Rich

Good stuff. Do they have a Hawkeye geo ramp, I've not seen it yet? Could you stay with Joe while I did it? I know they paid a premium on the insurance at WIM to allow that but I'm not sure at the new place.

I had the MOT done on Tuesday, which Joe did and it failed on the upper suspension arm balljoint. I've had a knocking noise when reversing in to my driveway for the last 3-4 years but could never find it. It obviously got worse enough to feel the play in it. A quick look online and I saw one for £13 from ECP. Other side was £59 so that is some random pricing going on but I wasn't complaining. I fitted that yesterday morning and popped back over to Joe who passed it. Now for the bad news. The chassis rail and other parts of the underneath are badly rusted, going through the metal in one place. It will need welding up to pass next year. So I think the car will be going and I'll look for a replacement in the spring. It's a shame as mechanically the car is still great but it's not worth repairing. Apparently they're common for rusting here which might explain why there aren't many left on the road. I've had it for 10 years so time for something different.

You need to remember that the specs given by the manufacturer are only a guide/starting point for the geometry. Some got it very wrong like Lexus did with the IS200 and Tony used to set the cars very differently meaning most readings were red not green. It's a similar story with the MX5. You have the standard settings but to get the most out of the car he could set them up for fast road and track us without compromising on tyre wear. It's all very interesting. The MX5 is one of a few cars that is completely adjustable so you could get it all in the 'green' but even they can run out of adjustment sometimes!

Yes, it's really interesting watching how they pull it all together. You can switch off the caster setting on the Hunter which a lot of people do, probably as they don't understand what the measurement is for. It used to drive Tony mad when this measurement had been greyed out!

Yes I'd imagine that is the reason why you had wear on the edges, toe causes that. Although it's not adjustable I'm impressed you use somewhere that measures the caster too 👍🏻

I ended up switching to another 2 year tracker, 0.34% instead of the 1.19% we were on. It's madness to fix above 2 years at the moment with rates around 5%. It looks like they're dropping slowly already so hopefully that will continue next year. Just need them to drop the base rate!

I scrapped the top of what was there already and cleaned it up, then applied the flashing tape. That is sticky stuff! The van's been closed for winter now so will see what it's like in March when we open it. Hopefully it wouldn't have leaked. Need to give it a good wash when it's opened up and still got a couple of things to sort out. Missing it already, love my happy place! 😁

Joe has now left Pro Tyre, he was the last member of staff from the WIM days. See the other thread about where he's now working. When I was there the other week Pro Tyre have changed none of the WIM or BB signs, they haven't even put their own name on the building! Therefore, still trading off Tony's good reputation 18 months later 😞

Or swap the front wheels over and see if it pulls the other way. If it does then it's caused by the tyre. How long has the pull been going on for, since they were new? When they did the alignment did you get a printout?

If they haven't done those basic items what else haven't they done!! Sounds like a nice spec though with lots of toys.

I've got loads of WD40 (and some GT50) so will give that a try. I'm not actually sure what the original stuff is, it does have a texture like shed felt. I probably won't reseal it this year as the screws are rusty and the last thing I want to do is end up rounding the heads or shearing them. We're only back up for 2 weekends so won't have time to sort. If I stick some flashing tape on it after cleaning the old stuff off how easy is it to remove? I've never used it before so have no idea how sticky the adhesive is.

Was hoping it was the pollen filter. Can't trust anyone! 👎

That's not the air filter is it? 😱

Here's a quick photo of the lounge/kitchen area. We'll be getting new curtains next year and have replaced things like the lamp shade. Looking at the bulb through a clear one was a bit much! When we first looked at the van the kitchen vent was leaking, which the handyman on the site resealed for us. I'm not sure how as I've not been up on that side of the roof yet (need longer ladders). I noticed the vent above the shower is also leaking depending on which way the wind and rain is going! I need to take it off and reseal if the weather is ok when I next go up. Planning on using CT1 sealant and then cover with flashing tape. Any ideas on how to remove this old tape or maybe sealant? The roof is a type of plastic I think so will need to be careful I don't damage it. If the weather isn't great I'll just tape over it for now and sort it next year. Has anyone used wet and forget? Been reading lots of good things about people using it to clean caravans. Spray on, go home and when you come back the rain has washed all the algae off! I'm going to give it a go but just interested if anyone has used it and their thoughts?

Looks nice, the perseverance paid off 👍

Definitely! 😁 You should try it, the newer models can be very luxurious, some even have baths in them! Pay the extra and you can usually have a hot tub too.

Yes the same site but over the other side. The in-laws is 2 vans up and in the background 2 other vans who belong to relatives of the missus. We're slowly taking over! 😂

No not that kind of van, a static caravan! 😁 It's not for everyone but after years of borrowing my Dad's or the in-laws van we were finally in the position to get our own one. Money was transferred today, although we got the key on Sunday and are back on Monday to start sorting things out and making it our own. We had been on the waiting list for a couple of years and already turned 2 down as we either didn't like them or the plot it was on. #vanlife

Why don't you want the emissions recall done? That reminds me I still need the airbag recall done on the Accord, they've been sending me letters for a couple of years! I had the first recall done but this is to replace that one apparently. I didn't realise they can flag it up on MOTs.

Sounds like you found a good trader, good luck with the viewing tomorrow 👍

I had the MOT on Friday, it passed. The handbrake only just did, I need to tighten it! Hopefully it's not a stretched cable. Also there is corrosion on the inner arch I need to treat to stop it rusting through. The clearcoat has also disappeared from the bonnet and it's going white in places! I need it resprayed asap and have had a couple of quotes at £500/£300! There are used bonnets on eBay for a lot less than that so if I can find the right colour I might just do that.

Unfortunately my mortgage guy didn't contact me in time before Santander put their rates up so a 2 year fix is now 6.49%! He's also on annual leave but has said he'll speak to me on Tuesday and to not fix with Santander just yet as there are better deals to be had with the rates dropping slightly this week. It's such a dilemma as I would stay on the tracker we have but if the base rate goes above 6% we'll start struggling. I don't think I can take that chance.

Found any others Viking?

Bugger! I'm really hoping the Accord doesn't increase that much!

Now I know we're staying for a little longer I'm going to fix for 2 years. We're currently with Santander and with no product fee it'll be 5.83%! A little cheaper with a £999 fee. I'm waiting for my mortgage guy to get back to me first in case he can get anything better but I very much doubt if he can. I think they're predicting rates to increase another 1-1½% by the end of 2023. Then settle and maybe drop in a couple of years but who knows what will really happen. Crazy times ahead. Asking/sold STC prices haven't really dropped that much where I live now but they all are in Norfolk where we want to move to. Putting a move off for another year or two might work in our favour if we could get something better for less money.