January 2009
I have just purchased a car for a friend. I will be picking it up next week, and it comes with 1 week's free insurance which will allow me to drive it home and put it on my driveway. It will remain there for about 3 or 4 weeks, until my friend's schedule allows it to be collected, and that point she will be able to switch over her own insurance to cover it, and drive it away.
In the meantime, I need to insure it against theft and vandalism etc. I don't need the DVLA-required third-party insurance, because I won't be driving it after I have brought it home, but after a bit of quick searching I haven't found anyone selling that sort of policy. I know that it used to exist, because my father once insured a car in that way while it was garaged for a few months, and I can see several situations in which people might still want that sort of cover.
The best I have found so far is Norwich Union's short-term cover, but because it is designed for actually driving a car it works out a bit expensive (over £100 for 28 days). Any suggestions on where to look for fire+theft-only cover?
So far the best idea I have had is to try a broker such as Adrian Flux or HIC Insurance, but I see no mention of this on their websites, and I hope that maybe someone has a better idea.
{made non make/model specific, as this question could apply to any car, not just a Vectra-C} Read more
Hi,I am looking for a front diff lock for my Patrol,,just wondering if anyone has fitted one,,and where was it sourced,,,many thanks,, Read more
www.tbruk.com will sort you out.
Are you looking for an ARB or automatic one?
What's your favourite stretch of road in the country for reasons of both scenery and driver involvement?
I nominate the mennock and dalveen passes in south-west Scotland, or the B797 and A702 respectively. The roads themselves are twisty enough to make averaging 30mph hard enough and the views as you slice your way through the valleys are quite fantastic. The B797 rises very high indeed as it takes you through Scotland's highest village and on through the interlocking spurs of the mennock pass.
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I used to enjoy the A40 from Gloucester to Chepstow and often used this rather than the M50 to get to South Wales. A good quality NSL road with limits through built up areas with stunning views across the Severn and Forest of Dean, also handy for buying some proper cider!
I last used it about 10 years ago when I had to go to Lydney - 50 limit and speed cameras spoilt the whole stretch and I've not been on it since.
Dear Forum,
Just tried to start my Ford Focus (petrol engine) and I'm having problems. Headlights, Interior Lights and CD work fine but there's a continual 'clicking sound' when I turn the ignition with no eveidence that the engine wants to fire...the dashboard lights come on and off in sync with this sound.
I did turn the car over for around 5 mins two days ago (due to the severe cold weather) and she started fine, the car has been sat idle since then.
Any help greatly appreciated. Read more
All sorted........was an old battery finally killed off by the cold
Help me choose a new car
Got a last of the old model Toyota Corolla 1.6 Automatic 5 door Colour collection, will be 3 years old in a few months
What I need
1 Car no wider than current car (or it will not fit some places I park)
2 Full torque converter traditonal auto box
3 hatch/seats for 4/5
4 not too slow, ideally similar to current
5 available new for 12 grand or less
Maybe happy with a bit smaller car if not too slow
What can I get? No MMT or CVT or similar
Cheers
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Interesting about the Corolla, thanks for posting. I'm quite disappointed that it doesn't seem to light many people's fire though it does have its advocates. I've never driven a Focus auto so can't say about that.
Good luck with your search. Some day soon (I 'need' a new front door which has to take precedence I suppose) I think it pretty sure I'll get me a shiny newOld 06 Focus. The Golf is always attractive but it's a £1000 premium at least in the price/age range I'm limited to.
after some help i've snapped my bonnet cable does anyone know how i could get bonnet released???
any help would be great absolutly stuck for ideas!!
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back room has helped me save a fortune in the past, so.......
ok, on starting there has been a bit of banging, rattling noise from under the bonnet for a couple of weeks & a shudder in the clutch.
yesterday on starting the ignition, it will wizz over but not kick in and start.
Clutch? starter motor? DMF? please dont tell me all 3??
also if i was to get it fixed and sorted, does it need to be re coded??
...... while i'm on, a totally different question, but the washer jets arnt working either, is that a simple, cheap job??
Cheers Read more
Fitting a solid flywheel just transfers the vibration to somewhere else that wasn't designed for it.
A common fault with the washers on the earlier Mondeos was for the washer pipe to get trapped in the bonnet and the back pressure forced the motor out of the bottle. But it could just be a fuse.
Does anyone know how to do comparison for cash v car other than the site always mentioned on here. the list of cars is not complete,i.e no insignia and the list prices are incorrect. Read more
Yes - get a large number of sheets of paper, some pens and some tipex.
Spend hours hunting around for all the right details, and tax rules, misunderstand the rules and redo everything at least twice.
Guestimate all the costs you will incur on the car over the next few years. Keep adding in things that you forget.
Do several calculations for all the cars you can have, to ensure that you understand the sensitivity in your figures.
Get it all wrong several times and never be quite sure that you have the right answer.
In the alternative chuck some figures into the site, approximating the cars and see how the figures look.
Buying my car taxes over the phone recently I was prompted to enter a competition to win a Seat Leon they were giving away monthly. This was a free draw.I'm sure many of you also entered as there was no mention of any ties. A totally free option at the end of the call.
Several weeks later I received gumph in the post from Seat. A pure marketing ploy that I found irritating that no mention was made during the call that my details were to be passed on to a third party without my permission. Doublely so, as this is a government department.
In future if the DVLA run any "competitions" they must provide in their message a warning that entering will or will not generate third party land fill dropping through your letter box. This is not done at present, so beware before you enter. Read more
From the replies it seems it might just be a coincidence. The leaflets arrived about 5 weeks after I taxed and entered the comp.
I have never owned a Seat or requested any brochures of their cars. Strange.
The only connection was this comp. Hence the post.
Following a full service (32k) at a Citroen garage, fuel consumption has increased from 54 MPG combined to barely 49 MPG, the car has been back and tested on their electronic tester, hey averaged out the car's 49.9 MPG (within their reange). C02 is OK and no problems found. and have no idea why it has dropped. Has anyone else had the same problem ?
Shouting amended - I also guess you meant to say that fuel consumption has increased rather than dropped so I've changed that Read more
Maybe your tyre pressures were high and they lowered them during the service causing a bit more drag, or maybe they over adjusted your handbrake causing it to bind.
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Now that's some serious trust you've got there!