The coupé passed its MOT today after finally getting the brake hoses replaced.

The advisories include rear brake performance that only just made the grade, balding inner tyre edges at the front and (perhaps most sinister of all) corrosion "hidden by inner wheel arches".

We'll have to keep careful watch, but at least the Coupe is no longer our everyday transport, so we should be able to limit some of the issues.

The garage that did the work were brilliant. The owner is a former TT mechanic (Martin Prout of Phase One Endurance) and despite both Alternative Autos and his own suppliers sending the wrong brake hoses first time around, he lent me a car 4 nights running without a quibble and the total bill (including the MOT) was only £130.

He also told me that by holding a screwdriver to the alternator and listening at the other end, he had confirmed his suspicion that the bearings are going. Anyone with either that much mechanical sympathy (or bullshit) gets my vote!

Anyone near Tetbury who wants an interesting natter alongside very good value spannering, drop me a PM.

Great news on the ticket. A note on the alternator: it could well have shot bearings, but as there's a 'few' bearings in that area I'd keep an eye/ear on things. My favourite of all of them is the support bearing for the power steering pump. That one's fun when it fails...