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BLOG/NEWS
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.
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89 HI THERE, BIG BOY...
Once we have confirmation of the dates for the Black Forrest Gateau, we can plan our route and start to think about where we will stay at...
Dec 11, 20242 min read
81 SUPER PANDA...
I've spent my hard-earned money on an Abarth 500 when I should have bought a Fiat Panda. I know that the Abarth is renowned as a...
Dec 3, 20241 min read
76 TEENY TINY TOM'S IQ...
I stumbled across this image on Twitter the other day and couldn’t help but share it. Behold the magnificence of this Toyota iQ in full...
Nov 17, 20241 min read
66 REAR END SHAKEDOWN...
I can't take it any more. The knocking/rattling from the back has now escalated from making my teeth itch to giving me a full-on Chief...
Oct 22, 20241 min read
64 GUZZLE IT DOWN...
So I’ve had the car for a while now, so I have a better idea of what I’ve bought. As mentioned yesterday, the speakers and the exhaust...
Oct 20, 20241 min read
61 BULBS, TURBOS AND AI...
I had a productive day yesterday. I got home to find that a headlight bulb had gone, instantly sending me into a spiral. I worried that...
Oct 18, 20242 min read
56 ABBIE, MEET BERT...
I woke up on Sunday feeling groggy. I suspect it was a combination of a few drinks at the gig the previous night and a weekend of early...
Oct 14, 20241 min read
54 A BIG THUMBS UP...
While I was at the fantastic Public Service Broadcasting gig, Lisa took the Abarth out to pick up Nikki for a catch-up they had planned a...
Oct 13, 20241 min read
53 HOMEWARD BOUND...
After a good night's sleep and a full English, we returned to the road, making the 250-mile journey from yesterday in reverse (click on...
Oct 12, 20242 min read
51 WE’RE OFF, WE’RE OFF, WE’RE OFF IN A MOTORCAR…
We set our alarms for silly o'clock, packed our overnight bags and headed to Poole in the darkness. The plan was to leave around 6 to...
Oct 11, 20242 min read
50 ALL SYSTEMS GO...
It was a busy day today. I contacted the dealership, and they confirmed that the cam belt and water pump work is booked for tomorrow, and...
Oct 11, 20241 min read
47 I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I BELIEVE IN SIGNS (2)...
Carl sent me the link from Auto Trader to the car he was buying when he first spotted it. The tab was still open, so I hit the refresh...
Oct 9, 20241 min read
43 SPIT SPOT...
The AA report came through this morning. As promised, it is comprehensive. Confirming what the engineer told me verbally, the work that...
Oct 7, 20242 min read
42 PLAYER TWO HAS ENTERED THE GAME...
This morning, Carl sent me a WhatsApp message with a car that he had found. There is nothing unusual about that; it happens every other...
Oct 7, 20242 min read
41 DOUBLE A RATING...
I organised for the AA to inspect the car at the dealership in Dorset. After a bit of messing around to find out when they would attend,...
Oct 6, 20242 min read
38 PLAYER THREE HAS REJOINED THE GAME...
The good news is that it looks like Richie and Rachel will be making the trip after all - YAAAS! The compromise is that they will make...
Oct 3, 20242 min read
36 A DIFFERENT STORY...
Another day, another great car popped up on Auto Trader. Okay, so it isn’t 100% perfect (it doesn’t have the right wheels, and there is...
Oct 2, 20242 min read
33 CALL ME A KUGA...
After a few quiet drinks the other night, I was convinced Richie was not interested in completing the rally in an Abarth. It doesn't...
Oct 1, 20242 min read
31 LESSONS LEARNT...
My attempt to buy an Abarth failed at the first hurdle, but it wasn't a waste of time; many positives came from that heroic failure. ...
Sep 30, 20241 min read
29 SO CLOSE, AND YET...
After the umpteenth trawl on Auto Trader, I finally found the car of my holiday dreams. It was white, with less than 70,000 miles, and...
Sep 29, 20243 min read
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