Your fleet running reports

[Matty]

So, 1 Year with the 4C, and about 1200 miles I've really, really enjoyed this thing.



Bar a jammed alternator (£280, fitted) and a service (£650, Alfaworks) it's been cheap on the old maintenance. The other upside is, it seems it's worth ~£5k more than I paid for it, given the entry point these days.

I still love the way it looks (as do others, it garners a bit of attention). Sitting in the carbon tub and the angled dash feels 'proper'. The chirps, flurrys and wooshes of the turbo all add to the experience and it really, really moves when you need it too. It's quite livable to distance - stereo gets largely overwhelmed at speed as the NVH is quite high as expected, but it's quite comfortable. MPG is good, between 35-50mpg depending on use.

Downsides? I have a few. Seating position is poor for a 6 footer; it's clearly been designed for 5ft Italians because I can't see the top of the dash, it's cut off by the steering wheel and there isn't enough adjustment. Also, steering still lets it down - overly heavy at low speed, but too light once moving. It's not a confidence inspiring car, very much 7/10ths, it's just very nervous over undulations and rutted roads, and a bump mid-bend - which a car like an Elise would just brush off - can be a real squeaky bum moment.

In short, don't buy one over an Alpine or Elise if driving is your primary goal. If you just want to look good while moving quickly, this is the thing to do it in.

Also for it's 'birthday' I added a few things. Apologies for the really shitty picture, but a Quicksilver "Sound Architect" and 20mm rear spacers to get the rears in line.

Spacers are purely visual, but do make a difference to the overall look. The exhaust is just great because it's less ASBO when you don't want to annoy the neighbours, PLUS you still get the noise when you want it to. Shame about the "App" you need just to change the valves, I've got spare dash button I'd really like to try and retrofit instead. It also looks better with the carbon tips rather than the overly shiny pipes before.

Pleased with the overall result. Next up for consideration is the 280bhp map, and/or some decent coilovers.....

[integrale_evo]

The Metroid has gone

Bought in 2001, the first car I took an engine to bits on, the first car I changed a gearbox on, the first car I engine swapped.

The first car I took to a trackday, first car I took to an airfield day, first car I took round a sprint course, first car I took down a drag strip.

I’ll have to dig out some of the proper archive photos and host them somewhere and do a proper post.

But yeah, it’s gone. Kind of sad but kind of not fussed because it was literally no more than a rusty rolling shell after stripping anything which might come in useful off it.

It might live again, but I doubt it, be nice if it did given how rare they are now, but it was too much for me so I’ll be taking the easy route with much cleaner and more standard donor car.

Sadly it doesn’t free up any room for anything else, it was parked right next to the golf, so now it’s gone that can move over and I’ll have space to work all around it!

[Matty]

I still remember uploading images of the Metro to the old "ModdedCars.com" I used to run back in 2000/2001

In fact, still a reference to your friend Matt's Metro on the WayBackMachine!
https://web.archive.org/web/20011029133 ... /peeps.htm

[Sundayjumper]

My parents have taken The Coupe to the annual Scimitar owners club weekend. A smaller turnout than usual for various reasons but it sounds like they’re having a good time.

FA9F6EB7-A6E8-4C71-9415-2B78E341ABF5.jpeg (168.92 KiB) Viewed 1444 times

[Beany]

Four hundred quid of brake stuff ordered. axle set of disks and pads, drivers side caliper, brake hoses (in case they're the problem), air bleeder kit thing (because you just know no-one will be around to pump the pedal for me) and a rear spring.

At least I can afford it now and it doesn't mean I'll have to eat pasta or potatoes for the rest of the month.

[Sundayjumper]

... and a rear spring.

Just the one ?

Fiery death is a-beckoning.

[integrale_evo]

Not taking the opportunity to stick it on coilovers and make it scrape the floor

[nuttinnew]

Not taking the opportunity to stick it on coilovers and make it scrape the floor

If you were closer to help and advise...

[Beany]

... and a rear spring.

Just the one ?

Fiery death is a-beckoning.

Did the other one last year, couldn't afford two at the same time...

No need to lower it, it's low enough already - it already grounds out painfully on some of the more aggressive speed humps around here I might refresh the shocks with whatever Bilsteins are flavour of the month however, apparently it makes a noticeable difference to the ride quality, even over fresh OEM shocks - and I doubt these are fresh

Plan is to get through the MOT this month, do the deferred maintenance (all fluids, all belts and pulleys, etc) next month, refresh the drivetrain bushings the month after.

[16vCento]

Took XF to my friends garage today as its stinks of fumes in the cabin, which is always nice.

Looks like a leak from either the right bank exhaust manifold, crossover pipe, or EGR pipe at the back of the engine.

Also found the OSF spring has broken and the left rear upper arm bushes are hanging out.

Not going to be a cheap bill for the warranty people

I'm tempted by a set of -15 Eibachs and some spacers, but not sure I can be arsed

[Marv]

The Metroid has gone

Bought in 2001, the first car I took an engine to bits on, the first car I changed a gearbox on, the first car I engine swapped.

The first car I took to a trackday, first car I took to an airfield day, first car I took round a sprint course, first car I took down a drag strip.

I’ll have to dig out some of the proper archive photos and host them somewhere and do a proper post.

But yeah, it’s gone. Kind of sad but kind of not fussed because it was literally no more than a rusty rolling shell after stripping anything which might come in useful off it.

