Fortunately an independent MG Rover specialist in Warwickshire has a more affordable alternative, and I can honestly say I’ve just spent a very enjoyable morning watching my car being serviced. We’re not talking back-street mechanics either, but people who have many years of main dealer experience with Rover cars, international customers and a month-long waiting list, even though they don’t advertise.

Almost before you’ve turned the engine off the car is up in the air and to the casual observer the whole procedure is a bit like watching a Formula 1 pit crew in action – they’ll carry out up to four belt changes in a weekend so it’s all very well rehersed and in my case completed in under three hours. There’s no distant service manager on the phone either. You see everything for yourself as it happens, and to be honest the team at Lates 600 made it all look rather easy. I have to admire anyone who knows their way around a car so well that they can half-empty an engine bay in less time than it would have taken me to remove one of the road wheels.

It seems we’ve found the reason behind the slight lack of power I’ve been experiencing too. Testing showed my power ‘VIS’ motor has failed – more on that in a future instalment. Front tyres and a replacement thermostat are also on the shopping list. I suppose the money’s not much use in the bank at the moment.