Mike,

I completely understand your concerns and I absolutely felt the same as you when I first got to drive mine on the horrendous roads in Surrey, plus I also had the steady throttle rattle you describe. Whilst the engineering can certainly be criticised, the charm of the vehicle will get you in the end, regardless of these failings. Having said that, my not-under-load rattles have got better after 3000 miles and I have a pile of car-porn labelled Empire Wishbones Kit sitting on my kitchen floor waiting to fix the alarming bumpsteer issues. Your yet-to-be-fitted Comfort Kit should go a long way to addressing your concerns I suspect.

But, what sealed the car in my heart was a proper road trip - not continual flips round local friends to show them, but a proper road trip where you can live with it for a few days and then truely enjoy the unique experience it offers. Bumpsteer is the serious one to fix (and you will be able to, easily) - the others you can ignore with custom-made earplugs, some decent weather and exciting open roads.

Keep the faith chap!