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I spent years using my dad’s old handheld mask, with a graded lens in. When I finally splashed out on an Aldi automatic one it was quite a step up, but when that one inevitably broke, the proper large window “full colour” one I treated myself to is an utter revelation. Without a doubt, worth every penny. Not only can you see so much better, it’s way more comfortable to wear.

I thought I was the only person to do daft stuff like that.

Seriously?! You really have to ask? How could I have gotten them all the same with the grinder? I’d never have been able to sleep again with mismatched studs! Not to mention the potential for putting things out of balance at high speeds. 🤣🤣🤣

Maybe 🤣

I last messaged the supplier on Thursday. If I haven’t heard from them by say Tuesday, I’ll message again to request a cancellation of the order and a refund. Maybe a bit of negative publicity on the Canta forum might get a response. Either that or a native Dutch speaker who is willing to give them a phone call and put a rocket up them. 

Failing that, I’m not beyond forking out for a ferry crossing and riding up there on my bike…

I am still waiting for my parts delivery from the Dutch supplier. 😡

I suspect that the end result is that I’m not going to get either the parts, or my money back. They’re not responding to emails, and I’m a bit too far away to pop around and bang on the counter. As it is, now, I am at the point where I don’t want the parts from them anymore anyway; I’d sooner pay double and get them elsewhere, or just set fire to the car.

The really annoying thing is that it’s only one drive belt, of which I now have the two purchased while I was in the US, and an alternator belt, which can be sourced from anywhere once you’ve sussed the right size.

In frustration, I had a rumble through my stores to see if I could find anything close. It appears that a Discovery 200tdi alternator belt is pretty close. The new one I had was just too small (605 mm long), but the secondhand one I found marked as 610 popped on perfectly. So that’s now fitted and I can move along a bit.



I need to clean up and paint the battery tray next, and then I can refit the battery and start to work out how the ignition switch is wired. Once I have done that I can organise a replacement for the smashed one. It looks like a Berlingo/Partner one could be pressed into service, and that particular type is available as a kit complete with four door lock barrels that are all keyed alike. I’ll need to see if the barrels look to be interchangeable, but if they are then it’s the way I’ll go.

That sounds like an excellent idea. 

A couple of decades of me driving around in it without washing it, it really wouldn’t matter much what colour it started out as. 🤣

Yeah, I’d roll that. 

Fingers crossed.

I’m sure we can all relate to the relieved vs angered paradox. 🤣