June 2006
Hi Folks
I'm about to opt out of a company car scheme and buy myself a car for the first time in 20 years. I need good space for me and 3 large kids, a decent drive, something classy but without stupid running costs. I currently have a Merc E320CDI, which I love and which I've put 80,000 miles on in 2 1/2 years. However, my mileage should drop to a more sensible 10k pa now. I'm happy to buy something 2-3 years old, and my budget is £25k. I quite fancy a Jag XJ but fuel economy seems poor. I might even step up to a Merc S class, for the luxury! I've never quite gone for the new shape BMW 5, a Range Rover is likely to be out of reach and too expensive to run. I may even end up with another E class of a similar age to the one I currently run. (and if I had no kids I would buy a 911!).
Any ideas/views?
Thanks! Read more
Hi All,
Wondered if anyone can shed any light on this before I take it in the the Mazda dealers (ugh)?
I've got a 99/T Mazda 323 which is making a slight knocking noise on braking at low speed (between around 10mph until the car comes to a stop). It seems to be coming from the front and makes a duh-duh-duh-duh sound (the sound is consistent and even, the noises are evenly spaced). The car doesn't have ABS, I got the brake pads (not discs) changed by Mazda last October. I've checked the tyres for stones etc., so I don't think it's anything caught in a tyre.
Would wearing brake discs (I'm assuming it's not the pads as they're quite new) be the likely culprit? I was under the impression that if the brakes were on their way out, I'd hear a squeaking sound rather than a knocking noise).
I'd appreciate any ideas - I know it's very difficult to diagnose something like this without seeing it/hearing it yourself, I just wanted to get a good idea of potential problems before taking it into the garage...
Thanks
Pootle Read more
Mine's V plate 1.5GXi
Its Visteion model no. 41601
Here's a question for you. Is it possible to have another remote key fob? Me and my Mrs we both drive the car so I would rather have our own key fobs. If its possible where would i be able to find out and how much is it? Also is it easy to programme it with the car without losing the connectivity on the other one?
The Audi needed a service, so used my old favourites, Wheelbase in Hersham. My girlfriends Fiesta Zetec died last week with engine management light on, so got it trailered to Dagenham Motors, Byfleet.
Both places did excellent work, no sucking of air, prompt attention, reasonable invoices and very polite follow up. Can I add my recommendation to those two?
(The Fiesta turned out to be a coil problem, reminds me of an old Lady Di joke but we won't go there)
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Carling .. Yes, that's the one!
I can't praise Wheelbase enough. I have used them for almost 10 years. They aren't cheap (hourly rate £70) but I know that every hour they bill you is real time spent on the car, not something picked from a "service menu".
I've taken all sorts there, MK2-3-4 Golfs, Audi Coupes, S3's and my A4 tdi. Colin Marshall is the guy to speak to.
does anyone know if there is some kind of thing on the market that will scare birds away? my allocated parking at my flat is directly under a tree and my car is forever covered in bird poop. i want something that will keep them away forever cos it is costing me a fortune cleaning the car.
any help other then going down the road of applying for it to be chopped back/down? Read more
Get a lifesize replica of an owl and stick it up
the tree. A co-worker did this as he used to
park his boat under a tree and found it constant covered
in bird droppings. The one he used was plastic and
didn't look like it would fool other birds, but there was
very little mess after after he got it.
The potential problem with an Owl is they tend to attract corvids, I.e. crows and the like. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.
vbr..............md
Hi all,
My other half has found a buyer for her 318Ci, so a new motor is beckoning. She has about £3500 to spend on an interesting vehicle, not too old, but a bit sporty. Has to be 2 door. I'm steering her towards japanese. Shortlist so far:
MX5- she'll love or hate it
MR2- could be a bit small on the luggage side
Celica
Accord Coupe- favourite replacement for the 318Ci, pref V6
Prelude- I like these!
Hyundai Coupe- off the wall as not jap, but alot of car for the cash!
My personal fave is the MX5 or Prelude, but I do like the Accord Coupe, especially in V6 fettle.
Opinions valued!
Cheers,
A.
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner. Read more
My other half has found a buyer for her 318Ci, so a new motor
is beckoning. She has about £3500 to spend
a little side-track here:
how much did you sell it for in the end?
how is it that only leaves £3500 to spend?
Just back from a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and highly recommended day, undergoing the "Land Rover Experience" at Eastnor Castle and, since I do not recall seeing it mentioned elsewhere, I thought all those Land Rover fans out there might like to be reminded that the Land Rover World Show is due to take place this weekend, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June at Eastnor Castle near Ledbury, Herefordshire.
If all the preparations I saw underway whilst going to and from the main test tracks are anything to go by, and the weather holds up, it should be a great weekend - other sporting events permitting.
For full details see: tinyurl.com/rj7pg
Jack
PS Adam - On the way home, I saw my first ever "gold" Focus saloon on M4 east between Junctions 20 and 19 - You haven't ventured out of Fortress Lancashire have you!? Read more
>>PS Adam - On the way home, I saw my first ever "gold" Focus saloon on M4 east between Junctions 20 and 19 - You haven't ventured out of Fortress Lancashire have you!?<<
Me? Leave the North West? I don't think so ;-)
Was it the nice gold or the horrible sicky yellow gold?
Having parked under a tree in the sun my car has been drizzled liberally with tree sap. It looks like water droplets but won't shift, and is annoying when it's on the windscreen.
Am stuck (sorry) for ideas on how to get rid of it. The ferocious screenwash additive won't move it, and Holt's Screenies make no difference either.
Does anything easily dissolve it?
Cheers,
David. Read more
All three of my vehicles are parked under a Cypress tree and i have found that tar remover that you buy from hardware shops and are meant for clothes work a treat.
I've got a three year-old Nissan Navara pickup and somebody recently told me, because it's classed as a goods vehicle, I should be observing a lower speed limit on single carriage and dual carriageway roads. I know that's true of something like a transit van, but I'm not sure about the Navara. It's something to do with the weight (2 tonnes has something to do with it), but I'm not sure whether it's the gross vehicle weight fully laden, or whether it's the unladen weight, or what it is.
Anybody know for sure? You would think my local dealership would know, but they don't. Read more
The '+' refers to the note listed below.
>>
Oh! Now you've spoiled it!
just wondered if when buying a towbar for a 306 the car has the holes already drilled? i havent had a look im only thinking about getting one as its about £30 to get
cheers Read more
Hi
Yes the 306 is already pre drilled for the tow bar.
Theres also a handy rubber grommit in the corner of the boot floor just waiting to have the wires feed through too.
Im after a good car air con engineer in Leicester, as my car requires a regass.
Apart the usual yellow pages of course
Thanks in advance
Read more
I have someone who will come to my home and do it for cash (!) for £45 and seems to know what he?s talking about and is a full time refrigeration engineer in the commercial sector.
All other suggestions are still most welcome
>>
IIRC from previous threads is that regassing is not the only thing to consider. Good Car A/C specialists are more likely to know where the problem site are on specific models and hence be able to sort out problems efficiently.
Browse
Steve, every time you buy a car, you are going to lose part of its value in depreciation. In general, the more you spend, the more you'll lose.
So if you want to treat yoyrself to a special car down the road, the most effective way to get there is to buy a cheap car each time, and put some money aside towards your dream car. Put £1000 in a high-interst account, and you'll probably have £1100 after three years. Put it in a car, and you'd be very lucky to get £500 back after three years.
Of course, if you want to move upmarket in steps, that's a perfectly reasonable decision ... but don't kid yourself that it is getting you to your dream car as quickly as a savings account would.