September 2001
Hi
Did not HJ tell us that his book on buying & selling cars would be on offer in yesterdays DT ?
Does not appear to be in the Motoring Section......
Any clues anyone please ?
TIA
Martin Read more
I am considering purchasing an Avensis Verso. Do you have any advice as to which is the better option between the 2 engines; 2.0VVTi or 2.0 D-4D. I anticipate that the mileage will be below 10,000 yearly. What are the advantages of choosing a diesel engine when mileage will not be high? Thanks for any help. Read more
The petrol engine has a timing chain; the diesel has a timing belt. You'll find more details in a news item in the news archive on this site and in the car by car breakdown, qwhich gives fuel consumption and CO2 output figures.
HJ
can anybody please help me, i have got a speed ticket for doing 39 in a 30 zone, but the road used to be a 40 zone, the council have taken the 40 limit signs down, but have not put 30 limit signs up??? Read more
The charges of Lada ownership aside, if it's any help I was involved in a case where the motorist turned right against a no right turn sign below traffic lights. The defence was the presence of old directional signs sited just before the junction indicating a right turn was ok. Got off. Get a statement from the council stating the facts you set out and you've got a runner before a sensible court.
I own a 1990 Audi 80. It has provided 5 years of excellent service. However during the past year it has started loosing coolant. I have to top it up about every 2 months. The rate of loss has suddenly increased during the last few weeks, to the point when the coolant light comes on, it now needs topping up about every 80 miles (the light will start to flash from this point) . There seems to be no leakage, the coolant colour also remains blue. I have taken it to my local mechanic, who thinks it is a cracked head gasket, but he is not sure so I am open to opinions.
Thank you in advance for your time and advice. Read more
check that you haven't got a crack on the plastic coolant reservoir - sometimes liquid can leak from the top where there is a sensor, and it drains down the side and dries up so that you don't notice the leak ...
Anyone know of any cheap insurers at the moment. Tying to get the wife some decent quotes but they're all talking silly money because she's got no NCB (never had her own policy before) Had a license for 10 years mind
Thanks Read more
Has anyone noticed that the quote system used by Tesco is exactly the same as the one used by Direct Line? Could Tesco insurance just be branded Direct Line insurance?
I would recommend Natwest Insurance Brokers (in yellow Pages) who got me insured with Wren. I wholeheartedly recommend Wren Insurance services...they were cheap and don't charge extra for changing address mid policy and get this....even if you change from a group 4 car to a group 14! Bonus!
Chi
I am about to change my Peugeot 307 SRTD, registered in November '94.
I can afford more than in previous years, but I still want the economy of a diesel and good residual value.
I have test driven a Peugeot 206cc and 307, Renault Laguna and Scenic and a BMW Compact. What shall I choose? Read more
If you can afford a Compact with the new 150bhp 2.0 litre common rail diesel, go for that. The old Compact holds its svalue even better than an E36 Coupe.
HJ
My son had his motorcycle impounded by the police this morning. It's one of those minimalist types with everything unnecessary removed. (An 1127 GSXR engined streetfighter for those that are interested). He was stopped because of a percieved number plate infingement- visibility is slightly impaired by the seat unit, and whilst there, they had a look round it and and decided it was dangerous because it has no lights fitted. It's a summer bike, and he never goes out when it's dark or dusk. They also said the brakes were dangerous because he has a clear plastic pipe instead of the original master cylinder reservoir, as used in racing- not 'E' marked. They said they would have to take it away to have it dyno checked to ensure the engine was not too powerful for the bike. Well I know how powerful it is, it's been done. 130 bhp at the wheel. So what? Brakes and front forks/rear damper are upgraded to cope. The bike is absolutely mint, superbly maintained, perfectly safe, recently MOT'd, and I think the police have acted in a totally ridiculous manner, even though they complimented him on his safe riding and speed! Can anyone help with advice on construction and use regs re. the so called offences, no E mark, lack of lights, and power output. As a qualified motor engineer myself, and as a lecturer in motor car and motorcycle engineering, I would like to challenge their view that the bike is dangerous and contest it, but I don't want to challenge a technicality I cannot argue with.
