pipe

Remember me saying how proud I was of my little car passing her MOT and being fab and stuff?

Famous last words.........

I don't know how it happened, but the pipe that moves all the power steering fluid around the engine fractured the other night. Devoid of this liquid, my car sounded like a demented, juddery bus.

So I took Anya into my regular mechanic, Dougie, and got the shock of my life when he told me a replacement part would cost £140. If you looked at this pipe, it's about 6mm thick, 6ft long in total length, powder-coated, and bent at various angles to fit in with the engine, with a couple of junctions to go various places.

The whole job, including labour, cost me £220. I owe Dougie another £100 because I just haven't got the readies to pay this amount of money off in one go.

The other job Anya needs doing is the timing belt replacing. This should've happened at 60,000 miles completed. Anya's now on 70,000 miles. The belt itself....well, it's the sort of part that could either last another 60,000 miles or snap tomorrow. It's the chance you take. But this job is another £150 stopping me from getting it done.

As much as I love my car, I've come to a very sudden nadir with Anya. Because another major breakdown will force it off the road for good. And part of me wonders if I should sell whilst the goings good? And buy a decent bike instead?