st3ph3n

oobster. Get a router. It wont break the bank (£45 or there abouts) and will future proof you for a while. A dodgy branded USB Wifi adaptor could be great, but it could also be as useful as a chocolate fireguard. I'll find you one when I get home.

What kind of Broadband do you have? Cable or ADSL?

I suppose part of my problem is that I've got my car well sorted handling wise with the Whiteline droplinks, Tein springs, proper geometery. So when I drive something else it's always going to rear its head. 1) VW Passat Saloon and Estate. TD, but not sure what models they were but the 4 or 5 I've driven were all good, but not as good as they could have been. Steering was decent. Driving position wasn't so good. Engine was top notch. 2) Laguna Estate. Another TD. Engine was useless, handling was woeful, not comfortable, dodgy instruments, gearbox made of either jelly or granite depending on what gear you were going for. 3) Merc C class 180K - My dad's old car. Not bad but not good. Dodgy build quality. Reasonable engine. The automatic gearbox from hell. Unpredictable ar5e out action with the traction control off in the rain. Not had a shot of his new C class Diesel with the sport pack, but the interior is a whole different ball game to the last car. It has massive stoppers on it too, and sports springs. But a weak engine looking at the specs. 4) The aforementioned Civic - not a patch on my '98 S reg 1.4 Civic Hatch, very disappointing. 5) My brother's 1.0 Corsa - PHUT PHUT. 6) My 2001 Vectra (previous car) - Any more front end lift and it would have been doing backflips. Surprisingly good in the corners when not touching the accelerator, but give it even a gentle nudge and you were understeering all over the shop. And finally one from well back in the archives: 7) 4.3 Litre Supercharged Cadillac DeVille. Or was it 5 litre? Can't remember. Cornering ability - NILLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

I should still be along. Without the scoob, but maybe with the RC Car in tow. It's sporting a great paint scheme at the moment.

The correct answer is - a shat load.

Perhaps I would be better off in a regular car that wasn't geared at drivers going to the supermarket once a week, and the garden centres during the summer.

How do people do it? Seriously. Got my mums 51 reg 5 door civic with a 1.4 engine for today, and probably tomorrow, whilst mine is temporarily out of action. And it quite frankly astounds me at just how bad it is. The steering has a "dead zone" in the middle before actually doing anything, yet when it does turn it is so dangerously unresponsive, light and provides no feedback at all so much so that I nearly cracked the car off a kerb doing 5mph round a roundabout. I literally drove on the motorway moving the steering wheel 3-4 inches left and right without the car moving an inch. The brakes are not bad actually. It's gutless. Oh except in first gear when you want to get out at a junction sharpish, then all hell breaks loose and the wheels spin like mad, all the way into 3rd. The dashboard digs into my knees. The only redeeming factor is the suspension is so relaxed that speed bumps are barely even felt. That suspension of course is what's responsible for the frankly ridiculous handling. If I find myself in a few years time with perhaps some responsibilites and the need for a sensible car then I might well shoot myself.

Chocolate brown. Did ANY car look good in that colour? It had grown when I returned to go home, not by a lot, but enough to make me feel quite uneasy driving it.

I always thought they were group 19, but there you go. You can see what mine looks like here.

I suppose you're right Kenny. I forgot that it wasn't the screen itself that was your problem. I was thinking your lightweight one was the issue. The car's going into them rather than them doing it in the open, so hopefully I'll get their A game.

What a price boab. Great choice. But then I have a 54 plate Black WRX, so I would say that.

I was thinking about that earlier Kenny. Hopefully a more standard windscreen like mine wont be as much of an issue. Elephant have an arrangement with RAC, so I think it needs to be them to keep things simple. On another note - I made it home alive. The biggest crack starts from about 2 inches above the bottom of the screen and stretches to just under the rear view mirror. I had to drive the M8 at record breaking slow speed considering it was really quiet and I'd usually have dialled up the after burners. Self restraint is a wonderful thing.

JC, congratulations to you and the missus. Glad everyone is well.

Seeing, hearing, even smelling the way that car performed is something I know I'll take with me to my grave. Or until my brain stops working. Which is sometime next week I think. Any time is good swanie. The more the merrier.

Well done Scott. If only posts could be cashed in at Hypertech. I'd be laughing.

I'm insured with Elephant, so I phoned their glass line, which took me to RAC Auto Windscreens. They've got a place in Motherwell. I pulled over not long after it happened to have a quick check of it, then tried to find a windscreen place in Bathgate or Livingston that I could have took it to straight away, but I couldn't find any. Should only cost me £50 Excess if it is the full screen (and it will be). Still £50 I could have used somewhere else. Short paid cause I only started this job last week, and only got paid for the first 23 days of December, so money is tighter than the bandits jeans.

Dan, if you're bringing back presents I'll take either an S13 in full drift spec, or a Mine's tuned R34. I'm not fussy!

The crack from top to bottom was maybe a foot when I left it! I'd just rainx'd the window too. What a waste. I'll probably be at the meeting tomorrow night in something stealthy.

steve - that's a complete hoax mate. Been around for a while though. Wouldn't you know about me saying about that company that phone me up once a month. Guess who phoned me this morning? THAT'S RIGHT! I keep missing their calls too. I'll need to wait until next month to try and catch them again and see who they are.

Fantastic news Sharon. The best of luck to you for Monday.

Caught one this morning on the way to the station. Not even going fast. Crack has spread quite a bit so looks like a new screen job. Got it booked for friday, the earliest they had. Great start to the month!

Impossible Dream (The Quest) by Andy Williams. I do believe.

Quality video cal. I need to save some pennies for a camera this year.

I didn't strictly "kick it" after livingston, but I was surprised to see a car hanging about behind me as I neared warp 10. I forgot about the fogs on the one we passed. STill could have been an STI with driving lights fitted mind you. Although I'm clutching at straws with that.

Welcome Baz. HKS SSQV is my DV of choice. As they say in France - le dogs bollocks.