I have replaced several master cylinders over the years due to internal rust damage despite changing the fluid occasionally. Given the escalating costs of the more complex modern variety why doesn't some enterprising accessory manufacturer come up with an adaptor for the caps incorporating breathing through an easily replaceable cartridge containing a dessicant such as silica gel? Read more

a friend and i were thinking of having a go at buying a few auction cars and cleaning em up to sell on

can anyone point me in the right direction as far as getting the cars from the auction to home/place of sale...i assume trade plates are needed? but can a part time trader get them and how much do they cost? or would it be best to have a trailer

any pointers or sensible advice is welcome, our hopes would be to buy and sell a few cheapies while keeping our day jobs and work up to more expensive cars and full time if things worked out Read more

I did think that the 1.4 HDi Citroen C2 and C3 having fuel consumption in the 65mpg region was good. But....

A typical 2.0 TD large hatchback weighs about 50% more
Has an engine 50% bigger
Produces 84% more power (138 v 75bhp)
Accelerates quicker, especially in-gear acceleration

and... only uses about 1/3rd more fuel.

So, where are the 80-100mpg small cars then? Until then I'm over the moon with 45mpg. Read more

We all know how it goes. If something?s going to go wrong, it?ll do it at the most inopportune moment imaginable. I suppose it was almost inevitable, that after 5 years in the family (and nearly 13 on the road) that the car was going to break down in a big way.

Coming back from a day trip in Perth, within 5 minutes from my relatives house to which we were staying, it became apparent something?s wrong. You know how it is, you?ve got that feeling in your gut something?s not quite right, but you can?t put your finger on it. Performance below 3000rpm became very poor and there was a constant misfire which was getting progressively worse, to the point where progress was in a ?kangaroo? kinda fashion. Within spitting distance of ?home? the misfire was gone, but so was the performance. Pulling over, restarting the engine did little but create a huge big cloud of smoke and steam at the back. Uh oh (or words to that effect)

Opening the bonnet, the expansion bottle was steaming away like a teapot and the oil filler cap was spread with ?mayo?. Yep, it's the head gasket.

Head gasket failure, at any time or place is inconvenient, but 150 from home whilst visiting relatives was very bad timing. To make matters worse, it was a Saturday, at 4o?clock, and we all needed to be home in time to go to work/uni on the Monday morning.

After being towed home, we (dad, me and my uncle) began a tour of every open garage, dealership and accessory shop that was still open, but the answer was all the same ?nah, don?t have one of those. I can get one on Monday if that?s any good? which it wasn?t. Saturday night, things were looking bleak, but my uncle knew a man who used to run Polos, so on Sunday morning we paid a visit. The nice gent managed to supply all the tools which we didn?t have, and even managed to ring ahead to shop he knew, and reserved a head gasket set for us. Top bloke. Top garage too, open until 2 on a Sunday, and the parts were in stock, very helpful too. (Essport, Dunfermline)

Returning home, surgery began in earnest. Luckily, my uncles? a mechanical engineer and my dads an electrical engineer so things were in good hands. Luckily because the failure was quite sudden, and I stopped quite quickly (like I had a choice) no real harm was done and the gasket was changed in about 3-4 hours. We managed to get home by 00:30 Monday morning, just enough time to get some sleep before work and uni.

Some of you back roomers must have some better story?s where its was ?more good luck, than good judgment?
Read more

I'm traiding in a 51-plate automatic Jaguar x-type 2.5 Sport with metallic, leather seats, climate, heated front screen and real park assist. Great condition. Checking Glasses, What Car and Parkers I'm getting varying views on the p/x price - anywhere between 8k and 9.5k, it seems.

I've been offered 9k by a local Jaguar dealer against either:
a 55-plate 2.2d Sport with leather seats and metallic with 7k miles on the clock, or
an 05-plate 2.0d SE with only 5k miles on the clock.

Both seem reasonable deals - do you think I could get any more out of them, and which one looks the best deal?
Duncan Read more