December 2004
Did anyone watch it? Two questions on the big muscle car - "900bhp of Detroit muscle".
1. Could it do a quarter mile in 9 seconds? That's an average of 100mph from standing, which probably meant it needs to hit about 170mph in 9 seconds at a guess.
2. When it went for its final drag, the front wheels lifted right off the ground as though it was a motorbike doing a wheelie. Is 900bhp enough for this - given how heavy the big American brute probably was?
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Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability. Read more
On the Johnny Walker show tonight they said that the insurance co's claim that the next couple of days are worst for rta's. Funnily enough it was this time last year (17th) that I was pranged up the derriere (minor damage thankfully). So everyone take care and make sure we're still around to enjoy Christmas. Read more
must say that yesterday was a nightmare - accident on the M62 travelling into work, meant I was 15minutes late dropping my car in for a service, an accident closing a road at lunchtime when I picked my car up from the garage, and an accident on the M1 on the way home - I think that proves the stats are right!!
On the drink-drive side of things, the Police were out in Wilsmlow on Monday afternoon with a 'drink-drive checkpoint', a team of riders etc.. pulling anyone they saw fit, from what I could see. I did think I might have had trouble with my illegible rear numberplate, but no problems in the end.
Especially with ultra low profile tyres.
It is very difficult, by using the normal visual check, to spot a tyre that has started to loose pressure.
1.With more and more vehicles equipped with such tyres should remote tyre pressure monitors adopted as a standard fitment?
2.IIRC some Renaults have them but are they reliable?.
3.Are any clever enough to cope with one adjusting pressures to suit load and speed?
4.What other considerations are involved?
I was reading a fatal RTA report where a slow puncture, due to a screw, in an almost new tyre was cited as the reason for loss of control of the vehicle.
Having recently acquired a Mondeo with low profile tyres I am certainly much more conscious that a visual check leaves me uncertain so I use the pressure gauge much more often.
5. The only product I am aware of has the indicators that fit on the valves but are they worth fitting? Read more
>>>>>I suspect that the indicators that fit the valve would remain in place for about 5 minutes if you have the sort of thieving pink fluffy dice we have round here!
Absolutely! What's the point of the things?
Pressure gauge in the glovebox for the cars (once per month) and similar inside pocket of riding jacket for the bikes (especially the bikes -- handling can be drastically affected by wrong pressures) -- before every ride. Aged but reliable foot pump to hand.
Who on earth needs a fancy gadget? Pure laziness.
I often sit of an evening and browse the back room whilst supposedly working away on the lap top. But tonight it's all very slow - so where are all the BRs
Are you all down the pub/at office parties or am I missing a Top Gear Christmas special?
Dan
Read more
I was at a Conference in London. Didn't take the laptop in case it got robbed.
Hi all,
I have a 1996 Escort 1.8 TD LX Endura engine. It is for the scrap heap.
I have a brand new mondeo 1.8 TD endura engine.
Put them together and away we go, well almost, the turbo inlet is slightly different (used old turbo) the fuel pump is different (so used old one), engine fitted, everything is bolted on but...
It will not start, it is though the fuel is not getting to the pump or from pump to engine, forgotten which.
All obvious connections, pipes, lines etc, have been connected.
I thought these engines were the same, how come this engine will not start, any ideas please.
Jason Read more
***UPDATE***
Engine is now running, but quite a bit of smoke and running erratically, but is sound when 1st started.
This started happening as of 19:15 today when I drove into town to drop somebody off. It was fine earlier today.
Basically, when I pull away from stationary or near stationary, I get a strange 'clunk' noise. I cannot be sure whether I can feel it in the car or not. It's difficult to describe what it sounds like It doesn't sound like a metallic clunking, if that helps..
It only happens I pull away from very low speed - ie, from standstill in 1st, or from low speed in 2nd pulling away from a speed ramp.
I've got a 450 mile round trip in the car at the weekend and no time to get it sorted before then, what can I do?
Car is a 1999 2.0 16v Mondeo. Read more
Agree about Subaru - my 99 Legacy Estate had been very good. But not as nice to drive as the Ford 4x4 and terrible ergonomics.
Nice to hear your Mondeos have been good too; as you imply, several swallows don`t necessarily make a summer.
