May 2007
Going north bound on Devon section of the M5 tonight about 2 miles from the Somerset border and spotted what looks like the PIPS Spike system bolted to the railings on a bridge. Consists of small light grey tubes,one over each carriageway. Thought at first these were speed cameras but a bit of digging tonight has revealed they are probably ANPR devices. Can anybody confirm this (and the location too) Read more
***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 13 *****
**** This thread follows on from VOLUME 11 *****
Another thread for commenting on rare, unusual, old or just plain daft cars etc.
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Slightly surreal moment near Edenbridge this afternoon two austin princess (wedge shaped) both looked better than I remember most of them when they were new
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A rather tatty Ferrari 250 Testarossa on the M25 coming back from the FOS at Goodwood on Friday night. Typical Italian electrics - only one brake light worked. It sounded dead gorgeous though.
Well,
Picked it up yesterday afternoon and it was all mine for 4 whole hours. The roads were quiet thanks to some obscure football match and the weather variable from dry to damp to wet and back again. It was driven along duals and Mways and more interestingly along A and Bs......
The Car.
Was a demonstration 335 saloon with 1.7k on the clock, it came in a light metallic blue with a tan leather interior, it had a horrid (to me) sequential auto (about 1.5k on the price), tan leather interior (about 1.2k apparantly) 18" optional alloys (I think they're about £500). Anyway, the engine is probably the best six cylinder BMW motor I have ever been behind, no make that the best petrol engine I've ever been behind - ever. There are few superlatives without resorting to clichés to describe this motor. totally compliant in town, with a heart of pure gold on the back roads, total smoothness and near silence (apart from what I suspect is a tuned exhaust sound), I have seen a BMW bike ad with the by-line "Unleash Civilization" it would certainly suit this car - it is a beast in an Armani suit....brilliant brilliant motor. Everything is just right inside, the leather's aromatic properties overcome the trend of recent BMWs to smell gluey, I immediately felt at home in this car, I could close my eyes and know I was in a three series despite the fact I'd never driven the latest shape version. Just right.
Roadwise.
BMW seem to have overcome the problems they had with the run flats, despite it's 18 inch wheels, the ride was flat and smooth (definitely smoother than SWMBO's Golf), handling on some of my favourite bends was predictable and as safe as anything, there is no drama in this car, everything happened as expected. overtaking was totally effortless (as it should be) - maybe it was slightly disengaging to drive, only because it is so good, very very good. To me this is the acme of the chassis and engine maker's art but it didn't make me want it enough, everything is so sorted, so competent that it fails to thrill. I have to be honest Tony Pond's IoM video was very much in my mind when I tripped this car. I swear if I took the Golf along these roads it would excite and involve me more. it even failed to skit across the acres of white lines that decorate one of my bends like the five does and maybe that summed it up - too sorted. Nice car though.
I'll buy one of these when I'm sixty. Read more
if you want to enjoy yourself, get a classic......something like a TR6/ 20 yr old 911/ Austin Healey 3000/ E Type (if you can afford it), etc
then you can use a modern, reliable, possibly boring machine everyday when you need/want the comfort reliability etc......and enjoy yourself when it's play time
ive got an inspection lamp (240v) normal size bulb rough service, with a bayonet cap but i want to put a 12v bulb in it , i cant find one any where , do they exist so i can cut the plug off the lead and put croccodile clips and run it off a car battery, so basically i need a 12v 50 watt bayonet capped bulb? cheers Read more
They cause letters to get mixed up - "viewing"
Warning light not illuminating on dash when ignition is switched on.
But when main wiring harness is disconnected from abs module warning light illuminates.
ABS module has been to specialist reparer and has checked out ok.
Also diagnostic equipment has been unable to link with ecu both at the specialist and by two other systems.
As of yet I have not taken car to the agents?
Any help or ideas would be very welcome. Read more
Hi Screwloose,
Latest developments, tried the screwdriver levering the e.c.u against the modulator body no success, I took the chance and purchased a second hand e.c.u unit plugged it in and bingo the a.b.s warning light lit on the ignition test but failed to go out after about 2-3 seconds, so plugged the the scanner in and it communicated with the e.c.u and came up with o/s/r wheel sensor u/s so tuesday i will change that and see if all is ok.
