December 2001
For those looking for an alternative view on Gary Hart, speed cameras, the ABD, try Ross Clark's "They've Got The Wrong Man" in this week's Spectator
(Runs for cover.......) Read more
Filipinos are renowned for their ingenuity, which seemingly knows no bounds. Every Christmas new manifestations appear. This year they have excelled themselves in our area. First we had fake garbage collectors, uniforms, ID's and all, who politely appeared expecting their annual tips. THese were followed next day by the real ones who carried lead pipes, knives and other weapons in their search for the impostors, naturally teed off at having been cheated of their seasonal tips. Then we had fake Salvation Army people waving tins outside the malls. But the prize must go the to the fake motorcycle police who have been ticketing everyone and everything for the last 10 days. It is quite normal for the regular police to get active around payday time when they begin to get short of the readies, but these guys were nothing less than real pros. They had the Kawasaki 4 cyl bikes, the tight jodhpurs, Smokey Bear hats, boots, walkie-talkies, guns, handcuffs, books of tickets, the whole bit.
A SWiss pal of mine who was nicked and unwittingly bribed his way out of a "ticket" for "swerving" remarked how polite the guy was who stopped him and wondered whether the Philippine National Police had undergone a transformation. I said, oh, they're just cops moonlighting to make money, another common occurrence, but turns out they were actually clever actors.
How many motorists they fleeced before vanishing is unknown but for once the chaos on the highways around where I live was reduced a bit. I say bring back the pranksters and put them on the payroll! Read more
On a sadder note, I see a certain mr T Cruise is planning to make a movie about this incredibly brave and resourceful soldier.
Watch out for another Historical travesty, at a video store near you soon.
Just read a very small article in the Top Gear mag which talks about new legislation stopping cars being dumped by the roadside.
Apparently the rules are you will have to pay road tax on a car until you have sold it or scrapped it. This will mean any vehicle dumped without tax can be taken away immmediately and scrapped (currently this can take upto 40 days).
I would like some more information on this because it goes against everything all goverments have done in the last few years. In particular this will anger the classic car enthusiasts who would have to pay road tax even when their cars are undergoing restoration (sometimes for years). Read more
I do not think it makes sense, even in the current climate of virulent anti-motorism. You have to tax it, surely, or make a SORN declaration.
with reference to my earlier plea for help this morning I took it down to Harrison Auto Electrical Service at Etwall Derbyshire this morning.
You were almost all correct and they quickly tested and confirmed the alternator had gone.
They quoted £67.00 less 25% for the alternator. Asked if I wanted them to fit it or them. I looked at the weather,icy cold and blowing and said you please.
They fitted it, tested it out and the total bill was £87.24 inc vat.
Very impressed with them and they repeated david lacey's comment about it being common with these models.
Incidentally it was a brand new one they fitted. I asked why they didn't recondition them themselves as they have a well fitted workshop, and the answer was that for the cheaper alternators it wasn't economical as they could buy them in cheaper.
Alvin Read more
Glad you got sorted, Alvin.
My Astra's went a few months ago - fortunately it was changed under warranty, but was still off the road for a few days as they waited for parts to come in. (some weird alternator, which was only used on one locally-made version of the astra).
I think David has a point, though. I enjoy tinkering about with cars, but occasionally, I couldn't be bothered, or I'm too busy with other stuff, and I'll pay for the job to be done.
(By bitter experiance, there are always jobs which SHOULD take 1/2 an hour, and have a one-spanner rating in Haynes, which take me half a weekend! The man-in-the-know can normally do it in the time it takes to write this!)
I added to the thread "Switching Drivers" to clarify a point by KB and also to reply to Tomo who has some forthright opinions. I notice that my addition is no longer on the thread. Have I been censored????????
Andrew. Read more
To open a new window from a link on a Mac using IE, simply hold down the Command key while clicking on the link.
(The command key is the one with the Apple symbol on it next to the space bar).
When you have finished with the new window - command+W will close it for you.
As an aside - it you want to download the link to disk on a Mac - hold down the option (alt) key while clicking on the link. .. And if you want to be like a PC and get a drop menu of options - hold down the control key while clicking on the link.
S
From Today's Cape Times:
I would like to thank the gentlemen who left a quality jack under my car after unsuccesfully attempting to remove my tyres. Thanks very much for the gift, and have a merry christmas. Read more
Anthony. at least you got a tatty jack. all i got left after some scrote stole the heated backlight from my 65 2.1/2L V8 Daimler Saloon were the rubber seals and chrome trim which were left neatly placed on the rear seat. car was on my drive. I was asleep in bed.
I set off early from Herts to Glos on Boxing Day. It was a brilliant morning, the crystal-clear sun so low and reflecting so intensely off the road surface that north-south travel down the High St was difficult, to say the least. Lo and behold, what do I see approaching from the north? A 4x4 with two clear patches on the windscreen, each rising just about 9" from the base, each about 12" wide. The rest of the windscreen? You guessed it: completely opaque with frost. Lunacy? Criminality, more like. God preserve us. Read more
yes, and it even has a machine gun, but it only shoots paintballs.
Come on, everybody knows the MCC Smart is a daft car, its supposed to be. You can't choose that car simply because it is what it is supposed to be - i.e. daft.
It should be a car which is lousy at what it is supposed to be.
i.e. the Freelander which is lousy at everything - well, unless you see anchor and/or paper-weight as being part of its function. Read more
I would but they wouldn't believe me as I've only just bought a new car :o)
Anyway, family friend has just spent his life savings on a Landrover Disco and the thing could double up as a colander - He has found, and this is the honest truth, 11 leaks so far. If the Freelander build is as bad I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. The Austin Maestro I owned had better ground clearance and space inside...
I have little doubt it is a waste of (limited) space but I'll leave my vote with MCC, now if only Lada were still importing cars...
I wish to improve the secuity on my ancient '88 Jetta 16v. All the car has at present is a set of armoured door plates, a set of looking wheel nuts, and a Jetta GL badge on the back. A friend has commented that he doesnt think i will see an insurance premium reduction from fitting a CAT2 immobiliser, so i have considered an autolock total enclosure steering cover, and a cheap alarm which i will fit myself- suggesions on which alarm are welcome. Does anyone have any better ideas, and where is the cheapest place to get all these bits?
Ben Read more
I seem to remember a group of car thieves once being asked what would deter them most from stealing a car and the answer they came back with was a childseat in the back. I can't guarantee it works though.
From today's local newspaper:
"In recent examples of irresponsible driving, a motorcyclist was trapped at 240km/h on the West Coast and a motorist caught doing 195km/h near Citrusdal while driving under the influence of alcohol and with three children in the car. "
Both these roads are single lane, with no centre strip...
The motorcyclist got a big fine, but no reports of the drunken family man.
Any suggested punishments? I think car confiscation and a spell in the local jail would be reasonable, and a bit of community service at the local children's hospital thrown in... Read more
Forthcoming euro legislation will require all new cars to have permanent headlights, Volvo style. Most of the motorcylcle press reckon this will reduce the impact (no pun intended) of bikes using their lights for daylight running.
So have some sympathy for the main beam bikers filtering through traffic; rather make sure I'm seen and run the risk of momentarily irritating a few, although even when using this there are still an alarming number of drivers who insist on making a useless lane change in crawling traffic.
Browse
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strange
mixes sympathy with mr harts sentence being out of kilter with rest of the criminal justice joke of a system
and then goes onto a long pro-speed camera nonsense ramble
suggest you all read, and pass comments to editor as requested