I am in the fortunate position of having 2 cars due to necessity with SWMBO going in one direction and me in another.
I am doubly fortunate that one of these is a brand new Scenic with all the toys. The other is a Citroen Saxo 1.5d 1997 P Reg with 66,000 miles on the clock.

The Scenic is great to drive, comfy, quiet, great engine etc.

However, and this is the point of this thread (eventually) there is something raw and basic about the Saxo that makes it so enjoyable to drive. It is difficult to put into words but it is such an involved driving experience.

Going along the motorway at 70mph you are aware that your car doesnt have ABS like all the big boys about you and you take that into account, in a city centre you can nip into gaps and park where others can't, being 7 years old with its fair share of dents and dings you don't need to be that careful about parking scrapes etc. When overtaking you need to make sure you have time for your manoeuvre.

But then you get back into the Scenic and, apart from trying to release the non-existent handbrake, the driving experience is almost boring!

Don't get me wrong, this is not about a Scenic being a poor car, this is about the enjoyment you can get when you go back to basics.

Anyone else got similar contrast of cars? Read more

I came across this site.
100 plus tyre makers around the world and 3000 types of tyres

www.rubberstation.com/ENGLISH.htm
and click on "tire in the world" to see makers
Fancy some "Double happines" tyres?
Lots of other info on rubber.

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Mondeo II Ghia X saloon.
I have RTFM but a some unanswerd items to date.

1.The internal fuse box appears to be behind the glove compartment. How do I access it? I am guessing that the glove compartment bin is released some way. I just want to know how to access it now not to fix a problem.

2.There is a a 7inch slightly bent rod with a hook on one end that resides on a little purpose built shelf in the boot just by the O/S rear light. I cannot find any reference to its purpose.

3. I am considering updating the headlamp bulbs.
Is it a case of just prising off the three buttons that hold the cover over the grill access screws? The manual does not show this cover.
Thanks Read more

Thought I'd post my observations on the Formula One parade of Tuesday and the prospects of an F1 Grand prix in central London.

I got myself down to Regent Street to see the F1 cars on Tuesday the 6th. I arrived a good hour and a half before the advertised start time of 6.00pm. The crowds were 3 or 4 deep between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. There was no chance of getting a prime viewing spot at the barrier. Only those with strong bladders and sharp elbows could have attempted that. Moving up and down the pavement was becoming increasingly difficult. Tempers were beginning to fray and those passers-by who were just trying to get somewhere were increasingly bewildered and distressed.

I resigned myself to standing in front of a shop window in the hope I'd see some of the action. In the half hour before 6.00pm the pavement in front of me was filled with people who were increasingly agitated. Many sharp words were being exchanged. I stuck it out in the hope of seeing something of the cars. I could hear safety cars driving past and on one occasion caught a glimpse of flashing yellow lights. Great! Something interesting must have driven past because all of a sudden there was a sea of kiddies on parents shoulders and arms extended with cameras of various sorts. I could see absolutely nothing!

At this point I decided to abandon this fiasco and attempted to get out of the area. Easier said than done. After finding dead ends and police officers blocking alley ways I ended up in Hanover Square. This was a nightmare as there was a huge crowd reduced to watching events on a screen.
Fighting my through this with others trying to escape was not fun. Behaviour was deteriorating and there were elderly people and kiddies in great danger of being squashed or pushed over. I eventually escaped to the relative sanity of a busy Oxford Street.

This event should not be repeated. While it shows the huge popularity of F1 the organisers were very lucky there were not serious injuries or indeed fatalities amongst the huge crowd. Short of cordoning off a huge area military style there is no practical way crowds can be restricted and controlled adequately in an area like this. The police officer I spoke to during my escape said the police didn't plan it and he didn't like it either.

The prospect of a Formula One race being held in central London is completely bonkers. I could leave it at that but here are some reasons.

The big picture. There is hardly a day goes by when the issue of global warming isn't aired or referred to. I detect a wakening up to the seriousness of this issue. To plan for F1 cars to race through the streets of London is giving all the wrong messages. F1 needs to scale down it's activities and spending and allow the most important feature of the sport to dominate. That is; letting fantastically skilled human beings do their stuff in racing cars in front of an informed and appreciative audience at a dedicated race track with state of the art safety features.

At a local level the cost of staging a Grand Prix in London would be phenomenal. The TV shots of yesterday's fiasco showed the cars bouncing over drain covers, ruts and all sorts of assorted bumps. Wholesale resurfacing would have to take place. The forest of street furniture needing removed would employ more angle grinders and oxyacetylene cutters than exist. The preparation and lengthy three or four day street closures for the race itself would entail major disruption and severe dislocation. We only narrowly avoid gridlock now. From the scenes yesterday at the parade crowd control methods would have to be unacceptably draconian. If the route outlined in today's Evening Standard were to be used the cars could easily be reaching speeds of 180mph. The danger to spectators doesn't bear thinking about. And where are they going to build the pits? And where are they going to put the toilets? And how do get about if public transport is suspended and re-routed? And who compensates the business who lose out financially? And so on .....

Some of those in favour of a London F1 race refer to Monaco as a precedent for a street race. This just plain does not follow. Many informed commentators concur that at one level the race round the streets of Monaco is a bizarre anachronism. It's only happens because of the momentum of history and the money. The population profile of central London and Monaco differ markedly. London is a workaday place for many people whereas Monaco by and large hosts the leisure class.

No, I think influential people, and that includes F1 fans, need to speak up and say stop this nonsense before too many powerful economic interests get a whiff of the lolly and get us into a ridiculous situation.

No F1 in London. Put the money into Silverstone.

Douglas

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I have dameged the back of my car and I tried to claim insurance to repair it, but they decided it was beyound economical repair.

So then sent me the cheque of £400, my car is 10 years old and apart from the dent at the back there is nothing wrong with it. Although they gave me £400, I can't afford to buy the new car at the moment.

Is it possible to cancel the claim and keep using my car? Read more