Tiger to roar again...1321's pre-MOT inspection 04/12/14

At this point your blogmaster had to reconsider how to work the blog, now that there were two very different (yet significant) vehicles under the Ulsterbus 2599 Group banner. It had been decided at an early stage that although 1321 was to be a group vehicle, the group brand was already too well established to rename, so we are here to stay. Anyway, I have digressed again...

With Calum's Tiger having joined the group's toybox a week or two previously, it had been sent away to Hammonds Coaches at Bilborough for mobile mechanic Dominic to perform a pre-MOT inspection. The original plan had been to have her MOT'd on Friday 28 November, however Dominic had found issues that needed rectifying so the test was put back a week. We were already aware of an air leak on the doors as we brought 1321 back from Surrey, and this was one of the first problems to be rectified. Upon closer inspection, Dominic's expert eye had identified the following tasks:

• A new pedestal would need to be fitted to the air bag
• An air tank strap would also need fitting
• There was some welding work required around the rear end, inc. the boot area
• The washer pump needed replacing
• A new fire extinguisher would be needed to bring 1321 into line with modern fire safety requirements (touch wood, this last item will just be a necessary ornament on display and will never need to be used!!!)

So with Gary splitting his time between both buses, Dominic was left to rectify the above tasks, and over the course of just over a week, the welding had been done, the new fire extinguisher had arrived and been fitted, the air bag pedestal and air strap fitted, and washer pump replaced. New wiper blades were also fitted to 1321's windscreen, as the old ones had seen better days. Tasks complete, and the kitty around £500 lighter than before (money well spent though), 1321 was almost ready for its moment in the spotlight.

The question on everyone's mind now was would 1321 pass its first MOT since 2009?? Test day was almost upon us...