Someone Else's Problem: Everyday Is Like Sunday Cup: My 1998 Mazda Demio

The summer tires that came on the second set of steelies with the Volvo were from 2003. Ripe for junking.
 
Yeah the winters I got with this were just terrible, even older than the 2012 Viking summers.
 
The winter alloys I got with the Miele are wearing tires as old as the car but look like they've never been driven on. I had the same thing happen with the previous car. Mysteries of life.
 
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The fogs are on!

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The fogs are off.

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Turns out the aftermarket switch for whatever the fog it originally had was a bit melty inside, so the guy who usually does tire fitting and oil changes for my shitboxes fitted and re-wired the lamps for me with a new switch. Make no mistake, the main purpose of these is to fill the bumper holes with something cooler than just plastic blanking plates, but damn if they don't look good.
 
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I'm a bit over the normal monthly 2000km accumulation with the Ioniq and I have some more extra driving to do, so I figured I'd park it for the weekend and drive the Demio to shops in the next town. Turns out this is pretty good as a winter car. It heats up well, it rides surprisingly well for a shopping cart and generally feels really straightforward and honest out on the road. Visibility is great and it feels like a 5-door Panda that isn't freezing. I kind of hated driving it in the summer because of the road noise, but either the Ioniq has conditioned my ears for this or the new, semi-recently made winter tires really make a difference, together with the rear axle mounts I had replaced in the summer. The driver seat height adjustment also enables a really decent driving position even if the steering wheel has been decided to put "in the right place at the factory", aka is unadjustable. However, the stereo is too damn low and needs a reach - the original position for it is high up in the dash, but European cars just have a set of switches together with the digital clock in the original 1DIN slot as shown in the brochure.

Current odo reading is at 218k, and I'll probably have an oil change done at 220k. I did consider selling this thing with a fresh MOT, but I feel like I like driving it too much. If I get the Volvo sold, this is really decent as a backup runabout.
 
I really like the description of a 5-door modern Panda, especially in this colour.

Is there maybe a generic kit for that stereo to add some kind of remote volume buttons? Since you have a couple of holes in the dash already they could be re-used without drilling any more.
 
I think it's a JVC so I could look into wheel-mounted remotes. I think some of them had the option unless I'm confusing the manufacturers.
 
More updates - Demio continues to be perfectly okay. I've had to do some car checking for friends, and I'm still using the Ioniq lightly for the rest of the month to bring the km accumulation back in line. It costs something ridiculous to take the Demio to work, like 20 eur per day (150 km, two euro gas, 6.5l to 7l/100km at highway speeds), but maybe I'm doing it for the enjoyment.

But it drives well. It sits happily at highway speeds, warms up quickly, it's not painful to sit in for an hour at a time and it doesn't feel like it's about to expire. The foglights are actually good, too. This weekend I again changed the floppy aero wipers to classic metal backed ones like I like to do on used cars, and in the crappy, slushy, salty weather of this week they perform expectedly properly. I also finally got around to fitting the used, nearly unobtanium OEM mudflaps so the rockers can survive a bit longer. The old, non-original ones just crumbled in my hands when I removed their remnants.

It feels good to be in a 1.3-liter shitbox again. I've always felt like this is the class of cars that feels closest to my heart, and I'd definitely say the Demio, no matter how surplus to my needs, was a purchase that feels right. What more do I need from a hobby car? It works, it's sort of clean, it passes MOT easily, the dash lights work, the body isn't hopeless and I can use some of my wheels on it.

The latest oil change was done 5000km ago a year ago and the oil is still pretty damn clear. Or maybe driving a diesel has changed my perspective about what oil looks good in a dipstick :D
 
Also, it turns out there's still an open recall for this thing! The ignition switch needs swapping due to a risk of fire. I contacted the nearest marble desk and booked the car in for the work. I wonder when they've last had a Demio in the service bay.

 
Oh my, did they fit new-old-stock Lucas switches or something?
 
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Recall work performed. I even got a service loaner XC40 for the time, which I spent visiting the nearest McDonalds. Somehow I prefer driving the Demio, the XC40 especially in T3 spec made me remember it's Volvo's 440/460 for now.
 
I was today years old when I realized the thread title, asides from (obviously) being a Gran Turismo reference, is also The Smiths pun. And it's not like I haven't been listening to that band and that song a lot lately.

Looking forward to discovering what the new project is!
 
Sad to see the little green box gone.
 
Aww I loved the little turquoise lump. This strengthens my already strong desire to get me some late-90s curves.

Hope the replacement is worthy. :p
 
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