Bonelorry's Lemon Yellow Daily

[bonelorry]

3 hours ago, Wardy said:

Fantastic effort, as always!

 

I think the less that are around like this, the more satisfying it is to see one in this condition. So thanks for sharing 

 

Cheers Wardy

 

3 hours ago, Tomote said:

That looks loooooovvveelllly 

 

Thank You!

[Robshaw]

As above - Lovely well kept car for the age!

 

[Wardy]

Makes me want one again to be honest!

 

No reason not to have one for 4th time I guess 

[corndog]

Thought i saw a bit of dirt on one of those wheels but it was on my computer screen...

 

Very clean car you have there, photos look like they are straight from a magazine

[bonelorry]

13 hours ago, Robshaw said:

As above - Lovely well kept car for the age!

 

 

Thanks Rob, Yes hard to believe its 14 Years old.

 

12 hours ago, Wardy said:

Makes me want one again to be honest!

 

No reason not to have one for 4th time I guess 

 

This is my 3rd, Trouble is I know how hard it will be to find another decent one if I ever let it go.

 

Even the big money 2007 SE’s I have seen For Sale don’t look a patch on mine condition wise.

 

11 hours ago, corndog said:

Thought i saw a bit of dirt on one of those wheels but it was on my computer screen...

 

Very clean car you have there, photos look like they are straight from a magazine

 

Thanks mate

[bonelorry]

Been a few Months since my last post, I still have the trusty Fabia. 

 

Its due its Service in September, I like to alternate the Services and the last Big One was done in 2017 while 2018 was just an Oil Change so it will be a Major Service again this Year.

I have noticed over the past few Weeks that there has been a small amount of Free Play at the bottom of the Handbrake Lever, Traced it to the OSR Brake Caliper which is not fully returning. The Cables and NSR Caliper are fine.

 

The OSR Caliper does return when pushed by hand and its not binding/sticking enough to cause any problems but its only going to get worse and the NSR is bound to follow so I will be getting a New Pair of Rear Brake Caliper's when I get it Serviced. Also disappointingly the Rear Discs have not lasted long at all, These where fitted in Sep 2017 about 12000 Miles ago but are badly Lipped and Corroded. Genuine Items too! The Rear Pads are still like New though.

So I might aswell get some New Rear Discs & Pads at the same time as the Calipers. Got to be right!

Gave the Car its usual Wash this Morning and it still looks fantastic, Trying out a New Autoglym Product for between Wax applications. For those that don't know it is called Polar Seal and is applied via the Lance on the Pressure Washer, It is put on while the Car is still Wet after the Wash Stage but before drying and offers a decent amount of protection. Seen some really good reviews on Detailing World.

Think thats about it!

Cheers

[bonelorry]

Still got it!

Rang my Local TPS and was informed that as of May 1st 2019 they no longer sell the Public, Unless you are a Trade Customer and have your own Garage or are a Taxi Driver they will no longer supply anything.

Did some shopping around on ebay and managed to get the Full Service Kit all Genuine Parts including Quantum Platinum 5W40 Oil for £60 Delivered, It was all sourced from VW or Seat Dealers anyway albeit on ebay.

 

Sourced a Pair of Brand New TRW Rear Calipers in OEM VRS Green for £180 and probably going to go for a some Plain Brembo Rear Discs and pads. I have booked it in for September with my Ex-Vag Mechanic who has looked after the Fabia since I got it back in early 2017.

Other than that its all good so I can't complain, Think the Fabia has just ticked over 83000 Miles so plenty of life left in it yet.

 

Its here to stay for the foreseeable because I have just sold Both my Motorbikes after a bad spell of Reliability problems amongst other reasons I am taking a Break from Motorcycle Ownership and will be returning to Performance Car Ownership, However the Fabia will be kept as my Daily and a Toy of some-sort will be purchased....

[kentdale]

That is one well cared for vrs, a real credit to you.

