iainc

Aye true... he's had this one more than 10 mins... got a mate looking for a classic... he'll give you a tenner for it

Oi... that's not what I wrote... it's what I was thinking but I was being discrete

Aye... never made it myself due to other commitments but can't really see anyone else likely to "beat" them for it.

<imagines some pink writing painted along the bottom of the doors in a "Top Gear - Alabama" style>

Aye... would be handy... getting fed up of washing the car once a year if it needs it or not as it is Red pinstriping round the wheels looks too iffy IMO, works on some colours but when you have mainly white already it's just a bit too much IYKWIM.

I could do with some of that stuff... for the entire car

Is the 555 being traded in against it or already sold? Got a mate looking for a classic atm...

Yup, I had planned on possibly using Reekies in Forres when the warranty ran out only to find out that the site there has been levelled and they are building something else in it's place so the possibles are reducing all the time up here.

Hmmm... so is it worth still using them for a service then? Who else is worth using in the Abz area?

Aye... It's different if you are gonna be stuck in traffic for hours, but most queues are kinda stop start (they are for me anyway) so you'd be turning the engine off/on constantly and using up more fuel and probably never allowing the car to get properly warm, etc as well. Sod that.

F*** that. I'll switch the engine off if I'm gonna be there for a while but I'm not switching the engine off just 'cos I'm gonna be sitting there for 30seconds, etc.

For a 1.5 the 106 is probably hard to beat in terms of costs. Only issue is finding someone selling one (which gets less likely for the same reason you want to buy one, plus they are getting on a bit as well). The deer might win against a 106 as well BTW

Bear in mind a 106 has no power steering either so feels a lot heavier at parking speeds than you'd think. The sis in laws 106 1.5D is the 3dr dark blue you are on about... you don't want to know how little we paid my mate for it *YEARS* ago... put it this way it was in your budget THEN You can get cheap Foresters, but then they'll not be any different than an Impreza to run. Our other main car is a Leon Cupra TDi, but even the "normal" tdi Leons are fairly cheap to run (cheap tax, cheap insurance, huge mpg)... only potential issue is the purchase price, but they are still fun to drive. Actually thinking about it I think one of the guys at work (who has a 90 or 110bhp one) was thinking of changing for something else. Heard from someone who had a Panda (new style) that is seriously cheap for road tax and huge mpg as well, only issue again is going to be the purchase of something that new though. TBH, having run three cars at the one time for our family, an "extra" car just ends up costing you more money. Bear in mind you'll suddenly have to pay out double the insurance, double the tax, MOT's, servicing, etc on two cars. Okay you end up putting less miles on the scoob but is that really worth it?

Actually I thought you had an old Rover 200/400 to run about in as well?

Would have said that a 106 would make a cheap wee motor to run about in BUT I drove my mates one when we bought it for my sis in law and they are tinny as fook... would hate to be in an accident in one. If I was going for a second wee runabout, esp when you are talking about a possible fun track car, then a 1.9 205 GTi would be ideal. Not as heavy on the fuel, wouldn't imagine it'd cost the earth to insure and it'd still be fun/nippy to mess about in (although probably not much better in a crash than the 106). They are fairly cheap (more so the 1.6's I think) if you aren't bothered about a mint example.

You and me both... seen it earlier today and my first thought was "HTF can THEY afford them"

Used to have a UK94 wagon myself. The ECU IIRC isn't mappable itself, but you used to be able to get add on boards for them, not sure if this is still possible. I put a full decat on mine, induction kit and a dawes device to screw the boost up a bit (you can only go as high as the fuel cut limit unless you put a dawes on it as well... I didn't). Mine made ~289bhp IIRC on Star Performances RR in Fife. The 94 had a TD05 turbo, so it's a bit all or nothing as far as being on boost

Guess I'm lucky then... the renewal came in and I thought I'd maybe just buy it in the shop (seeing as I was under the impression that they were going to be available in the shops now, not just sub only). Hope in a way that it's not an additional reason for them going under, if a lot of people thought the same as me then they'd have less capital to play with to actually get it published in the first place.

I had an S6 Avant with the 4.2 V8 engine... as quick as it was in a straight line it was crap in the corners or B roads... was just a bit too big IYKWIM, the scoob with similar power is LEAGUES ahead (plus I didn't like the semi auto box on it). After the last RR day with the STi I managed to find a plot of the Leon's RR print out. Having quickly scribbled over the top of a copy of it, the Leon TDi has more power and torque than the STi to about 3k, then the STi just about doubles the TDi figures from there onwards I am, however, hoping to sort that out with a full decat and remap on the STi though

Pfff... you're all doing what I did over 4 years ago... I traded in the first scoob for a Leon Cupra TDi (Seat claim 150bhp but it RR'd at closer to 170bhp ). While it's good and the mpg is great (plus tax/ins is cheap too) it's not a scoob, hence me buying the STi a year and a bit ago I'd have done more with the Leon but the wife started using it more than me and she didn't want it remapped, etc, hence me heading back to a scoob

Yup, another PIAA convert here, to the point that I bought a set for the wifes Leon as well. Use far less screenwash when using the PIAAs 'cos you don't need to keep the screen wet to use the wipers IYKWIM. Silent as well (so far anyway).

I'll have them all... would love to own a collection like that (and have a few spare acres to make my own rally stage on )

Service intervals vary depending on age, for the kind of money you are looking at I'd guess they'd all be every 10k (earlier ones were 7.5k IIRC). Can't remember how much the services cost but I'm due my 20k on the 06STi soon. Fuel tank varies with age as well, early ones were 50l later ones 60l. If you get 320 miles out of any of them you'll be doing very well... I get 220-260 out of mine (60l) on average and the very best I got so far with granny style driving (to see how much mpg I could get) still only seen me get about 310 out of it. Would be better on a longer run though I guess. Have found with the two scoobs I've had though, other than servicing (and modding ) you really don't need to chuck money at them (other than fuel obviously ), have always found them very reliable and fun to drive.

When we were looking years ago I thought that although the Recaro looked pretty good, it didn't really seem to have the kind of support a 1 or 2yo needs in a car, esp when they fall asleep. Best bet is to try out a few seats in the car though. We got one that fitted the old scoob perfect, but is a crap fit in the new STi or the wifes Leon. Would definitely recommend an isofix seat if you can find one though as you'll get a better/stronger fixing I'd have thought.

You *bought* one? I was given mine when I filled up.