AnnoyingPentium's Adventures - Fabia MOT Pass!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I'm home, been home for about an hour now.

So, as a little follow up to round off the trip today...

320 miles, one tank of petrol (about about 100 miles to spare in the tank). Works out about 42mpg average with four in the car and some lead footedness here and there on some exciting bits of the road (and trying to cross the A1, that was interesting*). While I'm here, I may as well share some photographs taken by my mate in the passenger seat and myself once out of the car. In a bid to save space on the server (as seen in the tech help thread), I broke out my Sony Mavica from 2001. It's a neat thing and fits the weird time warp I find myself living in.

The views were wonderful on the way over to Berwick. The roads got a bit twisty, but this car comes into its own somewhat when it comes to corners, it's a nice balance of decent handling and comfort. Definitely think it's going to need shock absorbers done though as it still likes to bounce a hell of a lot. That's a job for future me, before that I've got a sidelight bulb to replace as one seems to have died today. Just a small issue, so I'll write this trip down as rather successful.

Obligatory "one-eyed monster" pez station shot, from one of the cheapest petrol stations in the arse end of Ayrshire that no-one likes.

The last time I was up in Berwick with Lady_Grumpius we decided to visit a civilised country, so crossed the border and found a gorgeous little fishing village about 10 miles up the coast.  I forget which one it was, probably St Abbs - but next time you're there and need somewhere to stop for lunch...

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

The last time I was up in Berwick with Lady_Grumpius we decided to visit a civilised country, so crossed the border and found a gorgeous little fishing village about 10 miles up the coast.  I forget which one it was, probably St Abbs - but next time you're there and need somewhere to stop for lunch...

Good to know, cheers. We acquired lunch at Tesco in Auchinleck before setting off (£3.40 for a meal deal these days is daylight robbery, not happy about that) and ate it in the car park beside the B&M in Berwick. On the way home we stopped at a fine* Wetherspoons in Galashiels for our tea, it was alright, it's the same as most 'spoons pubs I've been in to be honest. Parking was easy enough after I drove by the car park twice!

Would I go back in that direction to Berwick again? Aye, definitely, but I need to have more than a few hours there next time.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Good to know, cheers. We acquired lunch at Tesco in Auchinleck before setting off (£3.40 for a meal deal these days is daylight robbery, not happy about that) and ate it in the car park beside the B&M in Berwick. On the way home we stopped at a fine* Wetherspoons in Galashiels for our tea, it was alright, it's the same as most 'spoons pubs I've been in to be honest. Parking was easy enough after I drove by the car park twice!

Would I go back in that direction to Berwick again? Aye, definitely, but I need to have more than a few hours there next time.

Just don't do what I did once and drive from Edinburgh to Kent in one go with a hangover.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Just don't do what I did once and drive from Edinburgh to Kent in one go with a hangover.

Honestly, that'd be the death of me. I suppose I'm quite lucky in the sense that I don't drink as much (anymore) to acquire a hangover. Once, making an absolute tit of myself at a party was plenty when I was paying for it that night/morning/next day.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

You're a quick learner.  I, however, am not.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Lol, this is fun.

 

[RoverFolkUs]

Day 17374828828 of asking why you haven't scrapped the little red fucker yet 😉🤣

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Day 17374828828 of asking why you haven't scrapped the little red fucker yet 😉🤣

I'm a sucker for self-inflicted torture, clearly.

[RoverFolkUs]

10 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I'm a sucker for self-inflicted torture, clearly.

Pfft, me too actually

[JMotor]

On 10/29/2022 at 11:14 PM, AnnoyingPentium said:

The standard of driving I saw today was appalling, does no-one know how to judge the speed of an oncoming car when they're meant to give way?!

 

*Laughs in driving the fucking A75 everyday for work*

Yes, people are genuinely that brain deed noo. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

15 minutes ago, JMotor said:

*Laughs in driving the fucking A75 everyday for work*

Yes, people are genuinely that brain deed noo. 

Aw mate I'd hate it. I drive it sparingly and it's hell every time!

[MrDuke]

I can haz klub membrshipzz?

1.4 for All The Horses, fairly worrying electrical gremlin somewhere under the bonnet, but the leccy windows are flawless. Genuinely does not feel like a 23-year-old car to drive.

[/threadhijack]

[Yoss]

27 minutes ago, MrDuke said:

I can haz klub membrshipzz?

1.4 for All The Horses, fairly worrying electrical gremlin somewhere under the bonnet, but the leccy windows are flawless. Genuinely does not feel like a 23-year-old car to drive.

[/threadhijack]

That's a nice early one, you can still get Felicias on a W. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

41 minutes ago, MrDuke said:

I can haz klub membrshipzz?

1.4 for All The Horses, fairly worrying electrical gremlin somewhere under the bonnet, but the leccy windows are flawless. Genuinely does not feel like a 23-year-old car to drive.

