Davie's french attraction.

[bxzx16v]

Hope the day went well Davie .

Mark

[Fake Concern]

Update needed! Have you been back at work (if so how was it?) & have you fixed the mirror/temp sensor?

[daviemck2006]

I've been very quiet as of late. Haven't been using the c4 a lot, been dotting about in the van. It is a bit filthy, slowly getting cleaned, there are pics waiting to be uploaded of broken mirror, the van, and me in a kilt with my daughter. The cit garage in dundee, i seem to be in dundee a lot but thats another story which you can guess about lol, priced a new mirror from cit at £175 which I thought was reasonable.I have just ordered one off an e-bay breaker for £50, inc delivery. It is silver but came off a 2007 vts so should be the exact same as mine. There is also an O2 sensor in the mirror which affects the running of the engine, and with the temp sensor being erratic the heating and air con is erratic, even when not on auto. I have just came home, 110 miles with the sun out and warm with the heating on full which I could not get off. Not nice. I am in the process, now that separation is sorted out and i know what I have, of buying another house. Its just a mile from the flat i am in so the van will be handy.

The wedding of my daughter was one of the best days of my life, words cannot describe how i felt that day. I had doc the monday at 8.30, my sick line ran out that day. I was a bit stiff and sore after the busy weekend and was limping heavily when I went in. Doc asked if there was a reason why I was worse than last time I had seen him, when I told him his response was if I'm not fit for a family wedding I'm not fit to work for a while and promptly signed me off again for 3 months. I was not amused and said so. he did say If I improve again which I have he might review that again. Oh well I get house on 28th June and got decorating and laminate to put down, which I will do myself, and I will have a drive to potter with car and van. I really cannot wait to get moved away from these flats, there has been two let out recently to undesirables drink and I suspect drugs, there has been a lot of police presence lately. To cap it all my cat decided it does not like here and has disappeared, has been gone 10 days now, I wonder if it has fell foul of these undesirables. Who knows. I hope it is trying to get back to its home, if he makes that then the ppl in my old house will look after him till I am reunited with him.

So I have a list of jobs to do to car and a new house, buy not really to the old pug. I actually like driving it, To be honest I prefer a good hdi, which this one has to the 2.0 petrol. The car thrives on revs, the van, get it in 5th and leave it. The low down pull is like a train! I'm not going as far as saying its better than the car, but When the car does get changed, next one will be an hdi of some sort. Wont be for a while though, no money now!!!!!!!!

[Fake Concern]

looking forward to the pictures of the van & you in a kilt!
I saw the silver mirror on ebay & that made me think of you & wonder what you'd done about it. Really good to have had a great wedding day with your daughter, take the mind off things.
Not long till the move into a house again, that's great as well.
I'm sure the doc is right really, feeling ok at home is not the same as being at work where you can't just take a break, but clearly you are getting there. It's all coming good now!

[daviemck2006]

heres the proud dad

and with both daughters

and a gorgeous bride. These are uploaded from facebook to photobucket and I cant get them resized so apologies if they are too wide.

[daviemck2006]

I cant get photobucket to play ball resizing photos of the van or the broken mirror but I think the above post will take you to my photobucket,if you click on any photo, where you might be able to browse all photos and see the damaged mirror and the manky old van

[Fake Concern]

Nice family photos! Looks like a splendid time was had by all & as you say they look lovely (& so do you).
Van doesn't look that manky at all, I wish I had a van as well as a car, would be a bit like having a shed & I don't have that either! Mirror is a mess though, I can't really make out the damage to the VTS bodywork. Will it polish out?

[CitroJim]

Brilliant! Looking forward to the day I can do the same with my daughters Davie...

Grandchildren next then

[daviemck2006]

Brilliant! Looking forward to the day I can do the same with my daughters Davie...

Grandchildren next then

They have already lived together for 6 years in their own house, and Stuart asked me if he could ask Kerri to marry him, thats the old fashioned way and I wonder if kids are next. I will be a happy chappy if they are. My younger daughter and her man have owned their house for 2 years and say they are not getting married ever. Will be quite happy with kids appearing there too. Don't want my son to be first, he is 18 and "pulled" as they say last week. When asked her name the reply was "You'll do" Not a loving relationship there then

Back to motors. The vts suffered a puncture, just as well it was one of the fronts that are due for renewal soon. I have a spare genuine alloy with a nearly new tyre, a budget one. That got fitted to the back, the two recent goodyears moved forward and another budget the same tread but different name going on rear probably tomorrow. Cost of budget will be £65, the wheel and tyre cost £45 so cheap then.the goodyears were £260 for the pair! The scratch below the mirror did polish out and new mirror on the way. Its silver, i'm going to put it on silver might look good and do the other one silver too. Thats a wait and see jobbie.

The van is running like a dream, is is basically a mobile shed which uses less fuel than the car. 85000 genuine miles according to vosa. Had one bald tyre and one iffy tyre, got one new old stock proper van rated michelin off the bay and thats it sorted. it is getting cleaner, but will never be mint. too many dents for that but no rust except wheels which are now rubbed down and black hammerite applied. looking for genuine pug wheel trims, when i see a cheap enough set. Its in need of a service, and probably a timing belt which is beyond my capabilities. Don't even know what engine is in it, only know it is a hdi. 90,110, 16v or not I have no clue. It is fast tho, so think it must be a 110. Just presuming timing belt is probably 80k or 10 yrs which it is on both counts. It does drop oil on road whilst parked I suppose I should have a wee look It wont get near the recent lockblock drive at the new house, can live on the street.

