March 2007
It seems that the Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall has copied the Fiat Panda due to the lack of copyright laws in China.
tinyurl.com/2vknwo
It is no doubt inferior in many ways, but the Chinese are not doing themselves any favours by allowing outright copying of a well known brand.
I had never heard fo this manufacturer (and a number of others) until I looked at the infomotori.co.uk web site.
The Japanese car designers originally copied American and European designs before learning how to fully design cars in all their aspects and now do this very very well. Should we expect the same from China?
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Roger
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
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As part of a belt-tightening drive, I am having a Seat Ibiza FR TDi on my company scheme for 6 months, so that I can have something stupid next time.
Anyone got good/bad/indifferent stories of them?
I will be sorry to see my A3 go, although I will not miss the hideous vile experience that is reverse in a DSG gearbox. I will be relieved to have a proper lever on the floor. Paddles and buttons bah humbug... never again!!! Read more
Glad I could be of assistance! Before my old A3 went I tried putting it into reverse, releasing the brake then letting it move before applying gas, this also worked well.
I'm still a lover of the DSG and it has been specified on my replacement A3 - approx 6 weeks until delivery!
Ive read a couple of places that Alfa Romeo have dumped more than half their dealers in a customer service drive and also made moves to attempt to improve their own customer service - is/has this happening/happened yet?
If so, anyone with an Alfa noticed a difference yet?
It certainly sounds like Alfa is taking customer service seriously which is great news esp if they want to take on the germans in a big way. Read more
Saved me from making a mistake in the end, at
least I don't have to amputate the kids legs now!
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when i was a kid, my sister and I went all the way from Blighty to Spain, via France in the back of an Austin Healey Sprite sat on two cushions........(chrome boot rack to help with the luggage)....my step-father was 6'4" so it was always a fight who had to sit behind him.
the following year it was in a Jag mk X which was from one end of the spectrum to the other, two kids in the back of that were totally lost
Say I upgraded the power and braking on a vehicle, does that legally permit me to tow a greater weight? Does the age of the vehicle (mfr date 1970) have any bearing on the answer? Read more
I was told by a lorry driver once that there is a rule that it should be 10bhp to every tonne at gross.
For instance if the gross weight of a loaded truck was to be carrying 40tonne theoetically (pardon the spelling) the power output should be 400 bhp, but isn't always a case as many trucks used in distribution are usually 360 bhp or under.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
The 3 year contract is shortly coming to an end on my 04 Honda Accord Diesel EX at 28000 miles (I live 3 miles from my ofice so comuting is not an issue) and apart from the tramlining problems (now sorted with Michelin Tyres) the car has been faultless. I want to come out of the company car system and fund the car myself as this will give me more flexibility in the future as to what car I want to drive rather than what is the best for BIK tax.
I have been given the option to buy the Accord at £12600 from the leasing company and as the car has been well looked after and only been driven by me this is tempting. However, I have found I could replace the Honda with a 06/56 plate Ford Mondeo Diesel Titanium (9000 miles) for similar money and this being a very new car benefit from the manufacturers warranty. Alternatively, I could purchase a comprehensive gold warranty from Warrenty Direct for around £320 per year for the Honda which is also quite reasonable.
What do you consider to be the best course of action? Read more
Thanks for all your input it's much appreciated.
Last night, 21st, I got off the ferry at Dover about 2100 , aiming for Oxford via the M20/25/40.
Coming out of the terminal there was a police notice saying the A20 was closed. Now I know I need the M20, but what I'm unlear about is whether the A20 is the route to it, and if so, whether it is that stretch of the A20 which is closed . So I follow my normal route , across the Dover seafront unitl I get tot he last roundabout where I find (1) yes, the A20 IS the road out; and (b) it's closed here. It says there is a diversion.
So we now go back down the seafront to the terminal, with all the lorries until I see the overpass which heads up to Ramsgate etc. My choices are (1) go back into the terminal (2) repeat the whole back to and fro; (3) take the overpass. At no point after the road closed did I or my passengers see any signs directing traffic to the "diversion".
So I end up taking this road, to Canterbury, A2, M2, A2, M25 thru Dartford, etc.
If there were any notices we didnt see them.
On Radio 5 they mentioned the closure and said there was a diversion on the A256 ?? Read more
Hi,
I've just bought a 2001 BMW 520i and am wondering where would be a good place to get it serviced? I live in E14 and any BMW specialists I've found listed are at least an hours drive away!
Also I understand that for automatic transmissions I need to get the the auto fluid changed by a transmission specialist since it's a "sealed for life" transmission. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Ideally I'm looking for a small garage who specialise in BMW's and who don't charge ridiculous rates... any advice would be greatly appreciated!
T. Read more
www.bmwtips.com/
Extremely usefull site.
Imagine overtaking this on a dark night.
englishrussia.com/?p=767 Read more
Yeah om, he should have sat one end or the other, not in the weak bit in the middle.
In the 10 years I have owned my 740 the power steering fluid level has dropped from the max mark on the reservoir dipstick to the min.
Should I be concerned about this inordinate loss of fluid? :)
Actually the serious question is that I have numerous unopened bottles of Castrol TQF transmission fluid (don't ask!) on which the label states that it is suitable for some power steering systems. As the Volvo is unlikely to last for more than another 10 years it is obviously uneconomic to purchase a whole new container of the correct stuff, does anyone know if the TQF is compatible with the Volvo rack. I don't suppose a top-up will do any harm in any case, but if it is OK I may as well use up the TQF by doing a fluid change, the original stuff has been in there so long the colour is indeterminate
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One mans junk is another mans treasure Read more
Steptoe,
You are indeed very wise to wait for warmer weather.
When I replaced the Power steering fluid on my wife's 740 in the depths of winter, I managed to break the pipe stub off the reservoir (its made of plastic), while removing the hose. As the vehicle was not allowed to be off the road, I ended up fabricating a reservoir out of a old metal brake fluid can.
I used Castrol Dextron III ATF
I went in to my local branch of a well known fast fit chain today for a pre-booked oil and filter chain. I noticed that they seemed to have all new staff since my last visit about five months ago. With the forum's policy in mind I shall of course not divulge their name....
SNIP 8< - you didn't think you'd really get away with that, did you Tom? DD
Anyway, left the car with them and spent an hour kicking my heels round town while the job was being done. When I returned the fitter was closing the bonnet, so thinking the job was done I wandered over. I was then informed that they could not change the oil because someone had rounded the drain plug nut. On seeing my raised eybrows the guy told me that they did not have a socket that would grip it, and when i suggested a mole grip he cocked a deaf 'un. I pointed out that they had done the last change so their fitter must have damaged it, and asked when they would be able to do it.
This was answered with a shrug of the shoulders and a suggestion that I take it somewhere else before he walked away! No rudeness or shouting on my part, so i said nothing that could have put his back up. I've had all my oil changes done by them, plus tyres and Mots, same with the other half's car, plus having motorcycle tyres fitted in return for a drink.
I suppose they can afford to lose the business, the one man band I went to in a small village later in the day was happy to do the job in twenty minutes, including the rounded sump plug. I though that sort of attitude to customers had died out years ago.
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I've extolled the virtues of the Furham branch of Rapid Fit many times in this site, it's one of only ywo garages where I don't think I've been deliberately messed about!
Blue
Browse
Cheap as chips as they've not invested anything in R&D.