A bit of a brouhaha has been caused by "Essex Safety Camera Partnership" in their use of a covert camera and van on certain nights of the week. These sited on the London bound A127 near the Brentwood turn off. The local MP is frothing at the mouth and, apparently, the whole of Essex is fizzingly angry (except me)

Essex spokesperson says that as there is an issue with certain bikers meeting on this night of the week, speeding and riding dangerously.....it is a proportionate response.

I don't really have a problem with covert cameras to be honest. In fact, I think the use of a covert camera would more accurately reflect the negative attitude to speed limits by drivers.

When approaching overt cameras, all that happens is that speeding drivers brake on approach, then speed up again after. Hence, out of 1000 cars passing, a small proportion get caught (through day dreaming one suspects)

With a covert camera, how many out of 1000 drivers do you think would get caught?

PS:- Having said I have no problem with covert cameras, I did don the flak jacket and tin hemet in anticipation of shrapnel coming in my direction. Fire away!

Read more

Whenever I see a car with low profile tyres I can't help thinking how vulnerable the wheels must be to kerbing damage. Read more

Our youngest daughter is planning to go off travelling once again to visit what is left of the world that she hasn't yet seen - this time it's South America, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Japan and no doubt various other places. She has been driving my mother's old Yaris, which is now somewhat battered and has nearly 100k on the clock. However, in the two years that she has had it (and thoroughly abused it) it has never missed a beat. Her original intention was to park it up in the barn here and then resurrect it upon her return, but just lately she has decided that it is so decrepit that it's not worth the trouble, I tend to agree. But it is eligible for the scrappage scheme so a thought has occurred to me that "she" could buy a new car, we could sell SWMBO?s 6 year old, 50k Yaris and end up with a new car for the boss, even if it is nominally registered in our daughter?s name. Also, there is a Hyundai dealer just a few miles from where we live (I know there are a few Northampton-ites on this forum, it's the one at Stoney Stratford). So I think that for a net outlay of 4-4.5k SWMBO could end up with a brand new 1.4, 5dr i20 complete with the five-year warranty. There is nothing wrong with her Yaris at the moment, but in five years time it will be 11 years old and although we don't need a new car the opportunity to upgrade for such a relatively small sum seems very attractive. All this has come about since we had Sunday lunch with our daughter last weekend and she's off at the end of the month so if we are going to do the deal we need to get on with it.

So I would appreciate any thoughts that you may have on the underlying logic. Together with any suggestions as to better deals that might be available and any comments on the i20 and the relative merits of the 1.2 (cambelt) versus 1.4 (chaincam ? currently preferred). I have read the CBC breakdown as well as checked other well-known motoring sites and it seems to get a generally good press, with some odd comments about the headrests jutting into the back of the neck. Picking up on another thread, it might not be at the leading edge of driving dynamics, but then you don't really need that going to Tesco?s. What we do need is a cheap, economical, safe runabout which can be used for the occasional longer, motorway trip and even the odd run down to the south of France. It is important to be able to get my elderly and somewhat arthritic MiL in and out of the passenger seat, and a dog in a similar state in and out of hatchback.

Your feedback would be very welcome, thank you. MGs
Read more

a friend of mine says that deflated tyres on the driving wheels alters the speedo readings,he thinks it makes the wheel smaller therefore lowering the gearing. he's an engineer and can prove it (his words).I totally disagree telling him that it does not alter the circumference of the tyre. I'm only a plumber who's right?

{Changed the header as the other one was annoying me, which incidentally I changed in the first place!} Read more

I learnt in several and learnt the old fashioned way minus the choke (never drove a with a carb).

First car I ever drove was my dads Punto 1.1 8v with no ABS or PAS, just drove it 7:00am on a sunday morning in 1999 for a few weeks. I had no idea how to drive I had just turned 17 and when I turned a corner at 30mph in 4th and nearly loosing control my dad decided he wasn't up for the job of teaching me :(

I then got a proper instructor who had a 1.0 12V Corsa B, no ABS or PAS again and I remember having no torque at all. Had a few lessons before this until he upgraded it to a run out W reg Corsa B with a 1.4 16v with ABS and PAS.

At this point due to personal reasons and the fact I was working hard in college and university I gave up.

I started again a year later same instructor this time with a Clio MK2 P2 1.2 16v which I really liked driving. I had a test booked but due to lots of financial problems and other issues I had to cancel it :(. Never drove again for years until Janaury 2007. This was pre recession, pre expensive mobile contracts, pre £3 a pint etc and had a bit of spare cash. I saw this £400 Fiesta MK3 in a garage and went and bought it. I got the garage to drive it home my parents were a bit shocked but dad wasn't driving due to a DIY accident and I neeeded access to a car so it forced me to drive with my dad in the passanger seat.

In March 2008 a friend convinced me to have some lessons again, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never be a driver and never bother taking the test as its too much hassle, I had bought a MK4 Fiesta Ghia for my dad so got lots of lifts. However I found a new instructor and found he taught me in a completly different way, suddenly I understood driving and he let me make all my own mistakes without nagging me constantly. He had a Clio III I found the car a bit boring but easy to drive, rather like you're driving on ice but in control. I took my test in October that year and passed with four minors. I then bought a MK4 Fiesta (the infamous one that lasted two months) to drive solo in before buying my current car ironically almost identical the Corsas I started to learn to drive in ten years ago!

My had passed in a Viva HB Viva in 1971 before buying a 1953 Morris Minor for £50, his dad had a Vauxhall Victor so when learning my dad had to drive that round London.

I think my biggest problem has always been never being able to afford a car, so when I had lessons when I was earning I was a lot more motivated. The biggest downside is the fuel bill alone is costing me as much as my entire bus travel used to per year!

In some ways the cars I was most fond of were the two non PAS Fiestas because it sort of give me a bit of nostalga and the rust patches all over the place made them unique.

Read more