So the Civic maintains its status as faithful steed in the face of
faster
louder
more orange
temptations. It starts fine, runs beautifully and the only strange noises emanating from it are my musical choices.
Great road, not such a great car
But with its role now transformed from daily pizza dropper to occasional weekend wheels, I want to spend some money on it. I know I'll see nothing of the cash back and there are far more suitable foundations for a track project, but there's a rather strong emotional bond between me and Shed Civic now, so it could be sticking around. Having Dan rave about his Goodwood track experience in his lightly tweaked Eunos, then feeling the Civic wallow its way around Silverstone during the Britcar Sunday Service, sealed the deal.
A quick trip down to TGM Sport in Fleet established a plan. It won't be an out and out track car, but an upgrade of things like springs, dampers, bushes, discs, pads and hoses should make it a far more enjoyable road car and slightly more adept on track. The slightly scabby paint can remain untouched.
Rather out of its depth here too
Unfortunately, that was a few weeks ago. With a couple of unexpected bills and the onset of autumnal gloom, creating a track car for next summer has plummeted down my list of priorities. But 2014 promises a lot.
In other news, R471WLW faced the MOT tester's beady eye in October. It wasn't a huge surprise to find it failed, but it was to discover the reason wasn't for something lurking out of sight. Instead it was the permanently illuminated SRS (airbag) light, as dash warning displays have of course joined the test recently. The initial fear of having to replace the SRS unit at c.£300 soon subsided when a quick flash through a diagnostics machine switched the light off. It hasn't returned since either. Strange.
The guys here should be able to help though
All four tyres are now matching Continental PremiumContact2s. There has been no night and day transformation, but the added confidence of knowing all four contact patches are of a decent quality more than makes up for it. How long they'll last on track is another matter...
Just a final fleeting mention for that engine (again) too. Since the last fleet update, the only other car I've driven that revved beyond 8,000rpm was the 911 GT3. Obviously they're not comparable, but revs are hugely exciting. Many of the turbocharged cars I've driven recently have been fantastic, but the same enjoyment can't be derived from using them. Another reason why the Civic may be staying! Just kicked in indeed.
Fact sheet:
Car: 1998 Honda Civic VTI
Run by: Matt Bird
Bought: May 2013
Mileage: 87,911
Purchase price: £795
Last month at a glance: MOT passed, when to start with the track prep?