Ekona

You'd be insuring and taxing it instead of the Zed and it will be cheaper on fuel so you'll actually be saving a fair wedge of cash there, although you're quite right about the risk of something going wrong. That said, you have that with all cars, and unless it's gearbox or engine related you could probably live with it on a shed.

Lols

DMS or Abbey for me. Abbey really are worth the trip IMHO, but I was always happy with the service I got at DMS. Bet that Gold service excludes anything with a 6-cylinder engine, like VW do with their cheapy servicing on their range.

I'd seriously consider an Alfa if they designed the outside, inside and drivetrain, and then gave the whole lot to Lotus to make sure it was actually good to drive.

Good to know, cheers matey

Check your coolant levels.

It is.

Stay away from the M25 and M20 at all costs, that's probably the best thing to do I'm only half-joking, most people are finishing work tomorrow so those roads are going to be absolutely manic. Other than that I'd just load up the iPod and be prepared to do a lot of waiting around, just in case. Hope it goes well for you though mate, have a good trip

Bugger, I was hoping you were going to say that the 050s were pretty good in the cold, I want to make a trip down to Brighton on Friday Just another thought as well: Instead of the cost of snow tyres, buy a shed. If you buy right at the bottom it'll cost you a couple of hundred quid for a FWD bucket with skinny tyres that'll get you places the Zed will refuse to go, and you can sell it on afterwards for what you paid for it.

Mine can be used again though, yours is more a one off

Get yourself a wire coat hanger and use that instead

That is an absolutely stunning '5. Well done sir. As far as your question goes, it depends on if you can afford to lose £3500. That's working on the basis that you swap your insurance over to the Zed and don't take out a new policy or a multicar one to cover the MX-5. Best case scenario someone buys it without driving it and you're quids in, worst case it gets nicked and you've got no comeback.

Don't force them. Spray a load of WD-40 in there and leave it.

It's not your own driving you've got to worry about, it's everyone else's. What happens if some idiot pulls out in front of you and you need to make a very quick manoeuvre to avoid him, but because of your mixed tyres coupled with the dodgy weather and road conditions, the back end steps out unexpectedly and you spin 360? Now what if the same thing happens but there's a child on the pavement and you wipe them out with your spin? Change them all and change them now. For the sake of a couple of hundred quid, it's just not worth it.

If you have to ask, then you know the answer.

That's not how I read it. It refers to the 'higher rate' after it refers to the 'higher "First Year Rate"', which I took to mean that they're the same thing. As such, you only get anything back if the vehicle falls into the latter three categories. Bloody DVLA never made anything simple!

I have the answer! Copied from DVLA form V14, application for a refund of road tax: If you paid a higher “First Year Rate†for a newly registered vehicle’s first tax disc, you will only get a refund based on the higher rate if the vehicle has been stolen, scrapped or the vehicle’s tax class has changed to a nil value tax class such as ‘disabled’. So basically you get f*ck all unless your car has been nicked or written off.

Interesting question, and a bloody good one too! I'd love to know the answer.

Deffo vinyl. MX-5 is canvas IIRC, so are Elises.

Glass window, and Autoglym Vinyl And Rubber Protector or Renovo (if feeling posh!).

Vinyl.

Just for clarity, the OP is after the small flat bit of metal with holes in that pretends to be a brace, and not any of the GT-Spec/Summit bracing.

Also worth moving the headlight adjuster up to the maximum legal limit, or ask a friendly MOT garage to do it for you.

I think they're very solid cars, but a bit lacking in soul and that's probably exacerbated by the DSG 'box. You can do better than an R32 Rich I reckon I'm not overly keen on the Haldex 4WD stuff, but in the wet it's certainly useful enough.

I've always been allowed to go wherever I want on test drives, unless I'm driving somewhere I don't know in which case I go on their route. Nissan were great with the Zed: With the coupe they just threw me the keys and I went off by myself, and with the ragtop the salesman was hungover and just let me get on with it!