Farwell to an old friend...

 It has been pretty hot weather the last week or so, I am sure you will all agree. Well on Sunday after finishing a rather warm and sticky day at work I jumped in Tango and headed home. I had both of her windows open as she was roasting inside. I mean, she had been waiting patiently all day for my return in the glaring sun.

I popped her air-con on to help with cooling. I know you shouldn't have the windows open with the air-con on, it was just until things got cooled down as we drove home.

Wow this was 7 years ago the day I bought Wee Tango

 

So off we set on our usual route, with no dramas, Tango running perfectly smooth. It wasn't until I got real near home, just about opposite Humber Hill, when I smelt a burning smell. I thought it was something from outside somewhere.

As I pulled up outside our house and parked over the road on the grass verge and went to get out of Tango, that is when I noticed a small amount of smoke. I originally thought it was coming from my rear drum brakes, however as I inspected my wee car, it soon became apparent it was more of a burning oil type of smell.
 

I had turned her off at this point and went in to get Ern's opinion. Ern came out and suggested we leave Tango to cool, saying "come on, we can go up to the tip and drop off all this garden stuff". We had been on cutting the hedges you see, so had loads of cuttings, in a dumpy bag and wrapped in a tarpaulin.

When we arrived back home, it was still red-hot and Tango was still warm. My dad popped Tangos tail gate and lifted the carpet and protective sound deadening, then released the clip that holds the metal engine tray. We then got a rag and pulled out Tango's dip stick, checking her oil. The oil was up to the recommended level and looked lovely and clean, I mean she is serviced by my dad regularly. We then replaced the dip stick and went around to the front of Tango and checked her coolant level, again it was perfect.

We then had a go at starting Tango, and she just gave off a pitiful little groan... Oh! Dear!

My dad suggested leaving her until the following day, and whilst I was at work, he would investigate further. Upon picking me up from work, my dad let me know that Tangos engine felt "Tight". He had put a socket and wrench on her and tried turning her engine over by hand. She wasn't exactly seized, however she was poorly.


I have had Tango 7 years, and she has been a great little car, ideal for what I needed her for. I was gutted, however at this point I had had enough of spending money on her, I mean just last month I had spent over £500 on new suspension parts a tyre, then had to get her tracking re-done. I decided pretty much there, and then it was time to say farewell.
 

Tango when I first saw her and fell in love with her

I will miss my little Tango

I no longer have a Facebook account, so I used my dads and banged Tango up for a £1,000 on marketplace. Within minutes of the ad going up, I had 9 people contact me. So I was furiously trying to answer everyone's questions. I hate selling stuff, as you either get some numpty trying to bid you down or asking ridiculous questions. Not just that when someone really wants something, and you only have one, it's difficult trying to not come across as a complete dick when someone else buys your gear, and it's gone. Maybe I am too soft, LoL.

Anyhoo within about half an hour of the ad being out, a guy informed me he would be at our house the next morning with cash, and true to his word he arrived, paid for Tango and took her away. I wasn't in, as I was at work. I said my final farewell that morning, which was really sad, I loved that little car and had some good times in her. I hope Colin, her new owner, can repair her, and she sees many more miles of bringing a smile to someone's face.

And so what to do for a car for a run about and for work. I can't possibly use Grandma as she costs a fortune to run, plus she hopefully will be a future classic. I don't want to use Myrtle as well she uses just as much fuel as Grandma, however annoys a lot of people on the road as she is soooo slow and there is the fact she is not ideal to park, and I am still on the fence about her semi-auto clutch adaption. I still get anxious on hills and at junctions at times. Sometimes I can pull away smooth and on other occasions she either cuts out or, like when I was a learner, as if she has kangaroo petrol in her.

Sometime ago I had debated selling both Tango and Myrtle and was checking out an Abarth 595 Competzione. I'd actually love an EsseEsse, however they are hard to get in an auto and a lot more expensive. It sucks being an amputee as I am limited to an auto, and you always seem to have to pay a premium.

Abarth 595 Competzione

Obviously not in the market for a brand-new car, my budget won't extend to that, but something a couple of years old would do the trick. I am also trying to resist the urge of getting a car and modding it. I have already noticed there are loads of nice bits of gear out there for the Abarths Lol

Grandma ... My What Big Brakes You Have !