Thanks and regards,
Mike Read more
Thanks Rebecca. The link does not work on your email address, so cannot respond directly. Your kind offer of help will be remembered and not abused! Just while I'm on, I'm confused about the E mark, Head lamps and windows, and other components, are 'E' marked, in a circle with a number like 11, 9 or whatever. I thought it was European type approval, and the number related to the issuing country, 11 being the UK. Is this the same as the gaseous substances, or am I using the incorrect terminology for the marks I'm thinking about?
Regards and thanks again,
Mike
Can anyone recommend any intensive courses for a 17 year old to attend for a 'blitz and pass'? What are the advantages/disadvantages of such an approach? We are based in the south of England but would consider a residential course, if the exist. Read more
Tom Shaw wrote:
>
> By the time you took the bike course Dave, you were
> presumably an experienced road user. Bikers also tend to be
> enthusiasts which makes learning easier. Having provided
> intensive courses in cars in the past, I would say that with
> someone who shows a natural talent for driving they are
> worthwhile, with a lot of people they just don't work. Horses
> for courses, I suppose.
I guess so. When I did my car test it was a case of being focused on school work, then taking a break for a driving lesson, and returning to scchool. No time to digest info. The 3 day DAS course was fantastic. Total focus. At the end of the day you'd find yourself thinking about lessons learned during the day. I think 'focus' is the word. If you want to be a jet pilot you don' tdo it 2 hours a week. You do it full time. THerefore that must be the best way. QED.
> As for learning more from your bike tutor than your car
> instructor, well somebody's finally rumbled us! All the 28000
> ADI's in Britain are just money grabbing incompetants!
;-) Do I detect irony? I'm sure the UK's ADI's are great. However there were things totally neglected from my driving lessons that were covered in detail by the staff on the DAS course. The DAS course wasn't limited to the basics of passing a test - it was 99 per cent of the IAM 'sylabus' too.
That said I've only had one bike school and two driving instructors to judge the quality of a whole industry by!
I have a Mk4 1.8t Golf Gti with Recaro seats. I am tall(6ft 5in) and my backside is of 'generous' proportions. I find the metal frame of the seat squab digs in to the top of my right thigh and on a long trip gets extremely uncomfortable.
Does anyone know if it is possible to change the seat squab for one from a normal Golf? Or will a complete seat fit on the runners.
Any suggestions - other than slimming - would be much appreciated.
Thanks Read more
I know the squab will not fit, as a recaro frame is individual, but its just possible a whole seat will fit. Make absolutely certain that the mountings are correct, and that the seat belt position and anchors are appropriate, otherwise the consequences of an accident could be horrific. Regards, Mike
..to Chris Watson, sadly missed on HJ's forum. CW, you can hold your head high, to be banned from HJ's site must surely strengthen your position as the leading desperado amongst many contenders. You can now retire to your six bedroom mansion in South Shields (recently valued at £5 750) and peruse the local rags for cheap Ladas to perform your essential research upon.
To return the back room to an even keel, I now call upon DW to present his 10 000 word dissertion entitled "Citroens, their part in my downfall: an account of a man obsessed."
Note: I am not certain if the valuation figure given above applies to Chris's mansion........................or South Shields in it's magnificent entirety
HH
M Read more
Whist one has not been a regular reader of your forum from the day of its inception, one feels one has seen enough posts for one to feel safe in totally agreeing with you.
However one's younger sister, Lady Mary, has been observed to allow a wry smile to cross her lips on at least two occasions in the past whilst perusing the output of the less "law-abiding" contributors. However, she is still only in her sixties.
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Nope, it didn't. They said it would and it didn't. Maybe they meant next Saturday. I'm none the wiser. I'm only a freelance.
HJ