Panel gaps were never a strong point for BMC and that seems
to dog its cars even today. Witness my Mini. The driver’s door in
particular seems to have only a casual acquaintance with the
bodywork in which it is supposed to fit. I don’t think there is a lot
I can do, apart from muck about with some of the door hinge
bolts. I have been doing this with little effect, although there is
no chance of me falling out because it never pops open. The
Lorry is a bit similar, but it just needs a heroic slam to secure.
7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71
MILEAGE 103,092
MINI COOPER
READER’S RIDE
TALES FROM RUPPERT’S GARAGE
We welcome back Darren Smith: “You featured my
Yaris 121,000 miles back and I thought I’d let you know
it’s still going strong, at nearly 150,000 miles. All it has
had is a new exhaust, a bit of welding on the driver’s
side rear jacking point and routine servicing.
“It gets serviced every 10,000 miles, is washed
regularly and takes me to France once a year and
Norwich a lot. It’s got such character. I love the freaky
3D dashboard and it’s nippy and so good on fuel. What
is it with these Toyotas? They just keep on going...”
Toyota Yaris
SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO [email protected] AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO [email protected]
Look no further than Car Fest
South, Chris Evans’ annual festival
of cars, food and music held
at Laverstoke Park Farm near
Winchester, Hampshire. This year,
it takes place on 23-25 August. In addition to
the track, which incorporates a re-creation of
Monaco’s Swimming Pool section, the organisers
promise there’ll be two paddocks brimming with
cars of all types and a 60th anniversary tribute to
the Mini, plus the festival’s traditional motor showof new models. Visit carfest.org. JE
It’s £1000 more than a standard
1.8 but you’ll save 66 pence per
litre on fuel. You say you cover
12k miles per year: at 35mpg,
th a t ’s £ 1 0 1 9 i n L P G co m p a r e d w i th
£2003 in petrol. An LPG location app will make
it easy to find one of the 1400 or so LPG filling
locations. Insurance and maintenance costs may
be a little higher, but hang onto the car, do the
mileage and it looks like a sensible move. JE
ANSWER
ANSWER
QUESTION
QUESTION
READERS’ QUESTIONS
The trouble with the
Goodwood Festival
o f S p e e d i s t h a t i t ’s
over for another year. Where
can I get another fix of high-
octane motors this summer?
Barry Harkness, Bristol
I s i t s e n s i b l e to b u y a
Vauxhall Insignia 1.8
VVT converted to run
on LPG? It’s eight years and
61k miles old and is £4995.
Greg Mitchett, Solihull