Time to introduce my 2nd 2 aka Banana

[1979scotte]

Terrible news

[StuC]

Hopefully they can quote you happy for the "hole" but would advise getting that done within budget before paying out for the teins just in case.
Fingers crossed everything comes together.

Springs needed doing to pass the MOT. The extent of this happened after the fact.
The MOT was a litmus t st for the corrosion in this instance.
This hole has been patched, it was the wider extent of the rust that concerned me.

[StuC]

Oh.

That was literally my reaction to the video too.

[Joesson]

@StuC
Sorry to see that Stu.
The rust seems to be at the bottom of the section, as expected, depending how deep is the corrosion penetration and your fondness for the car maybe a good spraying with a Bilt Hamber product or similar will stop/ slow the rot for a while.

[puma2]

  gutted for you
to have that after getting so close with mechanical work.
lets us no how you get on with it and any future work of protection

i can not believe how quick the time has gone with your banana in your hands  

[StuC]

gutted for you
to have that after getting so close with mechanical work.
lets us no how you get on with it and any future work of protection

i can not believe how quick the time has gone with your banana in your hands  

It really has flown by. A lot has changed in the last 10 years!

[StuC]

Hopefully this should work now...

You cannot view this attachment.

[s12vea]

Picture working

[puma2]

  that picture is not a pretty site but clearly shows we need to be carefully of the bits we cant see and now are 2s are older we need to spend time underneath showing the same love of  care as we do to keep them on the road with the   outside appearance       

[greybeardgt]

Hi StuC a few weeks ago I picked up a Haynes manual Repair and Restoratioon of Classic cars? from my local library, it delt with mainly spitfires,stags and MGs which were a lot worse than your Banana. the guy was magic,he shows how to make box sections,create floor panels best welding equipment, or how to stretch or shrink metal. its an interesting read for any MR2 owner. good luck with your motor all the best greybeardgt

[Topdownman]

Ouch!

Hope you get your banana straightened out, Stu.

[SuperArt]

Holey Moly. That's probably going to cost some limbs to fix...

[1979scotte]

Holey Moly. That's probably going to cost some limbs to fix...

Thats it mate cheer the bloke up 😆

[SuperArt]

Thats it mate cheer the bloke up 😆

To put things into perspective, I am a very pessimistic personal overall.
What's a silver lining? Is that the bunch of grey clouds behind the one I'm looking at?

@StuC best ignore my comments lol.

[Alex Knight]

I'd be interested to understand the history of the car a bit more.

I find it interesting that many cars are absolutely solid underneath, and how some are appalling, like this one (no offence).

[1979scotte]

I'd be interested to understand the history of the car a bit more.

I find it interesting that many cars are absolutely solid underneath, and how some are appalling, like this one (no offence).

My yellow had lived in Scotland for a while and was then left unloved it was in a very bad state.

I think if you daily drive them and park on the road you're in trouble. Add to that living north of Watford in the wet and cold it really does them no good.

I've been under all three of my 2s on lifts they all looked worse than my 10 plate focus with 180k. To be fair my 06 silver probably wasn't too bad although still needed subframe and radiator.

[Joesson]

I can't disagree with that @1979scotte , my 2 spent the first 9 years of it's life in the West of London. Since 2011 in my possession it has lived in our garage and not taken out in the cold , wet and salt.
However, it does not compare with @ Petrus's vehicle that has been in a comparatively dry area.

[StuC]

Thats it mate cheer the bloke up 😆

This made me chuckle. 😂

It is what it is.
 @SuperArt no drama from your post matey. 👍

[StuC]

I'd be interested to understand the history of the car a bit more.

I find it interesting that many cars are absolutely solid underneath, and how some are appalling, like this one (no offence).

