April 2005
This thread is closed, but by all means carry on your discussion in volume 2, which can be found here:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=30795
I really want to hear some news about Rover cars on the forum.
Feel a bit worried though about mentioning it, as everyone that does seems to get attacked!
My interest is I really like the cars, but as a businessmen feel there is no future with them being built here.
Basically, I want to see a resolution to the problem that has rolled on for 30 odd years so I can confidently get a V8 75!
So are they dead, moving to China or stuck in a situation that will create uncertainty for another few years? Someone must know the "skinny".
And please...be nice. Read more
Did anyone have an interesting drive home from work, yesterday? I did. Everything fine for the first couple of miles, dry day, sun shining, hardly any traffic, then it got interesting. I arrived at the back of a queue of about 6 cars doing 30 mph on a straight road. I thought it was a tractor/heavy lorry causing it, but it wasn't. A young lady in a Fiesta was speeding up to 30mph on the straights, gently weaving about, and braking to about 25mph when the road was anything less than arrow straight. I applied the oh no, one of those, rules and dropped back to a safe distance. The interesting part was watching the 3/4 cars tailgating each other and her. I bet they have increased the tyre and brake manufacturers profits no end. The only problem I hade was keeping the prat behind out of my boot!
P.S. To the young lady concerned:-
I hope your breasts are not too badly bruised by the steering wheel, They must have been rubbing on it to enable you to get your head so close to the windscreen. If you sat back a bit, it would save personal injury and you could have seen the mayhem behind you in your mirrors. Read more
No, A4135 Between Tetbury(Charlie's home when he isn't on the slippery slopes) and Dursley.
Since it's a bit quiet on here today - ever wondered how many people there are in the UK with the same name as you?
Try your luck at www.yournotme.com
There's 26 of me.
There's a nice picture of a Lambo on the home page too (pathetic motoring link)
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12,872 of me, none of my wife.
I saw this number plate on a Mercedes today JH X MH. It was on front and rear plates. I puzzled about it and then realised it was really J11 XMH. The twit had a black rivet between the 1s, and had spaced out the letters.
Could it possibly mean they love each other so much they need to tell all and sundry? Read more
I suppose you could change your name to something like PJ54OKZ to match your car's plaate.
Hi all. Is it ok to use engine flush in my engine 2003 reg 16000 miles Thanks
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Thanks to you all. I won't bother flushing, I thought I'd just check first. The dealer for my last car, a mitsubishi also offered (recommended) flushing as a cost option.
The Times
BURGLARS CRY NEW BURGLAROSCOPE "UNFAIR"
Burglars who contribute to werobyou.com are raising petitions to try to challenge the use of the new police "burglaroscope" , which they say is unfair and simply a means of raising money through fines .
The scope uses x-ray technology to take pictures of intruders on premises , which when presented in court have acheived a 98% conviction rate .Police have agreed only to use them in areas that have high burglary occurrence rates , and to make them visible through using bright colours and displaying signs that warn of their use. Although they are extremely effective where used, it is known that thousands of burglaries still occur weekly which are not detected .
A spokesman for the burglars said " It's disgraceful .It's just a way of taxing us burglars. We know who's well-off enough to afford us robbing them , so these things are indscriminate . Why aren't police out catching multiple killers and the like, rather than picking on us?"
An ACPO spokesman said " Burglary is clearly illegal . We have found a very reliable and cost-effective way of detecting the offence and we would be neglecting our duty not to use it. The simple way to avoid not paying the fine is not to commit burglary". Read more
For all the arguments put forward for rigid enforcement of speed limits, all I can say is that of the (quite a few) accidents that I have been involved in or a witness to in forty years of motoring on two and four wheels, none have been the result of a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and a minoority due to excessive speed within the limit.
So, in my experience, the concentration on convictions for exceeding the speed limit and road safety propaganda which concentrates on speed is misdirected.
My view would be that poor observation is the major cause of accidents.
Hello, I'm hoping some of you motor trade types will be able to offer me some advice over a difficult situation I've found myself in.
Yesterday I took my car ('91 VW Scirocco 1.8 GTII) to the local VW specialist for its MOT.
I was confident it would pass with flying colours as the same place did a full service just a month before and carried out £600 of work.
An hour or so later the guy calls me and asks if there's any problem with the electric windows, as they've packed up on him. I've not had a single problem with them in the 18 months I've had the car.
Picked the car up today and the fuse for the windows has blown twice on the 10 minute drive home.
Felling rather suspicious, I've called back and expressed my annoyance - and he's insisted it is a con-incidence but agreed to get his electrician to spend an hour on the car to try to rectify the issue.
Hopefully this will work, but if it doesn't I'd like to have a little knowledge of my rights and of motor industry practice in such situations.
Am I being reasonable in feeling he ought to fix the problem, since the car was in his care and had no previous incidence of this issue?
Thanks. Read more
Low mileage and full history stand it in good stead - may possibly suit an enthuisiast willing to give the bodywork some TLC
Anyone know where I can get hold of a central locking solenoid for my Xsara? The plastic rod on mine has snapped off and is lost somewhere in the boot. Citroen want £45 for a new one, and breakers don't seem to have any.
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Have you an independant Cit/Pug specialist in the area? The one near me also buys write offs, etc and strips them for parts.
Hi all - a neighbour of mine's X-Type caught fire whilst parked overnight on his drive a few days ago. Apparently the Fire Brigade have ruled out foul play and it appears some sort of wiring fault in one of the rear light clusters may be to blame. Anyone come across any similar problems with these cars? Thanks as always! Read more
A mate of mine had a Fiat Uno with the Fire engine (funnily enough!) set itself alight whilst parked in a multistorey carpark.
He parked, went off to see a show and came back 3 hours later to find a couple of fire engines and a wall of foam around the car. The Firemen said it was safer to let it burn itself out!!
This Uno had some electical oddities, the last being the fire, but mainly all the lights (dashboard, interior and exterior) would die for a few seconds unexpectedly, then start working again. Never saw it myself, but was told it was pretty scary whilst driving in the dark!!
Hi
Friend has just bought a 97 'R' Pug 406 with the 1.9 Turbo diesel engine. Car has 'only' covered 160,000 miles - runs well and starts fine from cold with no smoke, however the warmer it is the more difficult it is to start!!
Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing it? Glow-plugs?? Injectors?? etc..
Any help really appreciated.
Thannks Read more
If it was glow plugs would expect it to show poor hot starting although it costs nothing to check them so worth doing. Of the 5 non turbo and turbo peugeot diesels i have tried all have started on the first turn of the key from hot and only needed a few seconds 'heat' for a warm start. The exception is a 306 TD that had faulty fuel injectors (low opening pressure) that always needed the glow plugs before it would start.
Best to drain fuel filter and add injector cleaner to filter base - although it wont help much if the injector opening pressures are too low causing fuel to be injected too early -too retarded injection timing.
Browse
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If this was France or Italy the government would have helped and ignored EU rules.
However, Rover was been going downhill for years and the Alchemy Partners scheme was far better than Towwers et al coming in an lining their own pockets. I have no sympathy for Rover, but I have lots of sympathy for the workers and the workers and owners of the supplying companies and the dealerships.
Remarkably, there will be a good business in making parts for existing cars - just like for older MGs - and that could keep a fair proportion of the business alive for a fair few years. Could be a good time to buy a top of the range Rover 75 for a knock down price.
Interesting comment on Newsnight just now - Rovers are cars for bank managers, but there are no bank managers any more, and the latest equivalent want BMWs.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?