Well it's been just over a month since I bought my little Pug.
Its a low mileage of under 40k and looks very smart indeed.
It's got a lot of service history and a clean sheet of Mots over the years.
Neither the less I'm keen to keep on top of everything by doing preventative maintenance to keep it right up there.
99% of the jobs I've done ,can strictly be viewed as non essential, but I've done them anyway just to give it a fighting chance for the many years of ownership I'm hoping for.
My first jobs was to get underneath the car and check it out for any signs of corrosion.
I have access to a inspection pit ,so I can really cast a critical eye over every nook and cranny.
I was delighted to see it was as clean as a whistle with no surface rust whatsoever(remarkable considering it's over 20 years old)
It still hasn't stopped me though from applying some extra protection.
As it still looks remarkably fresh I've given it a spray over with some matt black paint, Wax oyled the cavities and then used lanogaurd across the underside.
It now looks like it's just rolled off the factory production line from underneath.
The other jobs have generally been chasing down insignificant niggles really.
Annoying creaks or rattles.
I've put these down to the car not being used regularly.A low mileage car can often have it's own unique problems as opposed to a car that's used regularly.
I've had all the usual suspects of a creaky roof (cured with silicone grease and can't recommend it enough)
In fact anything that's made of rubber i.e door/boot seals and the various bushes underneath they have been treated with either silicone grease or silicone spray.
After a few evenings tackling this and using the car regularly all the annoying creaks and rattles have now been banished.
Being OCD I've even eliminated the annoying rattle from the front interior light by packing the void behind it with some foam.
Its completely transformed the driving experience into a much more quieter place.
Another thing I've done to quieten the interior out was to line the metal boot floor with some flash banding
A cheap fix but highly effective.The metal boot floor is quite a large expanse of metal and as it's just over the exhaust and rear suspension its surprising how much noise comes through it.
With some flash banding and the boot and purpose made acoustic carpet laid over it ,it's made the Pug proud.
My next job is to get the cam belt/water pump and a suspect thermostat changed.
For over 10 years I've owned a Rover 75 which was very refined compared to the Peugeot but after spending a small amount of money and time it's now not far off.
What I do like about the pug compared to the Rover is the fun factor and the road holding.
The Rover was a big old car and soft around corners and just a generally cumbersome affair ,whilst the pug is small and sharp handling with nippy power which is perfect for the twisty hilly roads here in Wales.
And when the roof is down, Well that just speaks for it's self.
The 2 litre petrol engine really comes to life over 3k revs.The exhaust note takes on a raspy sporty note and it feels like it's on rails around the corners when it's pushed.
Sedate driving and it feels nice and quiet and refined.
Fuel economy, im saying it returns an average of 39 to 41 mpg If it's driven sympathetically.
The auto diesel Rover was returning around 45 ish.
With petrol being cheaper than diesel is not to expensive to run.
VED is blooming expensive though.
Its not far off the £400 pa mark
So all in all, it's a great little car with a scary complicated roof and electrical equipment, but mechanically it looks a very easy car to work on.
As for image I'm getting some stick off my mates.
Its the usual comments such as it's a "hairdressers" car or it's a girl's car.
Do I care?
Not one bit!!!
because it makes me feel alive again to enjoy motoring in the open air ,instead of being stuck inside a hot stuffy tin top saloon car.
All the very best
Johnnyb60