There was a thread from Dave W some months ago on the lubrication of the cable, especially for the older car. Shouldn't happen on something built recently, thoughts of the Toyota nightmare spring to mind.
On the other issue of the car loan, I suspect we will all face the same dilemma at some stage. My daughter is 20 and constantly asks the same question. My friend gave his son-in-law his Roadster for use on their wedding day. He said it was bad enough worrying about his speech.
