April 2007
Summers on its way and I'm thinking of what to buy as a second car for some fun. I've not really set a budget, but realistically I'd like to keep it below £20k ish. Whatever I buy will have to cope with the occasional trackday.
Possibles so far are:-
Caterham 7, anything from a 1600 classic to an R300. Much as I'd love the performance of the R500, I can't be doing with the thought of 3000mile (I did type that right, three thousand mile) cambelt changes!! I've owned a 1700 Supersprint before and they're so much fun when its not raining. I'd love another one but I rather fancy something a little different.
Arial Atom. This is a car that I know absolutely nothing about, except that its quick. Anyone know just how impractical they are?
Radical SR3. This is going to be above budget, but I think the fun should be worth it. They're allegedly more capable over a speedbump in road legal form than a Caterham but just how harsh is the suspension on real roads?
--
I read often, only post occasionally Read more
Driving a petrol Accord for the first time today, doing about 75mph in lane 3 passing a long line of slower moving traffic with all vehicles in my lane doing this speed. Motorbike weaves in behind me but for some reason doesn't pass, just sits there inches away from the bumper. I was aware I couldn't do any braking while he was there so decided to increase the gap between me and the car in front so I can slow gently if there's a problem.
Tapped the decelerate button on the cruise control and the automatic gearbox drops into 3rd gear with a jerk as the car slows and climbs an incline - motorbike misses the back of the car by inches (and only by a violent swerve on his part) and squeezes past with unpleasant gesticulations etc.
If he'd come off on the motorway there wouldn't be much left of him - and I suspect I'd be languishing in a police cell as it was technically my fault for slowing unexpectedly. Ironically, it had just been mentioned on the radio that Devon sees the highest rate of motorcycle fatalities in the country and I can well understand why!! Read more
Slight contradiction there, why tap the decelerate button when you wanted
to open the gap, why not simply put you foot down
or tap the accelertae button? Or is that the point, that
you were not used to the car >>Driving a petrol Accord
for the first time >> ?"
OP - "I wanted to increase the distance between myself and
the car in front" - doesn't that necessitate slowing down, hence
the use of the decelerate button?
Doh, I read it wrongly, I thought he wanted to increase the distance between himself and the bike.
OK, so perhaps what he could have done is gently braked, the braked lights would have warned the biker where as the use of cruise to slow the car gave no such warning.
I dont condone the biker's road positioning by the way.
I am looking to buy a more upmarket car for daily use. I prefer estates, but not essential, and again prefer diesel to petrol. Thinking about a Merc E320 CDi. Any suggestions? Read more
Certainly look at the Mercedes and BMW, but also try to test-drive the Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI and the Saab 9.5 estate, also a 3.0 TDI. Perhaps a Jaguar X-type, although the only diesel is the 2.0 / 2.2 Mondeo unit.
If you want lots of space, the Volvo V70 has many fans, and finally there's the Honda Accord Tourer,
My Rover 75 Diesel has started giving out a blast of white smoke from the exhaust when you put your foot down to overtake. I expect black smoke in this situation with a diesel engine, but what does white smoke mean? Read more
Also a leaking turbo seal on the exhaust side can cause this. How many miles has the car done, does the oil level stay constant between changes?
Ive got a 99/T punto 60sx which has got 70k on the clock.
Ive owned it 8 months, about 2 months after i got it it started leaking water in the passenger footwell. There also seems to be water behind the dashboard as well sometimes which you can hear running along when you turn. The car sometimes fills with condensations
It does seem to happen whenever it rains, so i presume that has a lot to do it with. This doesnt happen alot but figured it may be something to do with the main fault.
I can start and run the car for ages or for a ten minute trip to the shop, and then if i turn it off and come back to it in like10mins or so it wont start again till about 1/2 hour. This started around 2 months after i owned it too, altho it doesnt happen lots either, and seemed to stop when it got serviced in january.
It went to a garage who checked the heating manifold pressurised it and it was all fine. And they couldnt find a reason for it leaking water or for why it doesnt always start.
I can live with the water but i'd at least like it to start when i turn the key, anyone any ideas?
(its also making a grinding sound when turning left, and rattling - altho i think thats cause its due for a new exhaust - might not be anything to do with but just thought id mention it) Read more
and do you not think the water in the footwell/behind the dashboard ocassionally, is adding to the problem of it not starting ?
I am baffled with this, firstly got a problem with wheel wobble or vibration coming through the steering wheel, both wheels have been balanced twice, both drive shafts have been replaced, and wheel bearings have been replaced, both lower arms have been replaced, checked the shock absorbers and they are fine, i purposely pushed the car down on each side, and just bounces once and settles straight away, also the wheel alignment has been done, I am stuck with this, the weel wobble starts at between 50 and 60 mph any ideas anyone??
Adi Read more
If it still happens try to find a place that will do on the car wheel balancing. They should be able to identify the problem for you.
But not many places are able to do it.
Hi folks, I'm new here and hope that some of you technical geniuses can give me some advice!
I have a 180,000mile non turbo 1.9 diesel 405 and I ve noticed a lot of free play on the throttle spindle (Lucas pump) It moves about an inch before the engine speed increases and welly appears to be even less than usual. fuel consumption has also dropped into the 30s, is it time for a new pump?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Read more
That's a good result much hassle hassle than changing the pump. Should be ok for the mot smoke test if you haven't increased the fueling too much. Best regards
Can anyone recommend a garage that does 4-wheel alignemtn in the Epsom/Sutton/Croydon area of SW London... ?
My corolla needs the rear suspension re-adjusing as one tyre has worn on the inside edge. My local tyre place syas it needs a special tool they don't have. Also needs a little adjustment to front tracking too.
Is this somehting one has to book infor or are there places that you can drive in ??
Any ideas of cost/time ?
Thanks in advance ! Read more
There is a Kwik Fit in East Street, Epsom, which has a full set of alignment gear.
There have been a few posts about this big value for £$£$ car, but not too many around, usually.
This one is in www.woma.co.uk the independent auction, Witney, Oxon, Thursday 05 April.
NISSAN MAXIMA QX SE+ V6 AUTO - 2988cc 4dr Saloon Aug 2002 Grey Petrol Auto 99301 BY ORDER OF METROPOLITAN POLICE AUTHORITY
Can't i,agine it being an actual fleet vehicle, as such, but might well be ex National Crime Squad, covert operations.
Possibly a bargain barge, for someone!!
VB Read more
I think ashok is right. This will probably have been a senior officer's personal transport.
Firstly hi and be gentle as its a first post.
Right ive just bought a 03 mondeo tdci 115bhp and at first everything was ok. Yesterday driving home the battery warning light came on and now comes on about 30 seconds after the car is started.
I had the battery and alternator checked at a garage and they are both working and giving sufficient charge. When we had a look at the alternator it is clear that it is a new one and been installed recently.
I rang the trader who i bought the car off of and he said that when he bought the car the light was coming on aswell but after telling his mate to get a new one installed everything was ok (must of been because i bought it a couple of days ago and the light wasnt on). Anyone have any ideas why this is happenin?
Also the fella at the garage mentioned something about some pipes being left off of the alternator but that its not that important at the moment whats he on about?
Read more
so what you are saying is that the original problem was not the alternator and after him switching it has made the problem worse
Browse
No top at all with an atom IIRC, not sure you even get a windscreen. Do you want big and hairy, like a Dax Cobra, or something light and responsive like an Elise or Exige?