May 2003
I have had varying quotes for my insurance, ranging from around £260 to nearly £500. The ‘obvious’ thing to do would be to go for the cheapest, but could this be a mistake?
What should I look for in a quality insurance service??
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With reference to my post about my coolant pipe Aprilia said about trying to source it from overseas as I may be able to source it fairly quickly.
Does anyone know any Mercedes dealers in mainland europe that speak english or spanish.
I am fairly fluent in spanish and can just about manage english.
Any phone numbers etc. would be most appreciated.
Thanks is advance Read more
Have you tried the MB web site? Do they not list dealers?
Most peoples fears when it comes to chipping your pride and joy is the longevity question.
So, does anyone out there in HJland personally (not talking about a friend of a cousin twice removed blah) have a car that has been chipped early in its life and has done over 100,000 miles without any grief? If so give us the gen, which company, how much, effect on insurance, warranty issues...blah, blah.
Many thanks,
Regards,
Alf
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Rover 400 sdi 22k at chipping 120k when I sold it no problems - good for 125mhp 128bhp change out oil at half the service intervals
mine was mostly motor way driving and at MOT time came in at under 155gpm
had another car chipped by these people still going strong:-
www.motorsport-developments.co.uk/
K2
I have purchased some alloy wheels but they dont come with locking nuts? Are locking nuts just locking nuts or are there diffrent types? Where can i get these and how much should i expect to pay?
Does anyone know what the best alloy wheel cleaner is? I have heard of this new Wheel Wax which is about £16.99, Anygood? Read more
On the subject of locking wheel nuts, they may be worth pursuing for the purposes of satisfying your insurer. As a theft deterrent they're all but useless; a little brute force is all that's needed to remove them, and they certainly won't stop any determined thief who takes a shine to your alloys.
As for cleaning, I'd use acidic products sparingly even on fully lacquered surfaces. Creating a water-repellent layer on the surface, using the same polishes I use for the bodywork, seems to work well at stopping brake dust and general grime from becoming embedded.
Anyone have any opinions on any good car accessories it is worth purchasing? Read more
Someone has suggested that my tappets in my Ford Orion need replacing? Is this an expensive process if taken into a garage? Read more
get engine red hot then add a good engine flush, read
instructions on bottle, should do the trick
Err...that's if you're going to change the oil immediately after this!
does any-body know???
If I purchased a nearly-new DIESEL / MANUAL car (approx 1-2 years old) would it be easy / is it possible to have it changed to an automatic.?
I have been trying to locate another Diesel / Auto car and its like trying to find pink furry dice.....
Have got an Omega TURBO DIESEL AUTO but she finds it too big & heavy to drive so will be forced into selling, although I like the car, but my opinions DONT count!
will be looking for a diesel / manual probably around the size of a mondeo or laguna maybe even one of those skoda octavia\'s and hope I can have it changed to a AUTO.
Your comments much appreciated.....
Cheers
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If I purchased a nearly-new DIESEL / MANUAL car (approx 1-2 years old) would it be easy / is it possible to have it changed to an automatic?
It will be a *very* expensive job to do yourself, and much more so if you pay someone else to do it.
Apart from the obvious things like gearbox and gear-lever, the gaer-lever console may well need changing, as might the propshaft, differential, ECU, engine/gearbox wiring loom and speedometer drive/sensor. The pedal box and flywheel will almost certainly need changing. Other things like the front end of the exhaust system may also be different.
Five or six years ago I converted my Triumph 2500 from auto to manual+overdrive. This didn't cost a lot as I already had most of the parts but it was far from easy.
As has been said, best bet is to wait for the right car to come along and hope that, in the meantime, the Omega auto becomes acceptable. It's a lovely car and should appear to become smaller and lighter as time passes and familiarity increases!
My Ford Orion 1.6LX handbook suggests that no advantage will be gained from using a higher octance fuel like Optimax?
I have read that no advantage will be gained becausse the engine managment system is not set up for this type of fuel?
Is this true? Is it worth me using optimax instead of normal unleaded and what benefits will i see?
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My car has ECU-controlled IGNITION timing and a cat. Japan's super unleaded is (I think) at least 100RON (maybe more?) and so fresh Jap imports (like mine) that require super unleaded need to be de-tuned for the local petrol. On my car all you had to do was reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery. Once reconnected the ECU will use a pre-set advance and adjust it until the knock sensors don't pick anything up.
Having a cat convertor makes no difference, but with one you have to make sure the timing is correct (for that grade of petrol) or you might get unburnt petrol / hotter exhaust gases which will screw the cat up.
I have just purchased a K reg Ford Orion 1.6LX in great condition and have put it through a full service.
I have purchased a spoiler that i need to fit and some 15\" 6 spoke alloys.
Can anyone suggest what else i can do to impove the look and mechanics of the car, with limited knowledge and finance?
Thinking of getting the engine bay steam cleaned and putting some redex fuel treatment in to clean some of the gum and carbon deposits in the system.
Would appreciate any ideas?
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Nixontim -
So, to maintain the same rolling radius, you checked what lower profile tyres you need?
Presumably, your insurance company did not increase your premium TOO much.
On Sunday two teenage girls were walking on the footpath alongside the A46 Laceby By-pass which is a dual carriageway just outside Grimsby, NE Lincolnshire. Based purely on the TV coverage it is alledged that there were two cars travelling at speed along the dual carriageway when one crossed the central reservation (no Armco) mounted the opposite verge and collided with the two girls killing them both . The driver ran off but was soon apprehended. He is now remanded in custody on charges of Death by Reckless, Disq Driving, Driving Over The Limit and no insurance. The driver of the other vehicle is on bail.
I DO NOT WISH TO GENERATE DISCUSSION ON THIS PARTICULAR CASE AS IT IS NOW SUB JUDICE.
Then on the news tonight I see that a male was convicted of the murder of two Police Officers on the A42 last Summer when having been pursued for some time deliberately drove into the back of their vehicle. The TI helicopter footage made my flesh creep.
However why is it that we so often we hear of similar tragedies and regularly the offenders are in a similar position i.e. drink/drugged and already disqualified. Where are we going wrong? How can we improve our lot? Useful debate only please not just Police bashing unless its constructive!
Fullchat Read more
Very true, and your solution has been suggested by at least one high ranking police person very recently. It would certainly knock a lot of crimes on the head if carried out as well as provide a good source of revenue (some of which could actually be spent on roads).
teabelly
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Marcos,
If you've got a Merc and need any bodywork doing, you can't go past Steve Watson Coachworks in Boldon, Tyne & Wear.
Appears to do all of the local Mercedes garage repairs for them, and even gets more exotic stuff trailered up from as far afield as Manchester 'cos his is the only bodyshop that people will entrust their precious cars to.
Would highly recommend him, he was only £10 more than the Ford Main Dealers accident repair centre for my work, and this is on body repairs in the region of £850, so a very small percentage more really.
Blue