[daviemck2006]

Havent been on much lately. Too busy moving again and painting my house. Not got internet either i'm a bit peed off with talktalk. The expert handled the move took a few runs but all moved now. The c4 hasnt been used much, but had a tussle with a coarser vxr which couldnt lose me, then on way home i saw the only ariel atom i have ever seen, came up behi d me and i had a vain attempt to stay in front of it which lasted about 2 seconds!

My sister is moving to birmingham next week, could be a nice free hotel for the national. Still intending bei g there and hopefully putting some faces to the cars. Ill have to take the time to clean the c4 first. Unless she wants stuff taken down in the van then i will have to hide it! Cant go to national in it, not a citroen its a pug

[bxzx16v]

Hope the move went well Davie , take the expert to the national it's a Citroen but with a pug badge .

Mark

[Citroening]

Although you'd be welcomed in any car* Davie it'd be great to see the C4 - hopefully Peter will bring his to get the three Black Coupes there...!

*T&Cs apply...

[daviemck2006]

I am intending to be in c4. It will be a better run down with cruise and aircon. Saying that the pug has cruise (a brick) and aircon (slibing rear doors) Not quite so controllable though

[CitroJim]

*T&Cs apply...

I think you need to explain those Franklin

[daviemck2006]

I've had a car and family day today. My daughters astra was booked for mot, she went away in the vts last night and left her astra. It's not a bad car, a 2008 SRI with the cdti 120 engine. I haven't seen it for a few weeks really and was told that it was looked over and is close to needing rear discs and pads. I took one look through the wheels and thought it will be lucky if it passes. Off I go to my usual mot man. Up on ramps, 2 secs later he throws out bottom coil off a rear spring. MOT failed then. Another 2 seconds later, back discs and pads done. Another fail. 10 mins later left front wheel bearing rough. Another fail. 2 mins later right front wheel bearing rough. Another fail. So much for being looked over then! So parts ordered then, £450 with trade discount, flipping expensive articles these front hubs for vauxhalls, including oil and filters. Car will be fixed at weekend and tested next week. I suppose for an 08 reg car that was a rental car when new which she bought at 14 months old at less than 1/2 price and never has broken up till now, and done 96k it has done well. Had nothing except tyres, front brakes twice a few bulbs and oil changes every 10k and is running on bigger wheels than standard it is doing well. She loves it and looking to get another 96k out of it. Sure she will. Who says never buy a daily rental?

She is undecided on the vts. Likes her own car too much. Now being a dedicated derv driver she thought the vts had no pull. We then went out in it with her driving and me passenger. She changed up about 2500 revs and below that it does have no pull. I said give it some stick and use the revs. she then changed up at 3700 revs. We stopped at side of the road. Start again and really thrash it. Once she got the idea that it could do 7000 revs the grin on her face increased! She thought it was great fun and fast. Don't think she would get one tho, I would bet when she does change it will be another astra for her.

Then my younger daughter and her man arrived. She don't drive and her man is a petrolhead. He has a Fiesta ST with engine and chassis mods, also on a 08 plate. He jumped into the vts and took off and came back 5 mins later and declared it crap! But hen I expected that from him. Coming out of a fiesta with he recons 240bhp and uprated wheels, tyres, brakes, and suspension he would be bound to think it was slow and unresponsive. Goodness knows what he would have said had it been a derv! I did not bother having a run in the fiesta, would be far too noisy and bumpy for me. It spits fire on the overrun. Not my type of car at all.

After supper cooked by urs truly and they went got me thinking about my current situation. Still being off work, the sick pay all done, separation sorted out, house bought and getting settled, and having a fair bit of work to do to house, mostly outside in the garden, I have decided I cannot afford two cars now. Need to reduce outgoings. Having the vts, fast high revving and I admit I can drive like a hooligan in it because thats its character, and the van with its excellent hdi, stick it in 5th and leave it and I revert to my normal driving, easy going is now a dilemma. Driving about in Kerri's astra today just added to it. The conclusion is that the vts, although I love it and now got it sorted out is not the car for me. Maybe the car is but not the engine. So looks like it is gonna be up for sale soon. That will leave me with the van. I love the high driving position of it, having owned a pug 806, a fiat ulysse and driven upteen taxi variants of them, love the gearchange on the dash, love the 2.0 hdi, and this one is the best going one I have ever driven and giving me 50 mpg, worked out. However, although I have cleaned it up a fair bit, it is and always will be a builders van with quite a few bumps and bruises. It will come in very handy the next few weeks or months doing up the house and garden though. So what do I do. I want a high driving position. I want comfort. I want a 2.0 hdi 110. I want 50 mpg. I want a bit cleaner than current van. I don't want a people carrier. Mmmmm now I'm stuck. A better expert or dispatch van? Maybe. A Berlingo? Maybe. A Doblo? Looks like the best compromise I could come to would be neither of them. Think its time to return to a C5 once the vts goes. Mind you it's not advertised yet and not even decided. I only know that two expensive road taxes, two insurances and two mots are not viable at the present time.