Eunos Chump

I'm back from another week in Poland.  Hire car this time was a Focus, and it was AWFUL.  How did Ford spend so much money developing such an underwhelming car?  Ride: dreadful.  Performance: pathetic (1.6 pez).  Interior: cheap.  Handling: soft. After a few days of misery an engine mount broke, so it was replaced with a Nissan Qashqai.  I loved that! Everything that was wrong on the Ford was right in the Nissan, it felt like it was developed by people who cared.  It still had a weedy 1.6 petrol motor, but I was able to overlook that.  Any car with Klingon-style ridges on the bonnet can do no wrong in my eyes. I had another guy working with me for a few days, so we visited all the restaurants in the town square.  I was initially adventurous and tried some local dishes, but after a few incidents (including my first and extremely unwelcome introduction to sauerkraut, below), I retreated to my usual charred meats.

The dead have been woken... the MX5 has been off the road for just short of a year now, but despite this it fired up immediately.  Almost.  Once I'd attached the start-charger to it.  I needed it moved so I could service the BMW, which is getting the chop next month. Not so long ago it was being inexpertly piloted around various race tracks, but now it's just a home for spiders.  Next year will be different though, it's returning to the road.  Just driving it 20-odd metres was enough to remind me what a great toy it is; the gearshift is lightening quick with tiny throws, the steering instant, the pedals firm and well-weighted. Thinking about going to the California Superbike School next week, quite a lot of money though. And here, for no reason whatsoever, are the pets living in harmony at the top of the stairs...

I replaced the fuel pump in the tank of the 530D yesterday.  It was quite fiddly and I couldn't find any useful guide on the internet, so I thought I'd create a quick outline of the procedure: Symptoms of failure : poor starting/cutting out when the fuel level falls to around a quarter of a tank. Cost : £42 from GSF , plus 2x 9mm petrol hose clips (the originals are not reusable). Procedure :  remove the rear seat base by pulling up sharply on it's front edge (there are a pair of spring clips holding it in place).  Beneath are 2 access panels to the tank, the pump is under the right-hand side one (behind the driver on a UK right-hand drive car).  Remove the cover and disconnect the 2 hose connections and the electrical plug (removed by pushing the locking clip sideways).  Unscrew the locking ring by gently rotating it with a hammer and chisel. Now slowly remove the fuel sender unit, noting it's orientation and how it slots into the pump assembly below - it'