{"id":1376,"date":"2025-06-22T22:18:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T22:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/?p=1376"},"modified":"2025-06-22T22:18:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T22:18:27","slug":"facebook-marketplace-makes-work-for-idle-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/?p=1376","title":{"rendered":"Facebook Marketplace makes work for idle hands&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s something dangerously soothing about Facebook Marketplace. One minute you&#8217;re sipping tea, the next you\u2019re elbows-deep in listings for cars that would bankrupt you, gadgets you couldn\u2019t explain to your accountant, and absolute weaponised nonsense like some gimp selling a mirror reflecting an image of legs that wouldn&#8217;t look out of place hanging out of a birds nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, real life didn\u2019t so much creep in as crash through the ceiling. Christmas came and went, the weather did its best to turn Northern Ireland into Atlantis, and I said goodbye to my childhood home\u2014which hit harder than a pothole on 35-profile tyres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the spirit of distraction therapy, I sold my beloved F56 Mini Cooper S Diesel and swapped it for something with a bit more bark and boot space: a Mk7.5 Golf R Variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"887\" height=\"665\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-11.png 887w, https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-11-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-11-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> Back in the garage, solace came in three forms: Facebook, the DVLA cherished plate checker, and my own growing mountain of probably-useful car parts. First up: a stainless-steel Toyo Sports exhaust for sixty quid. I mean, at that price, it would\u2019ve been a moral failing <em>not<\/em> to buy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"887\" height=\"665\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-12.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-12.png 887w, https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-12-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-12-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That little score turned into a double win when I delivered some spare MINI wheels to a fellow enthusiast trying to get his mate back on the road. I donated them in exchange for a charity donation to Dogs Trust. Doing good and making exhaust noise? Call me Paul O&#8217;Grady with a ratchet set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-13.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1381\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next on the \u201c100% Necessary But Definitely Not\u201d list: a cherished number plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-14-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1382\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then\u2014like tartan wallpaper for your ceiling\u2014I fitted a very questionable, yet increasingly lovable tartan-trimmed headliner to replace the saggy OEM beige cloud. Yes, it clashes with everything. No, I don\u2019t care anymore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think I\u2019m into it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-15-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1383\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TBH the more I look at it, the more I like it. Even with the miss-matched plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the vaults of my old Corolla, a set of MG ZR Hairpins made an appearance. 16 inches of pure nostalgia wrapped in nearly-new tyres\u2014practically practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-16-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1384\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also quietly replaced the power steering pump and its little cooling fan. No pictures\u2014just imagine lots of swearing, dropped bolts, and the sweet reward of working steering again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And finally, the cherry on top: Sadie (that\u2019s the R53 for the uninitiated) passed her MOT and even made it to her first Mini meet in Antrim on the same day. Triumph!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-17-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1385\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-18-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1386\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-19-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1387\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naturally, she rewarded me by dropping a cylinder on the way home. Spark plugs and a new coil pack are on their way from Mr Retro Leads, and I\u2019m cautiously optimistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More soon\u2014hopefully less misfiring involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s something dangerously soothing about Facebook Marketplace. One minute you&#8217;re sipping tea, the next you\u2019re&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[24,25,55,66,82],"class_list":["post-1376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-my-cars","tag-cooper","tag-cooper-s","tag-mini","tag-r53","tag-wk52-gnp"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-20-e1750630911761.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihni.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}