LoftyvRS

Solid chodding there Ryan. My ex had a 1999 2.0 Ghia 5dr, and it was a solid dependable old thing. Bit like the ex tbh. The Ghia seats were a velour pleasure palace to sit in, coupled with the plastic wood dash is was almost luxurious. The 2.0 was a thirsty bastard though. Bit like the ex tbh. Hers also suffered with the plastic chrome boot strip rubbing through the paint and leaving a stain on the back end. Bit like the ex tbh.

Early 2000's and with a blank cheque book (remember those?) I'd be happily ordering a 406 2.0 Hdi (110bhp) Executive Estate in Diablo Red metallic but I'd want to specify the tan/caramel leather trim. Be happy with that, comfy as a sofa, good on fuel and still looks stylish to this day. If money was really no object i'd see if they could locate any unregistered 306 Rallye's and order one of them for the other half while I was at it

The border patrol should go easy on you knowing how many boiled eggs you have on board

Bit late in the day to ask for a reliable poo count so far?

There's probably a "donor" car being sized up in the West Midlands to repair that already.

Don't throw the towel in yet Ryan, of all the Fabia petrol engines, the 1.2 three pot's are the most ungrateful bastards when it comes to running issues, closely followed by the 1.4 16v ones. Hopefully you'll get it sorted especially after the investment of time and money into this one.

At one point I had two identical Fabia vRS's - running the same wheels, suspension and similar plates. The Black one was my daily and the Yellow one was (and still is) a show pony. Black one now dead and broken for spares sadly.

My missus tells me off for being a grumbling pedant about this as well, anything post 2001 font on cars pre that date just look wrong, on both TV, in car sales adds, etc.

I see the "presenter" still hasn't cleaned under his fingernails yet....

Back in 2004, whilst working for myself, a fellow member of the local RS Owners Club was in a bit of financial strife and needed some funds, he offered me his 1 previous owner Sapphire RS Cosworth for £3k, real lovely low mileage standard thing. I just couldn't justify taking the money out of the business for it. Right decision at the time, wrong one in hindsight. Oh well.

Clue's in my username. Best car I have ever owned, and would still own today if it was not for ULEZ (when visiting clients in Birmingham and London) and getting a Labrador was my old Fabia vRS. Pictured here in France in 2018 it was used for family holidays, 40k a year (mostly commuting), and I piled over 100k onto it in 2.5 years, taking it to 200k, it was solid, reliable, quick (ish) and good on fuel. Never ever let me down, could jump in and cover any distance without even thinking about reliability. Even modified it was ultra solid. Regular fastidious maint helped of course. Used to get 52mpg tank after tank, and still adore PD's to this day. Yes the majority on the road are shitboxes now and they have the kind of reputation that is not exactly savoury but i'd still run one as a daily no bother if needed to.

That's a positive outcome right there!

I agree with this, my sister had a 1978 T reg 2.0 GL Capri and that rode just like a Cortina, but you seemed to sit lower in the car and the bonnet was obv longer.

And you have the Sat Nav specific cup holder as well Ryan, the lickers will love that on Briskoda....

It seem to be rife round here at the moment (West Mids) with every day FB posts of folks having Fiesta's stolen by the hour from local shopping centres, and JLR/VAG/BMW going overnight from folks houses. Bloke over the road bought a new BMW m135i and within a week it was gone from his drive, and this was 8pm at night, relay theft again.