Automotive Perfectionist
I've created this site to document my interests outside of my 9-5 job. These interests mainly revolve around my cars but also include any skills or techniques I've learned along the way.
Hope you enjoy.
ABOUT ME
For some, cars are a hobby they 'grow out of'. I've never understood that as it's an interest that I feel I can never learn enough about. My education and career choices were led by this interest but I was steered away from becoming 'just a mechanic'. The goal was to work in the automotive industry but in reality that's very far removed from what I enjoy doing in my spare time.
Since I was old enough to buy my first car, I was taking it apart and learning how things worked. You can see by the cars I've owned and work I've done that jobs get a little bit more technical as I learn. I consider my experience fairly good now but would say I'm always picking up new things.
In summary; Evenings, weekends, any spare time, my 'go-to' is to be planning or doing the next job on whatever project I have at the time.
CAR BUYING GUIDE
Through the years I've bought several cars (as can be seen in the 'Car Projects' section) but in doing so, I've viewed hundreds and learned a thing or two. Hopefully this guide will give you some tips on what to look for and how to go about getting a good car.
Most of these tips are on my Twitter feed under #usercartips, however the page here has it all in one place.
CAR PROJECTS
Throughout the years, I've owned an eclectic bunch of cars; some of them were bought for daily use, some for 'long term' projects and some to see if I could sell on for a profit.
What they all have in common though is that I can't leave them alone. Each image will take you to a page on that car and the highlighted images are the cars that underwent some more interesting or in-depth work.
Ford Fiesta XR2i 8v
Bought as a non-runner only to be used as a parts car.
Ford Fiesta Si 1.6 16v
My first proper project car; originally a daily but ended up a weekend only pride and joy.
Toyota Corolla 1.3 GL
The start of my 'runaround' period, where I realised it was great to have 1 car you cared about and 1 car you didn't.
Peugeot 405 1.9 GLTD
This replaced the Corolla and was purchased for the cost of the tax that remained on it. That should have probably been a sign.
Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 16v GLS
After punting the Peugeot, I needed some wheels and this was the perfect replacement. It needed some light work but was reliable overall.
BMW 520i
I couldn't find a Sierra and then this came up 5 minutes away. One of the best mini-projects to date; cheap changes made a massive difference.
Honda Accord 2.0i LS
After selling the BMW due to a fuel bill Vs performance battle (it lost) I 'stumbled accross' this Honda after viewing only 16 other cars...
Citroen Xantia 2.1 TD SX
Not tainted by my last French car experience, a friend of a friend had this Xantia for sale. It'd had a lot of work done and changed my opinion on French car reliability.
Mazda 626 2.0 GXi
To date this was one of the best cars I've owned. Boring, yes but fantastic, cheap motoring.
Peugeot 206 GTi
I was down to one tediously reliable car and fancied changing things up by buying this MOT failure, vandalised 206 GTi to turn around and make a little spare cash.
BMW 325i SE Coupe
By this time, I'd sold off all my Fiesta parts and now had a 'new project' fund. Enter the BMW; this is where I really got into my stride and developed quite a following on the BMW forums of the day.
Honda Accord 2.0i Vtec SE Executive
My commute involved a lot of traffic so I was keen to try an automatic. This Doctor owned Honda came up and became a nice, high spec daily.
Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec LX
When things get steady I start itching for a 'quick flip', this neglected Focus came up needing a little work to make right, so I snapped it up.
Honda Accord 2.0i ES Coupe
After selling the Executive I spent an entire weekend looking at countless cars with no luck. Back at work on Monday morning and this was parked down the road, for sale. First impressions were good but during my ownership it needed a lot of work!
Volvo 960 24v 3.0
I had just bought my first house and needed something big to move my stuff around. That was enough of an excuse to get carried away on eBay and end up with this barge.
Nissan Micra 1.3 16v Inspiration
Always on the lookout for a quick bit of profit, this Micra turned up with super low miles and 1 owner. It looked sound enough until I started poking around and it wasn't as 'quick' to turn around as I'd hoped.
Peugeot 307 1.6 16v Rapier
My worst purchase to date and thoroughly put me off mid-2000 Peugeots. Bought from a colleague needing a little smartening up. Ended up completely dead due to dodgy French electrics.
SEAT Ibiza 1.9 TDi Sport
One of my best purchases to date. I wasn't looking specifically for one of these but knew a good deal when I saw it. At the bargain price I picked it up for, I decided to re-live my youth and modify it with the spare cash.
Toyota Yaris Ts
Another colleague purchase and another one needing more work than I thought. I bought this for my sister and upon poking around underneath, it needed a little more work than I thought.
Nissan 350GT Skyline
First dismissed for not being a real Skyline and then realised it was a bit of a bargain. Luck was on my side and this ended up being my next big project.
Honda Civic Ex 2.2i Ctdi
Although largely my own fault (lowered suspension), the ride in the Ibiza was getting tiresome so I started looking for the next, slightly more sensible daily diesel. This was it.
NON-CAR PROJECTS
I'm not always busy in the garage; sometimes I take a break and look into learning a new skill by creating something. This page contains some of the more interesting examples of that.
During a weekend away, I saw these 'aircraft style' pieces of furniture. I loved the style but didn't love the cost, so figured I'd make my own.
This was an idea my girlfriend had and needed my help with. I can't take credit for the wiring but I can for the bulk of it.
Although technically for a car, I wanted to learn how to use fibreglass and figured I could combine the two by making a 'stealth' speaker box.
CONTACT ME
If you'd like to contact me for any reason, please do using the form below.