OV9

Car hire is usually quite expensive to drop off at a different location

I'd just get the train Saturday morning, have a night out, cheap hotel, then pick car up Sunday and drive back.

Win win.

IanF wrote: Fri May 09, 2025 3:43 pm Car hire is usually quite expensive to drop off at a different location

Cost as much as the train, but it'll take two hours less time...

I also got upgraded because of the runaround I had, so I currently have a Qashqai till tomorrow afternoon.

It's certainly one of the cars of all time, but in it's defence the primary controls are OK, it's quiet and it's well specced. I can see why people go for them. Especially when I stepped out of it, rather than dragging myself out of it like I have been most cars I own

(also blokes not available Sunday so it's either tomorrow, or middle of next week, and I want this whole experience behind me ASAP)

Bean, check out Travelodge/Premier Inn prices nearby. The cost of fuel for the hire car is going to approach the price of the train ticket and you’ll be much fresher for the drive back.

Beany wrote: Fri May 09, 2025 5:48 pm

IanF wrote: Fri May 09, 2025 3:43 pm Car hire is usually quite expensive to drop off at a different location

Cost as much as the train, but it'll take two hours less time...

I also got upgraded because of the runaround I had, so I currently have a Qashqai till tomorrow afternoon.

It's certainly one of the cars of all time, but in it's defence the primary controls are OK, it's quiet and it's well specced. I can see why people go for them. Especially when I stepped out of it, rather than dragging myself out of it like I have been most cars I own

(also blokes not available Sunday so it's either tomorrow, or middle of next week, and I want this whole experience behind me ASAP)

I'm of an age where I imagine my exit from something like a Z4 would not be especially glamorous...

One leg swung out, step up, merest touch on the a-pillar for stability while seemlessly putting on shades and slicking my hair back.

What people here is crack, crunch, hyungrrrr hop, crack twang.

Dave!

Right hand on the sill and pivot over & up. I have practice of this.

Fabia door update.

A proper rivnut tool is brilliant. Ten rivnuts fitted in moments. Panel refitted (after a bit more swearing, I’ll not bother with the door locked indicator stalk that came off), wiring reattached and mechanism tested, glass cleaned of all the duct tape residue and refitted into the brackets (after a bit more swearing).

Left to do - unclip the wiring from the car body connection again and reattach after pushing it through the rubber bellows between the door and car body. Refit the outer panel and any remaining wiring.

Nice one Jon!

Where’s Beany ? I’m looking forward to an update.

There's a definite lack of update.

Is DaBean home yet?

No, I'm crashing at a mates place that's closer than home.

All good. Just knackered.

So, some more constructive thoughts

Damn it looks good in the metal

Steering about as heavy as the e46s, making it feel heavier than it is. Despite what you hear on the internet, there is feel to the steering, more than the m135i had. It's not an Elise obviously, but people pooh poohing back in the day probably didn't realise how bad things would get by now in that respect!

Makes a hell of a noise when you open it up further up the rev range, partially thanks to a half emptied sound generator. Plenty fast enough for the real world, and plenty of torque.

19s make the speedo pretty accurate, and the ride isn't too crashy for what it is

Needs a good machine polish to remove the expected swirls etc, but otherwise it's in good shape - couple if minor scuffs, nothing major.

Did over 30mpg cruising to Herts at 70mph

There's not much storage space.

Need to pick up a phone holder/charger type affair.

It threw a money light as soon as I left. No sign of being down on power, temps ok, not drinking much fuel etc so just yolo'd it. Former keeper was mortified, but I'm just assuming it now knows who it belongs to he's had it four months and he's claimed to never had it come up (and it didn't come up on the ride back to his place etc) so it might just be the first time it's been driven properly for a while and something's having a grumble.

I'm guessing it's an intermittent misfire, or similar. It's not flashing which means it's fíiiiine. I'll read the codes tonight when I get back home. It's a twenty year old car, it's gonna have it's little oddities

Saw the pic on FB, looks great You still should've got an XR4I for that money tho

Nice one Beany.

Skoda window regulator change complete (with a bit more swearing).

Here you go. Parked in my mates drive last night in slightly more even light.
Just back in the door at home half a hour ago. Gonna go clean the bugs off the windscreen and see where the nearest jetwash is cos the thick end of 350 miles between the sellers, my mates place (closer than driving home) and back home today - both days being hot and sunny - have caused an insect genocide

Engine light was off this morning then came back on after I stopped for a piss halfway home, so I'm guessing there's something intermittent throwing a hissy - maybe older fuel (I brimmed it with Super but it had a quarter tank in it), or a Lamda sensor on the way out or similar detail thing. Performance and economy have been fine as far as I can tell.

Should be able to OBDII it but probably worth getting an E-series compatible module at some point.

Also think it needs a passenger side window regulator, but it's an older BMW, they all need at least one window regulator. Bit like they all need a rocker cover gasket, etc

Lovely colour.

Hopefully something daft like a dicky petrol cap .

Did you upgrade your camera on the way home? It’s a lot less potato-ey than normal

jamcg wrote: Sun May 11, 2025 6:51 pm Did you upgrade your camera on the way home? It’s a lot less potato-ey than normal

That’s his neighbour’s car, Beany’s is behind the hedge behind the bins!