AnnoyingPentium

It's been a month, what's happened? This one has behaved fine. I have absolutely nothing to report, except that I changed the EVAP purge valve, and the car has provided stellar service as a mile munching dog carrying thing. That is all.

If you'll have any black headlining or that going spare I'm sure I can book ferry tickets...

They're very well built. There's a Y-reg Ghia TD-Di kicking about Ayr that I quite like, sadly a hatchback or else I'd have left a note asking if it was for sale... This one has Zetec seats so loses a little of the plushness but overall isn't bad, it's still a damn sight comfier than the Fabia's seats. It's cosy, that's the best way of describing it.

Prev owners emptied out most of the stuff that was in the car the other day. I was back up today. It does indeed definitely smell "foosty", it's also hairy and slightly mouldy, but not as bad as cars I've seen sitting for a couple of months before. It must be quite watertight then. Maybe... Also, I'm not saying it's been sitting a wee while but there's an auld-style pound coin lying in the drinks holder. I've been flicking through the history too, I've got a bit of paper with CAMBELT DONE 2019 on it, along with paperwork dating back to 2011 for a clutch, battery, and alternator. Got MOT certificates in between then and the receipt for the tyres. Overall not terrible, and more than I got with my Fabia! I will have to say something, I do prefer the feel of the interior to the Skoda, it feels plush and comfortable. The Fabia has a very solid and rough, but hard wearing feel to it instead. Whereas the Focus comes across as a bit more classy (this is coming from a man who has indeed driven a handful of Jaguars). Although the Fabia works, and the Focus does not... but the Focus costs less on petrol... I posted some photographs on my Flickr, which I can't link at the moment but my username is annoyingpentium.

I can recommend @Breezy_Pete for window motor repairs. Top quality service, and well worth it.

Used to drive stuff like this at my old job, was hellish even over slight bumps... the Princess and the Pea springs to mind! Mine are struggling a bit, it's suspension wear that's not helping either. Last few bills have been suspension related. Meanwhile, the Duster my Mum's got is on 215/65/16 tyres, it's rather comfortable, but doesn't beat a Citroen XM until said Citroen is ****ing out LHM all over the road.

I went from 14s to 15s and my back isn't pleased. There's a noticeable difference, IMO, but still better than 18s on some more modern car with the tyres being black bits painted on.

Your average joe public can't weld, so when these begin to rust it's curtains. I can't weld either (yet), but my newest bout of idiocy will be a wonderful learning curve... Plus, the vRS ones are getting thrown in/through hedges or their engines blown up by your chavs and neds of the world. They're no spring chickens anymore, but still common compared to even some younger cars that have rusted etc.

Yes 195/50/15 will fit fine.

You know... now that you've said it... looks like I'm going for arts and crafts stuff tomorrow then!

Not been back at it yet. Been plotting what I'm going to need to take when I go to try and get it running. The weather at the moment is far too bitter for me to want to do anything with the car.

I should also mention this car has been named... It's so good, it's actually terrible... Wait for it... Franz FORDinand.

This is peanuts and it'll get thrown in the vague direction of your house by an unknown courier! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134266300203

I definitely misunderstood the title of this...

I've got a couple of Palm PDAs and a wad of 'feature' mobile phones. The computer selling that I've dabbled in comes with a helpline, that goes back to a Sony Ericsson W810i with an Asda SIM in it. Cracking little phone. You'll prove her wrong. My Mum chucked out a Nokia phone charger of mine thinking I didn't need it... then found and needed my 2610...

Mine today was a bit different, I saw a base model one of these. First I've seen in christ knows how long... I like these, also the COO plate is a funny one. Moo. But seriously, I most definitely wouldn't mind an Escort, even if they bloody rust as much.

Generally it seems the earlier you go in regards to Fabias, often the better the rust proofing is. As towards the end of production the bean counters got in and started reducing factory rustproofing etc. I've seen more Polos with hammerite and holes than Fabias, but it's not impossible. Although that's true for any car as there's a bloody myriad of factors that contribute to how and why a car rusts, where it rusts etc. That being said, I've got a 2006 Mk1 with 74k miles that's now doing 12k a year in all conditions... in Scotland. Got some surface rust on the sill ends at the rear, and a bit in the rear arch tubs, I'm going to sort that out in the summer so that it at least delays the inevitable with any luck. @DoctorBoostaLot has a thread going now documenting the welding he's doing to his Mk1 Fabia, if you can do work like that, or find someone reputable to do welding work (thin on the ground getting, but still possible) then you'd be doing pretty well, I reckon. So aye, a good Mk1 still has life in it, and just tidy up any rust that appears as and when it happens. If you've got a clean base for a car, then that's fine. It's easier to replace an engine than most metalwork, keep that in mind.

Welcome to the forum. Loving the username, @Peeliewally.

Yous are brilliant. Will keep you all posted about where this goes.

I wanted to jack it up. Access is fine at one side, but on the other the Almera is far too close so the car will lean and hit it. The driveway is a tight fit and you'd need to be a thinner man than I am to fit through the gap between the Almera and the Focus.

Must. Not. Giggle. But yeah I'll take that on board. I'll go up with some easy start or equivalent (the car is a decent distance from me at the moment, but I can go up on a day off and have a prod) and get some videos and try getting the bloody thing to go. Rear drum brakes are seized on, so I'm hoping we can free them off under the car's own power if we get it going as jacking it up isn't an option thanks to the Almera. If I'm honest, this car just wants to lie there and rot, but I'm determined that won't happen.

This is what I shouted (screeched) at the Fabia when the battery died, much to the delight of the rather conservative neighbours, funnily enough.

Playing the fiddle whilst Rome burns. I'm Nero. These are from the original local Ford dealer, Dalblair. Now gone sadly. In touch with a mate who does all that graphic design carry on, he's mocking one of these up for me (below). Will have to find a Dalblair tax disc holder now! It's not the original supplying dealer of this car, but I don't know who was and I don't want to have to phone half a dozen garages to get told GDPR this and that, when I could make it look like it's merely been a second hand car through the system...

It's all over the place. 2nd Class letters are arriving at the same time as the 1st class ones I've sent off through a small venture I'm involved in.