November 2004
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3983175.stm
I wonder if it mentions that bridge just south of the Keele turn off which has had a home made looking barbed wire fence in the middle of it since as I was a child. I imagine it's some simmering row between two farmers - anyone know the reality? Read more
I bought a Vectra 2.0DI [r reg] in July 03 after my Astra had a rear end bump and I decided to take it off the road .Now , the Vectra has all ways had a rear end knock especially rear drivers side , and I had thought the back end had dropped an inch or so. Anyway I asked the local garage about the problem and they said there was nothing wrong and it always passes it's MOT.Since reading an earlier post a few days ago regarding knocking and Dynamic Dave giving some excelent links on the void bush problem, I am beginning to think this could be the problem.How would I know ?. I had noticed if I drive over a bump the back end seems to rock from side to side slightly .I've been to the local accessory shop today to price the bushes and ask about the tool required to do the job . But, I'm thinking it could be suspension or something else. To avoid wasting money , how can I check whether there is something else wrong and not the void bushes? Read more
Thanks for your help
No probs. Let us know how you get on.
Effective end of 2005 season: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/world_rally/39...m
So, just as Ford stakes its competition heartland on rallying, and forgoes F1, the most effective competitors are withdrawing! I'd like to think that Ford frightened them away, but joking aside, half the spectacle of the sport has probably just disappeared.
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Close! Group B. Group A was the showroomish stuff ( Group N ) as its now known.
Fullchat
Hello all,
I need to lease a new car at the moment and was going to go for the Saab 93 Linear 1.9 dti (150) over two years. However, there is an offer of the Renault Scenic 1.5 dci Dynamique over one year at the moment and it's thrown me somewhat. As you are all car buffs you can understand the Saab is a much better car but is it worth spending an extra £110.00 a month on? I can just afford the Saab.
As far as the lease terms go I would have to pay three months 1st payment for each contract. eg: Renault 3 + 11 & Saab 3 + 23. In other words in 12 months time I'll have to pay another 3 months to start a new contract.
I do like the Saab for a feel good image (ok, call me a snob) but the Renault is packed with goodies though I am concerned about it being a gutless wonder.
Married with a 2 yr old ankle biter.
Any help appreciated.
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Go for the Scenic. Why? As you say, it is a 12 month deal. This time next year you will have:
a) saved over a grand
b) found out for yourself the answer to this question
If you change cars then, at least you will have eliminated doubt and compensated yourself by the savings made.
From where I live, I look out over a fairly long stretch of dual carriageway which is currently being resurfaced. Consequently there is a contraflow operating - single lane in each direction. On several occassions I have noticed ERVs (from all three services - but not all at the same time) negotiating the contraflow with traffic in front of them and the "blues and twos" going. What do they expect those vehicles in front of them to do? All the laybys are coned off. There is no hard shoulder. i.e. you can't get out of their way. Are they trying to get you to speed up to hurry their progress throught the contraflow, breaking the temporary speed limit in the process - and would this be a valid defence in the event of getting "done"? Any ERV drivers on the forum with an explanation? Read more
Emergency response vehicle.
Imagine if someone hit them or they hit someone else, on a job, with no blues and twos on.
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Adam
Dear Honest John & readers,
Does anyone have any experience of the Jazz fitted with the CVT gearbox? I am interested to know your opinions of it in general use, in particular is top gear (when in manual mode) useful on the motorway to help cruise at low revs? According to the specifications I've seen, top gear of the manual gives 19.9 mph per 1000rpm, meaning the engine doing 3500rpm approx for 70mph. The CVT's 7th gear is supposed to give 25mph per 1000rpm.
Does anyone have any regrets about the CVT transmission? Is it worth the £900 additional cost?
I have tested a Jazz with the manual gearbox and found it precise and pleasent to use, and I'm now seriously considering buying a Jazz but just wonder if I'll be missing anything by opting for the manual transmission rather than the CVT.
Any opinions on which will be easier to sell on in 3yrs time?
Thanks Read more
If my experience of 61k miles in a manual box Jazz is anythng to go by, you won't regret it.
I cannot think of another car that is so versatile, cheap to run (averaged in excess of 50mpg and got records to prove it), is comfortable enough to do 400 miles in a day (and mine is one of the early jittery suspension models) and capable of carrying 2 full size filing cabinets with space to spare.
The "Magic Seats" are...... well........ erm magic!
Only one fault in 2.5 years and 61K miles was an air con sensor behind the dash -fixed under warranty.
I hate the Dealer though and caught them out trying to get away without servicing the car but trying to charge me.
Hello,
I have to drive from Stranraer to Sheffield to get my new car tomorrow. As far as I know my best route is to go to Dunfries, Carlisle and then at Penrith take the A66 towards Darlington and then South on the A1/M1.
Is there a better way though (perhaps the A65?) and is there anything on this journey I should be aware of such as bad traffic?
I'm from Northern Ireland so not familar with driving in England at all.
Also, any recommendations for good food in or around Rotherham at lunctime and later the Stranraer area in the evening would be nice! ;) Read more
OK thanks for all the advice!
I got off the boat at about 940am on Friday and drove towards Dumfries/Carlisle still not sure which route I would take!
I then decided to avoid the first option (Scotch Corner?) and headed down the M6. The motorways over there are much better than ours in Northern Ireland (we only have 2 lanes), although the volume of lorries is MUCH higher there too. Anyway I decided to stick to the M6 to Preston then across the M62 (I think?) to Leeds and south on the M1. Including 2 toilet breaks the journey there took about 4.5 hours. Didn't go over 80mph at all in my 206 1.6. No major queues or hold-ups.
Stopped in Rotherham for about an hour then made my way back in my new Mondeo Ghia 2.0 Petrol, took about the same time despite a few queues on the M62 towards Manchester on the way back. Arrived in Stranraer at about 9pm.
A very enjoyable drive though and I wish I had an excuse to do something like that more often. In hindsight I perhaps wish I had taken the A66 or A69 for a more scenic route on the way down. It was dark on the way back anyway.
Cheddar and RF's postings in the Car Performance Data Base thread got me thinking about normally-aspirated petrol engines in production cars:
20 years ago, 55 BHP per litre was a rule of thumb for your average car, and about 65-68 bhp/litre for the 'sports' models - e.g. 130 bhp from the 2.0 Cavalier Sri130 and 2.0 Fiat Strada Abarth, and 110bhp from the 1.6 Peugeot 205 Gti and original 1.6 Golf GTi.
Then around 1987 came the Astra GTE 16v and power outputs for 2.0 litres went up to about 150-160 bhp. And they've not moved such a great deal since, until the fairly recent proliferation of variable valve timing has given us 190 to 200, or 240 in the Honda S2000. (In fact didn't the first Civic VTEC get towards 160 bhp from 1.6 litres?)
However, whilst better breathing/higher revs has allowed power outputs to rise by 30 % or more since 1987, maximum torque output for a 2.0 litre appears to have barely changed from about 155 lb ft. That's in 16 or so years.
For production cars, without resorting to a turbo, has the torque ceiling been reached ?
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All this talk about valves and you are missing the relevence of cam profiles and duration. Cams can be produced in high lift for power at top end or long duration for torque. Valve overlap is also critical because of the scavenging effect of the exhaust pulling the inlet charge into the cylinder.
Exhaust maniflod design will also play a part in this. A 4 into 1 manifold will good top end power and a 4 into 2 into 1 will be better for midrange torque which is more relevent for road going cars. What I'm saying is that a number of factors have to be considered to produce a powerful engine.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
I've been given some Citroen AX alloys from a friend who used to have a GT model.
Can I fit them on my standard AX?
The new wheels are 155R14 and the ones on my car are 155R13
I'm not sure what this means?
Citroen have this odd suspension so I think if the wheels are bigger it may not fit on the hub.
Can anyone help?
Thankyou
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Blimey that was quick. Do you get a text message when a dodgy word is used? :-)
Are you implying I don't have a life? Well....you'd be right. In my defence - this is a week off Uni to catch up with some work. Just so happens - I work at my desk and the BR is a distraction. So looking at it this way, I think it's your fault if I don't get my first...;-)
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Adam
Hi, I am a new driver and I'm just wondering .... can I earn NCD as an additional driver?
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When we insured a 2nd car a few years ago, Direct Line would not give us any discount on it as the group was too high.I was looking at paying the full price for one car.
I contacted Peter Goord (01752 361888) and the took on both vehicles. I got a 2nd car discount, equivilent to the full ncd I had with the first with NIG on the second car, who also insured the first as well, but this made no difference.
So, if you're living at home, and are thinking of getting a car, then this may be an option, depending on your age of course.
Hugo
Browse
I have recently traveled under the very same bridge and wondered about the barbed wire.