I will let you know the final outcome,
John
Hello, the car is a 1999 T reg volvo s40 2litre 16v wih 150k on the clock and FSH.
the problem is since friday it has started to jump out of 5th gear. it only does it when lifting off the throttle at about 60-70mph, if you put it straight back in then it jumps out immediately, if you accelerate then put it in then it will stay in for awhile. at town speeds and below 50mph it is fine, there are no noises whines etc. from the box.
things tried so far are, new gear linkage bushes fitted, has greatly improved the change but not fixed the issue, also i have got some parts left over in the kit that i can't seem to find a place to fit, i have replaced the bushes on the gear lever under the centre console, the bushes at the base of the gear lever under the car were it meets the long linkage, and the other end of the long linkage where it meets the gearbox, but ive still got 2 big nylon bushes left and 2 smaller ones along with 2 o rings. i suspect these possibly go on the smaller bar that goes into the gearbox that is joined to the long linkage at the gearbox end. can anyone confirm this?
also i have changed the gearbox oil and refilled with 3.5 litres of comma ep75-80w which is the correct spec, there were no traces of metal in th old oil. and i have checked the engine.gearbox mountings as best i can by rocking the engine, and also revving it when stationary and can't find any excessive movement.
and as it's a renault box ive had the gearbox carter of the end and double checked the torque of the nut on the 5th gear cluster which is fine although ill be fitting a new nut anyway tomorrow but this is a known problem with this gearbox so i checked it anyway.
so does anyone have anymore ideas? i really need to know where the remaining bushes go incase that is the issue, i am also about to go check the linkage alignment although i don't suspect this to be the cause as it's so specific when it happens and i wouldn't think a bit of misalignment would throw it out of gear
any help greatly received
chris Read more
yes ive checked the mountings. it isn't the cable operate linkage. after adjusting the linkage some more it seems better but still does it just not so frequently. i have also managed to find another worn bush in the linkage which wasn't in my refurb kit so ill get that 2mrw and hopefully that should be it
cheers
chris
See this report:
tinyurl.com/34x2c7
The headline may not accurately reflect what the council has said, but charging people by the length of their vehicle can not be described as helping to choose a green car. Maybe in crowded residential streets it may encourage people to have small cars so you fit more in, but that can only work if people park correctly.
If, and a big if, the council thinks this will cut emissions then a 15 year old Fiesta is going to pump out more nasties than a brand new Ford Mondeo. Then there is diesel versus petrol argument.
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Just to try them out, and not because I am really bothered about my leccy bill, I bought some GU10 fitting LED lights; they give out about 60watts of equivalent light and burn just 2 watts. I agree about the heating effect of normal bulbs but I found that my lights, in mini spot reflectors got way too hot and burned out in way less than the 1000 hours claimed, and at some expense.
Wheelhouse in Bell Road are selling Gardena through feed car wash brushes IIRC £2.99 vs full price of £10+
Lots of other Gardena stuff too. Read more
Just came back from a week in Puglia, and for the first time rented a car as we were staying somewhere really remote.
Was hesitant about doing this , as my observations of driving in Italy havent been good. I expected it might be worse in the cities, but the only one we really spent time in was Lecce, which is not very big.
My observations- if you can avoid it, dont do it. I get wound up by some drivers here but by comparison we are superb. Appalling lack of consideration for others, lack of concern for personal safety or those of passengers ( I lost track of the number of children unbelted, in the front, and I reckon general use of seatbelts well under 20%). Obsessive use of mobiles while driving ..complete disregard for speed limits, no overtaking zones..some appalling road surfaces and signing.
Two examples I will remember for some time..
Crossing the street in a town called Ostuni , on a ped crossing, we had to slap a car on the bonnet to stop it driving into my daughter. The driver was on her phone and had a child about two sprawled across the back seat.
In another town I watched somebody parked near the corner of a street , couldnt be bothered to negotiate a U-turn to go in chosen direction, simply reversed blind around the corner at speed to achieve the same effect.
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On the whole I agree with Michael. As reported an another post, I recently drove across Naples in the evening rush hour. It was unnerving, but you needed to get used to it, simply to avoid a nervous breakdown and make progress. Every driver just aims to push forward as far as possible - if the traffic comes to a halt, someone will squeeze their car between you and the next one, oblivious to any lane markings.
On the move, everyone drives like hell - accelerator/brake and so on, weaving in and out, changing lane, overtaking, oblivious to any risk. Another feature is the sudden unannounced three-point turn. Pedestrians expect to cross anywhere, not only at crossings, provided the traffic is not moving fast, and if you stop for them, but rev your engine impatiently, they will stand in front of you and give you the hard stare.
I don't doubt it is more dangerous to drive in this way; as someone above has said, anticipation is poor and there isn't much room, ever, between you and the surrounding traffic, so there's not much margin for error. But it is all done without malice. I never saw anyone get cross.
The only really scary moment I had was when someone flung open a car door just as I was passing; how I missed it I don't know.
However, it's sink or swim! And I lived to tell the tale!
do you think you would pass your driving test if you were to have to resit it today?
{Subject header given a more meaningful title - DD} Read more
Apparently not "making progress" is a key reason why many people fail. So we're probably all OK on that point. ;)
I wonder if the queen's name should be attached to these kind of enterprises. How about "The Erich Mielke Award".