So, as I wait for my Viva’s exhaust to arrive I’ve been riding the ‘zed to and from work. Thankfully, given the extent of the rain yesterday, they let me come home early (to be fair we’d just had a faxed-through flash-flood warning) and the bair-hugger did a grand job of getting my boots dry enough for me to be able to ride (despite wearing my walking gear and my bike gear my arse still got wet though).
I’d hoped the exhaust would arrive today; not least because of the weather…
Anyhow, so I’ve been lurking around the internet today and I found this. Am I alone in being appauled that Mazda is crushing nearly 5000 new cars because there might be something wrong with them. Sure, if they looked and found that brakefluid’d leaked out all over the car, or that the engine bay was filled with oiley-watery-sludge then fine, okay, strip them for spares. But they’re destroying the *wheels*. Wheels? Do wheels mysteriously get damaged by tilting them at 60 degrees?
Interiors? Are they unsalvageable?
*le sigh*.
I also went on the hunt for the previously mentioned TCO report on older cars – which I’ve heard of – from the SMMT of all places, which still said that owning older cars was better than buying new ones. Unfortunately, I can’t find my reference to it (which I think was in Practical Classics) and can only find the ‘green car’ booklet which alledges 10% of pollution coming from manufacture and 5% from recycling (although this from my quick scan suggests around 20% from manufacture). I’d like to find a good and at least less biased reference on whether I’m right about driving an older car. It makes sense to me that keeping it on the road longer is better than recycling it and driving a new one. Of course, not driving at all is better still; but until I live somewhere were nurses are actually paid a reasonable sum of money then I’m not going to be able to live near where I work, and thus driving is a necessity (unless public transport suddenly manages to cater for people who need to get to and from work at late and early times of the day).
Anyhow, now that rant’s over and done with. I’ve called a welder and am going to have to arrange for him to come around on monday to look at the DAF. I’ve also written the ad for the Viva – but I’ll go and fork out a few quid for a jetwash before I photograph it – and shan’t do that until the DAF is decided upon. I also need to make a run to my mum’s to collect the ramps and the jacks and suchlike.
Anyhow, I should go shower….
