April 2006
Hello all,
I have a Saab 1.9 tdi vector sport. Diesel auto. It's a really nice car.
I need to raise some dollars quickly and so I plan to sell this one and trade down to a cheaper one.
I think this one is worth £14000 (not too sure) and I would buy for £10k or less.
I'm considering a Golf Sport or new shape Astra Estate, so far. I occasionally need extra room for hols and moving stuff.
Any suggestions or ideas guys? I'm out of my depth here. Read more
I have bought and sold a few cars during the last two years. I do know that the Inland Revenue does not come after you if you make any profits on cars that are for personal use. I always register the car in my name or my wife?s name and sell on after a few months. I have made money on some cars and lost on others. All in all, I have just about broken even after two years of motoring ? right through this period my wife had a car for her use and I had one - not too bad in my book. Plus I got to use a variety of motors.
I would like to increase the ?frequency? of turnaround, now that I seem to have more or less taught myself what can be bought and sold off easily. However what I was wondering is that, is there a limit in the number of cars that one can register in their names? A figure of 5 cars per year seem be the ?norm? according to people in the trade. I have carried out a through search on the Inland Revenue web site, and I CANNOT find a limit on the number of cars that one could register in their name per year.
Can anyone shed some light? Aprilia, if you don?t mind me asking, you do buy and sell cars, don?t you? Do you do this as a trader or a private seller?
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>>I would like to increase the ?frequency? of turnaround, now that I seem to have more or less taught myself what can be bought and sold off easily.
The badges of trade to which Avant refers are a long and exhaustive guide. Read the links from www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM20200.htm You suggest that you are buying and selling a number of cars with a view to a profit... which almost certainly makes you a trader.
Hi all
My brother has had the above car for around 12 to 14 months. He bought it from a friend with 80 odd thousand miles on it.
I recommended that he get a new timing belt kit on it as it hadn't been replaced previously. A mechanic friend of mine did it for him around 12 months ago.
Well guess what? He was driving up the M5 and the timing belt went! He has covered around 20K miles since the change.
My question is whether he has any warranty left since the belt change? Surely it should last longer than 20K?
Any advice on the best course of action?
Thanks in advance
GazKaz. Read more
It's possible a foreign object entered the timing belt cover and lunched itself between the timing wheels and belt. check covvers for damage, missing fixings, holes etc.
A seized waterpump or collapsed pump bearings would cause the belt to fail, but so would a belt that is too tight. Having said that, the cambelt tensioner is spring loaded and auto tensions the belt - assuming the tensioner mechanism was working correctly. There is a min/max measurement of the tensioner spring length. A belt that is too tight makes a humming sound in use and a belt that is too loose makes an almost slapping sound.
But yes, a belt should last longer than 20K
i have a pair of 2nd hand brae calipers from a vw golf,ive purchased new seals , but cant seem to get the pistons out??
i havent got a airline to pop em out..so is there another way?
ive tried pulling them with pliers or gripping the piston in a vice but i cant budge em!
im fairly sure theyre not siezed as i can push the piston back in Read more
On a Polo some years ago it had a split diagonal system that allowed one to apply brake hydraulic pressure once the capliper was 'off' the disk. Slowly and under some conrol it eased out and then spurted fluid. One then pushed the brake peddle again for the other side.If your system is front and back, push the peddle until one or both move. When nearly out, block the 'easy' one and put pressure on the 'stuck' one.
Just been browsing the Haynes manual for my car (Citroen Xsara), and apparently I'm supposed to be regularly draining the fuel filter. Aha, says I, that's what that little hose is for.
Now, according to the book, I unscrew the little valve and wait until diesel free of water emerges from the hose. Except nothing comes out, even if you completely remove the drain plug.
Is this normal? The engine has been working just fine for the last 3 years without me touching it. Read more
This is not normal. I believe there is a small o-ring on the end of the screw tap which can be replaced.
Just finishing a few days in Taiwan with a hired car. Wonderful place to get around provided you remember that the English literal translation on your maps may not be the same as the road signs. However, the police are hot on speed and there are lots of cars semi-hidden on the motorways or on entering and leaving towns waiting to deprive you of on-the-spot cash. Fortunately, I don't know the damage but I think it is close to three figures in sterling. Motorway is mostly 110 kph but drops to 90 or sometimes 70 on bends and bridges. What is noticeable is that sticking to the speed limit doesn't upset anyone and, yes, there are BMWs.
