This section covers all the Ws: who, where, why, what, when, and, erm, how. 
A daily record of the plans made and the decisions taken. 
Click on the articles below for the latest news.

Our Abarth, like all modern cars, doesn't have a drip rail - that little strip of raised metal designed to stop rain cascading over the roof and down into the window. So, like everyone out there at some time, I've ended up with an elbow full of cold water. I sometimes like to open my window a little to let some air circulate, but if there has been even the lightest drizzle, my right arm gets dripped on as the water on the roof gently cascades down the roof. I can't crack th

According to reports, the UK is the second-largest market for aftermarket vehicle upgrades in Europe. The industry was valued at around £7.8 billion in 2025, and is forecast to reach £9.5 billion by 2030. The manufacturing sector is worth around £12 billion, with approximately 1,600 businesses operating in it. The Top 10 most popular modifications in the UK are: 1. Alloy Wheels 2. Number Plate Personalisation  3. Exhaust Upgrades  4. LED Lighting  5. Suspension & Lowering K

So goodbye to 227 and hello to 60... or rather, 17. Confused? Let me explain. As I detailed in this post , getting the original design (number 227) made and fitted would, as they say in the trade, be a faff. It needs to bend three ways on the bonnet and fit around the wing mirrors. Can be done, but wouldn't be easy or may need compromising the design. I found an alternative design (number 60) that isn't as striking as the original but is more on-brand and clearer. The

After the trip to see the lovely guys at Colour Create, my mind has been whirring. I need to rethink the design as the current scheme is too difficult to apply to the magnetic strip and then onto the car. Not going to lie, this is a massive blow. But there is no use wallowing; it's time to find a solution to the problem, which means going back to the drawing board. <sigh> One thing Barry and Kevin at Colour Create said was that big, rectangular graphics are easy to produce

We visited Colour Create yesterday and met Barry and Kevin. I rambled on about the trip born from a stupid idea, fuelled by alcohol and fed by a 'you only live once' attitude. They initially looked at us like we were daft, I reckon they are right to be honest! I showed them images of what we would like. I explained my reservations about sticking a magnet over the contours of the car. They had a sample of the automotive-grade magnetic sticker, which was thinner than I expe

The little car has been taken to the garage to receive a bit of TLC from the professionals. The metallic rubbing noise has been...

After initially thinking my new alloy woes were far behind me, a new and annoying issue turned up. I was merrily bombing it around in...

The lovely guys at Liverpool Mobile Tyres have just been out to balance my front wheels.  As they had the Abarth jacked up, they said...

People who have followed this little blog for a while will know that Lisa got me a set of upgraded alloy wheels for Christmas this year...

A friend paid me back a few quid he owed me that I had completely forgotten about, so I did the only sensible thing I could: I bought something I could use for our trip. The snappily titled Ryobi Cordless Impact Driver Starter Kit is currently winging its way to me at the speed of DPD. After some research, I found that at 1,800 inch-pound torque, it won't win any arm-wrestling contests against its more expensive contemporaries, but it has enough muscle to handle what most DI

All this talk of jacks and tyre swapping has reminded me that the foam that comes with my car is well past its sell-by date, so I needed...

In my relentless pursuit of “wasting money or crap I don’t need” (© Lisa 2025), I’ve been looking at car jacks. I’m not sure my car...

I bought Abbie in the autumn when the weather was changeable - it didn't know whether it would be warm, cold, sunny, or rainy. Because...

Jolly ole Saint Nick has played a blinder this year; he emptied his sack and delivered some tools I would never have needed if we hadn't...

You know that thing where you see something on eBay that you fancy but is too expensive, so you save the item to see if the price comes...

I'm writing this at Christmastime, and the Frankie Goes To Hollywood song 'The Power Of Love' is getting a fair bit of rotation (even...

Replacement axle bushes? Check!  Replacement shock absorbers?  Check!  No more knocking from the back end?  Check!  YAAAS!  Finally, I...

It has been a day of good news and bad news.  The good news is that the axle bushes have been replaced - yay!  They were in a really poor...

Abbie has been to the garage for a shakedown. I explained that there was a rattling noise from the back and wanted them to pin it down. ...

I've gone down an exhaust wormhole.  I expect the garage to confirm my fears and tell me the exhaust is shot and needs replacing.  As I...