February 2003
I expect you've seen the TV advert for the 307. Does anyone actually think it's a 'flash motor'?
I know there is a theory that if you say something enough times people will believe you, but I'm not sure in this case!
What do you think? Read more
What is available? If you want the auto option a lot of cars only seem to have a petrol available e.g. Ford Focus.
It horrifies me the effect that some autoboxes have on fuel consumption e.g. Rover 75 1.8 Manual 36.2mpg, 1.8 Auto 30.1 - admittedly petrol but equally bad effect on the derv engine, there must be some which are much better than this.
So basically what is a good mid sized diesel auto with reasonable fuel consumption? BMW not really in price range, likewise Merc. Quite like a diesel Skoda Octavia Auto I was in as a taxi but perhaps a bit better than that? I'm thinking of either looking brand new or perhaps up to a year old (certainly worthwhile with the repmobiles from trade-sales.co.uk) but *not* a Vauxhall.
Dan J
Read more
Search high and low for a rare Xsara 2.0HDI diesel.
I calculate my 2002 2.0 front wheel drive A4 will need replacement front tyres around 25 000 miles. Nothing unusual in that. However, I checked the tread depth on the rears they look like they will need replacing at the same time. All other 2 wheel drive cars I have had gave around twice the mileage on the un-driven wheels compared to the driven ones.
Is the rear-wheel tyre wear unusual or is it typical for an A4?
Read more
Car hasn't had any servicing done. Only just reached 10K. Above are my forecasts based on wear to date
Well for all of you who remember giving feedback on the uninsured carina bashed outside my house, thanks. The insurance co. have offered £1300 for a 1994 110k Toyota Carina which I don't think is too unfair. Question is they say I can keep the car (they don't want it), the inspector said it was repairable but not at his costs. He said it needs jigging out at the back three quarter panel. He also said it would sell as it is to the mini cab trade for repair. I only want to get rid of the car now. Do I try to get a cheap repair myself and sell it or sell it as is for say £300 to £400 to someone with more dodgy repair routes than me, the car is perfect apart from this the engine, gearbox and interior must be worth £700 to a mini-cabber???
The whole thing is a bit "chicken and egg" now, the car is bashed up, has no tax/mot/insurance so getting quotes for repair is a bit tricky but at the same time I know it is worth more than scrap but if it cost me £800-900 to fix it, I might as well sell it as is for £300 and save the aggro. Advice required? Read more
This is quite typical of 3rd party claims.
My 1987 Peugeot 309 SRI with only 80,000 miles on the clock was valued at £600 pre accident and £0 salvage. I got a total of £125 for it and I kept the battery and stereo. What is the salvage value the insurers placed on your car? I suspect that they would have deducted this from the full pre accident value.
My advice to you would be to place it in your local free ads for an attractive price (say £500 to £600 depending on damage). I suspect you'll get mainly dealers coming to look at it, who will be able to bring some trade plates and their own insurance cover to take it for a spin and assess its worth to them.
If it can be driven safely, I wouldn't bother too much with the repair.
If you can park it off the road, then you have the option of breaking it. The bits are probably worth a fair bit. Alternitively, are there any Toyota specialists in your area that'll make you an offer for it?
Hugo
Hope you don't mind me starting a new thread with this Mark...
Thought occurred to me, looking at Dave taxi driver's lovely photo of the "Welcome to the borough of Congleton" sign, that we often stray into territories of the various posters on here and the odd beer here and there when that occurs would be a rather good idea. I assume that is kinda what happened with volvoman, HF and Mark (RLBS)?
I'll start if off...
Should any of you be trekking up to the plains of Cheshire I need as much persuading to go for a pint as I would to accept 20 grand tax free. So if you happen to be in this area and think you might have an hour spare than give me a shout as it'd be great to meet the people who come and post here.
I'm also often down in London as well.
Contact details are daniel_r_jeffery@hotmail.com
For anyone concerned about having their email account somewhere like this, all I can say is relax! Best thing to do is set up a "junk" account somewhere like Hotmail or Yahoo as it gives you an account you can use for anything such as this or competitions etc where you'll be forever spammed afterwards... Read more
In response to Dan's original post here -
Well, it wasn't just a 'straying into territories' that happened to me, V and M - more a case of M willing to drive all that way just to deliver a favour.
Yours is a good thought, Dan, it certainly worked well for us at the weekend. Not sure how many northerners stray south, or the other way round though. Personally any meet-ups within a 5-mile radius of where I live I can just about manage, any further and it's a big no-no!!!!!
As for having a spare hour, I think a spare afternoon/evening and night is what's required! But it sounds like there's a fair few up your way, Dan, and if there's anyone you have an affinity with here, it's certainly worth the meeting!
Good idea and good post, in the right circumstances it can be fun.
HF
Can anyone help me, I recently went to wire in a new stereo into my rover only to find that the live was not actually red but purple is this correct? Also I need to find a perminent live for the stereos memory any suggestions? Read more
I have the ISO connectors its just the one in the cars loom was chopped off before I bought the car and so I have no idea what is perminante - its the first car i've seen where the live is purple. There is also a red and a green could either of these be live?
Anyone else seen the bumps on routes through Weldon near Corby? My first experience of this type and what a nightmare.
Normally I can't get that worked up about the things but these at real cat-killers. They are perhaps a couple of metres long and a narrow width about the same or a little less than the track of many cars. Result is that your tyres hardly run over them to lift the car so the underbody etc is exposed to their full height.
The way they are situated the only option to minimise potential damage it to straddle the white line to drive betwen them. People are doing this as they approach the humps and even speeding up to make this gap before pulling to the right side of the road at the last moment.
I will be amazed if they don't cause an accident over the coming months.
MM Read more
Aaah !
so those are road cushions I bounce over every day !
They are outside a school, and there are a line of 3 abreast directly outside. 100 yards either side of the school, there are installations of two road cushions, of which one is in the middle of the road and one is in the way of drivers heading towards the school. The fairly logical aim of this is to slow down traffic as it approaches the school, but it fails.
It fails because people will actually cross over to the opposite side of the road, and pass on the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge to avoid slowing down for the speed humps. Is it me who has the wrong perspective on reality, or is it them ?
p.s. - does anybody if there is an official set of guidelines for school crossing patrols ?
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
Sounds like a lump in the tyre but had tyres checked. and all OK. Passed MOT OK and asked mechanic if he could see anything..nothing!. Seems to be related to wheel rotation speed. Slight feel of bump through steering but not much. Any ideas? Read more
Thanks to all for their help. Like most I'm convinced its a tyre problem. It will need a more careful eximination. I'll use spare and swap around untill I eliminate or not the problem. If it turns out to be something different, I'll let you know. Ta, Redser
Not a burning issue, but which did he choose. My video cut the programme just before the end. My guess would be the TVR. I'd have gone for the Boxster or the Honda myself. Read more
£30 000? Performance? Handling? .............. R500
Thinking of buying a Merc 220/270 Auto. Estate Diesel or a BMW 320d/330d Auto Touring. Used if possible.
In the motoring Telegraph on Saturday the BMW 320d was regarded as superior to the Merc 220 diesel on a number of counts.
Anyone have an opinion on which is the best auto diesel ?
Thanks for your help.
Read more
Oldsinjun,
Let us know your final decision.
Browse
Chris,
Hmm but if you can't get genuine Georgian then bottle-blonde is far better than neo-Georgian.
Toad would know but he'll be tucked up by now.
MM