It seems that I’m overdue for a rant or two. Last week it was estate agents, this week it’s mechanics!

I was frustrated with the previous garage that I’d been using to maintain my Corvette — constant overcharging, recurring faults that they never seemed to cure, and a general sense that I wasn’t really getting my money’s worth. They’d replaced my battery, the wiring from the battery to the starter motor, and the starter motor itself, all within the last year.

My starter motor was playing up (again), so I decided it was the last straw. I took the car to another specialist in Sevenoaks who comes highly recommended. He said that it was amazing that I’d made it without the car catching fire — apparently the “new” wiring job was a proper bodge job, with the wiring held together by a nut, bolt, and some electrical tape. The wiring had melted and welded itself to the headers, shorting the entire electrical system. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and means that I have to replace all the wiring, battery, and starter motor (again!) at a cost of around £1200.

I’m going to try to get the money back from the original garage for their faulty work, but I sense that they’ll not cough up the money without a fight. Luckily I’ve had plenty of experience using the online small-claims system, because I suspect I’ll be needing it again!