March 2005
Anyone actually got one ?
Looking for owners comments on real world mpg, ride comfort, general ownership issues etc.
Looking at a possible purchase in 1-2 months time, ex demo model, in black probably with about 10,000 miles on it.
I've test driven one and everything seemed hunky-dory.
Any owners comments most welcome.
jdc Read more
The windscreen washer reservoir on my Daimler Six (1995) has obviously got a split in it. Is this component easy to replace? Any help would be appreciated Read more
A much easier repair is to insert a reasonably thick polythene bag inside the split bottle (done that as a former Aberdonian)
madf
Does anyone know why people put silver paper on car radiator grills?
I'd have thought the thermostat would still regulate the engine temperature just as well in cold weather. Read more
I have thought of doing this with my car as it definately does not provide any heat until I have driven at least 10mins/10 miles, which incidentally is about how long it takes me to get to work.
Car is a 1995 BMW 520 and I have changed the fan clutch (yes it still uses an "old" belt driven fan), thermostat, water pump and coolant yet there is no difference in the amount of time it takes to warm up. The wife has nicknamed it the "Icebox" and thinks that it should only be available in appliance white.
I am thinking about buying one of these. I think they still look good, the prices are very reasonable compared with the obvious competitors and there?s room in the back for occasional use by my 2 kids ? I?ll be retaining my trusty but nearly worthless Mondeo estate for trips to the tip and family holidays.
But one thing that I?m concerned about is model replacement ? the current Celica has been around since 2000 ? does any one know Toyota?s plans for a new model.
Cheers
MPZ
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In the last few months Car Mechanics did a pricing of spares for Hyundai and the OEM equivalents. Some of the Prices were horrific discs for an Accent were around £ 100 Each, Golf ones were around £ 30, in fact my Alfa ones were only £ 70 each. This obviously influences servicing costs.
Jim
2000 V70R AWD auto (classic shape).
I think I have an intermittent problem with my factory fitted immobiliser. The car will turn over fine, and run for a split second - but then instantly cut out, however many times I try.
If I leave it for a while and lock/unlock the car (with the remote) it will usually work again, and run perfectly. Sometimes it will be fine first time, others not so.
Any ideas? Is there something I can check or is it an alarm shop job?
Can I turn the immobiliser off until I get it fixed? You can imagine the fun I have in busy petrol stations when there is a queue.
Thanks,
Stu
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For those no doubt gagging to learn...it was actually the fuel pump relay.
www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/AF_SAFR.html
A selection of local 'provincial' plates. No kidding - these cartoon jobbies are all compulsory if you register in that province!
Our local government are a boring bunch, and we just have to have letters and numbers and no fancy animals.
CA 774 624.
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imagos, the old 'T' plate was from the Old transvaal province.
originally, all the cars were reg'ged as follows:
TJ 12345 - johannesburg
TP 12345- pretoria etc etc etc
THEN in about 1980, after the change to democracy, and the splitting up of 4 provinces into nine new ones, they changed to the T plate - BBB 001 T onwards.
THEN in 1994, they changed to the GP plate - (Gauteng Province, in whcih Johannesburg now lies)R Depending on the geographical area, also the BBB 001 N (Northern province) plate, and the BBB 001 MP (Mpumulanga) plate.
Natal plates stayed as N reg - ie ND 12345 as durban, and Orange free state plates were OB 12345 - bloemfontein, but have since changed to FS plates (the one with the cheetah).
C plates used to be Cape Province, but that split up into East Cape (the elephant plate) Northern Cape (the one with the antelope!) and us here in the Western Cape stuck with the CA, CY, CL prefix.
For some reason though, if you buy a personalised plate (you order the name and they make up the plate and charge you $$$) it comes with a WP suffix - ie AJAX - WP.
Bizarre - as Western Province doesn't exist - the area is actually the Western Cape. But I suppose putting WC on cars would look a bit silly!
Oh, and the best plate EVER was for the 'new town' of Sasolburg, where they built a huge oil-form-coal processing plant, from scratch, and built the town around that.
It was in the Orange Free State (O reg), and THEIR plates were OIL!
www.revetec.com/website/index.html
Fascinating stuff I thought. The bit about the engine design leading to more mid and rear engined cars sounded appealing too :-)
teabelly Read more
Just a gut feeling -but won't the frictional losses be tremendous with this type of mechanism at high speed? Good luck to them.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/8/...m
And to think that 55 years on that same badge would appear on a nasty Indian import.
Chris M Read more
>> Lotus 56 - no clutch, no gearbox, no torque convertor - etc...
OK, so that's clear, the "torque conversion" was effectively within the engine, the non-linear conection between the GG and PT. At Zero vehicle speed the PT would not be turning at all so the CG would build up pressue behind it which would be "released" as the brakes were let off, max torque would be somewhere between zero PT speed and the PT speed that GG's ability to maintain pressure behind the PT reduced.
The "shapes that last" thread mentioned that Espace drivers used to flash each other when they were rare.
I've only ever had a Mini where this was done, and it was an enjoyable time of raod brotherhood - the kids loved it. Do MINI owners do it now?
Do any other cars' owners consider themselves 'a cut above' in this way? Read more
Saab drivers used to flash each other in the
days when the car was winning most winter rallys. Can't remember
the model in the 70's but it had a freewheel system
on the road cars and , racking my brains, was it a two stroke ?
>>
Yes it was a two stroke and yes had a fee wheel. IIRC it had the radiator behind the engine.
Some light reading
www.saabtrader.co.uk/history5.htm
I have just seen some photos of the 159 and I am glad to see that it has not departed a great deal from the look of the 156, whilst still managing to look fresh and new.
I have seen many internet references to this car being referred to as the 157. How has this come about? Is there to be a 157? Read more
I hope they get away from those stick on plastic sill extensions as used on some models like the GTA versions. It looks really cheap when they do this, it would be more professional to use whole steel ones like the GT 125.
Browse
Auto Express has a test this week comparing the Fabia with the equivalent sporting Fiesta diesel. The Fabia wipes the floor with the Fiesta in nearly every department - and is slightly cheaper to buy.