September 2001
There seems to be a large number of Toyota Camry's on offer on the ineternet as australian imports. This is a curious source and one has to wonder on the warranty and servicing implications. If the source is from europe the pan-european warranty applies. Has anyone any experience on the problems associated with australian imports.
DS Read more
How long should it take a Ford Main garage to run a diagnostic equipment check on a Ford Mondeo, to check air conditioning sensors? Read more
Assuming it is working, and you just want them to check it out, about 15 mins. If you want them to service it, about 1.25 hours. If it has a problem that you are asking them to find, possibly longer. If this is the case, post the problem and We'll have a bash here.
i need to get my cars front geometry checked, and i was wondering what the best equipment is for the job.
some garages seem to have a very old and crude system with strings (which seems to be really very poor), and i'm sure there's a better system out there.
what i need to know is what equipment i ask about when enquiring about prices for a geometry check, etc.
the newer systems use light? Read more
quite a long time ago before MD tyres had the current laser kit , I took a 190 merc for 2 new tyres & alignment, afterwards the steering wheel was out of true even though the tracking was set with it clamped straight ahead
I whipped it back in & they recomended to have a full front/rear check which showed that it was was making the car crab & to compensate you had to steer lefthanded.
(it later turned out that the boss's wife had run over "something " on the road & brought it into the farm workshop where the lorry fitter removed a builders shovel that had gone up & around the drive shaft, jamming against the suspension rods & the floor pan!)
Here, I'm sure is a really easy one.
MOT (passed) on motor caravan yesterday. K plate. Low milage (possibly a clue eh?)
Quote from MOT inspection check list 'advise unable to see pads; discs starting to corrode'
1. Anything I can do to delay further damage to discs ?
2. If pads cannot be seen, even by the experts, how do I know when it's time to change them before even more damage is done to the discs ?
Sorry if these questions are sub-reception class, but I'm good at Latin American dancing, honest.
Thanks in advance for any inspirational thoughts.
Colin Standing Read more
i also check the drums, ok its not an easy job, but it makes sure that the car is safe, after all its pointless going 30 mph in a 30 zone, if the brakes are u/s.
A cautionary tale:
Mate of mine took a Polo on some kind of lease, at the end of which he could either buy the car or they would take it back.
Come the time (a couple of weeks ago), his wife faxed and asked them to take the car. She then phoned to make sure they had had the fax and waited for the nice man to turn up and take it away. And waited....
Yesterday morning, the bank rang and asked why they had run up a five thousand five hundred quid overdraft. Oh, yet, there WAS a debit to the lease company.
A day on the phone saw them go from "never received the fax" to "oh, yes, you're right" to "It'll take some time to sort out". Note the absence of "Sorry" in any of the above replies.
Remember this story when you sign a leasing deal that allows your company to take payments without further approval from you.
Vin Read more
Must depend who you use. I had a car on lease from a company called Pendragon Contracts. Selected simply because they were cheapest. The finance was through Lloyds UDT.
They contacted me 3 months before return and despite knowing they were getting the car back and not getting a new contract they remained helpfull and attentive. The guy at Pendragon advised me to cancel the direct debit to ensure that the "balloon" was not taken, although UDT did not try to, and the car was collected without quibble at the agreed time.
Incidentally the bank said that I could not cancel the DD, it has to be done by the drawer. However when I said I would close the account (thereby automatically cancelling the DD) they suddenly found a way to stop it!
Jack
I have a 99T Alfa 156, 32k and the cambelt tensioner has just failed, trashing the valves and poss the head. Has anyone out there had a similar experience at low miles or am I just unlucky? The whole car has been a bit of a "late Friday Special!" The repair cost is expected to be £2700 - gulp!> Read more
Vauxhall also had this problem massively with the plastic idler pulley wheels on their engines
In the world of classic cars it is quite common to come across the statement that a car has been 'rebodied'. New bodyshells are available for Minis, MGB's, for example, and new chassis have long been available for Land-Rovers.