Mine is miles away from looking as good but seeing this and Lofty's  gives me hope to get it looking better.

[bonelorry]

On 10/08/2019 at 09:11, kentdale said:

That is one well cared for vrs, a real credit to you.

Mine is miles away from looking as good but seeing this and Lofty's  gives me hope to get it looking better.

Thanks, I do try to keep it in good order. It is by far the longest period I have ever kept a Car for which is a testament to how good it has been.

Lofty's is on another level but I would like to think if I did decide to do a Restoration on a Car I wouldn't do a bad job of it.

 

I still look at what MK1 Fabia's for Sale just to keep an eye on things and very rarely if ever see many Standard and unmodified Cars in similar condition to mine.

[bonelorry]

Well as mentioned previously, Its that time of the Year when the Car gets its Annual Service. I have it booked in for next Tuesday the 10th, As usual the same chap who has done all the previous Work for me will be carrying out the Service. While its in it will also be having a Pair of New Rear Calipers, Rear Discs and Pads along with a Brake Fluid Change.

He is very thorough which is why I use him and he will of-course also go through everything else on the Car and check all the Suspension, Steering, Bushes, Bulbs, Battery and Charge Rate, Exhaust and fixings etc.

I am in a good place with the Fabia and have quite a bond with the Car as "Touch Wood" it has never given me a single issue but I am a strong believer you can build reliability into a Car if it is looked after properly, If I think about it most of the Wear and Tear Items have been replaced by me and/or Checked with everything else every 6 Months. Once at MOT Time in Feb and again in September at Service Time.

Just got back this Morning from my Monthly 200 mile Journey to my Dads and the Car never missed a Beat. It averaged 59MPG at an average Speed of 60MPH with the majority been on Cruise Control.

I made a slight detour on my way back and collected the last few Parts from GSF in Sheffield, Had a quick glance at the paperwork when I got Home and have done just shy of 7000 Miles in the Car since last September as its just ticked over 84300 Miles.

Car was on about 68200 when I got it so I reckon I have only done about 16000 Miles since buying the Car in March 2017   

So next Week the Fabia will be having the following done....

Full/Major Service all Genuine Parts...

: Genuine Oil Filter P/N S071115562C

: Genuine Air Filter P/N 6Q0129620

: Genuine Fuel Filter P/N S6Q0127401B

: Genuine Pollen Filter P/N S6Q0820367B

: Quantum Platinum 5W40 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil

: Genuine Sump Plug & Washer P/N N90813202

Also as mentioned the OSR Caliper is sticking on the Handbrake Portion, I diagnosed it a while back and although its got no worse with Winter Fast approaching I am replacing the lot...

: 2 x Rear TRW Brake Calipers, OEM Green P/N BHN945 & BHN946

: 1 Pair of Genuine Handbrake Helper/Return Springs P/N 1K0615296 & 1K0615295 

: New Brembo Rear Discs, 232MM
: New Brembo Rear Brake Pads
: 1 Litre of ATE TYP200 Brake Fluid

Oh an I have got a New Pair of Front Wipers too, Bosch SP19S & SP21S.

[Lofty]

Preventative maintenance at its best. How these cars should be looked after, not run on a shoestring and neglected!

[Tech1e]

1 hour ago, Lofty said:

not run on a shoestring and neglected!

 

Which most are these days. 

[bonelorry]

14 hours ago, Tech1e said:

 

Which most are these days. 

 

Sadly so mate 😞

[Guest BigJase88]

lovely car

 

have a soft spot for lemon yellow with high spec

 

😍

 

would love to go back in time and have my 05 plate one again

[bonelorry]

3/9/19...

Realised after posting Yesterday I have not put any recent Pictures of the Fabia on the Thread since March.

Gave the Car what I call "A Lazy Wash" this Morning, The Big Detail I did in March just makes general Cleaning that bit easier through the Summer as nothing sticks to the paintwork. I reckon when I fit the Winter Steelies in a few Months it will be ready for a good Coat of Collinites Wax again.
 