[/threadhijack]

I like that one. Great colour too. Let me know if you're needing any bits btw, got a shed full of them.

I dare say your 1.4 will be more powerful than my 1.2...

As @Yoss says, most early ones were W or X, with a few rarer V-reg ones.

Well bought.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Me: I won't spend money on this car, can't justify it.

Also me: Oooooh nice, sporty seats.

It was, at this point, that all common sense got told to get to fuck, and this happened.

Bonus... these seats have map pockets!

These seats originally came from a Fabia Bohemia, belonging to a lad that @JMotor (was a pleasure meeting you yesterday, by the way ) shares a workshop with. These ones are a lot better in terms of comfort and support, and even as a fellow of 'leisurely proportions' I fit quite snugly into them, so I don't fall out at a roundabout. The best thing about them is that I don't get sore driving the car anymore - as this was part of why I was struggling to find a reason to keep the car. They're needing a clean with the carpet/seat cleaner I reckon, as is the rest of the interior, I'll do it when I have more time to attack everything with a deep clean to make it nice and fresh inside again... sometime after winter most likely.

Part of the arrangement for these seats was my old seats and a set of steel wheels, so yesterday I employed the use of my trailer to accompany the car and myself on the trip, laden with the four wheels plus tyres. This is somewhere outside of Carsphairn, I think. It's definitely along the A713, at least.

I'm going to jinx this now by saying something incredibly stupid, this car has been running so good recently, ignoring the electric window fault - which is most definitely the motor and I'm waiting for a dry day where I can be arsed to fit the refurbished motor.

So for now, I'm presently waiting for it to hit 70,000 miles, or about 18,000 in my ownership. Not bad innings so far. If this one ended up beyond repair for whatever reason, I'd buy another, but knowing what I know now, it wouldn't be another 1.2 model. Also I'm probably a bit of a masochist, but hey, makes for an interesting* tale to tell about my automotive woes... or something like that.

[RoverFolkUs]

Those seats really smarten it up

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, RoverFolkUs said:

Those seats really smarten it up

It's like a new car! Well, in a relative sense.

Quite pleased with it now, might actually keep it.

[JJ0063]

Looks great. Nice to see someone being enthusiastic about a non-VRS! Like it.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Looks great. Nice to see someone being enthusiastic about a non-VRS! Like it.

Cheers man! The standard ones are pretty slept on, so it's about time some of them got a bit of TLC.

[JJ0063]

8 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Cheers man! The standard ones are pretty slept on, so it's about time some of them got a bit of TLC.

Next time I pass our local scrappy (the one I posted pics of a while back with 4 or 5 in) I’ll let you know and we can see if there’s any shiny bits worth me nabbing and sending up to you 👍

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Next time I pass our local scrappy (the one I posted pics of a while back with 4 or 5 in) I’ll let you know and we can see if there’s any shiny bits worth me nabbing and sending up to you 👍

Brilliant! I've got a couple of things I could do with, I'll PM you my number and you can WhatsApp me or something next time you find anything.

[Yoss]

I never knew there was a Fabia Bohemia too. A Felicia Bohemia is pretty much my dream car but I think they are just mythical beasts now, I'm not sure any survive. They were the only mk1 Felly available with colour coded bumpers (except the L&K, just remembered that but they were very rare too).

They came with every conceivable extra, electric windows, remote central locking, alloys etc, but only had the 1.3 engine. Which is a good thing, proper Skoda engine, none of your VW rubbish. They were also only available in bright solid colours so they really stood out (to me anyway). I'd have had an Atlantic Green one if any still existed. 

 

Edit. 

Like this. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 hours ago, Yoss said:

I never knew there was a Fabia Bohemia too. A Felicia Bohemia is pretty much my dream car but I think they are just mythical beasts now, I'm not sure any survive. They were the only mk1 Felly available with colour coded bumpers (except the L&K, just remembered that but they were very rare too).

They came with every conceivable extra, electric windows, remote central locking, alloys etc, but only had the 1.3 engine. Which is a good thing, proper Skoda engine, none of your VW rubbish. They were also only available in bright solid colours so they really stood out (to me anyway). I'd have had an Atlantic Green one if any still existed. 

 

Edit. 

Like this. 

I quite like that, especially in that colour. The Fabia Bohemia was a similar idea, it was a Classic with some really nice options. It was only available for the estate model though, the hatchback equivalent would have been the Sport I reckon. It was a sort of run-out model and as such they threw other engines at them as well, like the 1.2 12v and the 1.9 TDI PD100. There's also a small number of these on 08 registrations.

I've lifted this spec sheet straight from the 2005/06ish brochure.

Edit: checked how many Felly Bohemias were left...

Jesus.

[Yoss]

That HML doesn't surprise me. And I bet those ten Sorned ones are all fucked, why else would they have been taken off the road? But I still harbour fantasies of one having been squirreled away in pristine condition in a nice dry garage that will pop up one day and be snapped up by me. Other people may have other fantasies about more exotic machinery but this is mine. 

