July 2007
Astra 2000 Sept, 1.6 16v LS estate has 15inch wheels fitted. The handbook specifies 14inch only for the 16v version, the 8v having 15inch.
Please can anyone shed light on the effects of this vis-a-vis ride characteristics with hard fuel saver tyres, etc.,
Also would not the speedo, odometer and trip all under reading by 7%???
Regards
Brian
{car details added to subject header - DD} Read more
Does anyone in the trade ever see mint `retirement cars` 15yrs or so old, yet like new?
I see what I assume are retirement cars now and then, driven by a younger driver, perhaps inherited?
Often 15 years old and yet looking as though they have never seen a winter, or stood out in the summer sun.
I was looking at an red Peugeot, going past recently. Fifteen years old, red paint and all... looking like brand new.
really new that is, almost like a timewarp, if it existed, would present one.
I guess its quite reasonable for someone buying their last car new, to keep it in a heated garage when its salty on the roads or even wet.
To use the free bus pass and let the car stay pristine in bad weather.
Whats the best example seen? in common cars that is, not the Lord in his Manor with a brace of Bentleys.
Regards Read more
If it's 15 years old regardless of what condition it's in I wouldn't want it. 15 years old is old hat out-of-date old technology. Eugh!
That's right, new technology is always better isn't it? And you never see a new car with problems, they never appear at the dealers until they're at least 4 years old ;-)
I see that Hillingdon is now providing town centre parking spaces for oldies, defined as 50 or over, designated by the 'bendy-couple with stick' symbol.
Sounds to me like a recipe for plenty of arguments.
Oz (as was) Read more
L`escargot, I saw one ( dis scooter) that was homemade a few years back. It looked like the base of an industrial pulling machine of some sort and the guy had an armchair mounted on it. (Only in West Yorkshire......... :):)
Further to BBD's comments in another thread, yes blue Imprezzas with gold wheels looked OK in 1996 though IMO the colour doesnt do anything for the car now days.
Mondeo STs look OK in their slightly less lairy though similar blue however, as with Imprezzas, they look much better in silver or a metallic dark grey.
MG ZTs were tastfully sporty in silver or grey, OK in red or BRG though simply OTT in a similar metallic blue.
I saw a new Octavia VRS the other day that looked all-dressed-up-with-no-one-to-race in its shiny Subaru blue though would have looked sublty sporty in a more restrained colour.
Various Clios, 206/7s and small Toyotas are similarly afflicted.
I dont think I would avoid a second hand car just because of it being Subaru blue though to me the colour just does not appeal.
Any thoughts? Read more
Last run of the current shape is the GB270 which will be 400 of the 4 dr and 100 of the 5 door Subaru Blue for the 4 door and Grey for the wagon. I reckon Subaru know what their market expects/wants.
I have a 2 year old Fiat Panda 4x4 with a small problem. Water leaks into one of the headlamps due to a faulty seal on the back panel. How do I know that? Well, I have examined the seal and it clearly fails to make contact at one point. In addition, it is only in wet conditions that the water enters the lamp.
However, Fiat's "cure" for this has been to instruct the dealer to drill 5 very big holes in the back panel, thus removing any watertight properties the unit had. I can see how they are thinking. They assume this is condensation and are trying to remove the water by increased condensation. Might work in the hot Italian climate but not here in the UK. So what will happen now is that water repeatedly entering the unit will eventually destroy it along with the wiring and electricals of the aim adjuster. However, by the time this happens the car will be well out of warranty.
Nice one Fiat.
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Thanx all. When I speak to the service manager on his return from holiday next week I shall refer to all your comments here as bad publicity often seems to get results. Small claims court is a viable option as the headlamp unit has now been rendered unfit for purpose by the dealer.
Today my partner phones to say our 530d has the alternator light and ive called" rac" who come out and say nothings wrong
On way home the light comes on and stays on ,managed to limp it home .
