Ekona

This is where you're going to struggle. With zero skills other than general types you pick up in the military (and I'm only guessing here, never having served) but the ability to lead and follow instructions and work as a team, you're never going to get anywhere near £40K a year unless you get extremely lucky. You'd need a good couple of years of training at something, whatever that may be, to get that kind of cash I think. What are your A-levels, they might be relevant?

Work on 24mpg at whatever price super unleaded is round your way. You may get better, but prepare for the worst at least. Don't forget to include servicing and misc parts (£500 a year) plus tyres (£700 all round) and you'll be okay.

Light steering is the curse of the devil. It lacks feeling and weight, and even in traffic I wouldn't want it any lighter. Punto et al new cars are fitted with EPAS which makes it very easy to give different steering feel, whereas the Zed has HPAS which isn't so easy to do. The revup and HR cars had speed assisted steering that does weighten at speed, I cannot remember if the earlier cars do: I suspect they do, but I can't confirm that.

Dude, seriously, just flog the wheels and get the proper ones. Don't muck around with stuff like this, not when you've just spent all that money on superb tyres.

Do you want the money, or do you want to do something you enjoy? They're not mutually exclusive, but sadly one tends to be found without the other. There's loads of jobs out there that could potentially see you making £37500 before tax which gets you to your £2500 take home, but you may find they either bore the hell out of you or simply grind you down. What are your skills? What do you enjoy doing? What won't you do under any circumstances?

'Tis true. Although be fair, I can barely raise a smile these days so I suspect those lovely young fillies may be sadly disappointed

Preferably the latter, in a paddling pool full of jelly

I have many female friends. I would sleep with the lot of them, marriage notwithstanding of course.

Maybe, but why risk it? I wouldn't. Even if baked, oils will still naturally evaporate. DJ SN

Please get something else. Anything. A couple of lengths of scaffold stuck together with duct tape would be an improvement.

I would wipe the area down with lots of quick detailer and a very soft MF everyday, but please take care not to scratch it. This is the only time I would recommend doing that instead of washing the car, although if you can wash everyday then all the better. the idea is to stop any dirt or bugs ingraining themselves into the paint at this stage of curing. As said, leave for a month then use whatever wax you fancy. Personally I'm very taken with the DJ Supernatural, but it's not cheap. I've also got a tub of DJ BV that I use sometimes on other vehicles, and that's great too. I used the BV on my Azure, and it did come up well.

Great shout, could do with replacing my older socket set, ordered one of these. Thanks

For the STi, very. Bearing in mind they're 260bhp stock, we had the PPP on ours which is nothing more than a remap, deleting one of the cats, different backbox and a bigger fuel pump. This gave our car 319bhp, and that's on stock injectors and intercooler. Go for an FMIC and bigger injectors and you'll get a fair chunk more. Gearbox on the STi is also much stronger (read: bulletproof) than the WRX version, so worth considering too.

My moths, Trever and Geoff, take care of the shilling and sixpence in my wallet.

I agree £4K isn't peanuts, but it's only one month's wage. In that scheme of things, it is peanuts. Why a house? A 2 bed flat would do as a temp measure, surely? For six months before moving into a longer term property, I'd be happy to live pretty much anywhere if I could save a few quid. A roof, heating, hot and cold running water: Pretty much all you need.

Late blobeye is the one to go for. Extended track, DCCD as standard, still the 2L engine, other suspension changes.

Sell and buy new wheels. Ones that fit, preferably

6 months rent is over £4000 which I'd rather put into a mortgage. That's only a month's wage for you though. Peanuts. Also, just rent somewhere crap for six months, not somewhere decent. As in a couple of hundred quid a month, not £600.

Just wait six months. No problems then.

I don't mind older ladies. I got a smack from the missus last week for declaring that I was very happy that Nigella is single now

You've lost the plot mate... You may as well be gay! She does look a bit like a bloke, granted. It's that angry face that does it.

You're quite right, what a munter. What was I thinking of? Rather her than, say, Beyonce. Any day.

Ah, apparently not, great timing!