Eunos Chump

I'm currently only interested in playing with model trains, it's probably a passing fad that'll no doubt end in a couple of weeks, but LOOK! LOOK AT THE LITTLE TRAINS! We bought Russ the Pendolino set for Xmas, that's digital so I had to solder a DCC decoder into his old loco so he could still use it, and it's just grown from there. I have to pay regular visits to a model shop in Alton to get bits, it's run by a miserable git and I don't like going there ('cos it's full of pukka train spotting nerds, not passing-phase-nerds like me), but I can't wait for mail order.

I removed all the drop link bushes today, and it was easy! I've created a little diagram below, all you need it some M8 threaded-bar (98p from Wickes), some washers and about 4 nuts... plus a big socket (30mm in this case). As you tighten the nuts at the socket end, it pulls the bush through and into the socket (hence the need for it to be large). By dispensing with washers at the droplink end, I was able to pull out just the metal insert (which means I could have gotten away with a smaller socket), it's then easy to pull out the rubber. Takes about 5 mins per bush, no steam-powered press required. I've used a cheap'n'cheerful £10 Workmate to secure the droplink, I love these things. They're reasonably sturdy and you don't have to worry about abusing and eventually destroying them, they're disposable at this kind of money.

I've been working flat-out for the past few weeks on a new office in London, 7 days a week and with no time to even think about opening the garage. That's over now and I finally had time to tinker with the Mazda this evening; sadly there has been no Christine-style transformation, it's still sitting on the jack with the front anti-roll bar partially removed. I had a sit in it though, and was reminded how very right the driving position is. Last weekend I had a new Zafira (hired) and while that's not pretending to be a sportscar I was surprised how compromised it was as a driver's car. The offset steering wheel, rubbery feeling controls and annoying understeer (depsite those massive wheels all modern cars seem to have) all combined to make it a pretty miserable thing to drive. I'm going to buy a new exhaust next week, a stainless dual exit job from MX5Parts.co.uk . I don't really want the weight of that additional pipe, but the price is irresistable and it do...