We've been recommended a garage quite near us to have the complex work=20 done that I can't do due to lack of skill or time.=20
We finally started to test it out today. My wife's Felicia needs a new=20 gearbox. The synchro went completely on 5th a while back. As she just=20 uses it around town she doesn't really get into 5th a lot so it has been=20 manageable to do nothing about it for a while. I got a refurb=20 transmission from a breakers for =A385 a while back and the garage quoted= =20 =A3250 to fit it and replace the clutch. I'd asked them to do the clutch=20 since the part is cheap enough and while you've got the transmission off=20 you may as well. It went round at 9 this morning and at 12 the place=20 gave my wife a call.=20
There's a small split in one of the driveshaft gaiters. He explained to=20 my wife what it was, what it does and that he didn't think it had been=20 split for very long since there wasn't much crud in the hole. Then told=20 her that she had a choice. She could let him add =A310 to the bill and=20 he'd replace it now, it being a pretty damned easy job with the=20 driveshafts disconnected or he'd charge her =A350-70 in June when it=20 failed the MOT because of it. She Ok'd this and rang me to confirm. I=20 thought about it and asked her to give him a ring back to ask him to do=20 the other one as well since I don't know when that one was done. May as=20 well do preventative maintenance on cheap stuff like that.
They were polite to her and apparently amused our toddler when the car=20 was dropped off.=20
I get the feeling that after 5 years living in South Leicestershire I've=20 found the garage that those in the know use.
Warwick