Be Excellent To Each Other

I.... what?

One of my mates at work has bought the Type-R. He made a cheeky offer of £21K and it was accepted.

It was parked in the work car park this afternoon.

So he's got an awesome Type-R and I've got a leaky Seat.

Result!

Shame he didn't mention it before it went to the dealer.

Fixed my last leaky door today while it was dry. Known fault on the Mk1 Leons and easy to fix, only bust one panel clip (had bag of spares anyway).

Looks like I need two new front tyres, very smooth looking Probably the most noticeable difference I've felt, tyre wise, having the Toyo Proxies on, they've worn quicker than most other brands I've had before though. But they were free so I'm not complaining.

That he works with the freaky car changer?

I did and said he could have it for the same money I was being offered on trade-in, but he was being a fanny about it and saying he didn't have the cash right now and didn't want to move cash between bank accounts and could I wait until January and suchlike. (He didn't want to ask his missus about getting cash out of their joint account, basically.)

I reminded him that he knows how I roll with cars and that things can escalate quickly, which is exactly what happened and I traded the car in.

Thereafter he was inspired to make an extra push to confront THE WIFE BOSS, and secured enough funding to make an offer to the dealer of £21K but not a penny more, an offer which was accepted.

So it ended up costing him an extra grand, basically.

Now I feel all wistful and nostalgic for the time when I had an FK2 Type-R.

Maybe I'll get an FK8 Type-R, that'll learn him.

Like I said two cars ago.

I think it'll be a good 12 months before I can get into an FK8, ex-demonstrators are £30K and I reckon prices will drop fairly slowly, as they did with the FK2. (And the FK8 has just won Top Gear's car of the year award.)

The FK8 has a COMFORT mode as well as SPORT and R+ (the FK2 just had SPORT and R+), if mine had possessed a comfort mode, that might have been enough to tip over into keeping it.

Oh well, I'll do boring motoring for a year and see what the lie of the land is, we might all be driving electric cars by then.

Speaking of boring motoring, I returned to the dealer today and showed him the photographic chronicles of the draining coolant tank, he agreed it looked like the level was dropping, and the resolution was if by the start of next week it's still heading south, he'll take the car back to do a pressure test on the coolant system, and then get a warranty repair organised as required. This would of course see me in a courtesy car if the Leon needs to go off the road, so hopefully the courtesy car won't be too crap.

At least Android Auto is great and I'm getting loads of miles per gallon.

DRAG RACE

An Alfa 4c Spyder (240 hp, 0-60 in 4.5 s)
~~vs~~
A Tesla Model X SUV... towing another Alfa 4c on a flatbed trailer

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcGk5jjgyFn/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcIAthVDePZ/

It's a stunt, of course, but it's a pretty good stunt!

Was in work this morning due to a P1 call and was working with the mate who's bought the Type-R. Once we'd returned a naughty cluster to a better-behaved state we walked back out to the car park and appraised each other's vehicles.

Part of me did feel a bit sad about the Type-R not being mine any more, not least because it just looks so fucking awesome.

There were a couple of things he wanted me to go through on the infotainment system with him (which is a Honda bespoke Android affair and has its share of 'quirks' which I'd become well acquainted with), so I sat down in the passenger seat and immediately remembered the things I found hard work about the car, not least its utterly uncompromising track credentials, which becomes very apparent as soon as you climb into the figure-hugging bucket seats. (And I mean 'climb into', these things are reinforced with metal at the sides).

Once we'd resolved the infotainment issues it was time to drive to Maccy D's (after I'd climbed out of my bucket seat....), I was driving behind him and whilst I still think the FK2 Type-R is a phenomenally cool looking car and a magnificent piece of engineering, I found myself appreciating the comfort of the Leon and its easier driving experience, as well as the much better infotainment system and Android Auto. (It's got a DAB radio too, which means BBC Radio 6 Music on the move, which is cool as that's my favourite radio station.)

Quite glad it's a mate who's got the Type-R TBH, as it means I get to appreciate how incredible it is, without having to actually drive it every day.

He's totally made up with it and loves it to pieces, and he'll keep it for years, he generally does 6-8 years per car. I'm still utterly bewildered by his choice though, as his daily commute to and from work is two miles each way, through a mix of 20/30/40 zones. He says he's not fussed about that though, and just enjoys driving it anyway.

