h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

After visiting friends in Burton, the car died on the way back to Lichfield at 1.30am. Luckily, a friend is a member of the AA, and since you're the member, as the advertising goes, he was able to get us out of a rather tight scrape. However, I now need to get the head gasket fixed, or buy a new car.

Nightmare!

I suspect a new gasket will be cheaper than a new car (only just though). Mind you, you've had that mondeo as long as I've known you. How old is it and how many miles has it got on the clock?

New gasket + labour £500 to £600. Value of car £500. I doubt I'd get anything part ex, so I'll probably just take it to the scrapie. I'll probably be taking Wed, Thu and Fri off work to go car shopping.

I've had the car since 1997 (maybe 1996). Surely I've known you longer than that? Doesn't time fly! How long do you think we've known each other. Don't you remember my white diesel Escort? Or before that my dinky ickle yellow Metro?

Some places will do part exchange on practically anything so it might be worth checking that out before you dump it.

I didn't leave teacher training until summer '95 which means that I didn't start at Shenley until '96 which is when I'd have met you. I'm sure you had the Mondeo then, I don't remember a white diesel.

Talking of, you should seriously look at getting a diesel, they are so much better than they used to be and I can't wait to dump my 2.0i VTEC and get back in a turbo-diesel! More torque, more bhp and 50 miles to the gallon!

How many miles were on the clock of the Mondeo, I'm interested?

I can't remember. About 90k? Something around there. I bought it at 27k. After thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I drove my yellow metro throughout '96, and my white escort throughout '97, so I had the mundano from '98.

You've only done 60,000 miles in 6 years? I've done 30,000 since June! You don't know how lucky/lazy your are!

Although I first met you in '96 I don't think we started meeting regularly for games for a bit after that so I guess I just missed your other cars. Either that or something has scrambled my memory!

I've a fair idea what might have done that!

The deed is done. The car has been 'ordered' and I shall pick it up and pay 8k moolah on Friday.

I am now poor. Dondations to "Chris's beer and chocolate fund" can be sent to...

What car have you ordered?

Well, 2003 Mondeo 2.0 Zetec, 5 door, 23k miles, for £8699 (which includes £300 off part ex for my old Mondeo, which is bloody marvelous), though I have to tax it. My insurance only goes up £108. I pick it up tomorrow. Woo hoo!

Schweet. The 2003's are good. You should have got the diesel though, they are really nice engines - more powerful, more economical and longer lasting too.

Mind you, because of that they're more expensive to buy so, considering you don't do high mileage, the one you got sounds about perfect!

Precisely. I don't do insanely high milage, and when you consider I live a mile and a half from where I work, a diesel would only just be warmed up by then.

I bought the old one at 27k, and it's just gone at very nearly 94k, so that's 67k in 7 and a half years, which is about 9500 miles a year. Is the average 10k?

"when you consider I live a mile and a half from where I work"
You're a lazy scrote Mr Thomas!

Walk, or ride a bike or something. Hell with that distance, your *legs* wouldn't have even warmed up let alone a diesel engine!

I cycled 14 miles before breakfast today, most of it through muddy woods and up steep hills.

If you've done 14 impossible things before breakfast, why not round it all off at Milliways, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe?

Oh, and I was playing silly buggers with Gord, on Friday. I picked him up to go to the pub, and walked him past my new car. I stopped, and said "hang on Gord, rather than walk round the corner to my car, why don't we... just... take... this... one..." and pressed the 'unlock' button on my remote key.

Muhahah!

You daft (lazy) sod!