June 2003
When I pick up the 'new' 300SE next week (see other thread) I would like to do something to stop one blemish on the front bumper from becoming worse. The chrome has split on top of the bumper and started to lift in an area about 1cm across. I don't know how brittle it is but would like to slow the damage for as long as possible. My only thought is to spray through the split with WD40 to clear out any moisture and then seal with something even as simple as clear nail lacquer just to keep any more moisture from getting in. Any more technical solutions that don't break the bank but put off the eventual scabby bumper a bit longer? Read more
hello everyone,quick one for you,have got a £150 1.6orion LX on a J plate,not a bad little runner,needs a coupla of tyres.........BUT have been offered 4 alloys of a same age sierra same tyre size with almost new tyres fitted for not a lot of cash(£40)(mate is building cossie replica)....so are fwd and rwd ford rims interchangeable?
thanks all Read more
Even Capri and Cortina(III/IV/V) had different offset.
Is an Audi 14 Avant 130 bhp less expensive than the Merc 'equivalent? How do the dealer servicing costs compare? How about parts, e.g. what does new headlight on Audi and Merc cost? What is the Merc equivalent?? Read more
Thanks, guys
I'm going about this in a cackhanded way - I intend to buy an Avant. My son has Merc, and suggests a Merc.
What in your opinion would be the nearest equivalent Merc to an Avant 130 bhp, not SE?
I know about the BMW 320D and servicing, but I don't want a BMW -everyone has one and the image is not for me.
Can someone please summarise the Volvo range of cars, as the model numbers communicate very little about the size or nature of the car. Why have Volvo decided not to call their cars particular names and have just used alphanumeric characters?
In particular, I'm interested to know the Volvo equivalent of a Mondeo or Vectra in terms of size.
Thanks to one and all!
TT Read more
The S60 may be roughly the same size as a Mondeo/Vectra, but it's absolutely not marketed as a rival to them. The S60 is equipped, priced and marketed in the same territory as the Audi A4, BMW 3 series, Saab 9-3 etc.
Volvo dealers would try to steer you in the direction of an S/V40 is you were in Mondeo money, and you could probably get quite a bargain. Not sure whether I'd go for it, though.
Hiya.
Just wondering if someone can clear up some confusion regarding insurance groups.
Here are three cars - each car replaced the one before it, and their insurance groups.
1993-1997 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD SX - Group 9
1998-2001 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD SX - Group 12
2001-Present Citroen C5 2.2HDi SX - Group 10
I'm wondering why the 98-01 Xantia is such a high group compared to the bottom two? It has exactly the same 1.9TD engine as the previous model, but weighs a tad more so is actually a little bit slower. The only real difference is a different front bumper, oh, and it has stronger side impact bars and extra airbags. The rest of it is identical, and a non car person would be hard pressed to tell them apart. Despite this, it's quite a ridiculously high group for a diesel powered saloon. Even it's replacement, the faster, more powerful C5 2.2, is cheaper to insure.
What gives here? I'd like a MK2 Xantia next, but I don't know if I can justify paying Group 12 insurance for a medicore performance diesel hatch when something with GTi badge isnt going to cost much more :( Read more
The following is lifted from www.abi.org.uk/public/consumer/motor/motoins.asp and while its quite basic, it does make a few interesting points.
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How the System Works
Nearly three quarters of all money paid out in motor insurance claims goes on repairing cars. The cost of spare parts and the times taken by repairers are therefore major factors in pricing motor insurance.
The factors used to calculate group ratings are:
Damage and Parts Costs
The likely extent of damage to each car model and the cost of the parts involved in its repair. The lower these costs, the more likelihood there is of a lower group rating.
Repair Times
Longer repair times mean higher costs and the greater likelihood of a higher group rating. Different paint finishes on modern cars are an important factor. These, too, are taken into account.
New Car Values
The prices of new cars identify the higher specification models within a model range.
Body Shells
The availability of body shells (the basic frame of the car) is taken into account in group ratings because they are essential for certain accidental damage repairs.
Performance
Acceleration and top speed are important factors. Insurers know very well, from their claims statistics, that high performance cars often result in more frequent insurance claims.
Car Security
Security features fitted as standard equipment by motor manufacturers can help to reduce insurance claims costs. Such features include high security door locks, alarm/immobilisation systems, glass etching, coded audio equipment, locking devices for alloy wheels and visible VIN numbers.
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Makes you wonder how things would stand with (for example) the early MK4 VW Golfs with the screwdriver-able locks. Given how much these cost and how breakable they were, you'd imagine a post-recall car would command a cheaper premium. I suppose group ratings can only be so dynamic though. From the above quote, it does seem that a weird few months at the time the rating is assigned could give odd results.
Can anyone help?
I have a Vauxhall Astra '98 S reg 1.6LS 8 valve which I am finding somewhat sluggish!
I used to get my kicks from my Honda Fireblade which I have just sold to fund my first house - I can't afford to buy a faster car (doing the house up!) so my question is this:
Can I do anything to my Astra to improve the performance without sacrificing the reliability or should I just leave my innocent little 8 valve alone?
I am not after a massive turn of speed - just a bit more ooomph for overtaking lorries etc.
Please can anyone help!?
Cheers!
Read more
Must admit don't think I will ever buy a car with an 8 valve engine again. Last car was a 1994 1.8 Cavalier and it was very hard to red line the revs. Now have a three year old 1.8 16 valve Mondeo zetec and it is very easy to get the rev limiter to cut in. I have driven several hundred miles in a 2 year old Astra 1.4 16 valve and was quite impressed with the performance from that size engine. I even acquired my first 3 penalty points in it after over 30 years driving, for exceeding the motorway speed limit!
Just read this, interesting and probably a good thing, providing that their functions are not extended to include other law enforcement.
www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/ne...l
Jonathan Read more
Loads of power in the hands of jobsworths with limited intelligence.
No thanks.
>>
Too true, that`s what we have the police for.
Has anyone bought a car from Makro?
If so, did the purchase go through smoothly?
What about the aftersale? Read more
In case it's relevant - Makro are owned by Metro of Germany.
We had a curious incident with our Audi A4 this week - my wife went to put it in the garage after coming home from school and the engine fired and immediately cut out. It did this several times.
Then I realised that the immobiliser was playing up and tried another key. And the car started and ran.
Presumably the chip in the key has failed and I'll have to buy another key (the local locksmith has a machine that reads these chips and can do a key far more cheaply than the thieves of Audi).
But I wondered: has anybody else had a key fail like this? (My wife swears she has not dropped the key, left it sitting on a computer in electrical fields, etc). Could it be a sign of some fault developing in the immobiliser itself?
I know immobilisers or some part of the locking system in these cars did fail and I believe mine has been fixed - there are different keys for the boot and the ignition. It is a '96 1.9 TDI with abouty 140,000 on the clock.
Any tips/warnings muchly appreciated ...
Read more
Thankyou David!
I was wondering why engine hoists were becoming less common....its because you have to move the car away from the engine by dismantling rather than moving the engine away from the car!
Ian
Is it legal to park a Smart straight in rather than the normal way or is one risking a ticket? They don't stick out Read more
Technically its illegal as you don't have any relectors showing to the oncoming traffic.
A slight nudge to a door would cause no damage to the structure of the car as they are designed to flex on impact. The method to remove a door panel is to knee it very hard in the middle (it looks horrific) and this causes no damage whatsoever.
Browse
Certainly don't waste your money on those spray tins of 'chrome' paint.