Update from Sue since the last ramblings...

While I'm waiting for my friend to arrive for the theatre I thought I'd update the blog with a few bits about what's been happening in the life of La Roedel.

You'll recall I had to MOT the Escort and I had a couple of bulbs changed as well as a new fanbelt fitted. I also had to take the Marlin to my favourite pipe man in Basildon as the exhaust bracket had broken and the back pipe was resting on the axle.

Well! The following week I had to take BOTH cars back. The Escort fanbelt was squealing like a good 'un and the front headlamps weren't matching brightness. It was pretty inconvenient having to go back again but luckily I was working from home so I could drop it there and back without too much disruption. Turned out they hadn't tightened the fanbelt enough. Hrmmph. And although the headlamps weren't the same brightness, apparently it wasn't an Mot  failure so they didn't bother to correct it. Lazy I thought. Oh yes and they had fitted new wipers but one was already hanging off after 2 days and was beginning to carve a groove in the windscreen. They corrected that too. At least it was all free of charge. I should think so too!

The Marlin had been driving really well following the mended bracket. However the very next week I noticed a noise coming from the back that sounded like a loose seatbelt reel. On inspection, all was in place and solid so I investigated the boot. Nothing seemed to be rolling about so I carried on driving around. The next day it was worse and the next day so bad I had to drive back on the drive as I thought the exhaust must be falling off again! Looking under the car with the engine running, I could see the exhaust bobbling around and I thought the back pipe had come away from the back box. Blimey! Thought I. I've only just had that welded. How can Dean's welding be that bad all of a sudden?! Resolving to take it back to Dean the next day, I jumped in the Escort and drove off to my appointment.

The next day I blatted down the A127 back to Essex boy racer Mecca, Basildon. I noticed on the way that the noise was less some times than others. When I arrived at the unit, we got the car on the ramps straightaway and the first thing we noticed was that the exhaust was fully in tact. Huh? However there is another bracket holding the back pipe on and the bolt was loose, loose, loose! All I had been hearing was the bracket bumping up and down. Doh! 2 Minutes and 2 tightened nuts later, I wended my way back home to carry on with work. And the moral of the story? Check your nuts are tight before you worry where your pipe is going to end up!