Davie's french attraction.

[daviemck2006]

Shaun surprised me last night by turning up at home in one of his cheaper to run than the mx5 cars. His Skoda lives again, so he has been doing something while over at the shed he shares with his mates. At least he has got off his arse and fixed something he broke lol

[CitroJim]

Shaun surprised me last night by turning up at home in one of his cheaper to run than the mx5 cars. His Skoda lives again, so he has been doing something while over at the shed he shares with his mates. At least he has got off his arse and fixed something he broke lol

Now that's progress Davie

How's he coming along with getting the 107 back on the road?

[daviemck2006]

I asked him that question last night and got a grunt in reply! I would be willing to bet that he will do nothing with it just now, he will be too happy driving his souped up Skoda, it's putting out over 200bhp instead of its standard 130, but still getting 1.9tdi economy. That will be ok untill he breaks the Skoda again, he has burst the sump on more than one occasion going in to that quarry he works in because the thing is too low, although it now has new coilovers on it instead of lowering springs and it is lifted a bit from what it was. That may help. I may get a run in it at the weekend, I actually like that car, they are much nicer than their vw parents. He should still finish blackbug, as Im also willing to bet it wont be long until he breaks the skoda again! Im surprised that nothing has broken or fell off the mx5 in the last two months, and he hasnt been nicked by the local plods again! I hope this is him learned his lesson and behaving and looking after things a bit better. That may be due to the influnce of a certain 21 year old young girl who seems to be spending a lot of time with him!

[Michel]

Im surprised that nothing has broken or fell off the mx5 in the last two months,

MX5s are amazingly tough. As long as they're not rotten underneath, the bloody things are almost indestructible. Even the early ones got a 4 star NCAP rating! The tub is very strong. I can't recall anything breaking off on any owned either. Perished heater hose, manky roof and worn rear arm bushes were the only issues I ever had.

[daviemck2006]

Whitebug is amazingly manky after one week, but I can't remember using the back wiper once! She only did 44 mpg on its mainly 75mph journey home, but that has improved to 55 mpg for the next tank which is fairly typical of the use it will get. Here's a few (sideways lol) photos of the dirty beast which is to show the poor paint it got. I'm not particularly worried about it, the only bits that would need rectification is the front bumper, take the little bits of overspray off, and make the b pillar on the drivers side black to match the passengers side.

Now I suppose I should go bath it

[daviemck2006]

Well lilpug has had a clean, inside and out and hidden away in the lock up for a while. It has done too many miles with bigpug and Gabby out of commission. It's done over 6000 miles in a year, when about 1500 miles a year has been it's normal! Whitebug is cleaned as well, and I found, for £30, a set of Toyota auris 15" alloys with two nearly new tyres so they have been test fitted and will make it look better with the wider wheels rather than the puny 155 that's on it now. Shaun has two brand new suitable tyres for them that he had bought for his now gone 205gti, so they will be on soon. The wheels are a direct fit being genuine Toyota. Should give more grip as the sunnitec tyres on the front just now are the slidiest tyres I have ever driven on, even with just 67bhp it loses traction in 1st and 2nd with more than 1/2 throttle! On the whole though I'm very happy with if, and when I get Gabby fixed and bigpug gone my wee fleet will be great.

[Fake Concern]

Interesting, have you ever kept the original wheels on a car Davie? We need pics of the 107 with the new ones on now.

Just a thought about the odd body issue with it, how about removing the black vinyl trim on the passenger door instead of fitting it to the driver door?

[daviemck2006]

Interesting, have you ever kept the original wheels on a car Davie? We need pics of the 107 with the new ones on now.

Just a thought about the odd body issue with it, how about removing the black vinyl trim on the passenger door instead of fitting it to the driver door?

Very rarely have I kept the original wheels on a car. It's one of the easiest things to change to give it a different look. The wheels I have, and the rears are on the fronts aren't yet until I get the tyres changed, are very similar design to the original ones, just 6j x 15 rather than 4&1/2j x 14 wearing 195/50x15 rather than 155/65x14 and fill the arches much better. Bigpug has her original wheels on, perhaps that's why she sulked and won't work

I did not notice the centre pillars being different at first. I was sitting in work seeing the drivers side and thought it would look ok with that pillar blacked out seeing as how the rear windows are heavily tinted. Then a while later the car in the same spot but facing the other way and I thought eh? What's going on? That's white on the other side I thought I had lost the marbles again

[Michel]

Whitebug is amazingly manky after one week, but I can't remember using the back wiper once! She only did 44 mpg on its mainly 75mph journey home, but that has improved to 55 mpg for the next tank which is fairly typical of the use it will get.

First couple of fills mine only did 45-46mpg. Last Thursday and Friday I gave it a proper Italian tune up, red line in every gear, repeated over 2 days driving and 160 miles. Amazing such a little engine will happily allegedly pull 95 in 3rd!

Result - after filling it up after the Italian tune up, then using it all week... 55mpg.

[daviemck2006]

I think I will give mine the Italian tune up too, it's been low mileage puttering about Carlisle for 2 & 1/2 years. I always thought on our previous ones if you fill it to the second click off of the pump, push the trip meter, whatever miles you get when the first bar of the fuel gauge goes out you divide by 2 and you get the mpg it's doing.
Did you get your rear speakers fitted Mike? I got a parcel earlier of a set of speakers to fit. I can't remember how you get the head unit out. I think you pull off the fan speed knob, there is a screw under that to remove and the centre panel comes out which then let's the head unit out. That's what I vaguely remember. I won't be at it today now, as I have stuff to do elsewhere.

[daviemck2006]

Car back on it's wheels.

Just one quick pic yesterday in the sun with the standard 14" on the front and one of the Toyota alloys on the back.

[CitroJim]

I must admit I much prefer the front ones Davie... Rear ones are a bit too gaudy for my tastes... Front ones have lovely smooth lines...

[Michel]

I must admit I much prefer the front ones Davie... Rear ones are a bit too gaudy for my tastes... Front ones have lovely smooth lines...

I agree Jim, the Aygo ones suit the Aygo much better with it's curvier lights and trim.

That said, if Davie wants to wrap up the 107 wheels and send them to me.. I'll gladly buy them..

[Fake Concern]

I could live with either!

[daviemck2006]

I'm putting on the 15's. It's more for a bit wider tyres than the 155 section. The set of 4 cost me 30 quid, with two new tyres on them. Shaun has two new tyres he had bought for his 205 which are going on the front. I don't know if I'm going to sell the 14's yet, but if I am you will get first refusal Mike. All 4 tyres although plenty tread are crap. Fronts are real ditchfinders and the contis from the back are starting to perish. There is a chip on one wheel, doesn't affect the balance or air in it. I would take close up pics if you did want them. There would be no centre caps as they go onto the Toyota wheels, so they would be cheap, but I may save up for 4 winters for next winter.