10th birthday for my Arosa

[Monte100]

It's called 'Squash' because my wife decided it was a squashed limo as it is amazing how much you can get in it. Anyway Squash is now 10 years old and still going strong after two dipsticks plowing into the back, several key stripes and thousands of miles of lugging huge amounts of gear all over Europe. She even recovered from a broken timing belt on a motorway run which did some serious damage to the rods and pistons.

She is now basking in the sunshine of the south west of France and happily trotting up some pretty daunting mountains. I am no spring chicken and have owned a wide variety of cars in my life but I have never been so impressed with any car. My little Arosa just will not give up and I expect to have many more years of motoring with her.

Just thought I would share that with you other Arosa owners out there.

 

[Boo]

They are ace I love mine to bits ! So much fun in such a small chasis Tell us a bit more about poor squash - what colour, year and spec is she/he ? Get a picture up on the picture thread And welcome to the site

 

[Monte100]

Squash

Squash first rolled off the production line in Nov 1998. She is the same colour as yours. Mielage isn't very high because she was originally bought by an elderly guy who unfortunately passed away and she sat in a garage for two years before we bought her.

Squash also has the Arosa quirk of clunking between 1st and 2nd gears but feathering the accelerator just before the gear change stops it. The drivers side window has an annoying habit of falling down because the clamp below keeps falling off. Difficult to find a wrecked one to get parts from.

Having said that, there are not many cars that would still look as good as she does after 10 years. I have a cabaret and karaoke and spend lots of time trotting around motorways with the car loaded to the gunnels with PA equipment. People are amazed at how much gear then re-appears from what looks like such a small car.

The garage that did the repair after the timing belt went managed to break off one of the bolts that holds the manifold on so she is making tractor noises at the moment but that will be sorted soon.

She is perfect for swanning around the beautiful country lanes here in the Haute Pyrenees and trotted up to La Mongie, just below the Pic du Midi (11,000 ft) with no trouble.

Up until the timing belt went I hadn't had to spend a carrot on up-keep except for services. Even the tyres seemed to last forever.

 

[lunalupi]

Happy Birthday Squash

Mine celebrated his 10th birthday in February, as he was registered on the 28th. I love how much goes into them too, and the funny looks you get as it all disappears!

 

[Monte100]

Hi Lunalupi,

I used to work for a company that supplied to care homes and one afternoon the main van broke down and there was an urgent delivery for a home about twenty miles from us. I said I would take it and the MD thought I was mad as it was a lot and it would never all fit into the car.

It did!!!!!

The nurses at the other end thought I had turned up in the Tardis.

Amazing

Happy Birthday to yours

Monte

 

[allallyouyou]

Was the Arosa blue then Monte?

 

[Monte100]

Hmmmmmmmmm. No it's bright green and only vaguely reminiscent of a police box. I think me getting out sporting a pole on my nose with a rubber sucker on the end helped with the illusion