February 2007
Below is a transcript of e-mails with the DVLA. I could have sworn it was possible to find out more information than what they have given me...
Thank you for your email.
I'm afraid it is not possible to disclose the current keeper details, and the keeper history of the vehicle is only available to the current registered keeper.
Regards
-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: 05/02/2007 23:09:46
To:
Subject: RE: Classic Car Query
Thanks ? do you have details of the last owner, and the previous date of owner change? We sold it in 1990 if I remember rightly, to a gentleman from Uxbridge, but it would be nice to know of its history since then.
Thanks again for any help!
--------------------------------
From: vehicles.dvla@gtnet.gov.uk [mailto:vehicles.dvla@gtnet.gov.uk]
Sent: 05 February 2007 15:40
To: Me
Subject: RE: Classic Car Query
Thank you for your email.
I can confirm we do hold a record on this registration mark GYM505C but it is currently unlicensed.
Regards
MISS T D DAVIES
www.direct.gov.uk/motoring
[THREAD ID:1-FHK2V]
-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: 04/02/2007 19:59:03
To:
Subject: Classic Car Query
Hi,
I was wondering if you would be able to tell me if the car ' GYM 505C ? (A grey 1965 Hillman Super Minx) is still ?on the road? today?
Thanks
Read more
also the Mercedes has to be kept in sport mode permanently to give respectable performance, whereas it was
hardly needed with the Audi.
It's not Sport - it's Standard! Comfort starts in 2nd gear and is really meant for winter use (it used to be labelled W).
There's a slight possibility the dash might have to come out of my car.
If it does, is there any sense in replacing the heater matrix while it's out as this is also a dash out job.
I'm thinking it might save trouble in the future?
Car is a 2002 plate SEAT Toledo (Think VW Bora) Read more
My 2000 Passat had a Valeo matrix. It was a pink fluffy dice to replace - took me 3 days but I'm an amateur. It took me 1/2 a day to get the steering wheel off......
{Please don't try evading the swearfilter, or next time I might delete rather than edit - DD}
Is it me, or is the general standard of driving getting worse? On my way into Leeds today revealed impressive tailgating on the M62 in the snow, and in Leeds itself as I stopped to let someone across a zebra crossing, I was overtaken by a white van, who nearly squashed the girl crossing the road! Read more
Yes,I think there are those who consider themselves unlikely to be punished for poor driving these days.The fact that it may also cause an accident that may injure them doesn't seem to occur to them,cocooned in their modern 'accident proof 'cars.Also in Leeds the other day I followed a car that went straight through red lights at mid cycle.Luckily the female ped about to step into the road to cross was sharp enough to realise he was not stopping.
Hi all,
Yesterday as I left work my speedometer and rev counter appeared to stop working. I decided to go to the garage today, but then this morning by all miracles it was working again. Great I thought. However, leaving work again it appears to have stopped working. I did think it may be a fuse problem, but now doubt this. Computer and internal lights working etc.
I presume this is a loose wire - any ideas what I should be jigging around - don't want to electrocute myself. I was shunted 3 weeks ago, so wonder if this is a contributing factor? Take it for it's repairs on Wednesday so may say this has been done since the accident.
Read more
Thanks guys - done as suggested and no luck. I took it to an autoelectricians who has had a look and thinks the whole speedometer needs replacing as it's still clocking up miles and working intermitantly. He thinks about £300 which I'm not going to go through with. He might be able to get me one from the scrapie though, so will wait and see.
Fiesta MK3. I'm going to change the O/S/F lower suspension arm complete with ball joint. In order to separate the ball joint do I need to lever the hub up a bit allowing the lower arm to drop so that the ball joint spindle can clear the spindle carrier ? Also to slip in the new ball joint spindle into the carrier levering up again? I seem to remember doing something like this on another car Read more
That a great help thanks very much.
Driving around in the snow this morning I saw a car skid out of control and it did a full 360+ degree turn. I have never had the experience of skidding like this and thought what would you do to help yourself control the vehicle. I googled "how to control a skid" and it talks about doing what comes un-natural and steer into the skid (to me this would seem the most natural thing to do) - So am I right in thinking that if the rear of your car is trying to overtake you on the offside you steer the wheel to the right (in effect correcting the slide) or do you turn with the direction the car to do a 360? Read more
I saw
a BMW 1 and Mazda RX8 stuck with wheels spinning on
roads that did not tax my mere Ford Ka.
That's because they are rear-drive with little weight over their (wide) driven wheels whereas your Ka is front drive, most weight over (skinny) driven wheels. It is for this reason that you still see a surprising number of 2CVs in the Swiss Alps - they make almost perfect snow cars. Not even any plumbing to freeze up.
One question. How good is the 2.0l, 160bhp engine in the new Legacy. I've read a few reviews that it's a bit gutless. I know there is a few owners on here who may be able to help.. Read more
It depends what you want. If most of your driving is suburban, and you like a relaxed drive without much effort, then the 2.0 litre is the one. The automatic is very relaxed. I go up country lanes periodically, and I changed to the 2.5 litre Outback because of the greater ground clearance and the different torque characteristic at low revs.
Just read in todays paper that for every £100 we pay for Comp. cover the insurance companies payout £82 in claims. That's a hell of a lot of crashes/thefts. Read more
Dunno about garage profit margins so can't comment.
>>Insurance co's tend to be unwieldy organisations with high internal costs
Not so much as they used to be. And in fact in the motor areas they're fairly efficient (in comparison to their awful state a few years ago). The other areas which are not under such price pressures tend to be more inefficient.
>>Remember that they have your premium to invest for 12 months - so if they pay out 1:1 they can still make some money.
Your principle is certainly corrrect although you omit two significant costs - commision (anywhere from 7.5% to 35% depending on teh broker) and the costs of running their business (still significant).
A couple of months ago I got a new job and with it a monthly car allowance as part of my salary. I got a VW Touran as I needed the space for the family etc. However, for a number of reasons, I need to downgrade the car to something smaller and more economical as I can't afford the repayments on the Touran with some new financial responsibilites on the horizon and sadly won't need something of that size either.
Does anyone have any experience of changing their PCP agreement to allow them to change their vehicle and make lower payments?
Any comments would be appreciated. Read more
Are you doing business miles in the car, and, if so, are you claiming the tax back?
Browse
Unlicenced means no tax, but the car could have also been scrapped - the website won't tell you that.
We also sold a car (an Escort) to a 'restorer', and it was off the road at the next tax due date, and hasn't been back since 1998.
If the car is still around, it will have been sitting for 17 years, which is a pretty long time, but can happen. The fact that the car wasn't taxed at all since the owner bought it though makes me suspect he bought it as a donor.
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Mike Farrow