August 2001
Had to "let someone go" at work a while ago. It was sudden, so I stood over him while he cleared his car out, before escorting him to the door. The contents of his car were insignificant, a packet of chewing gum, sunglasses, biro and some change. No map, pen, notepaper ... I could go on with a list of what's in my own car but it would surely get tedious. E.g. a telescopic wheelbrace and gardening gloves for punctures. Insulating tape, fuses and spare bulbs, first aid kit and fire extinguisher, trafficmaster hold-up warning device etc. etc. Does anyone else keep tools or emergency stuff in their car any more? Is the modern way to "travel light" with just sunglasses, designer mineral water and mobile? Read more
Wondering as there as some experts around.........thinking of buying a Passat 1.6 SE with only 13,000 miles on the clock S reg 1998, any opinions about this car in general and how much i should be looking to pay for it. Parkers has it down for £8500 in A1 condition???
Any help would be grateful
Thanks Read more
Yep
he's right
I'm very pleased with my TDI Passat PD (red d and red i), much better than a Vectra DI (I had one of these for over 100k) or a mondeo (driven several from the fleet).
go on
treat yourself.
as ever
Mark
Snippet from a report of another bike crash from a local paper...
Yesterday the Argus reported how horrified motorist Cliff Hegan, who was following the BMW and witnessed the crash, labelled the stretch of road a "death trap".
But Councillor Bob Bright, Newport council's Cabinet member for community safety, said: "I don't think it is a particularly dangerous road. However, I would like the accident experts' views on what happened, and road traffic engineers will carry out a report."
A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "I don't believe the road is a death trap, but certain areas of the A48 can be dangerous because it is a high-speed road."
A resident who lives near the scene of the crash, Mrs Pat Davies, said: "It is a tragedy when someone is killed in an accident like this. "Road accidents don't really happen that often around here."
- This area of road is a long straight with three lanes, the centre one being clearly marked with chevrons for turning into the pub. You can see the pub entrance from miles away.... What Mr. Hegan defines as a safe road would be interesting to know (perhaps he's related to Lynn Faulds-Wood). Nice to see some sense from the council and police. I've seen a couple of pretty close near misses here due to people overtaking a long line of traffic and not pulling in before the chevrons - and then someone in that line turning left into the pub. OK, so the person overtaking is likely to be exceeding the speed limit but it's the fact they aren't overtaking in a safe manner that's the real problem and cause of accidents. But often it's because drivers in the line tailgate making it difficult to pull back in, that you chance another couple of cars....
Further up the road it's now 40 mph due to recent building of big housing estates and subsequent rise in young kids and general traffic. Guess where the cars that overtake me at 60 odd mph through this area turn off into - yes the flamming new housing estates!!
I'd love to see an improvement in drivers attitudes to others, and a bit more thinking rather than just doing when driving. I can't see this happening if we are all conditioned into thinking not being caught by speed cameras makes us safe. One of my mates berated me for saying I enjoyed driving quickly and then drove us along a motorway about 3 foot from the back of cars in front, sitting at exactly 70mph - he'd been caught on camera a few months earlier so knew all about safe driving due to the educational effect of 3 points and a £40 fine.
Piers Read more
Piers wrote:
> One of my mates berated me for saying I enjoyed driving
> quickly and then drove us along a motorway about 3 foot from
> the back of cars in front, sitting at exactly 70mph
Tell me about it. Mate slagged off a biker for making a safe overtake on double solid whites.
Two weeks before he'd driven into the back of a lorry.
He really beleived that crashing was safe but overtaking was dangerous. Weird.
It seems that a series of very (curiously?) similar E-mails were sent, complaining that my "....tactic seemed to be to choose a contributor with whom you (I) did not agree, and to proceed to intimidate them over a period of time".
There is no "tactic".
I reply to postings, not persons.
I hope that is understood.
Regards, Alex Read more
It's OK Guy, a healthy interest in bodily orifices and functions is to be admired, do you like sheep?
HH
M
(Occasional Desperado)
A friend has been offered a 1 owner, G plate, Metro GTI 16v with 41k miles on the clock and in genrally good nick, I have no idea what this is worth due to the milage etc, anybody help???.
I used to have one of these years ago and found it to be a good car but has anyone had any bad experiences.
Thanks in advance Read more
Buy it, strip it out, fit a roll cage and a 1.8 K series Variable Valve engine (as I did) and go sprinting & hill climbing. Great motorsport fun and it is real cheap.
Once bitten, forever smitten.
Rgds
David
I have a year old metallic blue A160 Mercedes- I have just discovered the paint on the roof is corroding-masses of small circular areas have appeared.My Mercedes dealer says that it cannot be repaired under warranty as the problem must have been caused by something falling on the car.It has not been kept under trees. Has anyone else experienced this ?Liz Read more
I had a black car with white undercoat. Parked it in a pub car park, whilst there a bloke started spraying the weeds around and abouts. Came back, lots of little tiny circular bits eaten thru. to the u/c, nose to tail on one side and bonnet and roof. Was I not pleased. Didn't seem to do a great deal on the weeds tho.
i have found in the back of the garage/workshop, a green trabant bonnet, i got it for a customer who never came back for it, its brand new and i was wondering how much i could sell it for, and if anybody wants it. (i could also do a swap for lada parts) Read more
Some one is going to tell me not to do this but?
How do you connect a PC to the engine management chip
to read the data? Read more
Laptops plugged into karts are interpreting the on-board data-logger, not programming the 'chip' (which karts don't have, anyway)
Rgds
David
Some one is going to tell me not to do this but?
How do you connect a PC to the engine management chip
to read the data? Read more
Hi,
I am putting a full PC in my Landcruiser.
I would like to know this info, too.
I spoke to Superchips, but they do not do anything for the cruiser, and they would not give me any more info.
Paul
I wonder what view there are out there about the worth of beating depreciation, avoiding road tax, driving something interesting instead of a lookalike box like everboy else's, by using an old (classic) car as a daily driver.
I have owned a 6 rag-top Ford Mustang V-8 for more than 20 years, originally bought in Florida. It has aircon and power everything, goes as fast as anything else on the road, stops just as quick, looks great and turns head, has a great exhaust note. Virtually all parts are still available -- the Mussie has a vast following even today, and there's practically nothing I can't service or fix myself, except the auto trans,m and there are plenty of specialist for those. I maintain this car in storage and use it on visits to UK to avoid rental car costs. I have been offered many times more than I paid for it (bye-bye depreciation) and it will do 22 mpg under most circumstances (4.8 liter). Burns no oil between changes on a motor that has done well over 170,000 miles (no doubt becaiuse of being religiously maintained). To those who might argue for conservation vs. gas consumption, I would say the car was made long ago, and its continued use is surely a better use of resources than a Mondeo or similar which is a heap of junk after 3-4 years. As for emissions, my mechanic says it's no worse than a 1980's car.
On my planned return to UK I have a reliable low cost fun car waiting for me. Why bother with anything else on a mileage of say 10,000 a year?
If anyone else out there is a Mustang fan I'd be pleased to swap atories anytime. Thanks for listening. Read more
MGB, isn't that the rebodied Austin cambridge with cart springs at the rear, recirculating ball steering and lever-arm dampers - for precision handling no doubt?
As for looks, beauty is in the eye of etc.
I think I'd prefer a Mustang or a 'Vette
;-)
Browse
I do keep a small holdall in my truck with a set of jump cables, a can of that aerosol tire inflator stuff, a towrope and some other odds and ends. Surprisingly often they've come in handy in helping someone out, and myself more than once! e.g. the jumper cables.