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I was expecting a picture of BtD salivating next to the plate (or running off with the bacon...)

Thanks, something to look into post lockdown. My dents are in the rear wing where something has hit the wing from inside. Turning the convex dents into concave ones would be good as then they could be filled.

Those clocks do look good.

I was really disappointed when I looked at the last update, I read the new title as "look it's got a CAT in it" and al I saw was a car.

Where's a picture of the new addition?



Neither of my dogs will return a ball, one just ignores it the other runs around trying to bark with it in its mouth occasionally stopping to try and rip it (the ball) to shreds.

I'll get a photo, they're not plain steels but styled a spoke design.

A bit like this (pic from an eBay ad these are Asttra/Zafiua 5 bolt wheels, the ones I've got are 4 bolt;

Should have checked before I replied, they're 15"and the spare is 14".

Didn't some cars have a special bag that went on the hatch in the rear seat armrest, which I though was called the ski hatch for carrying skis inside the car.

They say every petrolhead should own an Alfa Romeo at some point so even if it was a diesel estate sport wagon I can now cross that off the list!

I was hoping to get another year or so out of the Alfa but at the weekend it started to make funny noises (probably power steering pump) and on a couple of occasions puffed out a lot of smoke after lifting off (turbo going bad?). Also I have my doubts whether it would get through another MOT on visible smoke and the windscreen is cracked. Having a bit of disposable money at the moment and despite it being in the middle of the coronavirus panic hitting autotrader seemed like a good idea...

Aim was;
- RWD (I'm fed up of front wheel drive)
- petrol (I'm fed up of diesel)
- hjatchback or estate (because dogs)
- reasonably powerful
- climate control (I've been spoilt)
- ~50K miles
- not white

Which really only lead to one car, at the money I wanted to spend, a BMW 1 series*. Lots of diesels and lower powered petrol and a very tempting 125 but right at the top of my price range. Then I found a 116i (170bhp petrol) with climate control good price (reduced by £500 as people cancelling viewings), at 49K miles ticks all the boxes except being white. Whatever, I bought it and got a measley £500 for the Alfa but at least I was spared the issues with getting it repaied and then trying to sell it in the current climate.

*I'm sure others could come up with alternatives but it suits me, and there are 2 locasl BMW specialists.

No pictures as it's a boring white modern car that you can see any day of the week. Won't even mention it in my signature. There is a temptation to take it along to a treack day and run it round Castle Combe though. My wife is pleased as she never really liked the Alfa and wanted something German.

The Alfa did a good job got rid of it at 108K, that's 67K in 5 1/2 years, cambelt went on it, needed a new (secondhand) gearbox, DMF and clutch plus lots of messing around with EGR/DPF.


On the MX-5 front lack of motivation has struck, again, I used it a few times before Christmas but since then it hasn't been used. Need to sort through the cooling system and give it a service then think about getting it painted. Would like to do the RR track day in July, virus willing.

forgot to say it's a wheely good option....

Will look at the configuration options I only applied the basic (free) package, it does display as mixed content.