May 2003
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3049215...m
Londoners can report cars without valid tax discs by using a new hotline.
The city is being used to pilot a new enforcement line which will be available nationwide over the coming months.
There are currently about 187,000 unlicensed cars on London\'s streets - worth more than £21m in lost revenue.
Many are involved in crime and they are often uninsured.
The government estimates the national cost of uninsured driving is £500m - or up to £30 to the legitimate car owner\'s annual insurance premium.
\'Bout time.
But how do they find out who they are, if owbership changes haven\'t been reported?
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I am currently working in Spain and will be here for about another year. I remember that there used to be a scheme (set up initially for military people posted abroad) which enabled you to reclaim the VAT on a UK registered car which was taken abroad for over 6 months.
Does anyone know whether the scheme still operates and if so, what pitfalls I could face.
I plan to buy something where the VAT saving (if any) would definitely be worthwhile.
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You can find loads of information and pdf booklets on the Customs & Excise site at www.hmce.gov.uk
My aunt is looking to buy a Mondeo or post 95 Escort within a maximum budget of £1500.
I found this on Autotrader but it seems very cheap so I wondering what regulars think. Worth a look?
makeashorterlink.com/?V2A5629A4
Blue Read more
Oh, forgot to say, the Mondeo I was asking about has apparently been in the Autotrader for at least a week and a half.
At that price it would've gone quickly if it was in good condition...
Blue
In case anyone did not see it in the Sunday Times car clinic this weekend, a source for old and obscure servicing manuals was printed. The name is Peter Russek Publications (01494 440829) (www.russek-manuals.com). Thanks to their help I was able to obtain details of a DIY manual for a 1997 Mitsubishi Carisma. For those interested the Mitsubishi Part No. is CL000054. Cost ~ £17.00.
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If a '97 Carisma is already considered old and obscure, I dread to think what that makes me!
Just read an interesting article on euro and american markets for diesels.
www.engineeringtalk.com/news/rca/rca117.html
About time?. Read more
I have just got back from a Govt/Auto Industry meeting in the US where this subject came up many times. On top of the perception of diesels being smelly, smoky and noisy, analysts predict that petrol will cost only $1.75 a gallon by 2012. At these prices there is no motivation I can see for the US driver to change the habits of a lifetime.
(Off topic - A scary statistic presented at the meeting was that on average each GM/Ford/Chrysler vehicle has costs of $1200 relating to pensions & healthcare...)
(Figures from Center for Automotive Research)
Just getting the early signs of wet grip problems as my Michelins hit 3mm or a bit less.
Been offered a very cheap set of Goodyear Venturas in the 185/65x14HR size I need. Now I know a lot about the Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Continental, Hankook and Kuhmo options...but very little about these Goodyears.
Opinion on the 'net in general seems good... and actually very very good in the wet.
Any experiences here?
Thanks.
MM Read more
In 185/60 R14 H on the mk2, they're marvellous. Infinitely better than the scary Matadors and slippery Kumhos I started with. Steering feel a joy with them on the front (compared with the woolly P6000 'powergy' now on the rears).
Wet grip fantastic. Passenger threatens to be sick long before dry grip threshold.
Relatively low contact area seems to make steering feel lighter -very useful without PAS. £37 quid each, too.
Im replacing the cam belt on my citroen saxo vts and the manual say that to correctly tension the belt you require a special citroen tool to read the tension. Has anyone else either changed the belt on a saxo vts or know where I can get hold of such a tool as citroens were not very helpful! Read more
Can we assume that Honest John doesn't know what he is
on about then?
For HJ reckons: -
Factors which can shorten the life of a cambelt are: incorrect
fitting, too much tension, too little tension
What makes you say that? Those factors that HJ mentions can indeed shorten a cambelts life. Too slack and on cold start up the belt will chatter, and if the belt is old, it could very well tear up. Similarly if it's too tight, the belt is under undue stress and can snap.
And why have you brought a 3 yr old post from out of the woodwork with your first post?
I'm sure this topic appears in other threads, but was brought to mind when reading the recent 'which diesel fuel' thread.
