wanted the drive free for both of their cars. All the odds were kind of stacked against me.
So sadly, the only feasible option was to scrap the car. I thought about parting it out or selling it for spares, but with the timeframe I had it just wasn't doable. I just wasn't in a position to keep the car, as I had no space on the drive, and no time or money due to uni.
I took all the parts I put on the car back off. The tail lights, the rev counter dash, the suede shift boot, the number plate lamps... even the badges came off. The only thing I couldn't salvage were the wheels (for obvious reasons). All of those parts are in a box, safe at my house. She was collected by the scrappers a few days after I left for uni.
But trust me, if I had the time, space and money, I'd have got that car fixed up in no time, no questions asked. I absolutely adored that car, and watching it die a sudden and unfortunate death was horrible after how much time and effort I put into it. I'd have done anything to keep her on the road, but this time the odds just weren't in my favour. The 11 months I had with that car were some of the best I've had in my life, and I'll never forget them!!
There is an upside to this though! I did end up getting £200 for the car, which was more than I expected. I suspect this was because the cat was still in very good condition. That money will go towards my next car.
What car, you may ask? Another Micra of course!!!! I've missed driving Kylie every day since she went, and as cheesy as it may sound, I have a Micra shaped hole in my heart ? So once I'm able to (most likely next summer) I'll be on the lookout for another K11 to give some TLC to. I already have the parts in a box, so I'll be getting a head start anyway! I'm looking forward to then very much!
Lastly, here's Kylie at her very best, to end on a high note:
I just want to say thank you to all of you guys who followed this little project and showed Kylie some love. Whenever I'd see a like or comment notification on this page it would totally make my day This community is so awesome and I can't wait to make another blog... I just need another bloody car first hahaha! I'll still be browsing on here every now and again when I have some time of course.
?? Like mostly because of excessive corrosion and a couple of other things it failed the MOT and from there has seemingly ceased operation..., such a shame after all the effort and work put into that project which seemed vast. Can I get quick a quick update on what's up with Kylie? However as I am presuming that it was scrapped so, was it too much to bother fixing up? Shame
This community is so awesome and I can't wait to make another blog... I just need another bloody car first hahaha! I'll still be browsing on here every now and again when I have some time of course.
