It always seems to happen when I am tired after a long journey. In my home village we are pretty civil and pull over to give way to oncoming vehicles. In daylight this is acknowledged by a casual wave of the hand. No problem. BUT, at night some characters acknowledge with a full beam flash of the headlights. This can be almost painful, especially on a wet night. Pass the word around, please. Read more

Noticed the cambelt vs Chain argument,
How's this for bad luck....

A friend of has just had cambelt failure for the second time in 14 months!
The car is a L plate Escort TD.The first failure occurred when the car was stolen.Car was found abandoned at the local park & ride car park. Insurance refused to write off car, even though there was the usual egine damage after the cambelt failure. They offered £400. Other damage included, locks, steering lock etc.
As he found the parts fairly cheap (reconditioned head), car was repaired at garage.
Now 14 months down the line, car suddenly makes a clonking sound from the engine - idlse roughly. Car has covered approx 15,000 miles since the last cambelt. Unfortunatly engine not immediatly turned off - is left on for a couple of minuates.
Car will not start after this, upon inspection finds fragments of a belt in engine bay. - Finds the fan belt has shredded... tries starting the engine - will not 'catch'.
Tries push starting - same. So I tow him to the local garage (same one that carried the work out before), and we find that the alternator has seized, causing fan belt to shred.
Tries starting again - same - no joy. Upon inspection of the cambelt find that it had pulled through fragments of the fan belt, damaging the cambelt (three - four teeth ripped out).
Now facing new head again!! Mechanic is sure that the valves are bent (causing the clonking noise that occurrs when the car is atempting engine was trying to start).
My friend now wants to repair then get rid of the car! (Car was/is other wise very reliable). Car only covered about 80k. Read more

I had a phone call about my car today.

Great, I thought.

Told them all about it, what they needed to know etc, answered all questions....

Seemed very polite over the phone. I thought "Good, a chap who doesn't seem to like messing people about".

He said he would have a chat with his wife and then probably go to the bank and get the money out in case he wanted to buy it, then call me back.

Well, obviously they decided not to come - don't have a problem about that...

I just wish people would do the courtesy of calling to let me know!

I waited around most of the afternoon for his call. What do these people think we do with our time?

If I am late for a meeting or cannot make an appointment, I phone ahead to let the other party know, I'm sure most people do the same, but when it comes to looking at 2nd hand cars etiquette apparently does not apply.

I don't think it's a measure of how nice people are, I just think that people believe different rules apply with private car sales.

Re advertised it next week in the Auto Trader - see what happens shall we?


Hugo

"Forever indebted to experience of others" Read more

Two questions for you, my learned friends!
1. Friend who has knackered old TD Xantia (turbo gone + other things - in other words, repair would cost more than it is worth)wants to buy a 110hp HDi. Asked me how you tell it from a 90. I said by the intercooler piping under the bonnet. But what if you don't open the bonnet? I suggested that only the LX models might be 90 HP and the SX, VSX would be 110HP but am I right? So, how can you tell if they are 90 or 110?
2. He also has a ZX TD which has a knackered gearbox. I suggested that maybe before scrapping the Xantia he should use the gearbox from it a bung it on the ZX - but is that possible? Both are P reg - Xantia has done over 170 K miles and not had anything spent on it (not sure he has even ever changed the oil which probably accounts for the turbo bearings going!) He would like to retain the ZX for his son to learn to drive in but doesn't really want to spend a fortune on repairing the gearbox.
Thanks in advance
PhilW Read more

My parents have just retired and have taken away my Nissan QX for a year on the basis that I have a good job :(

I am now on the look out for a Nissan 200SX after going through the C-B-C breakdowns and achieves. I can spend upto 4000 pounds and am hoping for a 97R reg car with 60000 miles on the clock. I am going to pay below trade price ONLY and I can wait for the right car with the right price. Now the questions are:

1. I cannot find anything close to the trade price in Auto-Trader. Where can I source one? Can I find a 200SX from auction? Or am I better off with private / trader?
2. Or contact a trade-buyer to source for me? Have you guys got any contact?
3. I have never buy a turbo car before. How can I check a 200SX? Would buying from auction be dangerous because I cannot check the mechanicals ot test-drive?

In fact, I find that Nissan QX are very expensive at the moment on Auto-Trader. I cannot find anything good for under 2000 pounds, which was what I paid for mine a year ago. Why are they so expensive? I thought October should be a cheap car season. Would anyone kindly advice me please?

Thank you very much.
Garrison
Read more