Three year Anniversary!

Welcome back! How time flies! Wasn't summer fantastic? The hot weather started the day we started our vacation at the beginning of July and kept going until the day we went back to work 4 weeks later. I managed to get out in the car for several day trips but not the long trip I was hoping for. Never mind there is always next year. The car has now passed 16,000 miles (28,000km) since it went on the road three years ago.

Two weeks ago I felt the clutch slipping so have been taking it easy ever since. Found out that because I installed the super charger the standard clutch wasn't able to cope with the extra power. I need to upgrade the clutch to either a 328 or M3. This I'll do over the winter along with all the other jobs I need to do. The MOT is in 3 weeks so hopefully the clutch will last that long at least. Funnily enough, having taken it really easy with the clutch I tried an empty tank test. I passed the magic 300 mile on a tank of fuel for the first time. Fantastic really, 500km on 35 litres of fuel!

Started coughing and spluttering - lucky I had an extra 5 litres in a can!

A few weeks ago I suffered the same fate as Steve, Dave and James, one of the front wing brackets broke. Strange really as I believe the other guys brackets had broken soon after the cars were built mine however has lasted 3 years. Perhaps that's an indication of the difference in road quality between England and Sweden ;-) Less stress on smooth roads perhaps! It was still attached by the side bolt so I tied it up with wire, which has held well. As the MOT test is coming up I decided to do a more permanent fix.

Not sure if this is how the other's brackets broke.

While taking off the wing and bracket I noticed the steering rod balljoints need replacing and I may as well change the upper wishbone balljoints too.

Perhaps it's the extreme temperature range that deteriorates the rubber or perhaps 3 years is the normal life expectancy. 

Out at my favourite Cafe "Rosenhill" and parked next to this. 

I had to keep an eye on it just in case mine was thrown in the boot and driven off.

Hopefully I'll be reporting in three weeks that the car passed it's first MOT with flying colours but first I need to fix the battery in place, install the windscreen washer bag, bleed brakes, disconnect one of the four point safety belt harnesses (illegal to have more than three!) and probably need to bribe the inspector. Wish me luck!