AndyIggs

Had the same on mine. They did the fronts but wouldn't touch the rears. Luckily they weren't out but as you've mentioned probably don't want to be liable for any potential mishaps. 

Baws. 
Chassis is bent, it's a goner. 

Not too bad result for the TT MOT today. Knackered tyres are a good thing as excuse to chuck away the ditch finders and put something decent on. Glad the brake pedal sensor behaved itself and didn't chuck up the traction control light.

Got a set of brand new springs they are fitting too. Should sort out the lopsidedness and hopefully steering straight.

Garage said the slight exhaust blow it's the flexi between the manifold and cat. Also said it wasn't particularly bad and don't bother touching it until it gives more grief/noise.
I'm still very happy with this car. Does everything I need it to just fine.
More than enough poke to make A-road and B-road dawdlers overtaking easy. 36mpg or so on the motorway when using cruise control. Quattro useful in inclement weather. Seats very comfy for long distances and bum warmers heat up quickly. Cheap enough that I don't care that it now has door dings all along the side from train station/town/gym parking. Slightly annoying as it was immaculate along the sides but meh it is still a cheap car so don't need to get stressed about it. 
Not perfect as water is either still getting into the footwell or not drying out properly. I'd still have preferred a V6 and DSG for a better driving experience. If one in the right price come up (MK1 or even a MK2), I may still change. However at the same time this is generally being a solid, reliable car and I don't really need any more. So hard to justify spending out more for a V6. 
 
But I'm more than happy enough to justify chucking money at it now with stuff like the cambelt and water pump. 

My two pennorth.  The MOT is every 12 months for a reason. For most people, that is the only qualified attention that motor will see for 12 months. Bald tires, dangerously compromised suspension systems et al are the norm these days. As cars have become increasingly reliable people will do absolutely fuck all but drive them. Not trying to be alarmist or sensationalist but lengthening the test period will sign some poor fuckers death warrant. And like as not it won't be the bone idle selfish prick driving the mobile death trap.
For what it's worth, I also think the MOT exemption is bollocks, and I own a 55 year old car. I'm a time served mechanical engineer whose been in the game since 16 (just turned 42 this week). I know my way around a piece of machinery, whatever its job, I'm in heavy industrial plant it's what I'm paid for. However, my classic will be presented to my trusted MOT tester every 12 months cos he knows what he is on with. He tells me it's safe, I'll not be deciding for myself.
In the wrong hands, in poor running order, a ton and a half of steel will seriously hurt or kill someone. End of.

Aaaaaaand it's FTP'd.
Mrs Grogee called and said she couldn't start it. Initially I thought it was something daft like not pressing clutch + brake or something.
Anyway she's done all that and no dice. Then radio died as well and central locking didn't respond. Not a sausage from the starter. 
To be honest I'd already spotted that the battery looked like the wrong one so it's probably a scrap unit just to get it sold.
Alternatively it's OMGRENNOWELECTRICS but either way, A Man is coming to have a look tomorrow. Which is nice, because I had visions of crawling around on her work car park in -5°C weather.
A nice bloke called Barry tried to get her going with jump leads but again, no joy - just a 'click' from the solenoid so I'm hoping it's just battery or maybe starter. (No she didn't leave the lights on, I checked).

Oh wow 
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/225336892060?ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true

Oh wow 
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/225336892060?ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true

Oh wow 
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/225336892060?ul_ref=https%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-53200-19255-0%2F1&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true

Nah. She introduces me with "Matts a grumpy cunt". They leave me alone then

Fear not... came back a couple hours ago and....

Clean sheet 

Well, gang. Some sad news to report this evening. Emma, whom the car is named after and transported me to the collection point, has been discharged from hospital with the numbing words “there’s nothing more we can do”. She’s hoping to see Christmas, but that feels ambitious. 
To anyone who has just lost a loved one, or who is on the cusp of, my heart goes out to you. My world will always be just a little less colourful henceforth.

I was just thinking last night how you got on with changing them. Excellent news and hopefully save a lot of time (and expense) in diagnostics.

It's only gone and fixed it! Old plugs swapped back as I knew these were definitely working before installing the new (fake) ones, only difference I could see was the print on the plugs. Definitely lesson learnt, I had no idea of fakes but kind of makes sense with them being £20 a plug. They lasted less than 2k miles before one or more started to break down. 
Thank you gents 👍

Car doing regular car stuff. 


 
Pretty cold out at the moment though

 
A combination of powerful heated seats, strong heater (specced for convertible), comparatively (compared to modern) fuel hungry engine (more heat) and small cabin means a fast heating & cosy interior. While no Ford Quickclear windscreen, it's quite small so quick to scrape and the heat melts anything remaining quickly enough to prevent refreezing.

I probably should stop doing it, but the quattro system doesn't half hook up from the get go. Trying to do a similarly quick pullout onto a main road in the Civic just resulted in a lot of squealing and traction control light flashing. That's on good tyres too. 

The plan is to service the Haldex at some point as no history of it being changed. It's effectively only a type of hydraulic fluid and with no combustion by products, it shouldn't age and only wear. Given the type of buyer who opts for the 180bhp, I suspect it's led quite a easy life. After a drive out, the fluid is only at around 30c too. So I'm in no real rush. By servicing it, I'm mostly intrigued to see what state the fluid is in. Only other things left are sorting the suspension out and fitting cruise control. Then MOT up in end of February.

