Car troubles: Part 27

We are thankful for our car.  It's a diesel, which means we are saving on fuel and it has a bit of go in it, but most importantly it is an estate (translation for Canadians and other exotic creatures: 'station wagon' or 'combi'), which also means that it has pretty much taken everything that we could throw into it.  Our luggage for holiday? Easy!  The Price's life in luggage and including the young couple themselves?  Done!  Nitra's entire sound equipment and monitors for our recently hosted [dweeb] concert? In a flash!

However.  

When the car breaks down, we are limited to what our ministry can provide, in the same way as everyone else when it obstructs them from going to work, to get groceries, to get the kids from school, etc., etc.  When the car breaks down, you hope, pray and need it to be a small repair.  But since it's us, it never is a small repair, it can only be a massively and stupidly huge repair that will leave you going 'well, what now?', a bit like how I felt when I was stranded between Nitra and Sala back in July.  This time around, there is a set of five 'thingies' (as Mrs. C called them over the phone to me) that combine the wheels to the frame.  Three of those are apparently in need of replacement and it makes the car unsafe to drive, unless you really like the sudden thrill of the body chassis separating at 130 km/h.

So far this year we have had this, the alternator repair and the master cylinder replacement (plus replacement of all four disc brakes) that left me stranded.  This is a total of around 1800 euros of our personal funds that we have thrown into the deep dark murky pit labelled 'car'.  Except for the normal services, I think that this will be the last of the major repairs for a while and a service will be needed at some point to change the belts and water pump.  Repairs and garage time is always a risk when choosing an older car and I have owned and rented a fair few but this has been the worst by far, and it is fair to say that enough is enough.

But I'm still not buying a French car.  :-p