AS
Seeing HJ's photo in the News section about a Ro80 sold at auction reminded me of my holiday at Port St Charles in Barbados earlier this year where I saw a tidy Ro80 sitting under a car port, I guess waiting for its owner to arrive on their next holiday.
The last time I saw one of these cars was at RAF Greenwood back in 1975 or 1976, and the last place I expected to see one next, if at all, was Barbados! I can but imagine the climate to be kind.
Writing of cars and Barbados, I was also amazed at just how many ?koda Fabias abound on the island, too, given zip colonial or other connections with either Germany (VAG) or the Czech Republic. Read more
In the late 1970s my father (who was in business in reasonably big way at the time) owned five Ro80s. Two (one after the other) were for him, one was for his transport manager and all these has the rotary engine. A fourth had the Corsair V4 engine and the fifth was cannibalised.
Spurb cars excpet for fragile engines. Huge amount of room, very very quiet and comfortable with a vey good ride. Dad sent his in-house mechanic - used to working on HGV engines - on a dealer course to save the cost of engine rebuilds which were frequent.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
I had my bike Mot'd this morning and it passed, with even a comment from the tester that it was in really good condition for five years old. When I got home I checked the certificate which was in order and pinned to it was a slip telling me my brakes had been tested on a Tecalemet Motorcycle Brake Tester.
This gave a readout of 110kg brake force on the front, and 105kg on the rear. However, the brake efficiency was measured at 37% and 35% respectively, which seems rather low. I am not worried, as the brakes are as good as ever with pads and disc's which have plenty of life left in them and they did pass without comment. How should one interpret these figures, does it mean that the brakes fitted are not reckoned to be particularly good, or would a figure of 100% mean they would have the effect of hitting a wall when you touched the lever and would therefore be dangerous?
Just curious as to what figures would be the norm and how low they could go before they were unsafe. Read more
They have the bike MOT manual on line now
www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_330.htm
The efficiency of each system operated by a single brake control is the ratio of the total retarding force generated by that system divided by the weight of the machine and rider
Reason to fail
a. an efficiency of less than 30% when one of the brake controls is operated. This will normally be calculated from the retarding force at either the front or the rear wheel, [see information column)
b. an efficiency of less than 25% when the other brake control is operated. This will normally be calculated from the retarding force at the other wheel (see information column).
I have a M plate 620 ti, mileage about 65k. Daily driver doesnt really get caned.
The head gasket is due for its 3rd Replacement (Under Warrenty), but what really concerns me is that ive heard reports that Rover are stating that the head has gone "SOFT" (their description, not mine) and although they will replace the gasket under warrenty, i will be required to buy and have fitted a new head (£600.00 for the head)
What i want to know is... Is this Rover trying to find a way around their obligation to replace the head gasket warrenty issue or is this a genuine technical issue (my local garage has never heard of it)
If it is genuine, what recourse do i have against rover for fitting sub standard parts ?? The reason for asking is if rover knows about this problem, and the information i have would indicate that they do, why has a product recall not been issued?
Many thanks
3Speed Read more
I guess it is down to a parts warranty claim, not a vehicle warranty claim.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
Toyota Landcruiser Colorado (Mk1, 96-99)
When I bought the car the electric aerial mast was missing, though you could hear the motor whirring away when you switched the radio on/off.
I took it to a Toyota dealer yesterday for a service and to have a replacement mast fitted; They fitted the mast (£30) but it doesn't properly retract or extend - fully retracted its still 12 inches out and fully extended its only about 16 inches out. The dealership says that it needs a new electric motor which costs almost £200! - their argument was that at least the radio would work now even though the aerial isn't functioning properly (OK, fair enough).
My main questions are....
a). Has anyone come across this before?
b). Do you think it really needs a new motor?
c). If so, will an aftermarket (i.e. cheaper) aerial motor fit?
d). How do you access the aerial motor - do you have to remove/drop the wheel arch lining?
TIA,
Chad. Read more
Thanks. I'll take it apart and and have a look.
However, if the motor is gone, will a "universal" motor do?
Cheers,
Chad.
Browse
I particularly liked the rocket-style acceleration from the bad boys who were already doing 140mph before hitting the NOS button.
And can you just hook up any old cheap laptop to the cigarette lighter socket? A clever trick to actually use it while driving at breakneck speed!
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Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability.