October 2004
I've just been down to the main dealer (won't mention the brand) to pick up an oil filter. Got there just before they were closing, and as I came out from the parts desk, four employees came out from the workshop and drove four cars from the car park into the workshop for the night.
They wheel-span two of them.
This is the main dealer, and this is how they look after their customers' cars. (They weren't their own courtesy cars, one had a private plate for example.)
I also suspect it's quite commonplace for them to take faster cars for a, shall we say, rather enthusiastic road test. (I know it's happened to mine.)
I think there are quite a few people in the motor trade in this Back Room. Can anyone comment on what goes on?
-Mark
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Hi,
Can someone please confirm which manufacturer did the 105bhp turbo-diesel engine as fitted to 1997-ish vintage Rover 200/400 models?
Is it any good? Things to watch for?
Cheers. Read more
It may well be Rover's engine now - but in the past they were shipped in from Land Rover to the Rover production line..
I know, I've been there..
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
did you see fifth gear last night
what planet was he on, saying there worth upto ten grand was it?
i had two, and they were great , no probs at all, then somebody invented the hot hatch then that was it
they died,
replaced by something that actually handled and ran on unleaded.
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The Capri is still talked about some 35 years after introduction and 18 years after it's demise so it's stood the test of time to become a Modern classic. It's value can only go one way so the prices quoted previously could be achieved. (but not yet I fancy)
with all the modern aids that cars have these days, its a wonder there are any left
can you imagine, goin thru james herriot country in the middle of the night in a ford pop or an austin vanguard, or something like that, cross plies, bad lights 3 gears, 8 ft of snow drifts,
no heater to speak of.
with all the modern aides that even superminis have and we still get a bit scared on the woodhead or snake pass, can you imagine what it must have been like all those years ago?????
frightening isnt it Read more
Right about A30/A35's. Winters in them days seemed harder than now (oh ar when I were a lad etc). didn't even bother with heaters or cissy things like that.
I never cared a fig for the weather in that A35 (YKL 87). It would go through anything, perhaps with a push from the pax as required. Ditchling Beacon with a foot of snow on it was negotiated with contempt more than once.
I had a lovely '51 LHD Chevrolet Fleetline 6 cyl 216 cu in. with 6 volt electrics. Left it in the snow for 3 weeks in that winter of '63 outside the house. Finally went to start it with only small hopes of success - it fired on the 2nd or 3rd shove of the button.
A 1959 Mini 850 pickup with of course FWD made mincemeat of those winter '63 blizzards. We never thought twice about it as carefree college students. I used to ride 20 miles a day to college on the ice on a Triumph Tiger Cub. Kept falling off but how else could I get there? The train fare was 4/4d return, that was almost 4 pints of beer, begad.
Now I suppose some EU directive means you mustn't venture from your house if snow falls beyond the statutory 0.3 cm without 4WD, food for at least 3 days, space blankets (EU certified only) for all occupants, telling your local police where you are going, no snow chains please they may damage the road surface and no shovels either unless you are certified medically fit to handle one by a registered EU doctor.
On the M11. Flashed for 73 in a 50. NIP recd. Court date. Read more
"Court date" sounds ominous.
Car> 1998-S-Reg, Omega 3ltr V6 Elite Estate.
Right, the Sat-Nav keeps turning itself on and off. Sometimes the disc will start spinning (hear the noise) and sometimes the screen will light up, then turn itself off again. The problem is, the switch doesn't seem to work anymore, and with it coming on and off, the battery has gone flat a few times when left for a few days.
I've ordered a new switch for it. But just wondered if it could be anything else? It's a Philips Car-In system. Screen next to radio (built in), and CD-Player located on-top of the transmission tunnel in the rear. The switch itself is next to the handbrake.
Any ideas?
Cheers Read more
My car is starting to give me an inferiority complex. From day one, I found people behind were flashing their lights at me - not every driver, maybe one or two each evening, but enough to start me wondering what's wrong with my car. Its always people from behind, never in front or to the side.
Constantly checking my car to make sure its all OK, lights work fine, my driving is pretty good, so just don?t understand what it is. However, last night I think I worked it out??
Hubbie and I were driving home from the shops. Car behind started flashing at me, I ignored it and continued to somewhere safe to stop to check if my car was OK. One mile later they gave me a toot on their horn, not a "you idiot" toot, more of a "hiya" toot.
Anyway, got to next junction to find they pulled up alongside me - a beaten up wreck with 4 young lads wearing baseball caps inside, radio blaring out and tinted windows. They seemed to have an obsession with my car.
Got home, checked my car and then discovered that from outside my car looked just like theirs, black inside and out makes it looks like I have dark tinted windows ..... combined with the standard rear spoiler and Lexus style rear lights it look just like a young lads car.
If only they knew I was much older, married and had a boot full of groceries?..
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One subject can guarantee that the generally high standard of debate in the Backroom will degenerate: namely Motorcycles!
Surely few will dispute that motorbikes are exhilarating, have fantastic performance, great manoeuvrability and are relatively economical.
On the debit side few will dispute they are extremely dangerous for the rider - albeit sometimes this is attributable to car drivers - and some are ridden recklessly in traffic.
I wonder therefore why the mildest criticism of bikes or bikers brings forth such a passionate, and often irrational, defence.
Could it be that, for many of us, motorbikes represent our first love affair with the internal combustion engine and nothing must be allowed to besmirch that memory?
Cue Growler - to raise the standard of debate!
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So let us assume it is a good idea to try and stop people killing themselves on motorcycles by excessive speeding; and lots do - look at the statistics for motorbike accidents with no other vehicle involved. Who do we aim it at?
Well for a start it ain't the 60+ Harley riding individual. It isn't even the 'born again' biker; it is predominantly those under 30 and particularly teenagers.
Now I, nor I suspect most people in the Backroom, are experts in how to get messages across to the target group. However we are very willing to criticise those who are paid to do so. Could that be that we look at it purely from our perspective and find it difficult to understand how the target group thinks?
However for all that does a campaign that you feel misguided insult motorcyclists? Or are we being just a teeny bit sensitive?
Thinking about buying a mazda 6, would you buy one over a honda accord and even a ford mondeo? Read more
To be honest I don't see how much can beat the tempting package offered by a Mondeo ST TDCi for £16k from a broker.
Hi,
My car is fast approaching 60k miles and therefore the end of its warranty.
I can extend the warranty to 100k miles at a cost of approx £1250
Do we think this is a good idea for a 2 year old Volvo V70 Diesal?
cheers
Durelli - son of a famous Italian tyre maker
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Maybe a good idea to speak to a friendly service manager at the Volvo dealership to see what commonly goes wrong between 60-100k. He'll probably even give you the costs to fix it while you're there. Subtract that number from £1250 and you'll know what to do.
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On the contrary, Steve.o, I'd be very interested to know what goes on!
Also, given that I bet quite a few motor trade professionals visit the HonestJohn site, it's very interesting to note how many have replied to say nothing of the sort goes on at their garage...
-Mark