Sam's Ibiza 6L TDi

[Sam]

It's been quite some time since I've last posted here, and quite a few things have developed... Gearbox issues as well as a leaky rear end, to name a few! Either way, yesterday, I got the chance to give it a bit of a cleanup! Despite not having a pressure washer to hand, the snow foam solution I used actually was pretty effective and made the cleaning process quite easy!

By having a clean car for the first time in several thousand miles, it gave me the chance to put my DSLR to some good use and get some pretty nice shots!

 

[Sam]

Well, this is always fun! On Tuesday, I suddenly started noticing a cracking noise coming from the front of the car when coming to a stop, when setting off and during some cornering situations. Wasn't able to get the car into a garage until today (and the sound had died off in the last few days), but it turns out that the offside Lower Suspension Arm had near enough completely split in two. So, I was pretty lucky to get it checked out when I did as total failure would have been more costly and of course, would have caused a pretty big situation out on the roads. The car has been left at the garage until next Monday where they'll contact me regarding quotes for the work and about getting the work done. Still has been quite a surprise as the only thing that seemed wrong was the cracking sound - it even drove fine which could have led some people into a false sense of security. Not heard about these arms splitting in two very much in general, but maybe that's a good thing. Still, I'm sure my bank account will be pleased to see a heap of cash fly out!

 

[Sam]

Onward and Upwards...

So, it's been a little while since I last posted here, and that's because nothing very dramatic has gone on until the last week or so. I was out driving and saw a tidy looking car parked up at the side of the road, took a look at it, contacted the seller and, to cut a long story short - the Seat is no more and is now going on to lead a new life, whilst I get to enjoy something new!

Meet the Ibiza's replacement, a 2006 Audi A3 Sportback!

It's got the same 1.9TDi powerplant as the Seat, with the main difference being that it's fitted with a DPF Filter. It has 112,000 miles on the clock and is in the midrange 'SE' trim so comes with Dual-Zone Climate Control, Cruise Control as well as Auto Lights/Wipers - so a bit of a step up from the Ibiza! Pretty pleased so far, although there are one or two niggles and it is in need of a pretty good clean - which is in progress! Overall, I'd say it was worth the upgrade, but I will have to see how things go; see if I have as many problems as the dear old Seat!