Scott kinda touched on the history.
I picked up Banana just over 10 years ago, with the intention of her being a daily driver.
For the last 70k miles that is what she has been. Up and down country roads commuting about 50 miles a day, come sun or snow.
In between she has had some underbody treatments, but not stripped back every year. I would also add that I did not have time to regularly clean her. So any salts from the road just stayed there I guess.
Lastly to Scotts other point, she lives on my drive and not tucked up in a garage like Tonys precious one.

I was never my intention to keep Banana forever. However, she is the longest I have ever owned a car.
We have had some great times, but I need to be practical too. Matt (from Rogue) have already had a discussion about possibilities for next year. She is safe for the moment, we will just see what next year brings.

[StuC]

So... it happened.

OK, so this might shock a few of the old skool ROC crew, yes Banana has left the building. I have had to think really long and really hard to reach this decision.  She has been my partner in mischief for the last 13 years. She arrived in my life at a very difficult time and has stuck at my side through some truly tragic moments. To gauge where she sits in my life,  she is somewhere between a best friend and the most loyal dog ever. I feel at this point, she is part of my identity and i don't know how happy life goes forward without her. She has just given me so much joy, whether that is hearing her start up with her super rumbly zorst or watching people thumping each other as they play "yellow car".
I feel like I have let her down though, as I have run out of energy and money to keep her on the road. My love for her continues though,  every time i walk past her on the way to the garage, I talk to her and reassure her that one day I will fix her and we can drive on the road together again, freely.

She was an integral part of family life and everyone has gained enormous pleasure from her. School runs were the coolest. Works runs were the most fun. The Fosse Way will never be the same.
My 3 happiest memories with are:
Driving as part of ROC to Paris and being parked up opposite the Eifel Tower. That was an incredible trip with my wife and the rest of ROC.
Being parked up in front Marble Arch with other ROC'rs on display.
Leading a whole bunch of you through the Warwickshire countryside for one of my events that concluded with cider and sausages.

At this point I realise that I have had Banana in more than a quarter of my life... thats crazy.
I know that life will go on without Banana in it, logically she is just a collection of components like every car i have been involved in designing over the years. Every now and again though you make an emotional bond with something inanimate  because that's the only thing that is constant, reliable and true in your life. So I genuinely feel that a piece of me is being taken away. The fact that i am in tears writing this is just showing me the true depth of my feeling for my little yellow car.

I will truly miss you Banana.

UCC Banana... OUT!!!

[Joesson]

Sorry to hear your upsetting news @StuC , I do remember the super rumbly zorst as  I followed you on that Warwickshire run and the sausages.
I also remember you as a friendly happy person and I hope he is still around.

[StuC]

Sorry to hear your upsetting news @StuC , I do remember the super rumbly zorst as  I followed you on that Warwickshire run and the sausages.
I also remember you as a friendly happy person and I hope he is still around.

Banana helped to calm me down quite a bit, I was just reflecting on that with Mrs Stu actually. We also remember you very friendly person at the meets making us feel included. Bakatcha sir! Justsayin'

[Topdownman]

Sad times Stu but inevitable really given how long you have owned her (or should I say "been together"?).

Everything moves along in life so I hope that something banana shaped will come along for you soon!

PS There were some great ROC events back in the day werent there? Sadly missed by me also!

All the best, Simon.

[Joesson]

So, @StuC , to address the elephant in the room, what has happened with Banana?

[The Other Stu]

I'm so sorry to see that Banana has left the building.
When we moved down South, we knew we'd be missing the fun and games that we had around Warwickshire - I always think of you as we go to the national and the drive back after the first revitalised one.

Is that the end of 2 seater driving? Or do you have another mid-life crisis up your sleeve?

I know that inevitably one day, this will also happen to me. I'm nearly 10 years in and things are very different from when I first bought one - my kids left home some years ago and we live in a very different part of the UK.

Whilst I could probably afford to repair/replace anything that went wrong (to a point), I'm sure we'll all be taxed off the road before they inevitably hit the 40 years (which I'm told may soon go to 45).