This is a tale starting 10 years ago, so things may well be different/better now, but it?s absolutely true and with no exaggeration:
I had an Uno Turbo which over time developed a misfire. It was just about tolerable (to me, but maybe not to many people), but still not cured, when fitted with the expensive 3-prong sparkplugs this model was supposed to have. My next car was a Citroen AX, and curiously, that developed a pretty identical misfire. If you changed the plugs, it'd be ok for a week or so and then the problem would creep back. I ended up having it tested on a rolling-road setup. The testers did reproduce the misfire, but said they could find nothing actually faulty with the car; but had noticed a bit of a green glaze on the plugs, and they asked me if I used supermarket petrol, as they'd seen another car with similar-looking plugs, and that one had used s'mkt petrol. As it happened, with my job/residence/routine during the entire period of owning both the Uno and the AX, I filled up every week, regular as clockwork, at the supermarket's filling station immediately after doing my shopping (their petrol was cheaper, plus you got extra points on the s'mkt loyalty card). In fact, I realised that unless circumstances dictated that I had to fill up away from my home town, these two different cars had both been run exclusively on that s'market's petrol! I put new plugs in again, and then for some months only filled up at 'name brand? petrol stations - and the misfire never recurred.
I'm sure it's fine to use from time to time, but since then I would no longer use supermarket fuel ALL the time. In any case, the price advantage seems much lower nowadays than it used to be.
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As Vin has said, there only seems to be anecdotal evidence. Some people swear by Shell, but I can't say I've ever noticed any significant and 'can't-possibly-be-attributed-to-any-other-factor' improvements in economy or performance with any particular brand - excepting the misfires noted at the top of this thread.
Shell came out with some 'special' petrol I forget the name of in the early 80's which later appeared to be damaging Vauxhall engines - allegedly. IIRC they had adverts in mags showing how it had been developed on a Vauxhall engine with a quartz window in it! So no brand may be immune to getting it wrong sometimes (fouling up?!).
One philosophy is "At least if I mix many brands into the slosh, I may be less at risk from the effects of any naughty ones."
Another is "Use Brand X exclusively - I'll be able to sue them if I can prove it's their fuel that's done the damage".
Take your pick!
I see our masters are to bring in a new fining system for VEL dodgers.
If you don't re-tax your motor withing two weeks of VEL expiry, an £80 (proposed) fine notice will arrive.
Sounds OK on the face of it, but I can see lots of potential for injustice on the law-abiding, and possibly even more with regard to the dodgers. Read more
>> >> I think you can only tax a car a
max. of 5 days before
>> >> the old one expires (is that right?).
>>
>> It is actually 14 days.
Unless it's near budget time, and in which case the DVLA
delay sending out reminders in case the car tax is increased.
You don't need a reminder to renew your car tax.
You can apply using a V10 form and, of course, your vehicle V5.
My better half has just acquired a Corsa 1.4, leaving her with an ageing L reg Fiesta 1.1LX to dispose of.
It went in the local paper yesterday with a price tag of £500 (rust is getting the better of it). Within two hours of getting home, two phone calls came our way, with two more today. One woman came to see it in the pouring rain with a 'man who knows'.
He poked around for a while - but didn't bother checking things like oil and water. Didn't even check any documents! She said she didn't want a test drive and was happy with the way it looked (!).
Result? Offered £430, settled on £450.
Is this the easiest private sale ever?
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Bought my wife an engagement ring in 1985 for £1000. Took it to the next shop about 50 yards away and offered it for sale. £300 was the offer. Yesterday took it to be mended as a "diamond" had fallen out. (there are lots of them don't you know) Quote for repair---£1000. Well, what do you know?
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I do hope this new craze of Mogging (is it something to do with cats) does not spread.
On a more serious note, this is another laughable scheme.
The reason that most of the untaxed cars are left lying around in our area is that they are unwanted mot failures with no value and will cost money to take away and dispose of.
The difference will be that cars worth a few quid will be picked up and sold on, while the ones worth nothing will be left to fester by the side of the road.
I may have recounted in the past that a neighbour where I grew up went ten years without having a tax disc, despite being pulled over by plod and despite my father telling the police/local council/dvla, all of whom passed the buck and were not interested