March 2004
I am currently selling my V8 Discovery, which as drawn some interest. I agreed a £50 deposit which a perspective buyer, who wanted to get an AA check. He has since had a change of heart and is demanding his £50. Threatening the small claims court.
I turned away some enquiries and accommodated the inspection. Where do I stand?
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Does anyone have any information about the 2.0 HPI that was an option in the C5 range for a short while. I have been told it may have been sourced from Mitsubishi but I really am not sure of its origins. Does anyone know why it was dropped from the range, and whether or not there were any problems with it?
I know that at the time it was discontinued, this model was very heavily discounted, even when taking to account the big discounts on C5s already. I have been to see an example of it at a local car supermarket and it looks super. However, when it was ticking over after being started from cold, I thought it was a diesel, such was the rattle coming from it. The rattle soon disappeared and it then sounded like a ordinary, modern petrol engine, but it is worrying me somewhat. Does the high pressure injection cause the rattle when the engine is cold, or does the engine have very high compression? The local Citroen dealer can't help me out on that one.
It was very nice to drive and feels much lighter than our 2.2 HDI.
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Sorry for the confusion, I didn't realise you were referring to the 2.2 HDI. What kind of power increases can be achieved with that engine? What would it cost approximately?
afternoon all,
Appologies if this query has been "done to death before", but my friend (aged 43) has just passed his driving test (monday) first time, after just 4 months of "learning". In the "local" last night he told me proudly that he had just got a car, would i like to come around today and see it. so i did. He has bought a "hyundia sonata 3.0", off his friend at work, without even inspecting it,(his friend drove it to work-did paperwork in lunch break- he drove it home), don't ask about ins, i didn't!.
As he is first to admit he knows nowt about cars, after a brief inspection, i think he has got away luckily with a decent buy. But i can't help wondering if it's too much too soon for him,(1.odd dual controlled micra - sonata 3.0, in 4 days?).
billy Read more
patently,
i think you may be right, i think the excitement of actually owning a car, had overtaken the practabilities of car ownership. i think he may very well get a shock when he comes to insuring it, as long as he can get a "quote" though, the cost will not be a barrier in his case.
on the legislation points, your first reason is already happening in reality, re- exhaust emmissions etc,manufacturers have to develop thier engines around gov limitations, and therefore engines and performance may be distorted to a certain degree as we speak.
your second point, i totally agree, i don't relish a 1.0 ltr micra either, which is where the limit would probably be set, on the pretence of environmental protection.
billy.
I currently run a Seat Leon Cupra, and very nice it is too (recommend one to anyone). I have an 80 mile round trip, 4 days per week, plus social stuff, to give context. Recently, I have been finding myself increasingly lusting after Porsche 911's, particularly a silver 964-shape Carrera 2 (be about a 1994). Having looked around, I find I can get one for about £20k, surprisingly do-able. Am I insane to consider one of these as daily transport? I know reliability is good, and they don't live up to their rep of spitting you off at the first corner, but will I live to regret this? Anyone been there and done it?
Advice welcomed!!
Cheers,
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
Seat Leon Cupra
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner. Read more
Not sure about your mantra, Bazza. Porsche could be a way to live a short life.
Hi everyone
How need your help!!!
Just received my new 2004 storm silver Honda Jazz. The car came with only one remote key fob and one normal key. The dealer told me this was standard on the 2004 model. I looked in the 2004 cat. and it say the se sport( my model) comes with 2 transmitters.
The major problem is the the drivers door is slightly out of alignment, I did the £1 coin test, it gets stuck half way down. Did the same for the passender side door, this is fine. I opened up all four doors and looked inside there seems to be weld marks and touch up paint on all the doors. Is this a cut and shut?
I compared it with my friends honda civic, it seems to be prefect. No welds or touch up paint.
