May 2009
Hi again
Inevitably we've decided against going for the sporty option and instead are going to buy a modern practical, safe car mainly for swmbo.
The back pay has finally arrived in the bank so we're off out on Sunday to at least test drive but probably buy.
It's came down to two likely cars both in the same dealers:
1st is a 2006 Focus hatch 1.6 115bhp Zetec petrol with climate pack in a nice shiney black on about 25K miles for a shade over 6K
2nd (don't laugh please!) is 2007 Megane Saloon (more room in the back see!) Dynamique, this time it's the dCi 105 bhp diesel, again low miles and about 6.5K.
Obviously we have to drive them both. The only thing I'm woried about in the focus is the horror stories re road/tyre noise.
The Megane, the engine sounds a cracker, but inevitably I'm worried about reliability.
It's obviously at 2007 a face-lift model and I've read that the reliability is much improved.
What would you go for?
(I'm basically expecting a volley of replies shouting "the focus you muppet!")
Cheers
Steve
Read more
tinyurl.com/d8fo4n
Take care GB
Pat Read more
exporting to a dodgy foreign country?
That one.
Does anybody have any real world experience of the Vauxhall Signum? The Merc has to go, W210 tin worm appearing!! I really don't want to be sensible yet as we don't cover too many private miles, so a bit more fun before we are all consigned to electric Golf carts would be in order.
Omega's seem thin on the ground now, but I guess the Sig' is not too common. Would want the 3.2 Elite in an ideal world and Auto' which I guess is the only option.
Other thoughts include a Volvo S80 or similar. All views appreciated.
Best regards........MD Read more
... the most stupid indicator lever I have ever come across.
Similar system to the one BMW use for indicators, though.
And you don't hear BMW drivers complaining about them.
Ah! Silly Me! Temporarily forgot that Beemer drivers don't use indicators.
My Xsara Picasso is a 90BHP HDI on a Y plate. Does it have a DMF? Read more
Excellent!
tinyurl.com/cpuh8b
So our govt has decided to penalise the buyers and users of the vehicles mentioned in this article via taxation, in order to cut our carbon emissions and thus save the planet.
Mean while another country is to start selling these same vehicles and thus undo the savings we are making.
Yours
confused. Read more
The wars for the last few resourses on earth will kill us humans off before the climate does.
I'm in need of a new engine for a mazda 6 td2L after a catastophic faliure of the last one. But do I get a 2nd hand engine or a reconditioned one?? Anything that I should look out for or be asking when talking to dealers? Any advise on this would be very welcome. Or has anyone delt with a good company in either of these 2 types of engines?
Cheers Read more
Can you repair the one you have?
If not there's plenty of breakers through the country and specialist mazda ones who may ship you one.
What is the psychology behind this?
Often see people get into a car, start up, pull away, then struggle to get seat belt on with one hand whilst driving away, or even steering (probably) with knees whilst using two hands to tug on the belt.
I know some one will say "stupidity" but I am interested in the deeper reason.
I have even seen someone drive off whilst putting belt on one handed whilst half turning in seat to clump a kid in the back. Or, fag in left hand on steering wheel, can of drink in right hand which is tugging on belt.
Anyone else notice this?......or even do this? Read more
In the days before seat belts we often used to
fall out on any sort of bend. >>
Like driving a Bedford Dormobile with the door open.
There was a minor bump on my way to work today.
Situation; Major 50/60mph X roads junction, lights take forever to cycle round. Lights change to amber and a 58 plate Astra, almost on the line, decides to try and stop, Sharon behind doesn't quite manage to stop and gives it a nudge. Very little damage, both the rear bumper on the Astra and the front on the Sharon have deformed a little, no broken lights and no airbags deployed.
Now 30 years ago, before energy absorbing bumpers and head restraints the vehicles would have moved over to the side of the road, both parties would have swapped details and everyone would been on their way within 10 minutes or so.
Not nowadays, the Sharon driver gets out but the Astra occupants stay put.
To cut a long story short, the bomberos are called to cut the roof off. All Astra occupants must have apparently suffered '£££whiplash£££'s'
So, a minor bump has turned into a major incident costing thousands, not to mention the delays to hundreds of other motorists just because 3 persons are thinking that there might be lots of easy money at the end of the day.
I'm informed by a friend that some 2 hours later the queues are still horrendous because the Astra was still in the road blocking lane 2 and its roof had been placed neatly alongside it blocking lane 1. Classic!
The situation was further compounded by the half dozen or so 'Community Support Officers' that had been brought in to 'control' the traffic. Not half a brain between 'em apparently.
Now if it turns out that the people have indeed truly suffered then I'll take a large portion of humble pie but I'm fully expecting to read in the local paper next week that they were 'discharged' the same day. Read more
Watching the traffic news one morning when I was in Las Vegas it hadn't rained
for ages then there was a downpour during the night which made the roads greasy.
There were six accidents during the morning rush hour on the spaghetti bowl and traffic
was flowing freely. Drag the junk to the side of the highway and keep 'em
moving instead of bringing everything to a standstill for the best part of a day
like we do.
Same in Chicago. They have tow trucks out during the morning rush on all the main expressways. Shunts are cleared away very quickly. Very busy freeways in many parts of the USA have signs telling you to in the absence of injuries to get your car to the shoulder quickly following a "fender bender", before calling for help or exchanging details.
Even after a major accident with injuries they'll get some lanes open as quickly as they can and I've never heard of an expressway being closed entirely for more than a couple of hours.
You'd think given the lawyers over here they'd be even more paranoid than the UK about this stuff, but apparently not.
wondered if we have forum users that like dinitrol rust protection waxes?
ive been using S335 from frosts.co.uk on suspension bits n bobs under the car , its a thick smooth hard wax , dries to a tidy enough finish and seems to do a fairly good job
well im ready to reorder and ive seen rust.co.uk list 4941 aerosol underbody wax , similar description except its black
cant get much response from either seller how the 2 compare ....wondered if anyone has used the 4941 and can comment?
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As I expected, the subject of recent high fuel price increases has been forgotten, just as it was every other time there were increases. If the subject didn't get regularly forgotten I'd still be driving gently to ameliorate the fact that petrol has gone up from being 5 shillings a gallon. Read more
............ there's little to no work being done against friction.
........... the rolling resistance of the tyres.
aka Internal Friction.
;-)
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Slightly off-thread I know, but we have a brand new 1.8 Diesel Focus at work. Knowing how good they can be I was looking forward to driving it and seeing how it felt. Fairly dreadful, to my surprise, and all down to the engine I think. The initial press of the throttle seems to elicit different responses at different times - sometimes the first half inch does nothing, other times just right for pulling away. Trouble is, you don't know what you're going to get so you have to sit at a junction revving and ready to go when a gap arrives. 30mph in third at about 2000rpm would normally be fine for holding that speed without labouring in fourth but elicits a dreadful jerky flat spot unlike any other Diesel I've driven. I don't mean the flat spot off-boost, which wouldn't be evident at 2000 rpm anyway. I don't intend to go into that Golf versus Focus debate, but my early '05 Golf with 85K is a far superior installation of engine and feels more solid in build. I like the handling and overall package of the Focus but it's not hard to see why a Golf (even a slightly older one) might be preferable.