lordrobs

I think it just comes down to personal preference. I mean if by "managed fine" you mean that you didn't mate your car with someone elses or park it in a ditch then I managed fine too. Problem was that while doing so I had too many bum clenching moments so decided to invest in a set of winter rubber on some uber sexy steel rims for the slippy season. My GF's car on the other hand seemed to perform really well in all conditions. I personally wouldn't have bothered with winter tyres on that one but my GF said that she would be happier having them which was fair enough so I bought a set for that one too. I'll fully admit that it probably is overkill and I will NOT be thinking that I am invincible all of a sudden. I'll continue to be as cautious as I was before but hopefully feel that I'm connected to the road a little better than last year. As for TCS, I leave it on and if need be pull away at idle in second treating the clutch like a bomb waiting to go off with any sudden movements :p

Nothing exciting- booked it in for MOT and Cambelt and gave the winter tyres a test down some superb country lanes that I encountered on my work travels.

Plenty of clearance with 16" steels

I haven't fitted my winters yet but I'm not sure whether to go for wheel trims or not. TBH I didn't even realise that Skoda 16" wheel trims were available! I think I may just run with the naked steel look though

Been through this thought myself. Did the Excel spreadsheet to work out how much I could save. Looked into economical replacements. Decided on a 1.6 TDCi Focus. Looked at a few sheds, found one semi acceptable one (still far worse condition than my car though) even got as far as a test drive and an "offer" of £1300 for my car... ...then I decided that handing over my car and £5.5k for something with less kit, was in worse condition and wasn't at all what I actually wanted was too much for me to stomach. If things are tight financially then at the end of the day it is just a car and can be replaced but be sure of what you are going to save and bear in mind you will be buying into the unknown.

I searched ebay for a bit then gave up and just bought new steel wheels with winter tyres from mytyres. Other than the wheels being delivered over two days I was happy enough with the service. £493 all in.

A remap is going to give you a torque boost and torque is what kills clutches. It will wear faster than on a non remapped car but exactly how long it will last will depend on your use and how drive it.

I was just in response to racing boy that given the choice of non OEM fluid or none at all I think he made the right call putting whatever he could in. I was in the same boat when the Skoda dealer wouldn't sell me a bottle of power steering fluid as it was 10 minutes after closing. Fair enough I guess but when I was in retail I'd have helped the customer out. Anyway I went to Halfords and bought a bottle of generic stuff and haven't had a problem with the pump so far. My one was the same when it went. Turned full lock and heard a slight noise. Got home checked the PSF level which was off the dip stick and then spotted the leak :( Second time it went in even more spectacular fashion with max to off the dip stick in less than 9 miles

Probably did less damage than letting it run dry. Sorry to hear about the rack. I had my one replaced at a pretty wallet busting cost then it went again 13 moths later! Luckily Skoda offer 2 year warranty on racks so it was swapped FOC.

I was at a charity car show which had a mix of classics and the local dealerships trying to get interest in their offerings. Anyway after spotting a mk3 MX-5 I went to try it on for size and was really disappointed that I had to literally shoe horn my legs in :( It has always been a realistic "one day I'll have one of those" sort of sports car but I don't think I could really enjoy driving one :( I tried another of a lower spec with different seats and it was a tiny bit better but at just a smidge over 6 foot tall and not that fat I was really surprised how snug it was :(

Best looking of the bunch IMO.

I absolutely loved the two laps of the north loop that I did and wished that the weather was better and that I had been able to get a few more in but I have to agree with everything that was said in that link. I will probably go back regardless but I would be much happier doing so if some of the safety concerns highlighted were addressed without the place losing its character and charm.

Yeah if you have all the gear ready to go then it is a no brainer to swap it IMO.

That is one way to spice up the morning commute I guess. Is it sped up from around 4:30, the bits where he is weaving through traffic?

As with most Milotec stuff it is a definite no from me.

Which ever way it goes I hope you get it sorted. If they start playing off against each other just stand firm in that you know where your money went (Skoda UK) so your contract is with them and if they think the RAC is at fault (which TBH sounds to be the case) then it is up to them to do the leg work.

Thats the way its done I think my one sounds great and then I hear it from outside the car when someone else drives it and it is Childishly I think my favorite thing about it is when you change up at mid to high revs and you get that distinctive *fwaaarrrp* sound

Is that a 35mm drop on vRS ride height or that of the standard model?

£3250! If I could guarantee that much for mine I'd stack it myself! Shame to see it in that state though, I always loved those wheels on the mk1 :(

*squints* are they Cruz bars? If so, assuming you aren't using the optional barrel locks on them, expect those end caps to start snapping and dropping off (usually at speed :S ) over the coming months :p

I use roof mounted bars and after my first paranoid trip where I stopped after 5 miles of dual carriageway to check all was ok I just fit, double check with a rock of the bikes and forget about them. That setup with the straps... I'd be looking in my rear view mirror 90% of the time waiting ot see them disappear off into the distance! I imagine that at speed the top straps get a fair bit of load going through them and the bottom part of the frame too.

Ah ok, all as it should be then! Thanks! I should really have a bit of a clean up in there as it is a little grimy!

OK so probably a really daft question but I was having a poke around under the engine cover and spotted this odd shaped pipe. Is it meant to be like that?! Also while I'm asking daft questions, the big section of tube here. Should it be really soft and squidgy? It seems to be in good condition but I was surprised how easily it squashed down when you squeezed it. You can also see another view of the pipe mentioned above. Sorry for the stupid questions!

L plate Red Escort. Felt like two cars lightly tacked together and the clutch slipped with anything more than 1/3 throttle.

Horses for courses I guess. I had a Yeti for a day while my Octavia was being worked on. 1.4 TSi IIRC and while it didn't set the world on fire it was adequate. Fuel economy I won't comment on as it had 250 miles on the clock. Now if I had to put my money where my mouth is I'd have an Octavia over one BUT the Yet was a good car, no denying that. Not everyone wants a hatch that blends in to the background, some people like the quirky styling, some people like the raised driving position, some people live in remote areas with rubbish roads so want a bit of ground clearance but don't need the 4wd. The list is endless.