Insurance, MOT, Tax: It’s time to assess whether Dolly the Nissan Figaro is worth it.

Let me save you reading any further than this and navigating your way through my typos, opinions and general verbal fluff; in a nutshell, not at the moment no.  However, Dolly still sits on the drive - why?

Dolly the Nissan Figaro - the car that raises question after question.

So, what is the name of this blog again?  Oh yes, Dolly Drives although I’m considering renaming it to Dolly doesn’t drive or Dolly doesn’t drive too far before another problem arises.

I set out with the intention of sharing my joy of Dolly the Nissan Figaro through this blog, the trials and tribulations of getting her up and running, her unique and beautiful style, filled with personality, and taking her on sunny drives through the North Wales countryside.

Somewhere in North Wales...

It seems the up and running part of that is a continuous cycle and the little car is not quite fulfilling my dreams. She is, however, making for a very attractive brick in the naughty corner on the drive, behind her friend, the Willys army jeep who is getting all of the attention right now.    I’m not joking, people stop outside and ring the door bell to ask about that jeep.

Poor little Dolly having to sit forlornly behind this thing.

So, Dolly overheated coming home from Chester about six months ago. 

When I mean overheated, I mean the temperature gauge shot from zero to steamy in what felt like seconds and I had to pull over on a main road in a little bit of a panic.  I gave it half an hour, the needle slipped down but we were in for a repeat performance for the next half a mile.  So, what do you do in those circumstances, you phone the mister of course.  Bearing in mind the car has had a whole new cooling system, neither he nor I had any idea what to do. 

‘I’ll call the AA and come to you’ he said, ever helpful and thoughtful. 

Meanwhile a not so helpful member of the police force pulled over and told me to move the car as it was a main road.  His kind words were ‘Get it moved’ after he asked me if I’d phoned a recovery service and I told him my husband was on the way.  I’m not sure if sarcasm and belittling are on the job description but he excelled.  I’ve always had a strong respect for the police force but it definitely slipped this day.

I thought I’d better limp the car to the nearest side road.  Would it start?  No, it would not.  Why?  Who the feck knows.  Luckily, a lovely member of the public stopped, and pushed us both onto the grass verge to wait for the AA and the mister, who turned up, insisted I went home and he’d wait for the AA.  This is the man who swore he would never, ever, ever drive the car now it was purple. 

Mr AA, Dolly and the mister arrived home a few hours later with the news that the battery was dead (it was a new battery!!!), something was draining it and the fan isn’t working.  Dolly is put in the naughty corner on the drive and the mister frowns at her every few days.

Fuses are removed, the radio disconnected, wires changed and even a new battery disconnect isolator switch is ordered, paid for and used:

Nissan Figaro Battery Disconnect Isolator Switch - The Figaro Shop (Parts Department)

The battery is now deader as can be and even the door won’t unlock with the key fob.  Well, the drivers’ side as the passenger side has always needed the key (quirk).  The trickle charger is used from the not yet finished van that’s being converted to a camper (project number 342) but has no effect.  The battery charger we bought from Amazon when Dolly wouldn’t start in mother’s carport is charged in the house and tried to no effect.

Suddenly, Christmas, New Year, birthdays and life gets in the way and Dolly is just a pretty purple thing slowly filling with water, barely looked at as we rush to and from work through the crappy winter and into Spring. 

I knew that there was a little leak to the inside somewhere.  We’d checked the gutters and they were all clear so I didn’t overly worry.  Did I fit the raincoat that I bought for Dolly?  No because I’ll always do it tomorrow and as we all know, tomorrow never arrives. 

As soon as the sun shone for the first time in many months, we both spotted Dolly on the drive again.  I decided to do a spring clean inside and the mister lifted the bonnet.  Well, when I said she was filling with water, I was initially joking until I got the door open and was hit with a hot fug of damp and black mould.  Did I cry?  Well, yes, just a little bit but I got to cleaning, again, scrubbed, again, soaked up the water in the passenger side footwell, again, took everything out and washed it, and resigned myself to the fact that all the work I’d done on the carpet and seats was ruined.  Ah well, that’s life and you learn every day.

Raincoat, raincoat, raincoat or find a garage since ours is filled with chickens and there’s a van in the way.

Roof down to get rid of the nasty smell and I’m starting to smile again.  Well until I notice that the bonnet is still open and the mister is still frowning.

Poor Dolly spends more time with her bonnet up than down :-(

Off we go to Halfords to get a new battery as he’s decided the last new battery must have been dodgy.  So now the little car starts, the drivers side door opens, the passenger side window opens (the drivers’ side has never felt the need - quirk) and the mister is smiling. 

The fan still doesn’t work so he has the good idea of wiring it into the switch for the air conditioning and disconnecting the air conditioning as we’ve never used it and it doesn’t work anyway.  Job’s a good one.  I can now switch the fan on manually, not the ideal solution and doesn’t explain why it doesn’t work when it’s supposed to but it means I can drive the car.  Or does it?

Two days later and the weather is glorious, the sky is blue, there’s not a cloud and it’s ideal Dolly driving day.  I might even take her through some North Wales countryside…. Or not.  The fan ‘switch’ isn’t working and the car starts to overheat.  Back in the naughty corner and I’m debating on whether I mention it to the mister or not since his ‘to do’ list is getting longer and I’ve already added to it this day.  I waited until after a lovely dinner and half a bottle of wine before I broached the subject. 

The next work free day (this is why it’s taken so long, life and so many other projects get in the way), Dolly gets all the attention again and the idea of a special fan switch is thought of, with Dolly getting a nice and tidy little additional switch wired into the side of the dash for the fan.  Would you believe it, Dolly has a fan that works and all is right with the world.  The MOT is booked, the insurance renews and the tax will get sorted.  Time to fill her up with petrol and experience the joy that is a cute little Nissan Figaro. The mister even decided to come with me although he was in disguise with his new sunglasses.  Starts first time, out of the drive, indicate right.

Indicate not right and what on earth is that noise?  That’s a new one. 

Hazards aren’t working either and it's not an Audi (indicators optional apparently) so it’s a reverse back into the naughty corner on the drive for Dolly and into the jeep for us, off for a Starbucks visit so we don’t have to look at the little purple car that we’re both getting a little bit fed up with for different reasons. 

I love the car for its quirky difference, its uniqueness and it’s purpleness.  The mister meant me to have a car that was paid off and could be used as a daily driver.  Neither of us has got what we wanted or expected!  A bit of a money pit with many niggles and challenges.

Turns out, when he drilled through the dash for the new switch, he accidently drilled through a bunch of cables but we’re not allowed to talk about that.  Many fiddly hours later, all fixed!

The noise?  Hmm, don’t know.

The water?  Hmm, don’t know.

Is it worth it?  After writing this and a bit of a reflection, I’ll change my opening statement to I think so, yes.  The MOT is Wednesday, the insurance is extortionate. 

Please pass, Dolly, please.