ECP or a local motorfactor - whichever is cheapest. Not going to fix anything on this that doesn't need fixing and if the cost of a repair is more than the value of the car sold 'as is' then it gets sold and i move onto another one. I think i'll have a better idea after two runs to work and back ( 140 miles) as any nasties will pop up fairly soon i think.

 

Brilliant beater.... As long as its not for the motorway. I like the money saving idea, and its rather a cool little chariot. I do see lots of shopping trolley/ dinky cars on the M6 daily, but I always wonder "what if" you were involved in a pile up, which we know on motorways is rare but can be unavoidable with bigger machinery around you, people fannying around on their smartphones whilst they drive being my main worry of becoming a human pancake.. To think, I used to commute to work in a Saxo 1.1 twelve years ago, I had no choice with it being my company car. Bloody thing used to drift all over the place going over Thelwall viaduct even in a slight breeze.
On A roads, its quite different and I reckon it would be a little charmer once you hit those back roads if they're on your commute.
Oh, my beater is an 06 330d, but that doesn't count I suppose. I really got sick of my s2000 on commutes, comfortable enough but too noisy and thirsty when you're coasting it.

 

It's 37 miles of A / B road so should be fine ... will see tomorrow haha

 

I like the one where you go though a puddle, lights flickers and engine coughs and starts to die requiring much throttle feathering.

 

You can usually spot an erratic driver and avoid accordingly especially at these dinky car speeds.

I have more faith in my own ability to mitigate a bad crash than the lab tested crash protection saving me in the real world.

My commute is either stop start first gear nonsense, in which case worse that will happen is a 10-20mph shunt, or well flowing traffic, for which I'm on the inside lane doing 60 so those pratts are two lanes over doing the fatal speeds.

The biggest issue with a dinky beater is other road users attitude to you. Like I said a lot of my commute is slow stop start, which I've become fairly attuned to keeping a good gap and reducing my brake usage in the Micra.

But Mr Aldi truck driver sat 3" off my rear bumper flashing and beeping at me cares not for flowing progress and instead wants me to race to close the gap the the car in front and maintain the concertina effect that has caused the traffic jam in the first place.

And it's not just on the motorway, rolling up to lights, roundabout or anything where actual progress is faster by easing up to the situation and then having the reaction time available to respond quickly rather than racing up and slamming on coming to a full stop see's other cars harass your back end something wicked.

The same driving in my S2k or the Almera I used to run see's the vehicle dive into a lane to overtake me, come to a stand still once they've caught the stopped traffic then tuck in back behind me as I crawl past having maintained momentum.

 

A point proven this morning as dumbtard in a corsa over took an HGV up a hill whilst I ( and several other cars) were coming towards it. I just nipped in and hugged the left kerb and fizzed through the gap, leaving the cars following me in a state of abject panic as they worked out where to go as the gap was only wide enough for me to get through

This thing is a lesson in carrying speed that's for sure and it's great fun! 55mpg so far, new set of plugs coming and an air filter may well see that rise further.

 

Small leak this morning, quick dab of the finger confirms coolant - quick poke under the bumper confirms the bottom hose clip on the radiator isn't tight enough when the system is pressurised. Drive car up on kerb, pop underneath with a 7mm socket, bend the bumper out of the way to get the socket on and tighten it and job done.

Smile at the 3 or 4 people in the office complex who are wondering what i'm doing parked half in a bush with one wheel on the kerb and go back in for coffee.

 

before things get silly

please promise not to post "it's all the car you need in the real world"

 

Hahaha not remotely likely - it's a cheap, fun way to bang about in something that isn't high in value and isn't expensive to fix as long as you don't mind getting your hands dirty from time to time.

Motoring nirvana it is not and will never be - that sort of thing only exists when you're the Sultan of Brunei

 

funnily enough, driving enjoyment is pretty democratic

I reckon you can have just as much fun in a home build as a Veyron

as they say, money buys choice, not happiness, and much as I like money (aka choice), I can say with certainty that if won the Euromillions there'd be no RR or Veyron in my garage

more chance I'd have a restored proper Abarth Fiat 500

back o/t your ownership experience is typical so far - with some minor fettling needed to get the car into shape

the next few weeks and the onset of cold will be telling, as that's when you'll know if you've got something with too many niggles to live with

looks good so far