Busy couple of days...

As you may be aware, I've been trying to grab whatever leftovers are left in the parts bin at various companies since we started this.  Some of my charitable grovelling has worked to gain bits for the car, some hasn't.  A while back I managed to scrounge an exhaust system but took so long finding a fitter on the cheap that the exhaust is no longer available. 

However, this week, Triangle Cars of Havant, have stepped up to the mark and are doing the fitting for us.  At this stage, I know it's going to be discounted to minimal, but depends on the amout of work needed.   You may be thinking one off, one on and thats what I was thinking too.  That is until I stumbled across the array of backboxes that 1 company are considering helping us out with. 

A centre exit looks classy, but involves quite a bit of faffing around for example.  I'm just waiting on their final decision as to what we can liberate from them as to what the fitters need to do.  I did find an appealing 3" rolled box but that means cutting out the rear valence and applying a heat shield to stop the bumper from melting.  So if the 3" needs some cutting out, we may as well go to 4" hadn't we?  I mean, it's only a little bit bigger of a cut out and maybe even an extra 1/2 horsepower on the one I have been eyeing up.  Also saw a tempting one with adjustable / removable silencer.  It's road legal right up until the 2 screws *ahem* fall out, then it gets LOUD.

Think we have a new sponsor waiting in the wings, I just need to persuade them to open the wallet and extract the folding money.

Thats the highlights of the last couple of days.  The lowlights extend very much around the wifes car, which although isn't part of the Scumrun event, I know a lot of you relish in my dealings with those that really shouldn't be allowed out without supervision!

As briefly mentioned in the last update, the wife (love you dear) managed to hit a highly visible skip in the other escort cabriolet we have.  Unfortunately the damage can't just be t-cut'd out so I've popped to Halfords and grabbed some P38 body filler.  I also need some paint so I've asked the guy for some "Spring Violet Ford aerosols".  He cant look it up on his machine under then name Spring Violet, I need a paint code.

I've picked Crash Bandicoot up from work and driven her home.  Given her simple instructions:  look at the plate under the bonnet, theres a section called COLOUR with a code.  Grab the code and we can get the paint.

I arrived back at Halfords with the wife and given the chap the code.  613.  Thats the code we've given him.  The code exists but it's a green.  Bugger.  Wifey wrote it down wrong.  Driven back home, I've looked under the bonnet and the 6 is actually a G.  That makes the code G13 right?  Back to Halfords we go.  I've told the guy the new code and he's put it into his machine and come up with "no such code mate".  If we go for G1, then we get a blue, but not Spring Violet by a long stretch.  At this point I gave up for the day.  I have the name of the colour, I have the plate attached to the car, what I dont have is touch up paint for Little Miss Crashalot's wounded Julian.

I woke up today, drove the wife to work, came home and decided I was going to crack this mystery easily and simply.  I looked on Fords website.  No mention of colour codes but it has got an owners bit on there where you type your reg in and it tells you  what car you have and a few other details.  I decided to play for a bit and I'm a little concerned that when you enter the Scumrunners reg, it returns with "No result found".

Undeterred, I telephoned Ford Main, explained 14 year old car made by them and I need a paint code.  Not a service they are happy to provide and they advised I contact my local dealer.  I telephoned Hendy Ford Cosham who after a few minutes of explaining what I was up to said they would be happy to give me the paint code.  A couple of minutes of hold noise and the guy came back on the phone all chuffed with himself that he had found it:  "Spring Violet.  Thats the colour of your car".  At the very start of our phone call, I told HIM that.  Another couple of minutes go by and he tells me he hasn't a clue what the code is, but how about I speak to their accident repair guys in Sedgensworth.  They'll know.

So I phoned them and spent a little time explaining the info I knew to a very professional lady who paid attention and relayed it to the spray paint gun goon who I can only assume has been near too many fumes this week.  Spray paint gun goon has put me on hold for an eternity whilst he goes off to find his Bumper Book of Bogus Excuses.  After he returns, he patiently explains to me that he cannot sell me the paint I need as they are a repair center and not a retailler.  However, for a figure plucked completely from the depths of his own imagination, they can do the repair for me.  It's a bit of a dent and a scratch, I'll do it myself thank you.  All I need to do it myself is the code to get some paint made up.  "Sorry," you can hear that book working again, "I'm not allowed to give out paint codes, it's against our rules".  So basically he didnt have a clue either. 

I'm starting to get just a little bit tetchy by now as I have googled and visited every website around the globe (truly I have been on Aussie sites to find Euro paint codes) trying to find Spring bloody Violet.  Picked the wife up from work and recounted the days fun and games and she reminded me of a little car place we used once and the old guy that ran it was talking about special order ford cabby paints.  Brilliant.  So we went to see him but looks like he has gone out of business.  Crap.

I put a cry for help on the Escort cab forums and considered the best way to ram raid B&Q and steal their colour match machine, whilst the wife resorted to the desperate tactic of emailing a stranger on eBay who sold her a brake light begging him to find the colour code.

Wifey also changed her Facebook status requesting help from anyone and everyone.

Eventually, one of the Escort Forum guys, Chris, came up with the code.  I was chuffed to bits as in theory, all we have to do is give this code to Halfords and they can make it for us :).

Within seconds of getting a reply, Matt Ball, one of the wife's uncles also came up with the answer.  Well done Chris & Matt, you both came up with the same code so pretty sure that has to be the one.  Thanks guys.

And now it's time for bed.  To dream of exhausts and non existent colours.  I swear it is easier to find a freshly circumcised unicorn than it is to find a ford colour.

Night all.

Savage.

Oh, and please vote on the votey thing in the top right and click on the links provided if they take your fancy.  They're provided by google so I have no control over what appears.  I think they are linked to your browsing history and cookies and other tech things.