March 2002
On the way to Court today to defend a speeding case (old fasioned handheld laser).
Unusually found my mind wander from the job in hand (i.e. driving)
as I drifited into the newly arrived 30s where this driver fell foul of the dreaded
device. Mind was partly occupied in how I was going to defend this lad, woke up
from this daydream and found my speed almost matched what he was being done for. I was bloody lucky, but it goes to show. Read more
This is a turn up for the books. Bought an oil and fuel filter for a Nissan from the main dealer, and both were cheaper than Halfords own (quality?) brand. Read more
Always worth keeping an eye on the dealer prices. Vauxhall are generally very good, especially if you are a "Trade Club" member. Why fit pattern parts when OE are cheaper, with a better margin ?
Had a major embarrasment once with a Bedford Midi air filter. I bought one from local Partco as they were just round the corner from the job. Approx £16 to me, with a suggested retail of £26 ish. Can't bring myself to take the p**s with customers, so charged it out at £18. Customer rings the next day to say that, as a retail customer, he could buy the same filter for £12 ish at local Vauxhall dealer. Whoops !
Regards, Adam
Fitting a tow bar, is it the kind of thing you normally do yourself, or as my garage says, do you need "specialist" equipment and knowledge?
The parts for tow bars are easy to order and come with instructions, but how much of a 'self-assembly' job is this really going to be?
cheers! Read more
For the towbar your car always promised itself, buy a Brink bar - they are invariably (?) the ones supplied as OE by the dealers, just with a different part number but about half the price. Easy fitting to most German stuff - I would assume Passat wil require no drilling.
Also - buy the car manufacturer's accessory wiring loom from the dealer - this is where you should spend the money! This will plug directly into the existing harness, with maybe an extra earth to make to a bolt. Sure beats 'Scotchloks' and unless you can stand the thought of a hideous racket every time you indicate, don't even think about using the 'relay in the boot bleeper' type of wiring/warning. Look carefully at your dash and use either a switch blank, carefuly drilled to accept a small steady LED as a telltale or better still use an existing spare warning light already in the dash - even if it's not specificaly for the towbar.
I used the Xantia's alarm disabling switch's LED, which now flashes with my trailer indicators.
In terms of skill, its about on a par with changing brake pads to fit the bar and like connecting hi-fi separates to do the wiring using the proper kit. Or trying to re-wire your own brain if using cheap cr+p components.
For reasons best not discussed a few colleagues and I had a long continental journey by road recently. To pass the time we invented a new game. It got me wondering what other games people play with and without the family in tow.
In the absence of pub signs we had to invent our own version of cricket. Here are the rules.
Totty Cricket (1)
Driver banned from taking part before anyone starts getting on high horse.
Runs scored whenever you overtake or are overtaken by vehicle containing personable totty. Boundaries only scored by high rated examples.
Sixes can definitely only be scored by AAA rating (2). Example of AAA rating receptionist Hotel B***l in Dunkirk.
Wickets lost when examples seen rated lower than F (2). To give a guide F rating involves phrases containing words like pole and barge.
Note an excellent innings in Belgium @ 35 for 3 was brought short by an overtaken coach containing...... well lets say retired hurt to the pavilion.
(1) © 2002 FiF et al, several pat pending
(2) According to the Billy Bob - Bubba methodology © 2001 US Pat pending Read more
youve heard Habcess make fart go honda joke?
Alwyn
If you missed the link to the obituary on the Death of Motoring click here:
The Death of Motoring and the end of Cars
I should get myself syndicated as a Horoscope writer, for, truly, I foresaw the future when I posted the link to the Slippery Slope essay! Read more
Saw it, thanks
My sister is picking up a new Wagon R next week. Are there any owners or persons with experience (perhaps in the motor trade) of the vehicle who can forewarn me of any problems that might be encountered with a new example ?
Any warnings, hints or tips would be much appreciated and can anyone please advise the cam belt change interval ?
Thank you. Read more
I may be in a minority here, but I think it's better looking than the Yaris, and it has a lot more usable space.
Can anyone explain why a vast ammount of money is spent on developing 'cleaner' diesels, and trying to get them to the same level in refinement as petrols, when this money could be spent on more eco-friendly (hatefull noun I know) such as dual fuel cars, hydrogen fuel cells?
As far as I know, Diesels are still very polluting, PM10 particles or somethink, yet these seem to being promoted as the future.
How come?
Kev Read more
>>Double Decker (---.in-addr.btopenworld.com)
>>Ronnie
CV is very well thank you; sleeping most of the way through the nights now, which is good (about 11:30 - 7ish);
I went to the UK on my own this time, although we are visiting in May which will be CV's first introduction.
Still looking to move back to the UK in the July/August time. Not sure how we'll get on, its been years. But it will be fun to try and we can always leave agian if we don't like it.
M.
Anyone know what the weathers like in the Alps in mid summer?
I want to go biking there but I don't want to be taking loads of foul weather gear. [1]
The alternative would be travel further south. Anyone got any experience of the Pyrenees? [2]
[1] Or loads of gear of any kind.
[2] Scuse spelling. Read more
Many thanks Guys.
It's decided.
Ferry to Bil-bow [1]. Biking in the Pyrenees.
That way we get the advantage of (hopefully) a full nights sleep on the ferry!
As for Scotland - yeah it is stunning. Especially in Spring. However Scotland was designed by God for sailing. He had other dryer areas in mind for two wheeled motorsport. Who am I to disagree?
[1] Must learn to spell.
Wholly agree. The TRRL (I think) said a while back that excessive speed was a factor in 4% of accidents, but it seems to receive 100% of the attention, simply because it's quantifiable.
Does anyone have experiences (good or bad) of the "we come to you" scratch/chip repair businesses?
And whose silly idea was it to paint bumpers anyway :>) Read more
Exactly, some git drove into my wife's Audi last night and messed up the bumper. Ar**hole drove off of course.
Browse
.jpg)
None - just drive into the first one. If your spedo reads 'zero' its probably accurate?!!!!