March 2008
The government seems to becom more detached from reality by the day.
According to today's Telegraph Lord Turner, head of the Government's Committee on Climate Change, has come up with a brand new idea to solve he energy problem.
As he says "why couldn't you put turbines every 300 yards up the central reservation of the motorway?"
Has this guy ever been a motor way or seen the size of a wind turbine come to that?
Does anyone else have any ideas what alternative uses we could use motorways for? Read more
When I was little (early 70s) my father had a reg plate that for no particular reason became quite special to us as a family and he transferred into another car.
It seems not to be registered to any car now so I assume it is now defunct.
Is there anyway of getting the DVLA to resurrect it?
It would make a sentimental gift for the old boy.
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You don't say your father's age. Do you want to actually transfer the number onto his current car, or simply give him a physical number plate to hang on the wall?
You can make up the latter yourself with sticky letters from an iron mongers, or get a "demonstration" plate made up on-line. No need actually to own the vehicle. In that case of course you could get one of the old kind, with aluminium pressed letters or whatever was current when he had the number.
Level 3 18997points.
First thing first, no one in family is injured!
I was pulling out [turning right] from a side road to main road (small country road), I've already crossed the central line on main road, suddenly all I saw a car + towing caravan appeared from nowhere on my left side and I heard BOOM.
I thought my car's [Suzuki Ignis 06] entire front was destroyed - came out of it and found that only bumper was damaged [kerb side front part], scraped and there were few holes.
Then checked 3rd party's caravan appeared to be slight dent on a side panel, a sort of wire (or similar) from caravan side scraped my car's bumper.
We exchanged details, as I was emerging from side road, I think most likely it will be considered as my fault :(
However, the 3rd party tried to bully me by saying that I need to accept liability at the scene (he claimed he got a witness as well). I said I'm not going to argue and it would be our insurers to decide who is at fault. Surprisingly he told me that our insurers might decide knock for knock basis and then he would be at out of pocket.
I again said I was not going to accept liability. He then threatened to call the police. I said fine, call police. He did call the police. We both waited 10 minutes but police didn't arrive. 3rd party then drove away!! But I waited at the scene and after few more minutes police did come. The PC just asked my details and told me to drive off.
3rd party's insurer was National Farmers' Union [if it helps].
My question is: why he was after me to make me admit it was my fault?
I've already spoken with my insurer [comprehensive] and they say usually in the matter person pulling out is at fault BUT as I already crossed the central line on main road and it involved a caravan it might end up 50-50 fault share.
Any thought?
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All our new sites have Cisco VOIP phones... some of the bigger offices will have hundreds of phones in each building (and three buildings for my nearest)! But costs are reduced by using VOIP.
Now I know of colleagues going VOIP at home too... not gone that far yet.
There was an advert on the front page recently showing brand new Focus for £10,000 but it's been replaced. Can anyone remember which company this was?
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Thanks for this guys, it wasn't for me but a friend's mam, she's very interested in a secondhand 1 Series now though, think she likes the styling more than the Focus.
Can anyone recommend squeak and grind free wiper blades. Have used Bosch blades for a number of years but the noise they make are beginning to annoy me. They have been changed reguarly and the screen is clean and free from dirt and grease.
Any suggestions for a replacement?
Scot Read more
Any suggestions for a replacement?
Genuine spares from a Nissan dealer.
hi, while driving along today with my window down I noticed my rear
brake pads were rattling especially over rougher roads.If I apply my foot brake,
or pull my handbrake on first click the rattle goes away.I replaced the pads about a year ago, discs are fine. Does anyone know how to stop this happening also should there be shims fitted, as there was'nt any fitted originally when I fitted the pads.
Thanks. Read more
Brother has a Golf IV TDI
He has VW extended warranty, all ok so far, but they told his wife when she was collecting the car after service, that they recommend replacing the front discs, due to corrosion on the outside edge, NOT the braking surface, the edges ! because " it wont dissipate the heat properly and it could be dangerous"
I think its nonsense, they are taking the SNIP as they can't charge for the many other things it needed but were done under the warranty, they also said the pads were 90% worn, but they were in fact replaced last April, and car only done 5000 miles since. but not at VW garage, so their computer suggests they need doing.
Anyone else had similar experiences ?
You've been here long enough to know what trips the swear-filter - As Dave says its easier to delete posts rather than edit them.
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HEAR HEAR!
I received a square orange advertising leaflet in a magazine, the leaflet having the title, ?Compendium of Confounding Questions?. It has a questionnaire within, asking me to fill it in with the promise of a chance to be selected to be put onto the short list to be entered into a raffle for a new Civic Hybrid. Wants to know all of my personal details, including date of birth ? that excludes me straight away.
It seems that Honda have a model FCX which is the only car of its type in production, with the prototype having first appeared in 1999.
I have a couple of confounding questions of my own. Are they available ? Has anyone seen anything in the UK ?
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OK, fellas, nobody want to know.
As it is, I accessed an article on Wikipedia. Nobody can buy, and only celebs can rent. The comments don't give one any confidence.
The blogs following the article are pretty juvenile. I trust that the mods will intervene before the Back Room decends that low.
A friend of mine rang today enquiring as to what large estate car could I recommend. She has no p/ex, a max budget of £3k. several years NCD and drives less than 10k miles pa.
My obvious thought was a petrol Mondeo, or save some money and get a older Mazda 626 or Legacy estate. Preferably she would like something with a little more 'prestige'!
An old A6 might fit the bill, but the cost of parts and reliability could be an issue.
Any suggestions please.
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Mazda 626 is big as it sits on a longer wheelbase than the hatch and I think has a sliding rear seat. Although Volvo 7/940s have a big load area it's not that tall because of the RWD. Citroen Xantia is a whopper; 620 litres, low floor, flat sides and fantatic self-levelling suspension. Great car though it was, mine was shockingly unreliable and the seats are awful. Citroen XM is the biggest Estate ever at 750 litres, but who would would risk one?
Left field choice; Toyota Camry - ugly as sin but has a fold up kiddy seat in the boot and what about the old Mitsubishi Sigma - once recommended by Quentin Wilson as an alternative to the Merc S-class? Rarer than the proverbial Rocking Horse droppings too.
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Last year some outfit in the US had the idea of motorway wind farms powered by the air movement created by the traffic, not just natural wind, using horizontal turbines on overhead gantries:
snipurl.com/21eah [www_engadget_com]
The barrier type must be a non-starter. The new style concrete barriers are supposed to be zero-maintenance, not full of generating equipment. And cutting a big hole in them is surely inviting out-of-control vehicles to plough straight though!