March 2002
Today's motoring supp mentioned that a Bugatti was the most expensive car ever. But don't I recall that years ago the most sought after and expensive car was said to be a Duisenberg? Massive as well! Read more
Good News:
Renewed the insurance on the Camaro today. £336.79 same as last year. Not too excessive for a 160mph car.
Sad News:
Called at the local Sainsbury's to pick up some essentials. Sat in the car waiting for the boss to return with the wine, a lovely old Facel Vega crawled past and parked opposite me. I've seen it around before and it looks like it's just come out of the showroom.
Old guy in his late sixties/early seventies gets out, carefully locks his pride and joy, then goes into the store.
Couple of minutes later a Ford Explorer parks next to the Vega and out climbs a young woman with her brood of fashion-accessory crotchfruit. Result ? Two door bangs and the rear door held against the Vega while a kid climbs out !
Is there no respect for other peoples possessions anymore ?
Angered me enough to leave a business card under the wiper saying I'd seen what happened and would be a witness if needed. No call yet though.
Kevin... Read more
Had the same thing;car took most of my front wing off; but fortuneately two witnesses;police not interested but did give me details of owners of car;company of course.After about 6 months DAS got all my money back.
Why would a Vauxhall franchised dealer be selling an brand new right-hand drive un-registered Opel Astra? Could this be a car imported from Ireland which was destined to be re-badged as a Vauxhall but can't now because of the recent publicity given to this illegal practice? I'm referring to the illegal practice of re-badging, not the legal practice of importing. I'm just baffled. Read more
Roger
Interesting. Certainly Ireland is a key source of Opel badged imports. As for a Vx dealer selling it - I was recently told by a Vx dealer that they 'wouldn't offer the same price for an Opel import as they would for the equivalent UK Vx as they couldn't put it on the forecourt'.
Maybe times are changing.
Regards
john
As we all know, you can buy most cars at three years old at up to 70% off new prices.
Why then, apart from tax fiddles and company cars {one in the same},do 'employed' people on average earing with buy new?
Imagine that you spend £15,000 on a car. Based on basic tax rates and national insurance, that means that a tax payer would have to earn around £22,000 to buy the car, or a year's average pay.
I cannot understand this, why buy new?, imported or other wise?
Alex Read more
But I thought that most euroboxes were bought by fleets?
Ok so this is a reasonable car. But it is still VERY noisy and it still vibrates a LOT. And it costs almost 20k in 5 door guise with metallic, climate, and a decent radio/CD added.
Golf build quality isn't streets ahead of the pack anymore. Lots of middleweights handle better and have more space.
If you must have a Golf then the 1.8T and V5 are much nicer to drive.
Just don't see the point. Read more
When you do 90% of your mileage at cruise on the motorway there isn't really any way to drive except top gear steady revs.
My colleague assures me that it is a PD150 and he thinks it's a noisy lump.
A different slant on the thread below
I am surprised that with modern tecnology we cannot have accurate fuel guages. I have driven a number of cars with computers that purport to show the range left but I have no confidence in them.
On a Primera it would sometimes drop from an indicated 50 miles range remaining, to show 0 miles remaining, inside 10 miles. As an experiment(with a full can in the boot) I once drove 40 miles with it telling me I was out of fuel before I chickened out and filled up.
The older Beetles were best. You could look into the fuel tank and see the bottom of it. You could also drive until it spluttered and then turn the reserve tap on(situated inside the car) and you had exactly 5 litres left.
Has anyone experience of a really accurate system? Read more
The computer "guesses" range left when you fill up.
Then adjusts according to actual driving (obviously, 5th on motorway is going to be vastltly different to 2nd in traffic).
When I drive the wife's car with nearly full tank, it always says more miles left after driving 20 miles.
This highlights a secondary bonus - it shows tangible benefit of smooth driving style.
Had to share this with you all.
Out of the house by 7 this morning, got the bike out of the garage and headed off to Penrith, then along the A686 to Alston, turned off to Brampton and then up to J44 of the M6 before heading for home via the A6. Virtually no traffic and apart from the odd pheasant no other obstacles.
