they just dont understand...

[C.A.R.]

People reacted really badly when I chopped in the perfectly reliable, perfectly safe and fully-functioning Focus for an old 306 which at time of purchase I could not even open the (smooth) boot! It has had parts since, most recently the brake light switch, but also other things which have been replaced due to age/wear.

People see this ongoing 'maintenance' as your car obviously being SHIT but when people ask, the majority of us actually ENJOY tinkering with our cars!

Then there is the handling. Was the Focus better? Probably, but it was neutral, predictable and very stable (you could get silly angles of oversteer on a greasy roundabout and the chassis just soaked it up) but ultimately it was not rewarding enough. The 306 has a great seating position where the car really feels like it's pivoting around the seat of your pants, making for really fun progress down a good road. Show it the same greasy roundabout and it will bite you, spitting it's backside wide and always giving you that slight doubt as to whether you can gather it back together before your exit or if it is going to want to do some 'urban exploring' off the road! Just keep your nerve and keep your toe in and it will reward you massively though.