Bought this from a main dealer in manchester I live in east london. My email is shamlohi@yahoo.co.uk Can Jazz owners or people who have dealt with this this type of problem contact me
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I've now done 1000 miles and it's still a bit sluggish. As for fuel consumption....I think it's round the 40mpg area. Might have a word with my friendly dealer about the gears I think.
--
Fill what's empty, empty what's full and scratch where it itches!
MPG or GPM ?
:-)
www.maybach.ru/en/news_391.html Read more
talking of silly engines, I remember being in awe of a Norton Commando with a Hillman Imp engine about 25 years ago at a bike show.
Apparently, according to the EU, there are still bargains to be had if you are prepared to travel.
\"European motorists willing to travel to other EU states to buy a car cheaper than at home can still get \"spectacular\" bargains, although price differences are narrowing, the European Commission said Tuesday.
Presenting a new survey of car prices EU-wide, the commission also forecast that car prices will lower significantly from October 2005, when a new EU law lets dealers with cheaper vehicles to offer set up in more expensive countries.
\"I am pleased to notice that price convergence for cars has made a step forward in the EU,\" said EU competition commissioner Mario Monti.
\"With this, I do not mean that prices are the same .. European consumers still can make good deals when buying abroad but I see clearly signs of more integrated markets especially in the euro area,\" he added.
The cheapest countries in the EU to buy a car are Greece, Finland and Denmark, while Germany and Austria are the most expensive, according to the study which compares pre-tax prices for 91 best-selling models.
The \"most spectacular\" example of potential savings a German motorist buying a VW Passat in Greece, who would save a total of 5,700 euros on the deal, said commission spokesman Tilman Lueder.
That represents a price difference of 39 percent. But differentials in excess of 20 percent between highest- and lowest prices are also available on Fiat Puntos, Peugeot 206s, VW Golfs Ford Focuses and Ford Mondeos.
Certain brands -- notably at the luxury end of the market -- actively limit price differences for their cars across the EU, it noted, citing Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Seat.
You can read the full article here.
www.eubusiness.com/afp/040302123021.hl724nx7
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Anyone *really* want to order a right hand drive, UK spec Fiat from a Greek dealer? - Be worth a few rants and raves on here I bet! (No offence to our Greek and Italian contributers)
Hi techies - been looking at the diesel powered Mazda MPV. I understand this has a cam chain rather than a belt. Other than this being, hopefully, more robust are there any major negative cost implications with such a set up (e.g cost of replacement etc.)?
Also, do diesels require catalytic converters?
Thanks in anticipation from a grateful technophobe :) Read more
Thanks Dude, Richard and Dieselhead - very interesting if slightly confusing. Interestingly I've just noticed that the technical brochure I was given is dated Mar 2003 and refers to the 2.3l MZR petrol & 2.0l MZR-CD engines. I don't know if these are the engies you refer to but IIRC correctly HJ's CBC breakdown referred to a revamp for 2004 models so I'll need to check whether the engines have been changed at all.
Why can't these manufacturers just stop fiddling with things? :)
Going to test drive a 2.0l diesel Hyundai Trajet this morning so it'll be interesting to see how it compares with the Mazda and whether it is cam belt or chain.
Is it just me or are there none around? Has the Mazda 6 taken all the sales? Read more
I think it is very attractive, and so do
a number of reviewers of the car.
So does Mrs ND, but then she married me so I can't draw any conclusions on good taste on her part.
I was involved in in an RTA back in December that triggered the passenger airbag on my 03 reg Mondeo. The bodywork damage was quickly repaired, but I am still waiting for relacement airbag. At first I was told it was 5 to 10 working days to get the bits from Ford. 6 weeks later I am told there are no bits in Europe. Has anyone else had similar problems, or is it just me?
Any thoughts on how to speedup the process would be welcome.
JW Edinburgh Read more
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If he is insistent on going the small claims court route then I would say that I was doing the same for the full price of the vehicle. Shops occasionally do this, although the publicity isn't very good.