Frustrated by my inability to find the clonk in my suspension, my mind strayed to drastic action:

If I replace pretty much every moving bit, I should (hopefully) nail the sucker and tighten things up in the process. I can get a pair of wishbones new of the 'bay for £60, I've already done the drop links and have new roll bar rubbers in hand. That leaves the top strut mounting and bearing (Shop4parts looks favourite for them) and the struts themselves.

Has anyone got any recommendations for the latter, or any of the other bits? Struts I've found so far range from around £60 each for Firstline or other generic items, then £75 a pice for KYB gas struts, £195/pair for Bilstein B4's and (gulp) £324 for a pair of Konis' finest adjustables.

Also, if the existing springs are sound (ar has done 130+k miles), should I renew them while everything else is out? Anything else?

Here we have another maniac, who (like me) is spending more on the car than the car is worth!

An accountant would tell you to throw it away & buy a Korean/Indian box with a 99 year warranty...

Guilty as charged, your honour. I have no defense.

I would really like to buy a late model old-shape Alhambra (I've had 2 of them in the past and they are great cars - I should never have sold my last one which I bought new). But I've had enough of spending a lot of money on a car just to watch the investment dissolve on the driveway in depreciation and loan interest. Also, spending a lot of money on a car is absolutely no guarantee of reliability. I speak from bitter experience.

So as I see it, spending a few quid on the Multipla is no worse than the above. At least I'll have some fun and keep the car in good shape.

BTW, I reckon I 'spend more money on the Multi than the car is worth' every time I fill it up.....

Joke: (plagiarised from an old Skoda one but still makes me laugh) - Man walks into an auto factors and says 'have you got a set of spark plugs for my Multipla?' Man behind the counter says ' Sounds like a fair swap.'

Hi

Ironically I have just fitted new strut top mounts and bearings, which were a pig of a job to do, but the difference is so noticeable, even to my wife and kids!

I got 2 bearings and 2 strut tops from a place called AllGermanCarParts in Leeds. They posted them to me, all in at £116, and they are from a company called Lemforder, who beat the snot out of First Line, QH and a lot of other part makers.

My advice is: dowse everything in plusgas, and buy a blow lamp, both of the bolts of the passenger side that hold the strut to the swivel hub were seized, and were a swine of a job to get out. Also pay a local garage to swap the strut tops for you. I was lucky and did one without fault, but on the second one, the compressor slipped, **** me up and I took the parts to a local spanner monkey, who charged me £15, which isn't even danger money in my eyes.

Good luck!

James