With the Xmas break coming up, I might do some of those things. Otherwise there isn't really anything to report. Sorry it's not a very exciting update. You've done well to read to this point!

This is a good thing though as having a good, interesting and generally reliable modern makes me able to want/need to focus on my classics without having to touch the moderns. (No more till I've got what I've got sorted).

Fuck me, that was tense.

Got the train to Leicester and the seller picked me up, gave me a lift to his place and the MX5. 
Seller insists on feeding me, in the kitchen doing payment etc, and there's food on the table, he insisted I have some of the vegetable rice there, was pretty good to be fair, and kept me going. 
He just gives me the V5 to sort out in my own time. 
Off on my way, bit of alternator belt squeal that quickly clears up. 

Problem 1 - both mirrors are broken and held on with mastic. Limited visibility. 
Go to a McDonald's nearby to set myself up for the 100 miles home. 

Problem 2 - can't tax it, old 11 digit blue V5. 7:30pm, no post offices. 

Go to start the car and the (incorrect) battery has carked it (had terrible luck with batteries recently), called AA for a jump. Car's charging etc, just needed a kick up the arse. Didn't fancy bump starting as there were coppers in the car park. 
Headed to a Tesco a couple of miles away, fuelled up without turning it off on the self serve - as I was pulling in another Eunos left. Thought that was a good sign. 

Drove home in one shot up the M1 - praying for no coppers. Did pass a traffic car in south Yorkshire somewhere but it was too busy dealing with a foreign artic. 
Car's good, it has a weird thing where it bogs down sometimes when the revs drop, it feels like either the cone filter/MAF isn't quite happy (going to see if the standard airbox off the 1.6 fits but think the MAF is different), or very aggressive VVT (that it doesn't have). 

Drives well, just need to sort the niggles out and it'll be a goodun. 

It's a Eunos Roadster G-Limited - a Jap special edition that gets you some pretty metallic dark blue paint, faux suede seats, fancy Momo steering wheel, a four-speaker stereo, Torsen diff... all the good Jap spec parts. 


 
I'll get some pics in the light tomorrow, none yet because dark and stressed.
 

Passed my Mod 2 this morning! Much easier than the Mod 1 although I was shitting myself just before.
I now have a full motorbike licence!
Now I need to get myself a bike. Which means I'll probably need to sell a car (or two).

I call that a win.

I may* have just done a buy. MG ZR+ 105. 
72k miles, 3 owners, last one a 60ish year old lady that bought from the original owners (family friends) First owner was the dealership. Cambelt done at 62k. Few very small niggles that are easily sorted. MOT expired 4 days ago but has only done 900 miles since last one. I know about OMGHGF with these but this one seems good, no milky stuff in the oil filler and clean coolant. Huge stack of paperwork to go with the car.
So autoshite collective what can/ should I expect? 

Fingers crossed that'll fix your issue. Stuff like this can lead going down an unnecessary diagnostic rabbit hole. Then the spark plug manufacturer gets a bad name despite it not being their fault. 

Luckily I retained the box the new plugs came in and kept the old NGK's in there. The box has confirmed they are fake's as per the advice given online: https://www.blingstrom.com/modmondays-fxt-1/2020/1/5/ngk-counterfeit-spark-plugs-how-to-tell-the-difference-ilfr6b-6481
Will swap them over the weekend and see how we go!
 

Been a while but a small update! Just coming up to 118k now on the silver dream machine.
MAF sensor taken off, cleaned but still seeing idle issues. The only thing I did find on another check is the "hockey puck" section of the PCV has a slight weep to the valve with some lovely oily contents, so off it came and replaced with a new one:

Whilst in a productive mood and to be 100% sure, I replaced the remaining 3 coilpacks:

Ruck of pipework connected to the block also checked with no damage or splits seen, and assembled back together (again). The only good thing about doing this is I'm relatively quick at taking all this off and back on again the amount of times I've done this now!

Unfortunately this has still made no difference to the missfire. Already pumped a fair few £ into this now and don't fancy any further games of "part darts" so I've given in and its booked into the garage next week for a smoke/compression test.
Fingers crossed nothing major comes out the woodwork as I really do enjoy running around in this thing and it makes a perfect winter shed.

Been a while but a small update! Just coming up to 118k now on the silver dream machine.
MAF sensor taken off, cleaned but still seeing idle issues. The only thing I did find on another check is the "hockey puck" section of the PCV has a slight weep to the valve with some lovely oily contents, so off it came and replaced with a new one:

Whilst in a productive mood and to be 100% sure, I replaced the remaining 3 coilpacks:

Ruck of pipework connected to the block also checked with no damage or splits seen, and assembled back together (again). The only good thing about doing this is I'm relatively quick at taking all this off and back on again the amount of times I've done this now!

Unfortunately this has still made no difference to the missfire. Already pumped a fair few £ into this now and don't fancy any further games of "part darts" so I've given in and its booked into the garage next week for a smoke/compression test.
Fingers crossed nothing major comes out the woodwork as I really do enjoy running around in this thing and it makes a perfect winter shed.

I have also been sold hooky NGK plugs

Are you 100% sure your NGKs are genuine? Quite a lot of fake ones kicking around, especially on eBay.