Oo-err missus...

Well, at least you realised. Eventually ;-)

I've not yet fitted it so it may be getting eBayed.

I wasn't talking about the bonnet catch... ;-)

Hi, a quick question about spare parts. Will US clutches fit UK spec cars?

Chille

C>Just been perusing the Ford Mondeo Owners Club (yes there is one) >forums.

I'd be surprised if they didn't. Go and find a Mondeo forum or OC and see if anyone's got the parts catalogue. I'd suspect the part numbers are the same for all of them.

Trust me, the 1.9 130 is fun in a Fabia. That too can be easily remapped to ~180 BHP, and one guy has one running a dyno-confirmed 260BHP.

I know precisely what you mean. I can imagine some people won't want to understand.

I looked at the Fabia vRS, but unfortunately their (justified) reputation is such that they're expensive used. The higher powered Ibiza TDI models were cheaper and I preferred the "look" of the Seat.

Throw in that my local Seat dealership are not great by all accounts, but people send the Skoda guys hampers at Christmas for being wonderful, and it clouds the issue...

Certainly, not that much cheaper than new. They seem to hold their price.

I considered a Ibiza Cupra TDI (160 BHP), but it's expensive and rare. Also the Ibiza FR, but 5 Door ones are rare, and the local dealer is s**te (and admitted that the one 5 door they had had been taken on holiday by a salesman). I used to have an Ibiza TDI 90 (bought new in

1998), and the one dealer I used that was really good lost the franchise because they were too small.

Apparently the 160 BHP TDI in the cupra is acheived my remap, FMIC, and a bigger turbo.

My local Skoda dealer seems OK, and there was a choice of 3 vRS Fabias when I was looking.

Yes, yes and yes. Too expensive for me but then I'm tight.

I was originally looking for a TDI 110 model, but at the time it was as though Seat sold three in total and none of the three existing owners wanted to sell it. Plenty of TDI 90 models - nothing wrong with the TDI 90 but I wanted the 110.

I did find a TDI 130 but the garage wanted silly money and wouldn't move enough.

The compromise donk was the TDI 100 - same torque as the TDI 110, more or less, on paper slightly slower. Unfortunately, the few I found were all comfort specification, I wanted something a bit sportier.

So then bought a non-sporty Saab instead. :) Actually, I admit, the Seat dealer's reputation put me off.

It's described as a "unique engine" and so I believe it is. As I recall the

1.9 TDI 160 is a bit thirstier than the 130 model, presumably that bigger turbocharger. Okay so ~50 mpg rather than 60 mpg from something with a sub-8 second 0 - 62 time isn't exactly bad...

I remember musing to myself that the TDI 160 looked torque limited from the engine output figures, presumably to save the transmission, tyres, clutch or tarmac. :)

Yes - plenty of vRS models at mine. But they were expensive for a small* diesel** car.

*small ish. ** and yes VAG diesel and yes a warm hatch too.

I can't argue with that. ;)

Not a lot get the Ibiza serviced at the Skoda dealer. I've yet to find a good Seat dealer.

Yeah I could have done that, I suppose.

Not sure what it is with Seat dealerships, though: glad it isn't just me! :)