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So many broken picture links! I'll fix it one day. I feel I can finally unlurk properly now that I have something worthy of Autoshite to post about. Day One In the cold light of Day Two Came with some great features. The best thing about vinyl is that you *can* scrub it clean and with this old boat that was needed; everything was sticky and left a black residue on the hands. I've only been able to bring myself to spend an hour on the driver's door, the rest will have to wait for now. Doesn't look as big as it feels, weirdly. This is going to be my new daily in a few months, just got to get through a lot of cleaning and a bit of fettling. She's actually not that bad overall and only cost me £450 (plus £25 day insurance to collect her). The problems? >Quite a few rust blebs, but nothing serious or structural >Handbrake needs adjusting, I have to chock the wheels when parked on the drive >Driver's door window doesn't work >Probably decades of hand grease and silicone spray, built up in alternating layers. The engine bay is cleaner than the cabin. >Bonnet rams don't hold up the bonnet. >Neither do the boot rams. >Garage fitted electric fuel pump has no supressor, interferes with the LW/MW radio >PYE tape deck needs new belts, music played on it sounds like it's underwater >Bad previous respray with water contamination. But you know what, none of that matters. She's supremely comfortable and with some TLC over the summer should be in fine fettle. I'm not sure whether or not the people that look with face agog and jaw slack as I drive past are impressed, worried or amazed that a beige Princess with a brown roof still exists and is out on the road with someone a long way from pensionable age driving it.

None of my vehicles are really interesting enough for their own thread, so I'm going for a tat blog style consolidated thread. The modern* - Citroen Berlingo 2.0 HDi The best and only photo I have of it. Generally reliable but showing it's 153k miles in various areas. It's good at hauling people and things around, that's about all I can say. Current status - off road for fixing of torrential oil leak and floppy gear change. The classic* - BMW 318iS Photo stolen from seller's ad. A recent £292 ebay purchase. I thought I would strip it out and do some track days but after driving it for a while I'm not sure now. 112k miles, some sort of service history, far from a creampuff but hasn't been messed about with like so many. Check out the orange indicators and standard 15 inch rims. SOAVE. Current status - daily use. Motorbike 1 - Honda VFR750 Has done me well as a 'first big bike' but it's replacement is already lined up. Current status - Awoken from winter slumber and with MOT station pending results tomorrow. Motorbike 2 - Honda Fireblade Bought cheap as needs gearbox looking at - jumps out of second (they all do that if they've been ragged sir.) Current status - gearbox repair is after Berlingo on to-do list, hoping for on the road by June. So there they are. Not very interesting but I will update the thread with my with my various spannerings/misadventures/getting bored and selling them all etc.

This will be a short term project so going to start a thread rather than cluttering up my ‘Current long term car’ diary thread. So, after the shit storm of Corsa B to roffle ownership it got me in the mood for another project after the bargain Volvo last year. Had a look on FB marketplace and stumbled across a 2010 new* shape Seat Ibiza. Pretty poor photos, unwashed, unhoovered, just a lazy effort but I could see potential. So what do we have on offer here? 2010 ‘60 plate Seat Ibiza ‘Sport’ 1.6 Pez, N/A, chain driven. 7 speed DSG ULEZ friendly 134k with full stamped history from new, only missing this year as it’s due now. MOT’d last month, runs until 19/03/2025 2 keys Whats wrong with it? The main thing is NSR quarter, they scraped a post in a car park. Unrecorded. Air con isn’t very cold. It was up for £750, I threw a cheeky £500 offer and they replied £600, we met at £550. Here are the advert photos:

Collected on Page 2 here: https://autoshite.com/topic/57354-2006-golf-20tfsi-gti-bargain-basement-high-miler-tfsi-club/?do=findComment&comment=2940644 Mrs SiC is deeply unhappy with me. Apparently I should at least let her know that I'm buying something. However I did show her the advert the other day when she asked what I was doing. Turned her nose up by saying it's old looking and thought I was buying something decent next. Well I thought it was decent ... In truth I was intending to spend a good few grand on something far more modern. Except I was thinking about it while on the long walk to the garage to pick up the TT from it's MOT. Decided to message the chap to have at least a gander. Problem is that I tend to just buy if I see a car. So I tend not to see cars otherwise I'd be in even deeper multi-car doodoo. Seller took it in as a part ex. Got his dad to weld the sills up and then listed it. No interest at the original price. So knocked £195 off his asking price and offered it to me at a price with £500 off since Xmas. I'm a cheeky sod at times and knocked another hundred quid off despite being no offers. 😇 So it's cheap. It's done 197k. Zero history with the car. There is a massive hole where there should be a stereo. It runs, it drives and no warning lights. As there was no tax or insurance, I got the seller to do the test drive. Seemed to drive okay with no untoward noises and no apparent clutch slip. There was a weird grinding type noise when turning sharp out of a corner but I pretended I didn't hear that. While it's cheap, that doesn't mean it is a bargain. So it could be an absolute bargain or just as much an absolute turd that someone has used up all it's life. I'm catching the bus into work as handily there is a direct bus to his. Collection will be tomorrow afternoon/evening after work. Or probably today by the time you are reading this. P.s. someone buy my TT as I have too many cars again.

Right then, this is the ex @SmokinWaffle and @StinkwheelBX that was free in the summer but I paid £250 for last month. Im not too much of a story teller but want to show what's been done and any updates etc for those interested. I've not owned a Citroen for 15 years and that was a *normal one so jumped at the chance to save this beauty. She was rough, slammed to the ground and left everywhere covered in LHM piss. When @SmokinWaffle messaged to say he was struggling to get it off his drive I honestly thought what the f*@k have I let myself in for 😆 @worldofceri delivered her on time and was very helpful throughout, almost like hes done it before. And a huge relief when it fit into the garage fine I'd been briefed the leaks were likely plastic return pipes which they were but also weren't. First tackled the "small octopus" which handles all the return lines and literally disintegrated on contact. Managed to bodge improvise a repair until a more permanent solution be found. Not pretty but it's done the job. The next leak was found to be the NSR brake pipe which was sourced for about £40 from ebay and got this fitted. Surprisingly straight forward to do! All fitted along with a few return pipes I thought I was home and dry, filled her with LHM and up went the front end shortly followed by the back. Brilliant until......another pipe burst. This was a long front to back line and covered a load of the cars underside aswell as the garage floor. Was a bit disheartened as the price of this pipe seemed to be anything from £65 up to £138 which had me questioning if it was worth doing. I managed to find a local Citroen specialist near me and asked if he could help. He made up a pipe for me while I waited with right flares and connectors for £15, absolute hero. I fitted it back home no problem and was certainly a lot easier than taking it off. She's now able to rise and fall and without drenching everything in LHM....yessssss Next up was the nicer to do bits, x2 tyres which were included were fitted Door lock and card replaced easily enough and inside looking much nicer now although the ICE probably isn't up to much - a job for another day Did a mini service on here, probably at least 8/9 years since she's had new oil and filters so had to be done. Definately looked ready. Sounds like she's running alright tho.... https://youtu.be/NEQMb4BUzv4?si=AGBXNIWV9FZuz6zd Had an interesting time sorting out some bodgery in the rear light clusters mainly due to when the towbar was fitted. Dad thankfully helped fix a couple of connections I couldn't manage to trace the fault. Changed a few bulbs, cleaned up connections etc and a bulb board. Here is the donor car at the specialists (new best friend) I mentioned earlier...🤣 I was warned about a bad clutch cable/clutch but adjusted the bite point and seems to be holding up at the moment. After sorting out a washer jet for her I booked an MOT and packed a few breakdown essentials. Only a short distance to the garage but noticed a blow from the exhaust unfortunately en route. We stopped for fuel and love the way she looks back out in the wild again I've never seen the boys show so much interest in a car going for an MOT....😬 All was going well until we found a bearing/Bush loose but not the end of the world so.... After 8/9 years in a barn to only need a bush, exhaust patch and brakes adjusting I'll take it. Absolutely buzzing 🥲 Booked in with my Citroen guy on Wednesday so should have some news by end of week fingers crossed 🤞

What have I found? Busy day at the SiC household. With the Rover gone, it was time to pick up it's replacement. Due to an insurance timing fuck up on my part, @N Dentressangle kindly delivered this for me. Just done four hours of driving going back and forth so I'm now a bit knackered. I'd usually sit in it and have a fiddle but I might end up falling asleep in there.