On Today's Lazy Wash I did the following...

: Full thorough Rinse including Wheel Arches and Sill Bottoms using Karcher K2.
: Pre-Wash using Autobrite HD Snow Foam Lance and Magifoam, Left for 5 Minutes to Dwell.
: Full thorough Rinse.
: 2-Bucket Wash using Meguairs NXT Shampoo & Lambswool Mitt.
: Rinsed.

: Autoglym Polar Seal Applied via Pressure Washer, As per AG Instructions 40ML Product adding 200ML of Water.

: Rinsed.

: Towel Dried using Elite Car Care Plush Drying Towel.
: Final Wipe over Paintwork with Elite Buffing Towel and Quick Detailer Spray to remove any Water Spots.

Other Exterior...

: Autoglym Fast Glass on all Windows.

 

Still looks OK to me....

 

 

 

[Lofty]

Yeah hides it’s age really well Simon!

[bonelorry]

11/9/19...

Dropped the Car off Yesterday Morning for its Major Service and Rear Brake work doing, All Parts as mentioned a few Posts ago were used.

Currently on 84537 Miles to be exact! Happily another full Clean bill of Health given by my Mechanic, He said he wished all the vehicles he worked on came in as good condition as mine and a pleasure to work on.

Nothing to report on the Underside Steering/Suspension/Bushings/Exhaust etc, Before I dropped it off I removed all the Wheels myself at Home and took the Stick on Balance Weights off removing the Glue residue with the Caramel Wheel (OCD I know!) because I got him to rotate the Wheels and Re-Balance them to even the Wear out on the Uniroyals.

Its hard to say exactly how many Miles I have done on the Uniroyal RS3's because I only run them for 6 Months of the Year but based on my average Mileage I reckon about 6000 Miles so far. The Fronts are on 4mm and the Rears on 6mm so now rotated they should all wear out around the same time, Probably by the end of next Year if I still own the Car by then  I only mention the Tyres because I know that the Uniroyal RS3's are not the most durable due to the Soft Compound but I can't complain, They seem to work well on the Fabia and are a big improvement over the Hankooks previously fitted and given my last Car was a Golf R with Michelin PS4's and unlimited levels of grip the Fabia does OK for what it is.

I am going to keep the Alloys on a bit longer this Year because in the past I have put the Winters on too early, I will be honest the Car doesn't drive particularly well on the 15" Winter Tyres/Steelies and they are only really necessary between November-March.

Funnily enough when I was walking to collect the Car my Mechanic was out on Road Test and I saw him drive past in the distance and back down towards his Garage, I was in my own little world and looked up and thought....."Oh a Lemon Yellow Fabia VRS, That looks Mint"  Then realised it was my Car  I don't think I have ever seen it in motion since buying it.



 

[bonelorry]

Just renewed the Insurance on the Fabia this Morning, Went with Hastings for the 3rd Year in a row. Opted for their Premier Cover which comes with Legal, Breakdown, Windscreen etc etc

£270 Fully Comp with Protected NCB, Not bad at all.

Bit of a sad post as it will be the last time I renew the Insurance, My reason for this post in particular is that I have been giving serious thought over the past Month with regard to replacing the Fabia at some point in the not too distant future.

I have owned the Car for over 2 Years and 7 Months, Absolute Record! Enjoyed it very much in that time and will no doubt miss the Car however, Its at a Stage where its still relatively low Mileage and although I have spent a considerable amount of money and time on the Car over my ownership I feel still looking at the current Market that the Fabia has some value and is a very saleable Car so for me if I can sell it on (Hopefully to another enthusiast) and get back a decent amount on my original Purchase price I have not done bad.

I am actively looking at whats about and if something takes my fancy then I will be buying it outright, I don't think that I will be trading the Fabia in as I wont get anywhere near what its worth.

