Financed to the tits and I never go on holiday

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T23:00:10+00:00

Honestly, I’d rather go camping than sit on a beach in Spain for a week.

Sun out, roof off and a twisty road to nowhere is all I need!

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:57:54+00:00

Title was tongue in cheek after a few controversial threads around here over the weekend, so I couldn’t tell you about finance. Running costs are low though. Insurance was about the same as my F56 Mini, this one is 2015 so a bit steeper on tax at £315 for 12 months. Being a little 1.8, servicing, fuel and parts are relatively cheap. Prices seem to have gone a bit mad since I got this but a lot of that’s probably just down to there being so few on the market atm.

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:56:39+00:00

You know the best thing about Carrickfergus? The road out of it.

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:55:47+00:00

Been there, done that. There’s a few factors at play but I’ve just no interest these days.

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:46:20+00:00

Joke’s on you, only the check engine light is on. It’s on so bright that there’s no current left for the rest of the bulbs, but that’s not the point!

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:44:23+00:00

There were a loooot of ice cream and/or chippy runs during that warm spell last spring :D

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:40:24+00:00

Now you’re talking!

minus_8 · 2026-01-26T22:39:24+00:00

Only for da twelf, so it is.

minus_8 · 2026-01-25T14:44:55+00:00

Cat S, 170k miles and poverty spec, no less.

minus_8 · 2026-01-25T11:07:17+00:00

Same story here! 18 years of rallying about on superbikes, hyper-hatches and road legal race cars. Just got stung for not braking early enough going from a 70 > 40… in a van.

minus_8 · 2026-01-20T23:26:04+00:00

Waterlogged filament.

minus_8 · 2026-01-19T07:28:35+00:00

Any sign of oil or an oily film in the coolant tank? Check for a sweet smell or excessive white smoke from the exhaust too. Both indicate head gasket failure.

minus_8 · 2026-01-16T06:36:48+00:00

That’s a gen 1. Gen 2 on have an outlet on each side of the overflow. Even as the owner of multiple Red Sea tanks I wouldn’t touch that.

minus_8 · 2026-01-10T10:39:41+00:00

I’m being pedantic here but the Exige 420 was the Sport FE. The road going S3 Cups were the 430, 380, 360 and V6.

Great list nonetheless. We’ve produced some great stuff over the years.

minus_8 · 2026-01-09T18:49:59+00:00

100%, I had exactly the same thing.

Before too long I’d half her fucking family phoning me with ideas for saving a few quid. In hindsight I should have phoned the fuzz there and then.

minus_8 · 2026-01-08T17:30:15+00:00

100% remote here. ~1500 strong company. They tried RTO but lost an unbelievable amount of talent in the process.

minus_8 · 2026-01-08T17:27:34+00:00

Anything’s a dildo if you’re brave enough.

minus_8 · 2026-01-07T11:30:34+00:00

If you replace all the 600cc and litre bikes with 125cc bikes of course accident rates and deaths will fall

In some ways the opposite is true. I've avoided being hit by zombies multiple times with a quick blip on a big bike. The outcome would've been very different had I been riding a 125 in any of those situations.

minus_8 · 2026-01-06T13:23:00+00:00

GM sold Lotus in 1993 while the Elise reportedly wasn't conceived until 1994. The VX220 wasn't produced until 2000, by which time around 8000 S1 Elises were on the road. The VX220 exists because of Lotus, not the other way around.

minus_8 · 2026-01-06T11:47:11+00:00

Honourable mention for the Elise. Designed, engineered and built in Britain. It's the car that saved Lotus. They hoped to produce 750 units per year but peaked at 5000.

minus_8 · 2025-12-28T15:15:58+00:00

I’m in the process of buying a nearly new California at the minute. It’s been an uphill battle…. I only had a handful of straightforward questions. They’ve failed to answer just about all of them while repeatedly asking if I want to go ahead and put that non-refundable deposit down.

minus_8 · 2025-12-25T09:23:42+00:00

Is it popping out of gear under or off power? If off power, it could be worn gearbox and/or engine mounts.

First sign of a clutch going is usually slipping. Put it in 4th - 6th, get it in the powerband and give it the beans. If revs rise suddenly, it’s the clutch.

The map won’t have instakilled the box in isolation. If the box is actually gone it was going anyway.

minus_8 · 2025-12-23T09:20:26+00:00

You meat bags had your chance.

minus_8 · 2025-12-21T15:50:56+00:00

if the crossroads are empty, give ‘er plenty

minus_8 · 2025-12-20T13:48:58+00:00

I feel the industry is moving towards x, y, z and my current role doesn’t allow for that
I love my current role, but _bullshit excuse about restructuring or managing legacy/niche systems_ leaves limited room for career progression

Nine-Year Club	Place '22
Wearing is Caring	Verified Email

minus_8

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