Welcome fans of cheap and cheerful motoring once again to the continued saga of yours truly. This week I have considered taking up home baking to keep me away from cars. But I had second thoughts after my cooker started making crunching noises...
In an attempt to get some sanity, domestic peace and perhaps credibility back, I did a rain dance and the troublesome Fiat Seicento will be sold next week. Sold for €500 and yes the buyer is aware of the gearbox malady. But with two new tyres, as well as a full year on the NCT, once the gearbox is sorted it will make a great car. If it were made of Lego I would have changed it myself, but my own level of mechanical proficiency is akin to a blindfolded monkey's. With one arm.
So we will be back to three on the fleet again and more importantly some kind of domestic bliss. Well normality at least.
I have covered just less than 2,500km in the blue Fiat Cinquecento now and it has proven to be an equally entertaining steed. Yes the steering is heavy being non-assisted and despite the car's low weight the brakes are woeful. The original metallic paint colour, called Imola Blue, is still in remarkable condition for its age and when it is clean I remember it is a fantastic colour. Speaking of cleaning cars, I can't clean any of mine at the moment as one of my dogs chewed the hose adapter to the power washer. I kid you not, it really happened. I could hand clean them all, but cleaning time is driving time.
I had two new tyres fitted to the blue Fiat, promptly hit a huge pothole and got a slow puncture. As I was miles away from home and in need of keeping an important appointment, I attempted to change the wheel only to find the small wrench in the car wasn't going to remove any wheel bolts. I continued slowly along the M8 motorway (yes that was me, I'm sorry!) with hazard lights on determined to make my appointment. It managed about five minutes before the tyre then disintegrated and shredded on me.
Some forty minutes later, recovery arrived and changed the wheel to the space saver that was in the boot and advised me to adhere to the 80km/h warning sticker. I had around 160km left to go to my destination and an hour and a half before my appointment. Brave, gallant and equally foolish efforts were made but of course I was late and had a buckled alloy wheel in the boot to show for it.
So three new tyres have now been fitted to the endearing blue Fiat. So far, apart from useless brakes and a wheel vibration at 120km/h, it has been entertaining and reliable. It won't last of course: it can't do. But I hope to be proven wrong. In fact, I have a reminder letter for the NCT on my desk.
The Lexus was given a drive this week. It continues to depress me with low fuel economy figures even when driven very sensibly. It also feels rather flat. The manual gearchange is satisfying and, importantly, it works, but the performance always feels flat. Not just compared to the Clio of course - even considering the Fiat's performance. The Lexus just leaves me wanting and feeling very detached from driving. Don't get me wrong; I would recommend a Lexus IS 200 to anyone as a reliable, reasonably spacious, comfortable, refined and well-equipped banger for not a lot of money. It just doesn't excite you as a driver's car, even with the traction control turned off. Most likely due to that detached steering feel. If that doesn't bother you it's a fantastic car for the prices these are now being sold for, but it's not for me and I am considering also moving this on.
Meanwhile the Clio has continued to reward me with great fuel economy beyond what I expected and it also continues to make me deaf. It has also performed faultlessly and as such I'm thinking of tackling the little jobs like the passenger mirror electric adjustment that doesn't adjust. I might even give it a clean. Now that really would be something.