Im on my way home in a Ford Ka and the engine light comes on just a mile away from home ,so thats going back to BT to be sorted
So ive given my partner my BMW to drive tommorow and i got a Combo from my yard which weve had a while,pulled on to my drive and it died and refused to start
Finally did start a few minutes later and its got no power and worst of all ive no transport tommorow !!
What a crappy day!!!!!
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What a crappy day!!!!!
The day was OK, it was the cars which were crappy!
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L\'escargot.
Ka van 02 52 reg
Engine light came on tonight ,doesn't appear to drive any different any one know what it could be ?
They don't have a service light do they ,as it has done 10k since last one?
sight tweak to subject line -PU
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Could be anything, you'll need to have the fault code read at a garage.
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Mike Farrow
We are a car dealer in surrey ,we have had a dire year i have stock here from xmas and we are now in july!!
Is it the same for others ,i know locally all the non frachised dealers are moaning or closing up and working from yard /or home
Even ebay hasnt been busy lately and autotrader is just a waste of money
Recession coming? ,interest rates going up causing this ?
You comments please
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Reading some of these posts, makes me glad we sold the site, a couple of years back & am making a reasonable living, just buying to order, for people kind enough to recommend me, or who I have supplied cars & vans to, in the past.
The BIG difference between the early 90's 'slowdown' & now, certainly for van sales, is it'd be difficult to repeat the terrific groth our business had during the years which saw lots of working men, layed off, with little chance of another employer, to take them on too easily.
As this was just the same time, the major utilities, went private, also loosing staff, but consequently having 100's of low value, but well maintained vans, to be rid of. (Think BT & all those yellow vans, on our streets, back then)
I could have a new self employed plumber/electrician/builder on the road, for £1000 & he'd still have a few £$£$ redundancy for his tools & advertising himself - & no shortage od work, if he bothered to get up in the mornings!
You couldn't do that now. Big business lease their vehicles, don't have any over capacity on their fleets, keep them 3 years & still want retail prices, when they get to auction.
& when any reasonable, banger priced motor comes along, our enterprising Polish builders will have it before anyone else gets a sniff!!
But for some reason, I do still miss doing an auction every day & complaining about the traffic, wating a tank of diesel & not even coming second on a bid....HAPPY DAYS!!
VB
My company car is currently up for renewal soon and I'm thinking about taking the money instead as the car is purely a perk and I dont need it for business. I've really enjoyed the 120d and will be v sorry to see it go - in fact I might yield to temptation and get another, or perhaps hold out until the 123d comes out. (PS I'm not really interested in opinions on the 1 series, after 3 years I know what I need to !!)
However I'm quite keen to improve the old cashflow and am toying with spending upto 5k on a 5 door Impreza Turbo. I'm aware fuel consumption will be poor relatively but I''m interested in your opinions as to the pro and cons. I confess I've never driven one, but the general concensus seems to be that they are basic inside but a are a hoot when on the move.
A quick scan on autotrader says there are plenty about but many seem to be 'molested' 260/280/300 bhp etc. (What is the standard power output ?
I do about 14k miles a year, so at this sort of age am I buying myself trouble or could I have the best of both worlds ?
Thanks P
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If you can post the part numbers/suppliers info that would be appreciated. 2005 Leggy 2.5
Tourer.
OK, just about to go out now, but will post details later.
I need to tap a hole for a 1/8th NPT fitting (for a boost gauge). But I can't find a tap anywhere. Is it the same as BSPF? Read more
email me and i'll send u an 1/8 npt tap
do u want spiral point/ spiral flute or hand tap??
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sometimes a little bit too much opinion....but its only because i care !!!
Browse
Thanks Kith and DD, I found out from my local Vauxhall dealer that the car was factory fitted with 5J 15 inch wheels and 186/65 R 15 H tyres as are now fitted.
This begs the question why does the handbook specify 186/65 R 14 H for the 16v??? typo?
Car bibles is very good - thanks
brian