May 2009
Hello all,
I want to hire a sports car (an Aston DB7/9 is favorite at the moment). I need it for a Sunday-Monday in July in the Birmingham / Warwickshire area.
Has anyone hired such a car and can recommend someone? Read more
Following todays accident on the M62 and many other such cross over accidents in the past couple of years, do we need a new type of central reservation barrier ?
I can remember when there where no barriers down the middle of M Ways, just grass or gravel. Following cross over accidents, barriers where introduced. This was taken further when the gaps that had been left for emergency service vehicles to turn around where removed because idiots had been using them to make sneaky turns when they had missed a junction and causing horrific accidents.
With the increases in lorry sizes and weights that have been allowed, it seems these barriers are only keeping cars on their side of the carriageway and seem to be easily demolished by wagons and other large vehicles, leading to cross over accidents.
( Please, if you want to start a condolence thread then do so under your own guise - this is a thread about the barriers in place on our M Ways, their construction and their effectiveness. )
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Oddly no-one ever mentions speed here.
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Waits for explosion . . . .
That would be putting the cart before the horse. The way to conduct risk assessments is to a) decide what you want the answer to be b) come up with something costing a lot of money in order to achieve it.
The desired outcome is that vehicles are enabled to travel as fast as possible. Anything that stands in the way of meeting that objective simply proves the need for more research and design, and more expenditure. Speed is God, so by definition cannot be the cause of anything undesirable.
I suppose something like this topic has come up before, but I haven't read it as I only look in now and again, so moderator pull it if you want.
Okay basically which save more lives speed cameras or more cops on the road? There has been a reduction of police patrols due to the advent of cameras. We know the government and camera partnerships tell us that cameras have reduced the fatalities where the cameras are located, but that's very silly if more people are dying on the roads overall due less police because cameras have replaced them; well actually it's monstrous. So where is the truth on this? Read more
More cops, more traffic light cameras, tighter MOT controls.
Someone I know with a 4l Cherokee with an lpg conversion needs a new petrol pump as the old one is kaput. It fits inside the fuel tank and needs a special gasket too.
Finding the right part is quite difficult and finding it at a reasonable price, very. Does anyone know of a good no-nonsense supplier of such things? Us sources are often best especially for price. Read more
Have a look in 'Classic American' magazine at the adverts for parts suppliers. When I had a Cherokee a few years ago I used to get parts from a couple of places that import bits but unfortunately the names escape me. I do recall they were very cheap compared to the main dealer, parts prices are very cheap in the States.
Anyone visit the BMF show last weekend. What were your thoughts of it ? Read more
Haven't been for years; used to be a regular when I lived in the Midlands as our club had a stand there.
From what I hear it's descended into a glorified Sunday market.
Owned our Jeep for 5 years and had no problems at all then in the last 5 months we've replaced the radiator, then coupling on fan sheared and went through radiator so all replaced! Crank sensor then failed in Feb and then battery died! Replaced battery and something keeps draining it flat, garage has run tests and in fairness aren't charging us due to recent outlay - all to them. Yesterday mentioned a possibility of the alternator but we're at the end of our financial limit and thinking of ebaying it for parts!! Any comments greatly appreciated.
slt Read more
Hi
Most common problem will be the battery in the alarm unit if you have a high drain.
Serious stuff this one.
Source BBC news: tiny.cc/PTmmG (Do I need to TinyURL this one or not?)
The report only mentions police as 'the only emergency' night shift workers being victims to this type of fatigue.
What about the other two - fire & ambulance?
What about all the other night shift workers?
The nurses, factory staff, etc.
May be the police night shift workers should have sleeping accomodation provided so at the end of their shifts, they can get their heads down and not be putting us and themselves at risk?
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It is all down to what type of day you have had. Police officers are on the go all the time when on duty. Some days will be worst than others. After a couple of nightshifts for sure anyone will get tired. I recall many years ago working as an industrial radiographer the hours worked were always unsociable. You could be called on to work say dinner time till very early hours. always travelling in pairs to and from a job. I vividly remember one night coming back to base i was driving, we always used to ask each other if we were ok. This particular night i said yeah im fine 20 mins later on the motorway not a car in sight, i just fell asleep at the wheel instantly, my colleauge shouted and the situation was saved very scary indeed . I just started to drift across the lanes. Hence i can see exactly what they are saying in particular to the Police. If they have done long hours had a hard night not much sleep before and consecutive night working its so easy believe me. Keep safe everyone.
Thought I'd see what HJ has to say about these cars - which I believe are road legal - but strangely they don't appear in the CBC breakdown. Little mention of the company or the Atom in the forums either. Looking at the Ariel website, seems company has links, via some well respected cars and motorbikes, back to the Penny farthing of 1870. Read more
It's a seductive little thing spikeyhead. I do hope you get one.
Very stark though, really a jewel-like two-seater gokart with proper suspension. I've seen a couple on the road now and you would get all sorts of debris all over you driving one. I bet the thing's ability is intoxicating though. Like beiong a dragonfly...
apparently not
petitions.number10.gov.uk/lanehog/
It's due to close today and has amassed a massive 20 signatures. Then again, that's more than the 6 people who want Taxi drivers to be tested every two years,
but an awful lot less than the 60,000 who want Gordon to resign :-)))
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Slip road joiners who are determined to join straight into the outside lane annoy me.
Some drivers are just not prepared to spend even a few seconds in lane one, or even two if it's a three lane road.
I think generalisations can be made here - they are usually male and driving late-model Audi/BMW/VWs, which they couldn't afford if the company didn't pay.
My 62K miles Mondeo SCI is rattling on idle and have been advised by local dealership that it needs a new timing chain because there is slack in it.
This will cost £550 all in ( 3.5 hrs labour including diagnosis time)
Does this sounds like the right fix and cost. I was under the impression that timing chains did not need replacement so early in life.
thanks
3ks Read more
Thanks for the responses. Definitely not the swirl valves - apparently Ford fixed this a year or so before mine was manufactured.
I've had the chain replaced today and it is much quieter. Still a slight rattle there but only if you lift the bonnet and listen carefully. Hopefully nothing to worry about :-)
Had you considered a weekend break with a classic car? These people have an Aston Martin DB6 in their fleet. Admitedly it is down in Cornwall, but a weekend break in the west country with a classic Aston would be memorable.
www.cornwallclassiccarhire.co.uk/