AnnoyingPentium's Adventures - Fabia Fettling and Other Nonsense

[Wibble]

Excellent news!

[RoverFolkUs]

Not bad just to have that one advisory! Definitely worth checking the front brake hose ferrules a bit more closely when you've next got the wheel off. 

They're a bit hidden from view from the MOT tester but I've quite often found them to be in terrible condition and rotten to nothing if looking closer, with the wheel off and protective cover peeled back. 

Especially in that there Scotland!

[RichardK]

I hate ferul brake hoses. So vicious compared to domesticated ones

[rainagain]

14 hours ago, RichardK said:

I hate ferul brake hoses. So vicious compared to domesticated ones

Don’t blame the hoses, blame the owners is what I say. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Seems I've had this three years now.

 

Jesus Christ.

 

Nearly 40k miles in my ownership. Cost me approximately 19p per mile to run on repairs and fuel so that's not bad in my book. 

Aiming for it to tick over to 100k miles by the end of the year.

[AnnoyingPentium]

The lesser used Fabia...

I'll be honest, this has been almost absolutely faultless since purchasing the Vectra (shame I can't say the same about the Vec, but AVAS). Since the spring replacement at the start of the year, I've had a hell of a bang coming from the driver's side front suspension. After much testing of components, it's the new shock absorber that's not doing its job. Replacement on the way, but it drives superb provided you avoid sudden changes to road surface/height.

Averaging a good 39/40mpg if I'm lucky, and now on nearly 94,000 miles.

I still think it's a great wee car, and it's the only one I can get the dog in and out of because he doesn't like the Vauxhall, and the Duster is too high up. Maybe Volvo estate time, it's only natural, surely?

[AnnoyingPentium]

This is still here. Running well*, it does minimal mileage now (about 20 miles a week) as I just use the Vectra mostly.

It's now got new seats inside, as the Bohemia ones I had from @JMotor's mate were very tired getting, and uncomfortable as a result. So I've got cool* patterned ones from the top spec Elegance. They're allegedly heated as well. Just need to get the looms from another car, although Kufatec in Germany do sell them brand new still!

Picking up new alloys in a couple of weeks to really tidy it up externally, then can get the new wing painted properly. Feel like I'm doing it a disservice just letting it go in terms of appearance.

I also washed* it (chucked wax and a power washer over it) for the first time in a while.

Now on 95k miles, I want to use it a bit more, when the shite weather comes in, it'll come into its own.

Thought about selling this, especially since it's hardly used now, but it costs buttons to run, and apart from the brake hose malfunction in Stirling, it's always there when I need it. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Whilst waiting for the Vectra to bomb its MOT, I'm cutting about in this. The windscreen really needed cleaned, that then meant I did the side windows... and eventually the whole car. Whoops.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Cracking thread. We bought our lad a 1.4 16v Ambiente about 6 years ago.  Previously owned by an old fella that had it dealer serviced every year even though it only did 2-3k a year. They certainly skinned him, when you read through the invoices he had so many brake rebuilds and new plugs alternate years it was rediculous.  Have to admit it didn’t get that with us.  The lad took it from 60 to 130k, we never changed the plugs or cam belt. Mainly because he’s useless and I rarely got to see it. Even oil changes often went 12-15k before I’d notice how many miles he’d done since I last changed it.  I’d get to see it mot time, and most years had a reasonable list, bushes, springs, lamba sensor, coil packs, more brakes……. But everything I did to it just went well. Bolts undid rather than snapping.  Even the exhaust heat shield bolts came undone without much effort when I did the lamba.  Have to admit I was very impressed with it, our previous Sharans were never as good as this.  Ultimately it died early last year, he’d ended up homeless and had walked away from a good job (good for him anyway), and ended up in a hostel.  He’d also been caught a second time for no insurance….like I say he’s utterly useless.  So off it went to scrap earlier this year. I did manage to salvage a decent set of Falkens off it, and the new coil packs.  Just in case he ever got enough money for another, but it’s holly unlikely.  
So instead……we’ve bought ourselves one😂😂

We’ve been keeping our eyes out for a similar 1.4 16v 100hp in Estate variety in Red. Love a red car me, always have.  And this one turned up a few weekends back, not too far away. Super low miles at 47k.  Collected it Saturday.  Bought as a runabout and to replace my Astra diesel estate.  It’ll do the odd tip run when needed as the wife doesn’t like me putting crap in her Mazda 6 tourer.  Not had much time to check it over yet, and I’m away to Spain on my bike next week, and we’ve got Solar going on the roof as soon as I get back, but then I’ll get more of a chance to have a better look round it.  I have managed to collect a set of 14” alloys for it yesterday, thinking I’ll stick the Falkens on those rather than the ditchfinders it’s currently on.  
 

Very interested in the cup holder you replaced the ashtray with. Where’d you find that? 
And, we’ve been investigating your home area the last few summers.  I’ve had a couple of visits to the biker hotel in Moffat and have also stopped in Garlieston with the wife in our Moho.  It’s becoming our go to starting place for our summer holidays, three or four nights in Galloway then up to FtBill Bunree campsite for 9-10nights.  

[AnnoyingPentium]

37 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Very interested in the cup holder you replaced the ashtray with. Where’d you find that? 

Nice write-up there!

I bought the cup holder through someone I know! They're increasingly rare, but I'll see if I can source the part number for you.

[Yoss]

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to hijack your thread briefly. I could have put it in the lazy spotters thread but I feel it would have been lost there. I drove past this on the way home, did a double take and had to drive round the block and come back. 

I've never seen a mk1 in Rallye Green, I'm sure it's a colour that was only introduced on the mk2 on both Fabia and Octavia. 

It looked mint, even the wheels were shiny black which is no mean feat this time of year. But apart from the colour it looked absolutely standard, it wasn't barried at all. Even the wheels are standard mk1 VRS just painted black, again not an option on the mk1 but was on mk2. The interior looked completely original and clean too. Very very impressed. 

Right you can have your thread back now, thanks. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to hijack your thread briefly. I could have put it in the lazy spotters thread but I feel it would have been lost there. I drove past this on the way home, did a double take and had to drive round the block and come back. 

I've never seen a mk1 in Rallye Green, I'm sure it's a colour that was only introduced on the mk2 on both Fabia and Octavia. 

It looked mint, even the wheels were shiny black which is no mean feat this time of year. But apart from the colour it looked absolutely standard, it wasn't barried at all. Even the wheels are standard mk1 VRS just painted black, again not an option on the mk1 but was on mk2. The interior looked completely original and clean too. Very very impressed. 

Right you can have your thread back now, thanks. 

That's lovely! I've always wondered what one would look like in that colour. Must be a custom job, but very good nevertheless. 

[Yoss]

Actually, I just checked and DVLA says it's black, which only bits of it are. I think it might have been done quite recently looking at how tidy it was. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Still going, just!

About to be hit with a shed load of mileage after sitting mostly dormant for the past few weeks. Oh this is going to be interesting!

Will do a write-up of how it and I get on again since I've been using the Vectra more lately. The drive around the block with it earlier was... questionable.

[Wibble]

Liked in anticipation of what’s to come.