Other motoring things noticed:
either side overtaking
traffic light cameras
many motorway cameras mostly around junctions
tow trucks in big cities
wide scooter lanes in most towns and often in the country
signposting mostly English as well as Chinese but it helps to know road numbers
the occasional Rover 600 and the odd Freelander
Toyotas, Toyotas, Toyotas
Don't try drag racing at the lights with a Kia Picanto EuroStar automatic!
And parking tickets. I think I got a municipal one but as it is in Chinese apart from the car reg I had no idea what to do with it. It looks like a pay up soon or it doubles and triples street parking fee so the car hire company will find it and a lot of change to cover it when they pick up the car after I have left for Hong Kong. As I paid cash and they took no credit card details, hopefully that is that. Read more
>>where the dustcarts speak English in a bid to help the locals learn the language!>>
They'll talk a load of rubbish no doubt..:-)
Harmattan, you just might well have been photographed whilst paying your car hire bill - Taiwan manufactures about two-thirds of the digital cameras sold around the world.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Hi, Can any forum members offer advice to what these engines are like, reliability, DIY maintenance especially cam belt replacement?
Seen a 400 model in a local dealers that looks like good value motoring just don't want to buy a major headache!
Regards, Ian Read more
Generally acknowledged to be pretty much bullet proof among those in the know, although not the most refined in its class. Good performance and MPG. I have the uprated 115ps version in my R45 and it'll do 0-60 in under 10 secs and still return 50mpg on the combined cycle. It is also very amenable to further tuning so check out www.45zs.info for all you need to know about getting the most from the L series. Site created by a Rover Diesel guru from Scotland called, not surprisingly, Rover_Ron
My 1997 Nissan Primera has a stiff clutch pedal. Sometimes more stiff than others.
What can I do/have replaced to give it the smoothness of a new car? I realise its not a new car but I am assuming that there must be some component that could be replaced. Read more
When they start to get stiff they are telling you that they need investigation of the cause. Lubrication can (and does) work and rules out that the cause is more complex, like seized pivot points or imminent clutch failure! If they have been like it for some time, or they are starting to fray, then yes it may be wise to replace if you are dependent on the vehicle and are not confident to drive it without a clutch (or on a fixed accelarator setting) on the Sunday afternoon when it does fail and all the motor factors are closed. However if you running an old car with a limited budget the rules of bangernomics apply.
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pmh (was peter)
Is it possible to get one of these for much less than the £400 quoted in the CBCB? Other half has been given a larger pot of money to go buy new car with and the toyota carina is looking at the top of the pile. I thought the lambda sensors were expensive but £400 puts the car as a definite no-no.
If you can't get them for say sub £150; any recommendations on good quality, reliable, cheap to run, insure and maintain bangers for around a grand? Not a ford though!
teabelly Read more
There are quite a few manfrs who will charge £250+ for a lambda sensor. Best to buy them from a specialist supplier like Fuel Parts - much much cheaper....
tinyurl.com/kdxfc
Stand out from the crowd.
Has anyone seen one?
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Hmmm - I wonder whether it is either a good car or a good boat or whether you would be much better off (financially and practically) with a 4 x 4 and a proper boat and trailer.
Just had an idea - I reckon I could design and manufacture a mobile phone which could also be a toboggan (with integrated bluetooth satnav of course), it would also have a fold out section which would form a tent and inflatable mattress. Optional centreboard would mean it could also be used as a surfboard and addition of mast and sail makes it a windsurfer. Fold down legs turn it into a sunbed with integrated wine cooler and corkscrew - anyone care to invest in my new company??
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Phil
Browse
You're going to take a big hit to get those 'dollars'. There's very little point imvho in buying another 'expensive' car to replace it - the dealer will be laughing all the way to the bank. What about borrowing the money?
Alternatively, I presume that you don't want too obvious a step down in status.
What about driving something old & a bit 'classic'? I'm thinking about a W123 Mercedes (1975ish-85ish). two or three grand - or half that - should get you a really nice example estate - one owner from new, fMBsh, 100k miles sort of thing.
This chap's cars are generally rather fully priced but these cars were produced in such numbers that there are plenty around. (I bought a 100k single owner example for £995 two years ago but sadly it was nicked within about a week.)
www.mercseller.com/popup.cfm?p_n=313896&p_i=313896
www.mercseller.com/popup.cfm?p_n=338460&p_i=338460
www.mercseller.com/popup.cfm?p_n=338738&p_i=338738