May 2005
I am asking this question purely out of curiosity.
Many early cars that I have seen in films etc, either had the spare wheel mounted on the outside of the boot, or occasionally on the side "running board".
At what stage did it become norm for these to come inside the car into the boot and what instigated the change? Did early cars not have boots, or not big enough for a wheel? Or was running gear so much more complex?
I realise that some early cars were rear engined but I am not so sure if they all were?
[This was prompted by my son looking at old cars and discussing them with me. Things like spare wheel positions are obvious to a 7 year old. Its amazing to look at and see how in some ways things have progressed like indicator lights compared to pop up arms. However, windscreen wipers are still windscreen wipers!] Read more
Anyone aware of a higher price than this for petrol? (Ashurst Bridge, New Forest) Read more
I was discussing LPG conversions and cost last weekend with my landie friends - they pay 25P + vat per litre. This is done on an account basis through a network of LPG site and paid for by DD at the end of the month.
I have a Picasso and a spare wheel but I read that the life expectancy of the underslung spare is short. I am considering storing it in the garage and relying on Tyreweld or similar 'blow it up and repair it' stuff.
Anyone used it? Do you have to 'take it steady'? How long does the repair last for? - and any other info appreciated Read more
I've never got on that well with Tyreweld or Finilec type repair kits. They only work on the tiniest of holes, and as has been said the can won't be capable of inflating the tyre properly which could be an issue if you're in the middle of nowhere.
Pretreating a tube or tyre with Slime is more effective. I compete in motorcycle enduro events where routes often go through gorse/forest/bracken etc.
Have been offered a good 1.8 Mondeo estate 2002 vintage. I was thinking about having it converted to LPG. Anyone any idea how much an approved conversion to LPG would cost? Can it be dual fuel? Thanks Read more
Have a look at this site:
www.lpgforum.co.uk/
You will find answers to most of your questions there. I am also looking at getting an LPG vehicle so have been doing quite a bit of homework on it. For the long term owner it seems to offer big benefits especially at UK fuel prices. The downside is the size of the tank in the boot and the extra weight of it.
My wife has just kerbed her 206cc and put a couple of nasty scuffs in the F/N/S alloy - they're not deep but a bit unsightly as they're on the face rather than the rim. I've found loads of places which will repair them but is there anything I can do myself?
Appologies if this has been asked before but I've had a look back at previous topics and can't find anything. Read more
Some info here:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=31369&...f
After clearing out the attic I came across this book called 'By Car to India' written by Major Forbes-Leith. It's about his trip from Leeds to India in 1924 in a 14hp Wolseley. The book itself seems to date from the late 1920's I would think judging by some of the terminology used, although as Persia changed to Iran after WW2 possibly the 1940's.
Anyway there's one paragraph that made me smile:
'On our way down (from Beirut) we counted four hundred cars coming up to the hills, but alas, only one car in that four hundred was British. In the city of Beyrouth (Beirut) there are over three thousand cars, and, sad to relate, less than a dozen are of British manufacture. Why cannot we, who produce the world's best cars, make an effort to compete in this market, where foreign and inferior makes predominate? Yet, so far as I could see, we are not attempting to compete, and one native gentlemen I met actually asked me if we made motor-cars in England, and was quite incredulous when I told him that British cars were without equal'.
Interesting, after 90 years I am not sure much has changed in our insular attitudes. Wasn't it our reluctance to recognise Japanese competition that effectively almost killed our motorcycle industry? Read more
The buying British part was just one element of the equation. I believe for example the French and Italian governments have tended to bale out their car industry over many years and the fact that many Fiats etc. were horrid didn't stop people buying them in large numbers. The Rover 75 is far from horrid yet people here still won't buy it in numbers and if we won't buy cars made here who will? The problems of BL were down to far more than dodgy cars, it was also largely due to some the dodgy people who built them or rather kept going on strike. Rover was a far different company from BL and IMO all it needed to have a chance was to bring new models on line. Having not owned a UK made car for some years I obviously haven't been losing sleep about the fortunes of the likes of Rover but then so many people here seem to bemoan its demise whilst at the same time refusing to buy the cars. You can't have it both ways.
the drivers side window on my nissan drops into the door bottom when it is wound down. i assume it has come out of its cradle ,are there any tips to prevent reoccurence? Read more
I have noticed an irritating issue on my Impreza, in that when you put the clutch down to change gear the revs jump by 200RPM. It makes no difference whether I am driving normally and changing up at 2500 RPM or heading to the 'red line', watching the rev counter the needle will always jump by 200RPM before dropping revs. I have checked my driving style carefully to ensure I am coming cleanly off the accelerator and I believe I am.
A previous owner made some mods to the car, de-catted (both cats), performance exhaust (cant find lambda sensor), induction kit, VTA type dump valve.
I hope to remove all off these mods in the next two or three months putting the car back to standard. I hate induction noise and the dump valve wooooosh. Any ideas what the likely cause is. The car idles fine, and accelerates like she should. Just irritated by this little glitch and more irritated that I cant trace a cause.
Thanks,
Leon Read more
Hi all,
Have just spent all day dismantling the throttle body and idle valve on my 97 2.0 ecotec (SRi) Vectra. I replaced all the tubing and gaskets and used jubilee clips in place of the original spring clips. The car now idles beautifully and no longer cuts out or stalls! Fantastic, however, I still have a lumpy acceleration problem. Between 1000 and 3000 RPM the car is lumpy as hell. I tried the paper clip trick on the ECU and found no fault codes and the ECU light has never flashed on. THe car has had new plugs, fule filter etc within the last 10K and has only done 80K. HELP, its driving me mad. I though at first it could be the crank or camshaft sensor, but surely this would register a fault code?? HELP! Read more
Finally found the reason! The Cam-cover gasket had failed (only a little) and alowed oil to leak into the SPark plug channel between the cams. This caused the spark plugs in cylinder 3 and 4 to be completely submerged in black engine oil. After replacing the gasket and cleaning the plugs and leads the car is back to its best once again!! Wierd hey!
I notice yesterday when I parked in a underground car park that my brake lights came on my Rover 414 (n reg new shape) even when the key was out the ignition. Put my foot on the brakes and both lights came on.
Is this normal on these rovers or have I got a problem?
Regards,
Dave Read more
Most cars brake lights work without the key in the ignition these days.
I can categorically state that handling is severely impaired with a spacesaver on the front. I had no choice though - it was stonking it down and I was on a main road. I wasn't about to mess around swapping wheels left right and.....well - left and right!
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Adam