Now I feel prepared for the Saturday routine, I've now got the boys out of bed and will shortly be taking them to football practice, a spot of DIY followed by feet up to watch the Scots defeat the French in the rugby. (OK the last thing might be a bit hopeful!)
I do like having a bike.
Rob S Read more
And you could do it the other way round next day, given petrol money.
Sorry, I know that the discussion on tramlining has probably exhausted itself now but I've only just got round to reading the previous discussion threads. I saw Honest John's reply to the Omega owner concerning tramlining and it immediately made me think this is exactly the problem with my 320i Coupe.
I did write about the problem on this forum some months ago - unnerving veering handling on rough roads but fine on good roads - and got some useful suggestions but no-one mentioned tramlining. However I don't think the problem is just "normal" for the 320i Coupe as up to 6 months ago I didn't have the problem. It just started one day and the only thing that I can think of was that I had some new tyres shortly before that (but they are the recommended tyres for the vehicle). I am therefore loathe to tak HJ's advice to sell the car and buy another.
Has anybody had a similar problem with the 320i Coupe? Did anyone manage to cure it? Presumably the answer must lie somewhere in suspension, tracking, tyres, steering etc? Any suggestions would be welcome (but please not from the comic who last time told me that he didn't have such problems because "he was richer than me and could afford a much better car" Heh,ho!)
Thanks
Chas Read more
It is of course true that tyre wear rates vary (maybe even significantly).
However "they said the more expensive would wear better" should be treated with derision.
As a general rule, the tyres with greater wet-road grip will wear faster - Example :- Bridgestone S-02 - superb grip, life of 10K.
Your choice.
Just for the record, my current favourite is Dunlop SP9000.
I had a call from local Toyota Dealer this week who informs that this is a different issue to the Carina E fault where PAS fluid leakage was the cause of premature failure. The local dealer has now assured me that this regreasing is a permanent fix and to put his money where his mouth is offered me an additional 12 months local dealer warranty.
I have accepted his offer as I will cover another 40000 miles in this time and am now waiting for written confirmation. There appears to be no strings attached but I will wait for the letter.......
( also told him it was being followed on a well known web forum....... ) Read more
Just spoke politely but firmly to the dealer and agreed revised 30000 or 12 months. That's better.
Have to say that Toyota have always been courteous and no other problem with the car or servicing ( except it would be nice to have it washed before getting it back !! )
Now I shall get the BMW afficianadi dribbling in fury over their bockwurst.
Local mall has a 4wd/truck event this week, with all the glittering favorites on display parked at funny angles with the tire black still wet, and young things with absolutely no product knowledge handing out brochures, but who cares they look so nice in those short skirts. We note as expected the serious stuff like the Dodges, Fords, big Toyotas, Nissans etc. And then we come to the BMW. Or what I took at first sight to be a restored 1996 Kia Sportage till I saw the badge and the price. Is it a 4WD? Well it says so, but the Honda CR-V looks more the part and I wouldn't call that a proper 4WD. Is it a people carrier (whatever that means, I thought all cars carried people)? Well if it is the locally made Isuzu Hi-Lander is more up to the job for the average size Filipino family. Mre room, better paint job and nicer to look at. Is it a car?
If so it's a bulky and ugly one. Is it well made? Well, it should be with that badge and that price.....but hey...hon, what ABOUT that red Dodge Dakota over there for my birthday...(dragged off by the arm by Growlette).
I have often pondered what the Blair Third Way means. I think I understand now after seeing this BMW. It sort of "is", but isn't really, but you can't say it "isn't" because it isn't that either. Something and nothing in other words. A marketing team's belated catch-up with the market is what it looks to me.
I don't doubt it's excellently engineered but so is everything these days for a lot less money.
As one Filipino said to me "it's just an expensive badge, that's all".
(Stands, arms akimbo, ready to turn and run). Read more
Growlette like me is a Leo, it has to be red orange or yellow. But if it's a hairy muscle vehicle of some sort, I always feel red is appropriate......I mean a beige TransAm?....er.......not really. Lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. Not in yer face enough.
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Not to a 43 or Alfa 8c, surely?