pmsumner

The short answer: my car's shagged.
The long answer: I was cruising down the motorway at a steady 60, following the normal morning traffic. I went to accelerate past a slower car only to find that - nothing was happening. I wasn't speeding up. I tried again only to find that nope - nothing was happening. Curiouser and curiouser, I pushed in the clutch and moved to the hard shoulder, just cruising, and stopped the engine.

Would it start again? Would it bugger. Starter motor turned but that's it.

Cue a call to mum, for their RAC number (I really need to join, like... now) so I can pretend to be my dad :) An hour later the RAC turn up, and tell me that they suspect the timing belt's 'gone'. Now by gone I assume they meant snapped, as I doubt it could get up and walk :)

I ummed and ahhed about how to proceed. I could get towed into Manchester and get it fixed there, and go to work, or I could come back to Warrington (home) and get it done here. The problem being that this could be a big job. It could take a long time. So I could end up in Manchester with no easy way home. I made the decision to come to Warrington, get it done here, and then try and organise a lift or trains into work tomorrow.

This is going to be expensive :(
Most annoying? I've been trying to organise a service for the past week or so, a service at which the timing belt would be changed.

Does anyone want 4 tickets to Renault's Donnington Weekend? I can post them today or tomorrow and you should get them Saturday, or you could come pick them up from either here (Warrington) or north Manchester where I work. I applied for them, forgot about the date, then on Monday I received the tickets, after having made other plans. Bloody typical.

No call from garage yet, I'll try them at about 5 and see what's happening.

Posted letter for Barclays requesting refund of around £300 worth of potentially unenforcable bank charges. Went to Starbucks for coffee as it was peeing down, thought it might slow down, but no. mmmmm. Coffee.

The cost of assessing the damage? £220.

Apparently the valves are damaged but to find out how badly or how many they need to remove the head. Removing the head is what that cost is, not even fixing it. Actually repairing the damage done will be more. I may as well just get out the credit card now and stick it in the freezer before paying for this all!

I need to replace this car sometime, eh.