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What's made you smile today?

Currently reading:
What's made you smile today?

Have been watching them film Dr who today in Cardiff :)

ImageUploadedByFIAT Forum1433963099.384797.jpg
 
Tuesday evening I fitted my new coilovers to my Punto, and drove it to work yesterday - and decided to use the workshop across from us, despite the questionable reputation amongst my coworkers, to have the wheel alignment done. I then proceeded to pick up the car after work yesterday, only to find that they had charged me 25£ to turn around the strut bearing, because it was in the wrong way.
The caster read out was L1° 14' R2° 28' after the alignment.
Turns out it wasn't, so I went back this morning to have a little talk with the guy who "fixed it".
As follows (S = Me - M = Mechanic):

S: *pops hood* Which strut bearing did you turn around? (Stupid question, but wanted him to point it out for me).
M: This one *points to left one*
S: Okay. Why did you do that?
M: Because the caster was out of alignment.
S: Well, it wasn't according to the print out you left in my car yesterday.
M: No, I can see that, but it's not true what it says here - I remember that the caster angle was more than 3°. (According to the print out it was 2° 52')
S: That's not what I can see on the print out. Please have it corrected, so that BOTH strut bearings are in the same (rear) position.
M: Okay, I can do that, if you want a car that won't be able to self-align.
S: Yes, do that. And can we agree that I will get the work refunded as well?
M: Yes, you obviously don't have to pay for that. BTW - I haven't flipped around your rear springs, even though they are in the wrong way around.
S: No, they're not. They have a smaller diameter on the bottom, so they can only be fitted that way.
M: Okay, I see. I will fix the strut bearing. Have a nice day.

I picked up the car after work today, everything in order, along with my refund - but they can be sure I won't return again.
I also found a lovely instruction from Sachs, on the strut bearing installation, stating that it can indeed face both ways. I assume he did this as a provocation, he just forgot to check that it said in the very last bit, that the front facing position for smaller caster angle, is for cars without servo assisted steering.
 
Oh yeah, and then on the way home today, I was driving in front of a silver mk1 Punto, and had a metallic blue Grande on my right hand side, with me in my silver mk2b.. 3 generations together - the others probably didn't give it a thought, but I thought it was sorta special :)
 
brinker said:
Oh yeah, and then on the way home today, I was driving in front of a silver mk1 Punto, and had a metallic blue Grande on my right hand side, with me in my silver mk2b.. 3 generations together - the others probably didn't give it a thought, but I thought it was sorta special :)
Click to expand...

3 generations of the best supermini on the market. :)
 
I think Pandas would make great introductory rally cross cars. Light, nimble, easy to repair and tune. Tough enough for the rough stuff, smooth enough for the tarmac. Based in Italy where they're still common and rust free.

It would be criminal over here but where they'e not so endangered it's one hell of a way to go. :)

 
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