I found this. 

Also on the list of extras, not mentioned there are velour seats, front fogs and tacho. But what struck me was the price. It's not much less than the Fabia you posted above, from a decade later, particularly the estate which is what the Fabia is. This must have been quite expensive at the time. I thought most people bought Škodas in those days because they were cheap. These must only have been bought by real Škoda loyalists. You could probably get a Polo for that price. Although this is a much better car than the Polo but the general public didn't know that. 

Then I found this nice blue one, just because... 

 

There was also a Felicia Moravia. For those not familiar with the history and geography Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. Bohemia was at the western end and Moravia in the middle and Slovakia to the east. 

The Felicia Moravia just had a few extras but not colour coded bumpers and they were all the same sort of dark turquoise colour. 

HML says these have disappeared completely. Mind you they can't even spell Moravia. 

This doesn't surprise me and googling has produced no pictures at all so they are now just a figment of my imagination. 

Anyway apologies for thread hijack. 

[busmansholiday]

11 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

So for now, I'm presently waiting for it to hit 70,000 miles, or about 18,000 in my ownership. Not bad innings so far. If this one ended up beyond repair for whatever reason, I'd buy another, but knowing what I know now, it wouldn't be another 1.2 model. Also I'm probably a bit of a masochist, but hey, makes for an interesting* tale to tell about my automotive woes... or something like that.

I had three, two with the 1.9 diesel and the VRS. Upgraded from a Felicia to new W reg, then an 03 then a 53 (the VRS). Did well over 100000 miles in each of the W and VRS. Excellent cars, would have another, try and find a picture of them sometime.

[JMotor]

 

11 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

(was a pleasure meeting you yesterday, by the way )

Likewise 🙂.

Much banter was had. As said, your welcome back any time.

Will also confirm those seats are much better than the stock ones. Stock ones just suck. 

I'd just stick with that car for as long as you can. If it works and all that. Again, I'll really recommend a PD100 next. Best engine for a Fabia I think. Surprised Ryan never took you out in his Estate, yon's fully rapid min! 

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Anyway apologies for thread hijack. 

No worries, I like the Felicia as well, and it's interesting to see the countless special editions.

1 hour ago, busmansholiday said:

I had three, two with the 1.9 diesel and the VRS. Upgraded from a Felicia to new W reg, then an 03 then a 53 (the VRS). Did well over 100000 miles in each of the W and VRS. Excellent cars, would have another, try and find a picture of them sometime.

Great wee cars for the small amount of money you can grab a good one for these days.

26 minutes ago, JMotor said:

 

Likewise 🙂.

Much banter was had. As said, your welcome back any time.

Will also confirm those seats are much better than the stock ones. Stock ones just suck. 

I'd just stick with that car for as long as you can. If it works and all that. Again, I'll really recommend a PD100 next. Best engine for a Fabia I think. Surprised Ryan never took you out in his Estate, yon's fully rapid min! 

 

It'll be about for a while yet. There's no much rust on it, at least that I can see, and the mileage is low enough to warrant keeping it going.

A PD100 is my next logical step, obviously. Wait until insurance drops a touch first as this Fabia is cheap as buttons to insure.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I'm impressed... and shocked. I managed a fairly long day out in this car without something majorly breaking! Went to Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, and Dumfries today. Was pretty decent really, despite the weather not being on our side.

The good: It's still good to drive. A damn sight comfier with those new seats, nice to be able to drive without being crippled the following day. Ticked over 70,000 miles today, not quite sure when it's no longer a "low mileage car, m9", but we'll see.

The bad: Unusually a bit skittish at higher speeds (over 50mph) and my power steering is bordering on Geoff Capes mode, thinking I'll see what the tyre pressures are like. But yeah, not a major issue really.

The ugly: It's been sore on fuel again the past few weeks, not sure why to be honest, I managed 38mpg, which wouldn't be too bad if that's what it was actually meant to get, but I got more in the first year or so of ownership, so something is up, but that's for future me to sort. When I was down at Ryan's getting the seats replaced he also cleared that damned P0171 code again, I'll investigate with VCDS-Lite and the craptop tomorrow and see what's playing funny buggers.

I didn't take a photo of my car, but I found another 1.2 in the wild, but a Classic spec model.

Also, many boats...

I think that's everything for now, the rest of the photos from today are on my Flickr. Just going to work on the current fuelling issue, which may just be a result of tyre pressures too. Time will tell, and all that.

Edit - maybe I'm just finding problems since this car has no real issues and I'm paranoid. We'll see.

[RoverFolkUs]

I love the use of the giffertastic retro camera

edit, feels almost criminal calling a (presumably) 00's camera retro 🤣

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

I love the use of the giffertastic retro camera

Cheers. Absolute lump of a Kodak thing that I bought for thirty quid on eBay in the original packaging, just missing the CD-ROM for it. It's surprisingly good for the age, and the photos are at a better size for printing than those on my phone.