March 2006
My girlfriend has a Mini Cooper Convertible, and apart from it being the most impractical car ever, she loves it to bits.
A problem she is having witht it is the back window getting filthy as soon as it rains, to the point where you actually struggle to see out, especially at night. Obviously there is no back windscreen wiper, so anyone any suggestions on how to keep it clean? Read more
Needed a new bearing for an old motorcycle that I am doing up. The nearest Yamaha dealer is around 30 miles away so thought I would try a small independent motorcycle garage just down the road. The old guy who runs the place had a look at my damaged bearing and made a note of some numbers from it. He wandered into his store room and emerged with a freshly boxed bearing. It appeared that the bearing on my Yamaha was also used in a Honda motorbike, a Hoover washing machine, a BMW and a Atco grass mower. This got me thinking that had it been in a BMW box it would probably have cost several times more than the box I got it in.
If we now apply this to cars it does make you wonder just how many parts are interchangeable. Need a part for your BMW, Jag, Merc etc. could you actually get it cheaper if you knew where else it was used. Just what does fit what and how do we find out? Read more
Did this just cover classic cars or more modern stuff?
Why do things have to be so complicated now. Life was so much easier when the Earth was flat and you only had to worry about driving off the edge!
My Fiesta 2002 Diesel just failed its MOT for split lower arm bushes, after 44,000 miles and cost me £250 parts and labour..
Does anyone think this is fair wear and tear on a 4 year old car? As I do not.
I am thinking of writing to Ford to complain but wanted a second opinion first.
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AFAIK we have not had anything like that done to our 2001 X Fiesta 1.8 td works van, just coiming up to 200k.
Right, this Friday I'm jetting off to Milan for a mini Italian road trip to take in some sights and cool drives. I hope to hire something like an Alfa 147 if possible.
I'm going from Bergamo to Como, then staying at Lezzeno. Next, driving across to Garda staying at Desenzano del Garda, finally driving down to Maranello to check out the Ferrari factory, and staying in Salsomaggiore Terme, before flying back from Parma.
I hear that the road from Como towards Bellagio is pretty hair raising, so might be fun. Any other tips on cool drives which I could get in on my route?
What can one do in Maranello? Any firms out there offer cheap high speed rides in Ferraris there?
Thanks! Read more
Check out car-by-car breakdown - Alfa 147!
From todays Telegraph is a report that the production of 4 seater Smart cars is end to reduce losses. The 2 seater will remain in production and a new model is expected next year.
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/20...l
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Strange. Smart Forfour was eccelent looking car, for very reasonable price. In fact I think it's bound to be a classic one day. I just think they missed their market - it should've been promoted it as black metallic young men's sporty hatchback and not that "look you can have chasis and every pannel in different colour lady" malarky. It's light, it's looking sportier than most hot hatchbacks, all it needed was better choice of engines. Last Honda Civic Type -R is a fine example, if you can make men want that grammamobile looking thing, it shouldn't be a problem to mould ForFour into really smart looking sporty hatch.
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[Nissan dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
friend has common rover 25 central locking fault of a toy gun sound when using it.
needs replacing
how easy is it to get the internal door plastic off?
and how easy to get at the motor?
she wants to take it out for the mean time - rather than run the risk of them all going.
how easy will it be for a novice to fit when she gets the part?
thanks for any help.
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just wondering how i could go about improving my brakes? ive replaced pads, discs,drums, shoes and fluid. The pedal feels good....no juddering but just feels like theres no bite there. I dont think its brake fade either because it does it when brakes are hot or cold.
Thanks Read more
Have you checked the flexible hoses?
And replaced them all?
If not you should - at 11 years old they can swell with pressure and give the symptons you describe.
Had similar problems with 12 year old Fiesta.. one pipe after removal was found to have inner lining of pipe breaking up (on dissection)..
madf
Hi, I have never been to Manchester (honestly) but on the evening of May the 26th I am going to see David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame.
Question is, where is the safest place to park my car close to the venue, and where is the best place to eat. We expect to get there mid day on the Friday and probably leave about 11.
Regards Mal Read more
Piddly? It?s proabably the biggest errection in the North.
it only took 19 months to build the whole 72 miles of the first section of the M1
www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/asop/northampton/m1...l
so why is it going to take several years to build and extra lane onto it?
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I read often, only post occasionally Read more
Civilisation stops 50 miles north of Luton...
madf
Does anyone know if it is possible to fit a dial type rev counter to the Picasso as an alternative to the LED Citroen one
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You could try some of that Rain-x stuff if it's glass. Available in any good motoring shop, Halfords for example.