It might live again, but I doubt it, be nice if it did given how rare they are now, but it was too much for me so I’ll be taking the easy route with much cleaner and more standard donor car.

Sadly it doesn’t free up any room for anything else, it was parked right next to the golf, so now it’s gone that can move over and I’ll have space to work all around it!

Didn't realise you bought the Medroid the same year I bought my Golf, thought you'd had it a few years longer.

What's the new owner going to do with it?

Think eventually I'm going to have to part ways with the Golf, which would seem weird after owning it so long. I imagine it must have been weird seeing your Metroid leaving your ownership permanently too.

[integrale_evo]

He wasn’t sure, I gave it away for free because it would only have got a few quid as scrap as it was completely stripped of anything remotely useful.

It had a clean, low owner vin and would have made more sense financially for me to chop up the mint 1.1 to repair the gti back to original condition. I just haven’t got the time or energy with so many other things to do!

It would be nice to think it might make it back on the road, but realistically I think it pretty unlikely.

I was strangely not fussed about seeing it go, it was a bit weird but not as bad as I thought. Maybe because I’d watched it deteriorate, maybe because I’ve kept all the bits which made it interesting, also maybe because getting rid means I have a bit more space to push on with other things which puts a positive spin on it.

[Jobbo]

Audi MOT passed without any advisories (and without me even checking anything beforehand) on Monday. The garage where I had it done was a recommendation from Jimmy Choo since they have a Hunter wheel alignment machine, so I could get the wheels properly aligned (£50+VAT is good value for that too).

Anyway, big shout out to Pritchards Motor Services in Gloucester who had MOTed it and told me it had passed before I'd even got home, and who are a really decent bunch. They specialise in BMWs so I had a nice natter about E46s with the owner when I picked my car up.

The front wheels of my car were toeing out slightly and that was the only thing they adjusted. It's always nice when a small tweak makes such a difference - the car now doesn't wander on the motorway and has the straight-line stability I remember from my first Allroad. However, the more weird benefit is that it rides better. It's particularly apparent from cold; presumably as the tyres warmed up they became more flexible and accommodated the incorrect toe angle. Part of it must be that when you run over a bump it doesn't deflect the steering now. I had started to wonder if the fact this Allroad is a Sport spec changed the suspension settings compared to my previous standard one, despite the spec sheets saying they're the same. Clearly not; I'm just amazed how much difference a tiny adjustment can make. Will have to try it with the 20" wheels back on again.

[Delphi]

Booked a valet for the 928 to see how well the seats and carpet can be brought up which will determine how much interior work I get done.

Still struggling to find quotes for a windows out respray. Ideally I wanted it done ready for Porsches On The Park at the end of September but that's not looking likely now. The Motorist have recently opened a bodyshop, so I'm going to take it up there and see what they say.

As my Pile Of Parts To Fit To The Car now includes new stereo, new horns, 4 new interior lights and a remote central locking module, I've decided that Sunday is going to be the day I get them fitted.

[Beany]

Ordered a wing mirror cover for the drivers side too, forgot about that just flat out going missing in the winter

Primed, not painted - I'll probably try and do that in the neighbours driveway as I don't really have a suitable space here to do it without risking getting paint on things that shouldn't have paint on them.

[integrale_evo]

Finally finished the stainless exhaust for the compact I started a while back.

Used a Mini Cooper S tail trim again, because I like the shape, they’re nicely made and they fit the standard cutout perfectly.

Looks much better than the original and starting to go a bit crusty one.

[Broccers]

Mini people or anyone else - which bushes are you using? I've had both the Front Lower Suspension bushes replaced 3 years ago and less than 5k miles yet they are showing as an advisory?

With it being a mini the labour to swap them is 2.75 - 3 hours so not cheap.

I was thinking a couple of these would do ?
https://www.powerflex.co.uk/product-det ... /1836.html

Also the springs need replacing on the back so will fit some lowering h&r items all round.

[drcarlos]

Mini people or anyone else - which bushes are you using? I've had both the Front Lower Suspension bushes replaced 3 years ago and less than 5k miles yet they are showing as an advisory?

With it being a mini the labour to swap them is 2.75 - 3 hours so not cheap.

I was thinking a couple of these would do ?
https://www.powerflex.co.uk/product-det ... /1836.html

Also the springs need replacing on the back so will fit some lowering h&r items all round.

Could be nowt wrong with them, stations chuck in a few of these so that VOSA stay off their backs. My mate used to do it all the time. Unless of course they are really shitty pattern parts that are fubar.

[Mito Man]

I had some time today to finish my Lego trailer

Bit ridiculous as they ended up sending the parts in 3 different lorries so it’s taken a few weeks to get everything.

Forestry trailer with 1000kg capacity and a crane - chiropractor won’t be seeing me much anymore

I also realised that the quad bike had missed its first service and I’d probably ruined the warranty so I went to the dealer to ask for a service kit, might as well do it myself. They were happy enough to still honour the final year if I let them service it. It had actually missed 2 services as the break in service was after 20 hours and then the first service was 6 months after that
Once the warranty expires they can do a remap but I don’t think it needs it. It does a wheelie as is and it handles like shit above 40mph - soft off road suspension and 6 PSI tyres just don’t go well.

[Broccers]

@drcarlos I shall wait for it to fail then The lowering springs Ive been meaning to do for years but forget as Im usually in my car. Using it this week and even the minis done 50 quid in fuel bimbling around.

@Mito Man Im sure I hired one like that on holiday years ago - is it a 600

Found it 2017