I bought Hay a Smart ForTwo 700cc diesel on Saturday, as she wants something a bit more fuel efficient than the 3.2 litre, V6, Chrysler Crossfire. Poor decision, if you ask me.
I'd agreed a price with the owner, subject to viewing. Hay fell in love with it immediately, despite it needing a bit of work on my part - the polycarbonate roof had hazed hideously and there was a dent in the driver side sill.
In her haste to purchase it, she inadvertently negotiated the owner up by 50 quid, which annoyed me slightly. She's paying me back in a couple of months, so no damage, to my bank account at least. Never allow a woman to negotiate the price of a car.
As soon as we got it home I gave it a quick valet to de-grime the seats and interior and then got to work on the roof yesterday - 380 grit wet and dry on the really bad bits (would have been better with 500 grit, but I didn't have any to hand), followed by 1,000 grit all over, followed by 2.500 grit and a mop with cutting compound on the end of my heavy duty buffer. Came up a treat.
People are reluctant to tackle hazed Smart Car roofs, but it just takes a bit of time and effort. It's only polycarbonate, after all - the same material as headlight lenses are made from, and they come up like new with a bit of sanding and buffing.
The sill dent will require a call to a Dent Man, of which I know a few. £20-£30 should sort that out. There is a nasty vibration at certain revs which I can eliminate by driving it in manual, but I suspect an engine mount needs tightening.
A couple of panels could do with a blow over with paint, but most of the car is plastic and the panels come off quite easily. It would be cheaper to simply buy a spare set of black panels on e-Bay for as low as £350.
I want to make the following modification to it.
Should be able to get at least one kayak on it.
Investigated an A frame to tow it behind the motorhome, but they're hideously expensive and take a couple of days to modify the car. Given it runs 1,000 miles on a thimbleful of diesel, it's easier and cheaper for Hay to drive the motorhome and me follow her in the Smart car.
I really like it myself - it's zero road tax, economical to run and you can park it in the tiniest of spaces, at right angles to the kerb, if you want. People have made some amazing modifications to these cars. A 3.2 litre V6 conversion would be cool.
When she tires of it, it will be ideal for No.2 Son to learn to drive in, being semi-automatic and basically a go-kart.
Anyone want to buy a Chrysler Crossfire, which is essentially a Mercedes SLK (chassis, running gear and engine) with a different body on it.?
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