June 2007
Having just returned from a very pleasant 10 days and 2700 miles throughout France, I thought I would share some thoughts and observations with you. Partly this is for those off abroad in the next few months, and partly as there's not much on at work..
Travelled out and back with P&O - still very civilised, and good that they are flexible enough to allow you to travel if you arrive early. The other side, there are now far more cameras detecting speed than there were on my last visit, which was only October time. There is one about 4 miles off the ferry on the main A26. Fortunately, all the cameras in fixed locations are signed, and the camera shows up about 700 metres afterwards. Roads - lovely and smooth, and very little congestion, even going through Rouen at Friday evening rush hour.
Cameras all the way south down to Cahors and then Toulouse to Collioure (far South Med coast) and again along the bottom of France, and up the motorway through Millau. Millau - what a sight! coming round the corner to be confronted with the spikes elicited a "Good God" from me. Fantastic sight. Also fantastic was the sight of a Gendamerie Subaru parked up at the toll booths, lurking.
Run up to Orleans also fun and camera laden, together with unmarked camera cars. These are plain estate cars, parked on the hard shoulder, usually immediately after a bridge, with a camera in the back, and flashlight rather cleverly built into the tailgate. I saw 3 of these over the 10 days. Orleans to Paris (100 miles) had 3 marked cameras, 2 unmarked cameras and another lurking Gendamerie Subaru. Perepherique was OK, though I really think it is high time for an outer Paris ring road, along M25 lines (though preferably without the traffic!)
Total mileage 2704, average 29.5 mpg (not bad for a Volvo S80 2.4 with a heavy foot) and not a murmur of mechanical difficulty. I love France, and also managed 125 bottles of vin rouge... Just waiting for the next trip!
O
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Career: (n) Job, profession.
(v) Downhill, rapidly, out of control. Read more
Hi,
Car failed MOT at weekend on a leaky fuel pipe. Tester not very helpful as to pointing out where leak coming from, just says I need a new fuel pipe and watching his hand run from back to front of car was not reasurring. Any way call round a few motor factors including the European specialists and they have said the "fuel pipe" is a dealer only part. Called local Audi dealer and was quoted £190 for a fuel pipe.
Any ideas as it seems a lot for a fuel pipe. Any suggestions appreciated
TIA
Car Audi 80 2.0E 93'L Read more
Well thanks for all advice
I have a local mechanic has obtained some generic fuel pipes and has traced the leak. And this weekind is going to shape and replace the pipe.
Thanks to all
I will report back if the retest goes OK
Does anyone know the type number for the infra-red key fob for the Mk V Ford Fiesta as I need a new one. Read more
take it to the dealer let him sort it,its about £100 ish though
form an orderly queue - a snip at £1,000,000
tinyurl.com/3922r7
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"My Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi can almost do that, and it costs a fraction of the price to buy."
And how many miles could you do for the price difference? I could drive a Bentley Contintental GT for quite a few miles for the price difference between a £115k car and a £1m car. In fact a second hand Mclaren F1 might go quite far on the change from £1M!
If we could afford a £1m car would we be worried about mpg?? Strange marketing.
My car's done around 92k and I'm wondering what kind of life expectancy I'll get. How many miles has yours done and is it still going strong? Read more
Provided the correct oil is used and cambelts are replaced on time and done properly, these rattly old TDI's go on for years.
ok i changed a caliper and have now got spongey brakes and a wierd clutch( only bled the one caliper so far)
so i know the sequence for doing the 4 wheels bleeding , but when do i do the clutch or doesnt it matter when?
it shares the resovuior with the brakes , and has what i believe is called a master cly( bit attached to pedal) and the slave (attached to g/box) , id also like to know what order theyre are bled in ?
i dont have a manual as its a rare factory made g60 1991 golf and most golfs had the cable cltuch
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Yes ago on a Hillman Imp I had a shared resevoir and work on the brakes upset the clutch, so it is probalaly best to do brakes first, then the clutch, especially as the clutch only has one simple circuit.
It's mid-June and my copy of Classic and Sportscar has reached deepest France.
In it I've found a full-page advert for a company called Bespoke Paint Protect Ltd that offers to use 'total car wrapping' to coat your vehicle with an invisible paint-protection thermoplastic called VentureShield that will 'withstand years of stone-chipping, aggressive abrasion from the environment and track day or off-road events'. It allegedly has a lifetime guarantee and has been 'rigorously tested and approved around the world with leading OEMs such as Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Ford and GM'.
This coating is said to safeguard bodywork integrity and maintain the car's asset value (although there's no mention of what happens when panels rust through from inside).
This service costs 3,500 pounds inclusive, or 995 pounds for just bumpers and side skirts.
The firm has a website.
I guess if you've just spent 150,000 pounds on an Aston Martin DB5 this seems a pretty cheap way to keep it shiny, but it seems a bit steep to me.
Anybody heard of the stuff or knows what it's like?
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>>>>(although there's no mention of what happens when panels rust through from inside).<<<<<<<<<<
How about filling them with ultra-seal before they puncture :-)
What documents will be required to walk with a pedestrian motor mower on the pavement.
Will I need a drivers licence and insurance to go between two properties walking behind on the pavement? Read more
Am I not breaking any laws at all as it is not my grass I
am cutting and actually have to access it via the highway and cross to the
other side.
Presumeably that's a ride on mower, so I would imagine that you are breaking a lot of laws.
In the OP's case, in the event of some horrible accident, would his household insurance still cover his liability to third party's once he was off his own property?
The question often intrigues me that why only Hyundai (and Kia also on Cee'd) gives 5-year warranty on all their cars! Why the other manufacturers falling behind? The Honda & Toyota are often considered ultimate word for reliability but why they and other Japanese brands are hesitating to offer such warranty?
Interestingly, most manufactuers in USA give 10-yr engine and transmission warranty along with 5-yr full warranty!
Not only that, car price is much lower in USA. Looks like what we pay in £ they pay in $.
Also, UK buyers are offered lower spec cars. Example, Suzuki Swift 1.3 GL doesn't come with A/C in UK but it does in continental Europe! Hyundai's new Accent Atlantique has only 3-dr 1.4 engine in UK. But in USA, it has several engines with 5-dr model options! Evan Asian countries often get better spec cars than us! Read more
>how many young mums are driving these
Not round my way. Great grand mums maybe.
They are bought round here on the the assumption that the buyer will die before the warranty ends.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
Hello
i am looking at a 2004 new shape freelander 1.8 s station wagon , anything to look out for?
any head gasket troubles etc Read more
My extensive mine of useless Land Rover information doesn't extend to Freelanders but if you are interested in using one off-road make sure it's got the optional traction aids. I used to do Land Rover RTV trials and once a standard Freelander made us all sit up and take notice as it performed well over the course. Ground clearance seems to be its Achilles heel, though.
Browse
Isn't proof that you own the car (or that you have the owner's permission to use it) a pre-requisite for driving in France? It's one of the things the Gendarmerie will expect you to produce if you're stopped. When I had company cars, I used to have to get a Vehicle On Hire document from the lease company; now it's my own, I take the V5.