It's had a couple of very localised repairs above the windscreen and around the rear 1/4 windows and is now just awaiting outer toeboard repair and respray.

Problem is, when we took it in to be done, I could barely weld let alone paint and so on.

Oh, I also can't wallpaper which is why the front room where the doors are kept (actually, there's a complete new kitchen in there too at the moment, I can't say I've nothing to keep me busy) looks like a kiddies nursery-that wallpaper is hideous!

Give it another 12 years..!

And there's me thinking it was just your style.

As suspected (we've been let down so many times over the last 13 years!) fuck all effort has been made to get Daisy out let alone painted.

This led to Johnny P having a go at Mrs Spanners which, in turn, led to me having to go in and try and resolve the matter. Problem was, he was such an absolute bastard with Rachael, she came out crying-that's a bit of a red rag to a bull scenario I'm afraid so I wasn't in the mood for chatting as you can probably imagine?

Anyway, I tried to explain politely why we were so pissed off about it just to be fobbed off with more bollocks. Then, Stevie P (John son) decided he was gonna have a go at me and promptly squared up to me-nice guy. Well, I'm a lover not a fighter so I wasn't going to rise to the bait and told them I would go back that afternoon and start to clear the corner myself and get OUR car out only to be told I couldn't because they had a car tp put into paint.

Now, forgive me if I'm wrong but, Rachaels car's been there for 13 years and hasn't been done yet, this Honda, that wasn't there 2 weeks ago, was being painted today and it was more fucking important?

The upshot is that I'm going up during the week to dig it out and get it ready to come home. Unpainted.

What an absolute tosser is all I can think or say!

The big difference, I suspect, being that the Honda owner was happy to pay full hourly rates?

I suspect it's more just a case of "It's only Jons car, he's already paid for that and I've already spent the money years ago. Sod it, I'll earn some money instaed of doing that hateful, silly little Citroen"

Like I say, tosser!

yep... I tend to get the.. its only Tree she wont mind feeling about things..trouble is we do mind, but are considered to be bad sports if we say so... get it home and have a look at what needs doing... house party with a difference?



p.s .. I wallpaper very well if you feel the need to have some done.. I bring cake too

Ok, I know I don't have the full story here, but it does seem as tho' you really weren't in a hurry when you handed the car over for fixing. And, if the garage owner was in any doubt about that, it must have become very clear to him pretty soon - after 6 months and then a year or so of it not being chased up.

Under these circumstances, it's a very human thing to get into the frame of thinking "Ooooh-kaaaay, shall I start on that 2CV now? Mmm, I might do it after I finish this car - this guy's in a hurry..."

A few years later, he doesn't even have to think about it before relegating your 2CV to the back of his mental list.

If you haven't been in touch with the garage owner for the best part of - literally - 13 years, I think part of the 'blame' (but that is the wrong word) must surely lie with you too, Spanners?

I, personally, think it only fair to now allow him a roughly proportionate amount of time - relative to the 13 years - to get back on task. He surely cannot be expected to drop everything else - including all the 'must be done by next week' jobs - after 13 years and suddenly prioritise this job. Surely there is a compromise to be had - one that leaves you both 'happy'?

I think, more than anything, I'd hate for a resentful mechanic to be working on my car.

It's a 'Special'? In which case it's identical to mine - right down to the year. It will looking stunning when done.

DA, when we dropped Daisy off, we said there was no rush-granted.

However, we agreed it would be back within 6 months-that wasn't rushing him for what he had to do.

We've also been going up there evrey month now for the last 13 years, I reckon that probably constitutes chasing him up, don't you?

That is why I'm so utterly and totally fed up with the situation. But, hey ho.

If you piss him off he'll charge for 13 years of storage.
Are you going to attempt the respray yourself now?