[Arragonis]

For the first time since Christmas I got a full weekend off and its not been raining / snowing / blowing a gale so it was time to get the cars cleaned out for the summer - remove the mud from inside, wash all the salt off and so on.

Helga has been battered this winter - quite a few scratches from snow removal (I use a bodywork friendly squeezee thing but must have been heavier handed than intended). Scratches are OK, I don't mind those.

Looking underneath though its not so rosy - there are a few rusty patches starting especially in the wheelarches and other tricky areas. I've added some converter and will coat with a sealer / rustproofer before the weather changes but it may be time to think about a replacement.

I'm not too bothered about this level of rust but I have played 'hunt the rust' quite a few times in the past (BL cars had it from the factory...) and don't want to again if I can help it. Plus this year is shaping up to be very busy at work (my laptop may be going to Spain with me) which is good given the economy is so bad, so I won't have much time to play with.

Mrs A has suggested the possibility of a budget for replacement at the end of summer and I have thought about what to get. I don't do mega mileage - a tank lasts a month or so (see my fuel log) so I'm thinking of something smaller and maybe even more economical. The Aygo/C1/107 trio are cheap secondhand as they have issues (clutch slips as it is small in the original ones and larger later) but they are cheap to fix and I (perversely) like minimal motoring.

I could keep Helga of course and just use £s to keep her in good shape, is that a wise investment ? We (as in the family) could spend more and keep the Octavia instead and get Mrs A a replacement (which she deserves and has earned) but that has higher mileage. But its a bigger car (2.0 TDI Octavia Estate/Wagon - think VW Jetta with different badges) and I don't really drive anywhere far very often.

Another option is a van (as in small commercial vehicle - think Transit Connect but smaller). I'm considering this as I usually only carry me and A. jnr at the most, when empty they are light (no rear seats), they usually have small Diesel engines (mega MPG) and they are cheap secondhand. And the best part is that you can throw bikes and stuff in the back instead of the hassle of a bike rack.

I don't know how to do a poll so I'll list my options here :

- Patch her up now as best you can, and maybe spend later.
- Keep Helga and spend £s on rust prevention whatever the cost.
- Buy a Toyota Aygo / Peugeot 107 / Citroen C1 (or something else) as a replacement.
- Keep the Octavia and swap Helga for Mrs A's new motor.
- Buy a van.
- Some other idea I have not considered.
- No idea what you are on about.

Help!