January 2008
Today I went to have a look at VW EOS, thinking about replacing my 2nd car this year, currently a PUG 406 Coupe. More than one review has put the EOS at top of the pile of Coupe/Cabriolet class.
Only sat in it in showroom, but was not impressed at feel of it. hard plastics on lower door and around elec window controls, not as good quality as the VW Bora I had in 2003-5. Obviously lifted straight out of latest Golf...
but worse... something else bugged me, and took me a while to figure... eventually I twigged that the centre section is lifted 100% from the Skoda Octavias that I often carried around in as they are so popular with local taxi drivers. yes there is some brushed aluminium surround and button caps, but really.... I can;t be interested in this car which as a 2nd and rather un-necessary car purchase is being considered largely as a feel good excercise...everytime I get in it, i will just think Skoda Octavia taxi.
Skoda drivers benefit hugely from this sharing, they get the same quality of fit and finish as VW in a cheaper package, but does it harm VW? especially at the more exclusive end of the car range?
I will go and look at the new Volvo C70 soon, and from what I have seen, the interior is not lifted out of a Ford Focus... so this is not a universal rant over platform sharing, I just wonder if VAG group have taken it too far.
When a car like a coupe/cabriolet is sold, it is largely sold for its looks and the way it makes the driver feel, for outright sportiness you would chooise something else, and for practicality, you certainly would. So VW I think have missed a trick here.
Guy Read more
My father was a decent sort of guy, fought with the RAF on Malta and on the continent following D day.
Came home on leave after years on Malta ( gaunt from the food shortages) managed to get up into Yorkshire and only had to get a bus to Rothwell, near Leeds.
The last bus to Leeds.... and he ran for it, (in uniform) but the driver saw him coming and floored the throttle while making eye contact with him as it pulled out of Wakefield.
He ran and was inches from the rail at the back.
He walked most of the way then, getting a lift from a market trader for the last mile or so.
Many years later as he was giving up car driving around 2001, he told me
" I never let a Bus out from a stop since 1945"
We all howled with laughter and disbelief that this caring and generous bloke could do that.
But when you reflect on his suffering and risk to his life, particularly on Malta, contrasted with the civilian bus driver...
I don`t think his generation would have been anywhere near as tolerant at some of the bad driving that we have discussed recently, do you?
All I can remember is that as a kid, we effectively had the `Armed Forces` as neighbours and in our own homes.
A Commando, Army Major, and Airforce, my mates father was a Tank commander in the Western desert.
The direct consequence being their cars in those post war years were not at risk from Yobs.
You Can`t hang on to the past, but.......... I can still taste the security.
Regards
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We all bought bikes at 16. Two of us had small Honda`s but a mate turned up on a BSA Bantam.
Turned out he couldnt have a Japanese bike. His father had been at the fall of Singapore.
I can even now remember where we were standing as he told us some detail and if we could have afforded to swap and buy a Bantam we would have done so.
Next bike was a Triumph twin at 17. But a Yamaha SR500 in my thirties as the memory of the story softened with the years.
My Old Man was pleased to get a Volkswagen in his later years. Getting some metal back was how he saw it.
regards
I seem to have acquired a worrying noise on my car.
It's a 2004 mk1 Focus TDCI 100 with 50k on the clock.
The noise seems to be coming from the belts area, possibly from the bottom pully nearest the front of the car.
The noise is audible from inside the car and changes in pitch as the engine revs increase/decrease. It's kind of like a constant grinding noise in the background.
Any ideas on what this might be would be very welcome. Read more
Steve,
I presume you have the 100ps version of the 1.8 TDCi.
I had the 115 version of the same engine in zetec spec, 2002 model. It developed a loud squeeling noise from the engine bay which fluctuated with engine speed and was worst when the engine was cold after a damp night. This was due to the auxilliary drive belt which was replced and problem solved. I know that other TDCi's have had exactly the same problem so may be worth checking out. It's a relatively quick and cheap fix - the belt was about £16 pounds - just got it replaced during a routine service.
Hope this may be of some help.
Purpose of this post to give some idea of the changes to Parking Laws that become effective on 31st March 2008 and for those interested, a source of reference as to where the Law is contained and what is stated.
The Regulations only apply to England and whereas the old (current) applied to London and partly elsewhere, they all apply throughout the Country.
Instead of a single comprehensive documents dealing with all matters one has to go from one Statutory Instrument (SI) to another - six in total. So in a nutshell:
1. The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007
S.I. 2007 No. 3483
Dispensed with is the term ?Special Parking areas? under the old (current) law and instead the term ?Civil Enforcement Area?
Traffic Warden is renamed to a Civil Enforcement Officer who may serve a Penalty Charge Notice there and then
(a) by fixing it to the vehicle; or
(b) giving it to the person appearing to him to be in charge of the vehicle. (Reg 9)
BUT
10.?(1) An enforcement authority may serve a penalty charge notice by post where?
(a) on the basis of a record produced by an approved device, the authority has reason to believe that a penalty charge is payable with respect to a vehicle which is stationary in a civil enforcement area; (See later)
(b) a civil enforcement officer attempted to serve a penalty charge notice in accordance with regulation 9 but was prevented from doing so by some person;
Or
(and note this which effectively can close the door on the driveway loophole):
(c) a civil enforcement officer had begun to prepare a penalty charge notice for service in accordance with regulation 9, but the vehicle concerned was driven away from the place in which it was stationary before the civil enforcement officer had finished preparing the penalty charge notice or had served it in accordance with regulation 9,
BUT NOTE THIS
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), a civil enforcement officer who observes conduct which appears to constitute a parking contravention shall not thereby be taken to have begun to prepare a penalty charge notice.
