Hello Everyone,

If any of you out there are anything like me then I have a warning for you.

When you take your car into a dealer for an air con service, don't opt to wait while it's being done.

You see that is exactly what I did and the dealer took four hours, having found a couple of problems that required parts they didn't have on site.

That gave me four hours to wander around and apart from a somewhat extended stay in a nearby McDonalds, where I managed to read the Independant newspaper from cover to cover, I had nothing else to do except stare at this Panther black S-max, raised above all the others on the 'Managers Special' turntable.

As a C-max owner/driver I had always secretly envied my S-max counterparts. Nothing wrong with the C-max of course. In fact I found it a brilliant car in the 2.0 litre TDCI Titanium guise that I had owned for about two years but there was always something special about the size, width and genreal road stance of the S-max that I hankered after.

So, call it a twist of fate or not but the combination of a four hour detainment, a recent endowment maturing and a very, very generous final offer from the dealership for my C-max that mean't I didn't lose a penny on it saw me driving away in the attached 2008 2.2 TDCI Titanium.

Had it re-mapped. Fitted Eibach springs. Wheelmania Savoy 19 inch Alloys on Khumo 245 wide tyres. Carbon wrap on roof and bonnet. Private plate.

I am looking to uprate the intercooler, fit a performance exhaust and a bespoke induction kit and full body kit.

Now I don't want all you Ford enthusiasts to think that just because I've ratlled off what sounds like a professionally designed upgrade list of parts that I have a clue what I'm doing because I certainly do not.

I have merely suffered a mid-life crisis. Sparked by my new found enjoyment for driving and my wish to live the 'boy racer' phase of life that I missed out on the first time round, due to lack of money and marriage and Children.....Ooh, it hurts just to think about it!

So I'm here now to share in your passion for all things blue and oval shaped and of course, the 'F' word. With that in mind, any advice on the above mentioned improvements would be gratefully and very much sincerely appreciated.

I also hope to get to some of 2011's shows (work permitting) so I look forward to seeing some of you there,

Best regards

Mark.

Hi welcome :)