Just where do I stand legally with this situation ? What remedies are there
?

Car to my surprise fails MOT with rust in sills in few places, requires 3
patches one side and two the other, plus front nearside corner of passenger
floor tray. One area I can put my fingers up into the sill under rear
nearside door. Sills on this car always been black, (design), unlike rest of
gold paint scheme, and not bubbling.

The only signs of rust are these areas facing down, and the welding chap has
to lift the carpets to do the repair he says, so I asked him to make the
most of the opportunity and get the guy doing the job to flood the sills
with the yellowy Finnigans waxoyl, this then should inhibit the rust from
the inside. He says there were only these areas of rust and the car was good
for its age, good cars are Mazda 323 fastbacks mechanically anyway, and
treated correctly there are a few years left yet. I love the car and its
looks. I know it has a few years left yet at the least, I also see nothing
4 door wise and with boot space it has, with the sporty sleek looks of that
car, pop up headlights etc, 4 doors and sleek loks rare at moment, need 4
doors as garage narrow. Hate the average looking saloon car so wish to stay
with the car as long as poss.

I had the misfortune three weeks ago to drive up the M5 motorway and saw
salt dust floating about, eventually met up with the salter, got past (not
nice !) then joined the M6, and behold another salting lorry, got past then
came back later down both roads. Only one day of rain since so much of this
powder still there I guess.

Whilst discussing my welding job, I said that after I have had a chance to
pressure wash the rest of the underside and wheel arches free of that salt,
scrubbed with a brush etc and dried it out thoroughly, I would want these
areas I cleaned wire brushed down with an angle grinder and wire brush
attached (read that somewhere !) then Finnigans Underbody Black rust
inhibitor and sealant (apparently very good) applied thoroughly to all these
now cleaned exterior under surfaces, crevices etc. That should buy me some
time, guy reckons three years or more. I want to have that washing and
wirebrushing done later on and I shall book it in after a few weeks.

When I collect car and inspect it on the MOT ramp later, I see that I have
one metal plate welded across and then up the outside surface of my sill,
visible when looking at the car !!!!. Such a visible repair should have been
ok'd with me, and edges panel beaten in, plate welded flush and filler used,
I would have ok'd that if phoned, even if it meant another days wait, I
would not want plates visible on my bodywork !!!! Not a selling point when
the time comes anyway !

Furthermore, no carpets have been touched, the few pieces of gravel are
still there as I left it, no screw heads touched on the trim. Wheel arches
and most of the underside is sprayed with black underseal and flakes of rust
under the car can be flicked away with a fingernail, part coated in black
stuff. Even the engine area was squirted as I ended up having to clean it
off my pop up headlights. He said when collecting me that the guy that did
it also has done the wheel arches , but did he wash them clean first I
shockingly asked, yes I am told. Arches get so grotty this may be so, but
cleaned as thorough as I would have, considering all that salt, I doubt it,
best done at owners pace, not against the clock. Certainly the underside
sees debris that would have been gone if washed, even the remains of the
pheasant I hit ! Furthermore there is rust visible uncoated right next to
the panel welded on, that area was of prime concern and hasnt been finished
correctly.

They have set my car on a different course of rot than my plans would have
done, they have altered its future, SANDWICHED SALT ONTO IT... and wrecked
my timescale plans. Where do I stand with this lot legally ? Current
financial plans dont allow for trying to buy a car, if I have to, The loss
of those plans will cause me further financial loss elsewhere and wreck
three months planning, there is a big knock on effect looming now not of my
making. They have done something I didnt want doing, and not done something
I wanted doing. I also need to have that exterior metal plate (in fact the
edge of the second one is also visible) made flush and paintwork made good.
The runs and sags on my sill made neat or underseal removed, filler added
and painted gloss black again....more expense.

What should I do, I have yet to pay them. I have yet to mention all this !

Steve