She is fine with me fixing stuff such as the AC or bits of the suspension but the annual maintenance needs to be done by our local Ford Dealer.
BHPian Jeroen recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Some of you might have noticed that although I do the odd repair job on Mrs D Ford Fiesta, I don’t appear to do the regular annual maintenance.
There is a story to it.
We moved from the UK to the Netherlands in 1986. At the time we had only one car. A Volvo. I usually wrote my bicycle to work so Mrs D had the car to do the shopping and take the kids to wherever they needed taking. The late eighties, long before the mobile phone era.
One day I get a call from my wife, whilst I am at work. Immediately I could hear she was very stressed. The Volvo with her and our three little children had broken down on the motorway. It was also pouring rain. Somehow she had managed to get our whole family back home, but she had left the Volvo on the slipway of the Motorway.
She told me in no uncertain terms: I don’t care what you do with that Volvo, but you are not to bring it home. You will go out and buy me another car right now and bring it home with you tonight. It needs to be reliable and properly maintained. You are not to fiddle with it!!
By the end of this year, we will have been married for 40 years. Mrs D’s trust in my spannering skills is still not sufficient to let me do the regular maintenance on her Fiesta.
She is fine with me fixing stuff such as the AC or bits of the suspension as you have seen me do on this thread. But the annual maintenance needs to be done by our local Ford Dealer. 40 years of marriage is not a solid enough basis of trust it seems!
That’s ok. Regular maintenance on the Fiesta is not expensive. They also throw in free MOT and free roadside assistance in case of a breakdown.
Our Ford Fiesta is the 2015 version. We bought it second-hand in 2016, less than a year old with about 12500 km on the clock. To date the most expensive car we ever bought. But it has done very well. This week the Fiesta will hit 100000 km. More importantly, it has never let Mrs D stranded anywhere.
We are going to keep it for at least another 4-6 years, if not more. The next car we buy will need to be electric. So apart from official Ford Dealership maintenance, we take very good care of it. Well, we meaning, I do all the odd jobs and cleaning. I don’t want to be sounding sexist, but it is a fact that most women see their cars as an extension of their handbags.
So this little Fiesta is always full of all kinds of stuff. Stuff, so I am assured, all of it is essential to Mrs D’s well-being and comfort. Even so, whenever I clean her Fiesta I just chuck it all out. Essential it might be, it is never missed!
Mrs D is about to take a trip to the UK this coming week. Which means I need to get the Fiesta ready. So I check all five tires for correct pressure. Fill up the window washer reservoir. Check oil (not once have I added oil to the Fiesta). Muck out the interior and give the car a really good scrub down.
As you might recall about half a year ago I went to this detailing workshop and subsequently bought all the kit to go with professional detailing. I have so much of this stuff, I still need to look up, what bottle to use for what.
I will tell you one thing though; this rotary thingy has made my life so much easier! It is ideal for waxing. It takes me less than 10 minutes to wax any car. Polishing would take a lot longer, but that is usually a once-a-year job.
Yesterday was ideal car detailing weather. 19oC and overcast!
Everything comes out and gets cleaned very very thoroughly!
Outside and inside full detailing! I like this little car. We have had a long string of Fiestas over the years. We probably owned just about all the different versions. This one is by far the nicest. Even after eight years and a hundred thousand kilometres it is in very good nick. The paint is still in excellent condition, the seats are still firm, and the interior is 100%, with no tears or damage or anything like that!
Most Fords I find are very good cars. They tend to drive extremely well, really good chassis and they are put together quite well. Parts are relatively inexpensive. Over the years, apart from the many Fiesta I have owned a Ford Sierra, Mondeo and a Focus. All company tin of course.
I also filled up the Fiesta will petrol and programmed the TomTom, so Mrs D is all set to go!
Yesterday whilst rummaging through Berndt’s garage to find a specific tool I stumbled upon this “Twinny Load”. A bicycle carrier to fit onto a tail hook.
Berndt had it for more than ten years but never uses it, so it gave it to me.
There are a couple of parts missing, but I can get those easily. I am going to fit it onto the Jeep today and see if both Mrs D’s electrical bicycle and my sport bicycle will fit onto it.
I am looking to buy another car for myself. Because, well why not?
I don’t want anything boring. So most modern cars are out. Also no black, grey, or white and it must have cruise control and air conditioning.
And at least 100K on the clock.
I am going to look at this Mini tomorrow!
Always sort of liked the new Mini. If anything it is a bit different.
Keyword: Why my wife doesn't let me do regular maintenance on her Ford Fiesta