Part 3 deals with immobilisation of a vehicle
Part 4 deals with Adjudicators.
Part 5 deals with Enforcement of Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) and sets out what details a PCN should contain to be lawful.
Letters sent out must be First class Post. Notice to Owners invalid if not received within 6 months.
2. The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) Representations and Appeals Regulations 2007
SI 2007 No. 3482
These Regulations make provision entitling persons who are or may be liable to pay penalty charges in respect of parking contraventions, or who pay charges to secure the release of vehicles which have been immobilised or removed on account of such contraventions, to make representations to enforcement authorities regarding their liability for the charges and to appeal to an adjudicator if the representations are not accepted.
Register to be kept of Appeals.
3.The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007
SI 2007 No. 3484
?Power of civil enforcement officers to remove vehicles in a civil enforcement area for parking contraventions in England
(a)
in the case of a vehicle as respects which there are 3 or more penalty charges outstanding, 15 minutes;
(b)
in any other case 30 minutes.
However if the vehicle is deemed to be causing an obstruction then it can be forthwith removed under the Disposal of Vehicles Regs.
4. The Civil Enforcement Officers (Wearing of Uniforms)(England) Regulations 2007
SI 2007 No 3485
(3) Civil enforcement officers?
(a) when exercising specified functions must wear such uniform as may be determined by the enforcement authority in accordance with guidelines issued by the appropriate national authority, and
(b) must not exercise any of those functions when not in uniform.
Just what exactly ?uniform? consists of is not stated merely that ?Guidance? to be given to Local Authorities and they will set their own standards.
5.The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Approved Devices) (England) Order 2007
SI 2007 No. 3486
Defines/use of ?Approved Devices? to detect offences (cameras/CCTV)
6. The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on Levels of Charges) (England) Order 2007
SI 2007 No. 3487
Charges in relation to PCN.
List and scale of payments for Higher and Lower level contraventions.
Enjoy.
DVD
Made sticky because of its enduring value as a post of reference.
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I have seen a device called diesel guard that stops you putting petrol in a diesel car....where can I get one? Read more
snip
I have a 1994 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX. Just recently when I turn the fan on the car to heat the cab up it appears to be blowing the air as you can here the fan, but hardly any air comes out the vents. The Tempature gauge hardly moves also. Has anybody any idea what the problem could be? Read more
Your pollen filter is blocked solid. It's under the panel at the base of the screen, passenger's side.
Have been offered a 54 Almera 1.5 S, with 54k on the clock, FSH for £2k, is this a good price?
Am seriously considering getting rid of the Pug 307 due to all the problems I keep getting.
Any idea on what I could get for a 2003 52 plate 307 with 42k, FSH, 2.0 HDI 90 Rapier spec, climate control, alloys, pearlescent paint etc, good condition, years MOT, 6months tax.
Cheers
CBG
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Totally legit, colleague of my old man, husband passed away suddenly and wants rid of the motor.
Its been sold to another lucky person, unfortunately er indoors didnt like the colour !!!
Cheers for all the replies anyway.
CBG
Reported on the BBC
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7184510.stm
For me, the most concerning new law is
"For the first time, councils outside London will be able to issue fines by post using CCTV evidence. "
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Last time I parked on street in Birmingham the parking machine was running slow!
We parked at 4.01 but the machine showed 3.58 and issued a ticket which expired two minutes before the requirement to have a ticket expired, and less than two hours after I parked.
I thought we were fairly safe as the "attendants" would all be on their way back to base by then, and we were! Next time I will stand beside the machine for a couple of minutes to let it tick over to 4.00 "while i search my pockets for the correct change".
My watch is right to the sat nav readout of UTC which matches the BBC pips on the radio.
Looking for a car and I like the look of the Nissan Primera's. Theres loads of them for sale around the £1,500 mark.
Simple question. In your view what was the best series Primera. 1, 2 or 3?
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I've no experience of all the types so cannot make a comparison but .... my son bought a 1.8S, 2000 model (the P11.144) in bright red with c52K on the clock and he is absolutely delighted with it after a year's use. I wouldn't described it as 'ugly' at all - vOn must drive a Ferrari or something ;-)
One supermarkets chain in my area is purposely increasing the price of fuel against those of the like of Asda, Tesco, Shell, Jet, BP etc.
It is not the likes of the latter I see increasing their pump prices.
It is just one supermarket chain in my area:
MORRISON'S.
This one supermarket has had and caused all the other providers in my area to have three price increases on all types of fuel in the last month.
Morrison's always seem to be the one that has pump price increases first.
The largest increase has been on LPG. It has gone from 44.9 to an average of 53.9 in a matter of weeks - all because Morrisons first increased their pump price giving the competition an open door to match their corporate greed.
I wrote to Morrison's asking them to justify why they are managing their fuel prices above those of other vendors.
No. I did not get a reply.
So I have sent a copy of that letter with a covering letter to my local Trading Standards office.
Yep, I have a big bee in my bonnet over this one. Read more
My local Morrisons is more often than not, cheaper than every where else. It is currently level with Sainsburys and 1p a litre cheaper than BP, 2p a litre cheaper than Shell.
But then if I buy my fuel near where my son lives, the local garage ( Total ) is 4p a litre cheaper than anything where I live. Its very much a regional thing - blame the individual who sticks up the local prices rather than the company as a whole, besides, Morissons food is overall good value compared to other main chains, so u loose in one way, gain in another.
Browse
What would be good is a SEAT version of the Eos- surely it wouldn't be that difficult to engineer?