My question is, does a rebodied car retain its legal identity as say a 1961 Boggs, number 123AAA, or is it a 2001 Boggs replica on a current plate, subject to current safety regs, emission levels, etc?
At what level of replacement of body parts does a car stop being the older model? I don't mean from a purist enthusiast's point of view, but legally.
A friend recently disposed of a 1926 Riley. It consisted of a wooden dashboard with a commission plate screwed on, a steering wheel, the original Logbook and an old tax disk. The buyer was going to put the bits together with a collection of other bits and make a car, which he said would be a 1926 Riley, details and reg no. as per the log book. From this it would appear that the heart of a car is its commission plate, and that as long as this is supported by a logbook and the number plate is correct, then any chassis and body will do. Of course, it is easier if the commission plate simply unscrews, rather than being stamped into the door pillar.
Is this correct? And if so, what is the difference between rebodying a car, and swapping all the mechanical bits into another shell and changing the number plates?
Cliff Pope Read more
david
It all seems a bit of a mess really. I imagine there are a few MGB's out there sporting Heritage shells, Gold Seal engines, gearboxes, axles etc., rather like Trigger's broom, and I'm sure there are a good number of 'two into one' Land Rovers too - after all with them swapping parts is almost a National Sport! However, I bet they still have the original registration and are tax exempt.
What, I wonder, do DVLA see as so magical about an 'original' gearbox for example - can you change the internals and have the casing with (perhaps) the original number on it? By the time they thought of this idea surely many of the cars affected have of necessity had major components changed anyway.
Is this really necessary for taxation purposes? The big losers are likely to be the buyers who think they may be buying an original classic vehicle but are not. I can see why the Government want to avoid abuses, but it's a difficult one. For high value original classics, it's surely buyer beware. Let's be honest if you're buying a 40 yo LR with a good few miles on the clock, you'd probably be pleased to hear it had had a reconditioned engine at some stage, unless you're looking for that elusive 'original' vehicle.
Regards
John
Is this a con?
Adds £50 or so to cost of a £350 premium. So your NCB will stay intact but do you have to stay with the same company for it to be recognised? Can / do they increase your premium due to the claim / accident? Does it drum up more business for the 'approved' accident repair shops as more people are likely to claim for small damage rather than pay for repairs privately? Can the insurance company refuse to quote / renew after a very large (total loss) claim?
Girlfriends insurance up for renewal soon so thought I'd better check.
Piers Read more
Of course the premium goes up when you've had a claim. But you still get the same discount off the now higher (because you've had a claim) premium.
HJ,
I see you are offering the first Book of Motoring Answers" free (+p&p) via a form on this site. As we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch I must assume you will then sell our credit card details to Chris Watson's friend "Big Eddie".......who is real.......honest!
David Read more
Dont forget to post it on the forum please, I would like a copy.
Simon
I reckon we could all do with something lighter to think about.
Anyone got any generic advice on buying a two seater sports car as cheaply as possible.
I have a friend who thinks £2500 should get me a Westfield 7. I certainly haven't found this.
I looked into building/buying a Lo-cost. For some reason it doesn't appeal.
Any adivce. Read more
I know of several Westfields that have passed the SVA with no, or few problems. The factory also puts many pre-built cars through the SVA every month. If you are building your own Westfield or Caterham you must get, read and understand the regulations, pay attention to what the factory tells you and the car will pass it's SVA test without problems.
Contrary to some comments in this thread the majority of self-built Westfields and Caterhams are built to a high standard, some with new components and/or fully reconditioned parts - the days of dropping scrap-yard parts into these particular cars is long past (if that ever did happen). If you are thinking about a used, SVA'ed, well put together Westfield start thinking in terms of £6-7000, a Caterham - £8000+. These are starting points, I've seem some used Westfields and Caterhams change hands at over £20,000.
-JohnK
Old model Toyota Camrys.
HJ