Minor modification

My new A3 Sportback has the optional C4N 17" x 7.5J alloy wheels. I had the same wheels on my 2007 A3 but at that time they were painted a nice silver colour. When I purchased my 2009 Sportback I again ordered it with the same wheels but this time they were diamond cut and not painted. I prefered the previous painted finish so I had them repainted in silver. On my latest Sportback they are a different colour again and it's a rather dull dark silver so I having them painted again.

Pristine Wheels in Milton Keynes did the last ones and they were still in excellent condition when I sold it a couple of weeks ago so I am getting them to do the same job again.

I think that will be the limit of my mods on this latest Sportback apart of course from fixing my TomTom.

Why modify a car that I'm happy with as supplied. Having spent around 4k on options it's already got everything I want.

I can remember when I was younger I used to get a new car, a Golf GTI for example, and then spend a week or so installing a better radio and speakers and several other items but now the cars come with a standard radio/CD that is more than adequate for my needs. It's almost strange, the only thing I had to do was remove the cover at the end of the dashboard, plug an existing lead for my TomTom into the fuse board, stick the TomTom to the screen and everything was done. The only other thing I've done was to add the foam spacer units under the floor of the luggage space and put in full size spare.

Once the wheels are painted I will be all ready for my holiday to Germany in April. I shall be spending a few days in Dusseldorf so that I can visit the Floriade exhibition in Venlo in Holland and then a further 8 days in the Mosel valley. Just north of the Mosel are a couple of very nice de-restricted autobahns!!

Spin140 said:

Dave you really seem to live a very happy retirement, well done to you for working hard and planning even better !

Enjoy the new car and your driving trip more so.

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I must say I can throughly recommend it. It's so nice to just have time to do what you want rather than what someone else wants you to do. Mind you I still enjoy my computing and do one day a week, mostly using Excel as a volunteer with the RSPB. It nice to keep in touch with the real world.

Anyone who has not started some form of pension plan yet - do it. The longer you contribute the better pension you will get and the better you will be able to enjoy your retirement. Retirement may seem a long time in the future but I started paying into a pension scheme when I was 20 and was able to retire with a good pension at 60.