Well we have finally got around to fitting the bigger brake mod to Grandma, my 2013 Volkswagen Beetle GSR, which happens to be #240 of a production run of 3500 worldwide. Of those 3500 cars produced only 100 were brought to the UK. Of that 100, there were 70 Yellow and Black's and only 30 Platinum Grey and Blacks, so Grandma I suppose is quite a rare car, plus Volkswagen are no longer making the Beetle, so she may become a bit of a collector's car.

Grandma is now 9 years old, approaching ten, and she is in canny good nick. Stone chips are my biggest annoyance with her, but hey, show me a car without the odd bit of road rash after 10 years. She still turns a few heads, and I think quite a few people get a surprise at just how pokey she is. When I bought her, she was remapped, with a Revo stage 1, and pushing out 264 Bhp. I then got her remapped to a stage 2, along with the Race Cat and DSG gearbox map, so she is now pushing out 290.6 Bhp. Grandma is also running a Revo cold air intake and a Miltek unresonated Cat back exhaust, which sounds pretty good, however can get on your tits when travelling between 50'ish to 60'ish as it drones, so much so at times it makes my ears go funny. The DSG mod is quite fun as when you boot Grandma she has a sort of fart when chaging gears in sport mode Lol.

Anyhoo moving along I will now give you a run down of the brake mod with as much detail as I can, who knows it may help someone out there if, like me, you run into a few teething problems with mixing and matching bits of gear. I will write a complete list at the end for reference purposes, so you can skip to there if you don't want to read my blog... Shame on you, Lol.

OK so the 2013 VW Beetle I think is based on the Mk 6 Golf chassis. I am sure this is correct as I recall the Miltek Cat back system as being off a Mk 6 Golf and also the Revo 200 cell Race Cat from a Golf Mk 6 fitted when i had it fitted down at BTG Performance. Following much research and still being a little unsure, of what exactly would fit, I just decided to bite the bullet and purchase a pair of MK 7 Golf R front calipers, which I got from Flea Bay. They came complete with the carriers and the R badge side plates. I opted for all black to go with my stealth theme.

Grandma about to be elevated

Had her 4 years now and still love her

 

I will write this whilst I remember...

This is just a little post, it contains no pictures, and you may not find it interesting.

In March, the 27th to be exact, I caught Covid. Pretty bad timing as I was already off on the sick, due to my socket not fitting, however I was due to return to work and then required a few more weeks off.

Well ever since then I have struggled with fatigue, a very annoying dry cough and the most worrying symptom concentration.

Now normally I would just laugh it off, the forgetfulness, however over the course of the last few weeks it has got considerably worse. 

An example, I had arranged to go and see one of my good friends on Thursday, she lives up at Felton near Alnwick. I have made this trip loads of times, it is easy to get to Felton, as it is straight up the A1 North bound. So how come I ended up 34.4 miles away from Felton, almost in Scotland. I had to call my friend and ask for her postcode. I only realised I was in the wrong place when passing Haggerston Castle and going around two roundabouts, before turning around and heading back South, pulling in to a lay-by and calling my friend.


Travelling back South, for some reason I had it in my head that there was a section of dual carriageway, went to pass a car, and it wasn't until I saw on coming traffic in what I thought was my lane I had to stamp on my brakes and swerve back into my lane. I believe in thanking the Universe for its help and assistance. I gave a big thank you that evening, I can tell you.

Today has been a catalogue of memory and concentration errors. Things like putting my keys in the glovebox of my car, then looking for my keys immediately after to start my car. Putting my disabled badge in its usual place on the sun visor, kept in place by elastic bands, then going shopping with Ern and looking in my glovebox for said badge. Putting a teabag in my cup, going for the milk, then putting another tea bag in and discovering I had put two in when I poured the hot water in. Making a cup of tea without boiling the kettle this morning.


Last week I had a complete mental block after seeing a patient and going to write up my notes. I knew what I had done, but couldn't find the words to type it out.


My dad lost his wallet today, however with some detective work I managed to find it, it must have fallen off the footstool and gone down by the sette, so at least I discovered that Lol