HFS's car thread | NC x Nürburgring

[homeforsummer]

15k NC, goodbye Peugeot

Bit of a fleet update as I've not posted anything since December. As the title suggests, the NC's now passed the 15k mark in my hands. In the past 5k it's had a service, a new exhaust centre section as the old bit, which had been knocking for a while, finally disconnected just ahead of the rear axle, a just-in-time AC service, and while not depicted in the pic above, it's also now got a stubby aerial as the rubber on the OEM one was starting to rot and split. I don't listen to the radio much but I've not really noticed any change in signal.

Still hugely enjoying the car. It's doing 40mpg (imperial) everywhere, it's decently comfortable over longer trips, and now the AC's working it's just as good when it's really hot and I've got the roof up as when it's merely sunny and warm and the roof's down. Took it to a sprint day last week and it was great fun there too, nice to get a chance to explore the car's behaviour pushing it a lot harder than on the road.

Plan is still to get a more sensible/practical daily driver though. Some more luggage space would be nice, a more comfortable ride on our increasingly terrible roads, and something I won't mind taking out when the weather gets worse again in the autumn and winter.

Small update on the RX-7, which is still in storage as I type but is coming out in a few weeks to have some work done - it's going onto coilovers as I never did find OEM replacement suspension, and it's getting new tyres and brakes too, plus an MOT. I'll enjoy it for a few months over summer and then it's going up for sale.

Talking of sales, the Peugeot went in February ish. Good time of year as the weather was terrible so I wasn't driving it anyway, and never got a chance to miss it - and now the weather's good, I'm perfectly happy with the MX-5. More than 8.5 years with the Peugeot in the end, easily the longest I've owned a car. Felt like I'd done everything with it though, and it's nice to get some money back and not have to pay for another round of tax/insurance etc. New owner seems very happy with it, and is already making it nicer than it ever was with me.

 

[Doog]

Can't believe you had that Peugeot for over 8 years, I would've guessed half that. It was my favorite car you've featured in this thread, so I'm sorry to see it go. 8.5 years is a pretty long ownership for a car person! Interested to see what happens after the RX-7 is sold.

 

[homeforsummer]

Back in a Ford​

Mentioned last time around that I was looking for something more sensible/practical to supplement the NC over winter, and about a week ago I bought this.

It's a Ford Fusion, and if you're in the US and giving it a quizzical look, Europe's Ford fusion was basically a taller, boxier Fiesta sold in the 2000s. It was kind of a proto-Nissan Juke in a way, just a regular B-segment supermini in a taller shell.

They're pretty unfashionable but that can work in one's favour as it makes even nice ones pretty cheap, so this thing cost less than most bills I get on the RX-7. Low-ish miles, pretty decent service and MOT histories, bodywork is in generally pretty good condition (little bits of rust and dents here and there but nothing significant), and recent cambelt change are all good points. Needs a few things doing too, but nothing too serious.

Being a 2000s-era European Ford it drives pretty well - ride/handling balance is good, steering is nice, engine/gearbox are smooth, brakes feel good. Just a solid all-rounder. In theory it'll also become my only car over the next few months - mentioned last time I planned to sell the RX-7 but I think the MX-5 will go too, for a few (positive) reasons I won't go into just yet that mean it doesn't make much sense to keep it into next year, especially as it'll not get much use over winter.

I'll definitely miss the NC when it goes as it's pretty much perfect for me, but I have to admit I'm also looking forward to the prospect of being back down to just one car for the first time in years (since 2020 in fact), and that car not being a weekend toy but something I can just hop into and use whatever the weather or journey. I have a spreadsheet detailing how much my cars cost to run and not having to pay that for a while will be very welcome...

 

[homeforsummer]

NC x Nürburgring

A few years back I took my old Smart to the Nürburgring. This year it was the turn of another black rear-wheel drive daily driver. Haven't had a proper holiday this year so spent five days knocking around Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, the focus of which was a trip to the 'Ring.

Great fun obviously. Only did one lap as the car's actually for sale so I didn't want to burn through the tyres and brakes, or something worse, and the bulk of the road trip was after that anyway so it was in my best interest to go easy on it.

Unscientifically, did a 10-something bridge to gantry (basically, looked at the digi clock passing under the bridge, and it was about ten minutes later when I went under the gantry). Probably only spent half the lap on the correct line though given the usual barrage of mad-spec BMWs and Porsches absolutely flying along. Beginning to feel like there should be separate tourist days for "normal" cars and for the really hot stuff driven by people who've done hundreds of laps. Partly safety, and partly just so that if you want to crack on a bit but also not spend the whole lap looking in your mirrors, you can do that too. And I'm sure it'd be more pleasant for the fast guys too if they want to beat their best lap or whatever.

Anyway, car did mostly well but I could definitely feel the brakes getting a bit hot, thankfully the second half of the lap is a bit easier on them. Unsurprisingly, track's a lot more intimidating in a car with 160+ bhp rather than one barely breaking 50bhp like the Smart was. The Smart just about touched an indicated 100mph a few times. When I dared to glance down, the MX-5 was quite regularly over that (hit the top of 3rd and 4th several times, 90mph and 110-115ish respectively), and it's a pretty slow car by 'Ring standards.

Glad to have done it. Can't see myself becoming a 'Ring regular as I think I prefer the consistency (and greater safety factor) of regular trackdays, or the slightly less high-pressure fun of spirited but safe road driving on the right kind of roads, though next time I go back there it'll probably be in something objectively slower but also better-prepared (suitable brakes/tyres, racing seat etc) that can take a bit of a hammering without going for mad lap times.