Guinness
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| posted on 14/8/11 at 08:36 AM |
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Please this be my "three"
They say things come in three's.
Well I sincerely hope I've had my three now with the tin top.
Having been out of work for 4 months and not paid in over 6, I'd resigned myself to selling the tin top.  However as soon as I put the last
of my money into adverts, I got a contract position over the summer holidays. 
Brilliant, except that it was pretty much all travelling, so I started using the car again.
Within a week the turbo failed. 1st visit to the hard shoulder. Got recovered back to my local garage and got a recon turbo fitted
Thankfully it only took a few days so I was back on the road, back at work and earning again.
Then on Friday night, coming across the M62 in heavy traffic, something shot out from underneath the car in front, straight at me. I was in lane 3
with the barrier to the right of me, some idiot in a Focus less than a foot from my rear bumper, and wagons / slower traffic in lanes 1 and 2.
So apart from a time to make a quick stab at the brakes and a little swerve, I had no time to react. (I know I was travelling too close!).
The resulting impact with the bit of debris smashed my front grille apart and broke the number plate. By the time I managed to get to the hard
shoulder, I was half a mile from the incident and was damned if I was going to go back and find out what it was that had destroyed the front end of
the car.
Luckily the grille had absorbed the impact and there is no damage to the intercooler, radiator or AC radiator!
So I removed the bits of trim and drove home.
Saturday morning, at about 6am I was heading down the A1 back to site, when bang, the front drivers side tyre disintegrated!! It must have been
damaged on Friday!
So another visit to the hard shoulder, five minutes of swearing saw the space saver fitted and the alloy put back in the boot. The remaining 100
miles to Manchester was dull at 50mph!
Dropped the wheel off at Kwik Fit, at 8am, and went to work. Luckily they had a direct replacement, and have a 25% sale on, so it was about the same
cost as a tyre from BlackCircles!
So now I need to find out how to remove the front bumper on the Leon, order the replacement parts and find the time to get them fitted!
Seems like as quick as I earn, I'm spending it on the car.
Oh and it needs the cambelt changing in 2,000 miles (or about 2 weeks)!!
Edited as the swear filter isn't working
[Edited on 14/8/11 by Guinness]
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 14/8/11 at 09:09 AM |
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Watch out they really come in FOUR's.
A friday night a few (about 12) years ago, I went with my wife to her firms Xmas do. Got there, parked up and walking round the front of the vehicle,
I spotted that the drivers headlamp lens was smashed (granada, so just the glas to replace) with the offending stone still there. DOH.
On the way home from the night out I am over taking a Mondeo on the Kettering bypass dual carriage-way and I come over this slight risein the road to
be greeted by, .................. an empty milk crate in the middle of my lane. No chance of avoiding, so, I collect it with the front of the car. C
ar now has one trashed front bumper, which did have a pristine Ford RS spoiler attached to it. Also the milk crate is under the car. 03:00 hrs A43,
inside lane, jack up car, extract milk crate, lower car, sling jack & milk crate back in boot, walk back up the road and retieve as many broken
bits of bumper and spoiler as possible. Carry on home. OK so thats 2.
Saturday morning, lets go shopping in northampton. Get into very sorry looking car and start driving off. First set of traffic lights about half way
there I put my foot on the clutch to select gear and one of the seat subframe legs snaps. Drivers seat is now rocking. Ah shoot, says I, oh well that
3 things.
So we carry on, past Brackmills to go into town. as we go under the bridge at brackmills my wife and I say why is that van parked up on the bridge
with its side dorr open, and carry on.
A week later the menacing demand from Northamptonshire constabulary arrives, I had forgoten that that section of the A45 was a 60mph area, not 70mph
which is what I was clocked at, by one of these brand new speed camera vans. AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH.
I can laugh and smile about it now, but back then, well.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 14/8/11 at 10:44 AM |
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That's 5!
You had to go to a Xmas do? In August? I hate Xmas, I won't have it ruining August as well! 
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 14/8/11 at 11:11 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
That's 5!
You had to go to a Xmas do? In August? I hate Xmas, I won't have it ruining August as well!
Truth be told I think it was January actualy.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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mistergrumpy
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| posted on 14/8/11 at 11:32 AM |
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Ah, didn't read it properly there. Too busy getting my ear bashed for having a lie in off the G/F. You had me worried there, a Xmas do in
August! 
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