 

[kentdale]

Looks very tidy, as you mention time owned, having owned a Volvo xc 70 d5 from two years old for 13 years and just rolled over 100,00mls that's a record for me! been supremely reliable and has a power house of an engine when towing c van.

[bonelorry]

17 hours ago, kentdale said:

Looks very tidy, as you mention time owned, having owned a Volvo xc 70 d5 from two years old for 13 years and just rolled over 100,00mls that's a record for me! been supremely reliable and has a power house of an engine when towing c van.

 

Thanks, It is a tidy example but this comes with lots of time and effort to keep it that way. Something I enjoy doing.

I appreciate that in the scheme of things, My Ownership term is relativity short compared to yours!

I don't think I could ever own a Car/Bike for that length of time, I was changing every 3-6 Months until I got this Fabia VRS in 2017 which is actually my 3rd. I've had well over 50 Cars now since I started Driving in 2005 with the vast majority been Performance Cars including a few Volvo 850R, T5-R and S70R's since you mention Volvo's.

Likewise though, The Fabia has been and still is a pleasure to own and Drive. It has also been very reliable but I am just getting itchy feet and just want a change...Probably regret the decision when it has gone.

I think my other issue is I usually have a couple of Motorbikes as well as the Car, These keep me entertained in my spare time but I sold them both in August so at current I only have the Fabia and as such have a considerable amount of Money burning a hole in my pocket. I thought about buying a second Car as a Toy and keeping the Fabia as a Daily (which is what it is now) but the only Cars I really wanted to buy where not exactly cheap and having £20K tied up in a Car to sit in the Garage for most of the Year whilst running the Fabia every day seemed a bit silly.

So I am currently thinking of selling the Fabia and buying something similar but a bit newer to replace it with which is difficult because there are not many similar sized Cars that are relatively Simple, Fun, Decent looking and offer a bit of Performance. Then buying another Motorbike over Winter for something to look forward to next Spring and to tick the Performance box.

[kentdale]

Hi bonelorry, seriously ,if you are considering selling the car I would be very interested in its purchase, that would allow me to give my adopted on back to my son  as he loved it ,fixed of course.

Martin

 

[bonelorry]

8/12/19...

 

Possibly One of my last updates on the Fabia, Left it a bit late this Year for swapping the Wheels over but had a few Hours spare this Morning so cracked on with it.

 

I usually fit the Winters in October but I got Married last Week so Preparing for the Big Day tied up most of my free time in October/November.

 

A good Friend of mine has said he wants the Fabia when I am ready to sell it, I have had probably 10 People ask for first refusal but Ive known him for over 20 Years and can confirm he is a VAG Nut and owns a MK3 Golf VR6, Coraddo VR6, A Bay Window Camper, Half a Beetle and a MK4 Golf TDI 130 PD so it will be going to a good home.

 

The Fabia is to replace his MK4 Golf Daily which has done close to 200K Miles!
 

I am pretty sure it will happen after the Fabia’s next MOT in Jan/Feb and I am 90% sure on what I am going to replace the Fabia with as a Daily.

 

will keep you all posted on any developments.

Edited 8 December, 2019 by bonelorry

[bonelorry]

Well thats that, Just put a Deposit down on the Fabia’s replacement. Its taken quite a while to find something that is upto my standards but I think I will be happy with my choice.

 

The Fabia is a hard Car to replace as its been so good and does a good job in so many areas but I am ready for change now.

 

I am collecting the New Car next Friday but would like to say Thanks to all that contributed to this Thread over nearly the past 3 Years.

[john999boy]

Looking forward to the new Project Thread then! 

[bonelorry]

1 hour ago, john999boy said:

Looking forward to the new Project Thread then! 

Cheers, I wasn’t going to make One this time round but I will mull it over.

 

it will be in the Non Skoda Section though I am afraid.