July 2008
Spoken by a man I knew in the 60`s on him examining the all alloy bike engine I had at the time.
An older chap at the time, he had grown up working on iron heads and blocks and just hated alloy in all its forms.
Idiosyncratic views of one ageing mechanic or a symptom of island nation, car industry malaise, at anything `foreign`?
`Foreign` is a term that often seems to crop up, a term that is outside my acquaintance socially for at least 40 years, laden as it so often seems with inbuilt prejudice and value judgements.
My point is that a certain insularity of personality that has helped us as a nation in difficult times, has seemingly done us no favours at all in the post Second World War motor trade.
(british bike industry as an example)
The UK as a `Little Englander` theme park holds no attractions to me, with its country and village prejudice towards `outsiders`
Its in the Human Psych then.. and the best that can be hoped for is a new liberal justice generation fighting protectionism in the EU.
You know it makes sense, especially regarding ease of motoring across borders in our new commonality of Europe and beyond.
`foreign` What`s that then?
;)
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So - my tale of woe continues
While awaiting my car to have the new engine (see my 2 recent posts) put in
the hire car I have to use whilst I await it to be done sustained an 'almighty' windscreen chip.
Now being a driver for nearly 20 years and NEVER having sustained any chip the 'gods' decide they need more sport!
and theres me standing with a hire car where (to cut costs) I have declined the windscreen and tyre damage premium.
Now - I KNOW where the stone came from, which road it was on and where.
I also KNOW which (national brand) logistics company truck decided to roll over the piece of aggregate and hurl it at my poor unprotected windscreen.
So do I claim the cost of the windscreen (when the hire company demands it is replaced) from
1. The company owning the vehicle that threw the chip.
2. The Highways agency
3. The local council
4. The (goodness knows who) company responsible for dropping the piece of stone on the road in the first place?
5. Anyone else?
Any thoughts.........?
PS - NOT covered by my normal 'comp' policy (well there is a £70 excess but I bet the hire company may well have an 'agreement' somewhere) - which is with ELEPHANT.
...and to think this isnt even 'august' (all my bad luck normally happens in the 8th month - perhaps this is another effect of 'global warming'?)
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Yes courtesy cars are covered but only ones supplied by the insurer and there is a voluntary excess of £70.
I agree about the LV advert - most of theose cars would have been 'written off' by the insurer rather than repaired.......doesnt say much for volvo's handbrakes either ;)
hi
how do i remove windscreen wiper stalk on a rover 214 bubble shape with air bag
many thanks
roy Read more
Our daughters 'new' 106 cooling fan is always on while she is driving but the overheating light doesn't come on and the water level hasn't changed. Is this a fault? If so, what may cause it and how can we fix it? Hope someone can help. Many thanks Read more
Well the obvious cause/solution is that the fan switch in the radiator is knackered and it requires replacement. Other than that there is a possibilty that the previous owner could have wired the fan up to run all of the time to disguise an overheating fault, but lets try the simple thing first before we delve deeper into it.
I have a 2001 yellow, yes yellow, tt roadster 225, it as 18.000 on the clock, i love it, but falling out due to i think electronic probs. not all the time but alot, when i start the car there is are no dials working, no petrol/heat/mileage, usually when i have driven for awhile suddenley they all start working, sometimes when i try to start it, i get the first brum out of the engine as it turns over then dies, been to one mechanic and he put on a computer, nothing coming up wrong, so we have:- not starting. dials working now and again, it is a loose wire, is it the management control, is it a key thing., or is it just magic :-). Any one had the same problem? thought about putting it into my local audi garage, but just been ripped off by them. any ideas would be appreciated as i am a women who does alot of miles on her own and need it to start. cheers Read more
thought i would update especially any tt owners, seemingly the dashpod as been a problem from the start, when i phoned audi about my problem car, they took my details and phoned me back, due to the car recently being into audi, the problem was found with the pod, no one told me when i picked the car up from a service and mot, audi know have my car back, they are to replace the dashpod and it will be FREE of any charges, thats FREE labour and parts, what a result. well we will see when i pick the car up.
Middle seat belt won't release on hire car (possibly never used?) But now need to carry 5 passengers. When seat is folded forwards there's enough play to pull out 2 inches or so, but belt then locks with a click. Can remove trim from rear of seat to expose large square nut in sheet metal substructure but go no further. Anyone any bright ideas? International rescue (Mercedes branch) en route, but small children getting fractious. At least relatives are with us so can be fed and watered!
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when changing the ignition leads and distributor cap the cap is marked 1-6 does that mean no1 goes to no1/5to no5 and so on as marked on the cap Read more
What a fabulous and simple idea. Who hasn't messed up lead order at least once and wished their car had a marked dizzy cap?
Cheers
DP
A couple of years ago, I noticed the ventilation fans inside the cabin were ejecting less air with less force when I wanted the air conditioning on high. Renault told me I needed a new pollen filter, but as they didn't have any in stock they left it out and told me to call back. I didn't bother having one fitted and noticed a great improvement with the ventilation problem. Recently when being serviced, Renault fitted another filter and after a couple of months the problem has returned. I'd like to remove it myself. Does anyone know where it is located and how easy it is to remove?
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Courtesy of the puravent website:
tinyurl.com/6j3uwo
Well, It would, wouldn`t it? ;)
To put it another way, what would happen if you used a low viscosity fuel saving oil in your own turnip cart?
fuel saving? or pin rotating in a triangle big ends?
;)
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Thanks for that. You beat me to it, as a minute ago I was congratulating myself for finding the Haas articles again and I came here to post the URL.
check this out
tinyurl.com/669jph
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And i only keep a stock of picnics...boom tish..i thankyou...-;)
I'm completely lost in this one where it's going, way over my downtrodden proletariat head, but i can see many dangers out the corner of the one good eye, so i'm keeping schtumm.
I don't recall the topic request by the way, apologies if t'was i you refer to, my limited working class academic and language abilities pale to insignificance beside your remarkable choices of subject....keep it up.