So what have you done to your car today?

[Jimbob]

Had a look, not tooooo bad.

Bumper as obviously known.
New rad needed, bumper smashed into it.
Wheel arch liners, I think, got some bits look like they should fit there
Exhaust grazed through, think one of those repair kits will work here for the moment.
Heatshields bent a bit, roughly straighted them.
Both headlights need bottom clip gluing on.
Drivers wheel a little buckled, will swap with the spare for now.
Started it on stands with no bumper to have a look, drivers side wheel was sluggish to start moving, just jerked slowly initially. Next start it worked fine, so hope that ok.  ABS light on, not read the codes yet.

So, Shall get a rad and fit that, clamp the exhast, swap the wheel with the spare and give it a road test, assuming all ok will sort an alignment check after i pick up the liners and bumper and glue the lights.

[TheBoy]

Did the first long-ish trip in hers today, seeing as mine is still busted.  Previously, furtherest I'd gone in it was central Londonium or Brumingham.

Might have gone through some puddles that were deeper than they looked as well.


Ignoring the fact it's a manual, it was a lovely cruise down to the seaside, and if the app is to be believed, mid 50s on Opti's favourite fuel

They are every bit as comfy a mile eater as the Omega was. (when burning the correct fuel, at any rate. Never sampled the tractor variant.)

I was pleasantly surprised, esp as hers is the weight reduced one (hence small fuel and ad blue tanks) to get it in the £0 tax bracket, so probably has lighter, less luxurious seats.

I love driving it around the lanes, although hers lacks power, it can embarrass a lot of cars in corners

[Doctor Gollum]

Had a look, not tooooo bad.

Bumper as obviously known.
New rad needed, bumper smashed into it.
Wheel arch liners, I think, got some bits look like they should fit there
Exhaust grazed through, think one of those repair kits will work here for the moment.
Heatshields bent a bit, roughly straighted them.
Both headlights need bottom clip gluing on.
Drivers wheel a little buckled, will swap with the spare for now.
Started it on stands with no bumper to have a look, drivers side wheel was sluggish to start moving, just jerked slowly initially. Next start it worked fine, so hope that ok.  ABS light on, not read the codes yet.

So, Shall get a rad and fit that, clamp the exhast, swap the wheel with the spare and give it a road test, assuming all ok will sort an alignment check after i pick up the liners and bumper and glue the lights.

That sounds like a bodge fix.

First decent pothole will break the glued clips. New crash bar isn't that expensive and will confirm just how far out the rest is.

Abs light suggests a hub issue.

[Jimbob]

Headlights can be had for £30ish if needed, but am trying to keep the costs down as much as possible.
Expensive lesson for him as it is.
Crashbar not needed, not been touched.  its kerb / low bush damage.

[Doctor Gollum]

Headlights can be had for £30ish if needed, but am trying to keep the costs down as much as possible.
Expensive lesson for him as it is.
Crashbar not needed, not been touched.  its kerb / low bush damage.

That's fair enough. I understand the 'keep it cheap because it's my kid' approach but he is also your kid and cutting corners might not be in his best long term interest.

I only suggested a new crash bar because it will quickly highlight and tweak of the structure, but sounds like he got away with that. Not necessarily suggesting new for the hub etc, but if it's enough to trash the wheel, then you can reasonably expect suspension damage which might not be immediately obvious but could prove fatal in an emergency.

[Jimbob]

Yes understand...If its important, it will be done right.
Crash isnt 'really' the word for this, think hitting a reasonable kerb at 40 head on.
Wheels are dented, will obvs write the tyres off after that too, rears seem fine.
Rad damage is just cos the bottom of the bumper has been bent up and into it.  doubt the aircon has survived, but this only goes 2 miles at a time...and about 20 miles a week.
lights have 2 points i need to repair, be it glue, and some reinforcement, should be fine.
Cleared codes, topped it up, doesnt leak much, so road tested it and it drives fine, codes appear to be unfeasible differing wheel speeds for a stationary car.
Will get a rad, bumper, the 2 bits of arch liner that are below the real arch liner (wheelhouse protector maybe?)
Will get someone else to check over the suspension too when i get the alingnment checked.

[Kevin Wood]

I was pleasantly surprised, esp as hers is the weight reduced one (hence small fuel and ad blue tanks) to get it in the £0 tax bracket, so probably has lighter, less luxurious seats.

I love driving it around the lanes, although hers lacks power, it can embarrass a lot of cars in corners

They do handle very nicely. I reckon I could easily stick with myself driving the MX-5 on the twisties, and enjoy myself just as much doing it, ignoring the fact that the XE's performance would leave any MX-5 for dust on the straights.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Had a look, not tooooo bad.

Bumper as obviously known.
New rad needed, bumper smashed into it.
Wheel arch liners, I think, got some bits look like they should fit there
Exhaust grazed through, think one of those repair kits will work here for the moment.
Heatshields bent a bit, roughly straighted them.
Both headlights need bottom clip gluing on.
Drivers wheel a little buckled, will swap with the spare for now.
Started it on stands with no bumper to have a look, drivers side wheel was sluggish to start moving, just jerked slowly initially. Next start it worked fine, so hope that ok.  ABS light on, not read the codes yet.

So, Shall get a rad and fit that, clamp the exhast, swap the wheel with the spare and give it a road test, assuming all ok will sort an alignment check after i pick up the liners and bumper and glue the lights.

That sounds like a bodge fix.

First decent pothole will break the glued clips. New crash bar isn't that expensive and will confirm just how far out the rest is.

Abs light suggests a hub issue.

It probably wont, the primary fixings that support the weight are across the top and the lower just maintain a spacing, epoxy on a well prepared plastic plus a bit of extra to add strength should work well until the right opportunity arises to do better 

[VXL V6]

Rear screen fitted to black car

[Rangie]

A nice morning so treated all the leather in the RRS always comes up well.

[TheBoy]

Yesterday, I picked up a straightened wheel and new tyres, and relieved my wallet of £365.

Today, I struck up enough enthusiasm to put it on the car.


Also, yesterday, washed hers after its weekend in Devon/Dorset, seeing as it had been through many big puddles and dollops of cowshit.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Washed the C1 yesterday. Took nearly 10 minutes. 

[Doctor Gollum]

Not my car, but drove from Houston to Paris. And back.

Pretty easy driving, once you get used to artics doing 75-80 everywhere

[Viral_Jim]

That's a fair distance (assuming its Paris TX and there isn't another Paris USA I'm unaware of), anything in Paris worth seeing?

[Sir Tigger KC]

Yes nice drive. 

I've driven Houston to New Orleans on the I10 and then came back on the back roads along the coast, overnighting in Lake Arthur which was cool. 

Also driven to Corpus Christi and back in the other direction.  Camped the night by a lake in a State Park somewhere in the region. The mozzies were like Spitfires! 

Everything's bigger in Texas!