Oh yes the coolant in the Leon appears to have stopped going down, so no fucking idea what the deal is there.

Swarf in the radiator plugged the hole.

EXCITING ROVER NEWS! Since the oil went out through the exhaust, and wasn't replaced, it now sounds dog rough, exhaust needs joining together and it is down to 24mpg.

Edit: oil level seems fine. Exhaust needs a look, I suppose. Suspect oil smoke from exhaust due to valve seals and not a major leak. 24mpg could be a week of shitty stop and start traffic, and engine running for longer to do same trips, I guess.

Not sure importing from America is going to be cost effective.

Tell that to Ford.

Boring family car time...

Any recomedations on people carriers?

Now we have 2 kids I'm thinking of getting one, plan would be to trade in both cars against the people carrier and then I would lease something for a couple of years. Maybe a Golf R

Get a VW California then you can get away from things at the weekend too.

As someone who doesn't like camping, I have a very strange yearning for the California.

Mazda Bongo

The car name that could double up as a stage name for a Pontins magician.

Audi Q7

The correct answer is "you don't need an MPV for two kids, Jesus fucking Christ take a fucking look at yourself".

However, if you're determined, then the Picasso is the best one. If you need something bigger, get a Renault Grand Scenic.

Finally, a car with a more ludicrous name than mine (Yeti). In fact...

Your real name is Yeti?

Yessee.

Yeti Fop is the name of my hipster 3 piece playing eclectic tunes on a tub bass, melodia and a theremin

It's not just for 2 kids, we have family coming over next year more regularly to help out and we are also having friends take our older boy on weekend days for which we have to, in turn, take their kid.

So want something I can get them all into for trips out etc

We have a Nissan Note now. It’s like a bloody Tardis in the back and the boot. Have a sit in one of them or a Quashquai?

Skoda Kodiaq 7-seater. Looks ace.

Tesla Model X with the 7-seat config.

Pleased with the RAV4 (Mk2) Mrs Z got for Tinkers Rucksacks ferrying the family of 4.

There aren't really any bad cars these days, just choose one you like the look of, or the colour, or the infotainment system.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 20276.html

I would vouch for the S-Max though, chap at work has one and absolutely swears by it, and it's a really nice car to be in. Just make sure you get one of the higher spec levels. (Also there's a 2 litre turbo petrol engined one with 240bhp, which has a reasonable lick of speed.)

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/s-max-2015/

If you really need >4 seats I’d suggest the 7 seat xtrail or qashqai. The back seats are small but don’t compromise the car to fuck when you’re not using them.

So we should have bought a 4wd before today.

An old forester or disco for cheaper probably worthwhile next time we can get out.

Grim...! Do I want a 1997 V8 Disco for 3k?

http://jbmotorcars.co.uk/vehicle/name/l ... ry-v8i-xs/

They're the prettiest Discoverys by far, but that's a lot of money for a V8. It'd have to be a really good example.

Dunno if they're on the increase but it's below average on auto trader.

Maybe people chancing with the current weather.

Maybe they are getting more expensive, then.

They're lovely cars.

Well, it's gone, and there are no others nearby. Dammit.

Also prices are down, disco 2s are cheaper than that was now. Maybe I was just really drunk.

Jesus Christ I just looked at the specs of that engine wtf no.

Hahahhahaah! That's why the V8s are normally cheap.

Spinning the wheel of fate in the Big Car MOT today.

Good luck! Was sure you'd had it MOT'd recently?

The cold weather has eliminated my limp mode! Temp gauge isn't working right (hardly moving at all after an hour on the road) so I'm beginning to think the thermostat might have something to do with the TDi's shenanigans.

That was Exciting Rover (£140, if memory serves). Forester needs a headlamp bulb and transmission fluid in rear diff, and possibly plugs and filters. We'll see....

Mines in Jan, I know I need two rear tyres (going on tomorrow) and think I'll have to get the front top suspension bushings done too.

£130. Various light bulbs, and anti roll bar cover needed replacing.

Not too bad. Would have been better on the other side of Christmas though, eh?

Yeah, ho hum.

There’s a weird rattle when you come off the throttle now. In gear and out. I shall check oil.

Fan hitting cowling or exhaust heat shield

Fan? I clearly only know old cars. Heat shield is relevant though.