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91

General Car Chat / Re: Its That Time of Year Again - Breakdown Cover

« on: 08 December 2023, 10:06:13 »

Probably one for Nick W - if I wanted a tow for, say, 200 miles, how easy is that to arrange from the side of the road, and what sort of cost? Couple of quid per mile? £5 per mile?

Seven years ago, we were charging £1.50 a mile. Roundtrip, on top of the call out charge. Plus VAT. And any special equipment required to load the car. Trailers are extra.


You're asking for a 400mile job which isn't possible legally, so it wouldn't happen. Add in the practicalities of knowing who to call, and the better known providers are still a good deal even if their prices are getting closer to what they should have been twenty years ago.

92

General Car Chat / Re: Age old question....

« on: 08 December 2023, 09:57:22 »

Perhaps I am

I get that a Yaris or Aygo or Adam might be considered a shit box and uncomfortable to get to the end of the drive, and you'll note that I didn't suggest such a car... the Camry isn't a small car.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312054561267

Without prying, (we all have issues), and bearing the above in mind...I don't understand how wwd is health related 

As an aside, SE spec BMWs are notably softer than the M Sport/full fat M siblings.

Quite an imposing car in an 'ugly as f*uck' sort of way. :)

Christ! That grille. 

Have you looked at a recent BMW, Ford or Audi recently?

93

General Car Chat / Re: Its That Time of Year Again - Breakdown Cover

« on: 08 December 2023, 09:54:20 »

I used to alternate between AA and RAC.  Because she is on the motorway every day, I don't want any breaks in cover.  You know it will be the law of sod!

AA new customer is quoting me about £125 .  Renewal is over £150.  This year was under £90.

Sir Tig's suggestion looks good aside from a clause that if it can be repaired locally the next working day, they will tow to local garage - not too happy about that, as that means if it broke down on a Friday, they could potentially leave us stranded until Monday night.

Alb's suggestion has a clause that needs clarification over as well.

What they mean is it will take them a working day to make a decision about your 'recovery'. And then you'll find the joke really is on you, because that decision was always going to be 'NO'. You would be better off putting the membership(a lie just like football 'clubs') fee in an envelope in the glovebox, to use as a bribe to persuade the person who felt sorry enough to pick you up as a hitch-hiker to actually take you home.


You should also consider that anything that might go wrong with your car can be repaired. That doesn't mean you actually would.....

94

General Car Chat / Re: Annoying little shits.

« on: 01 December 2023, 13:02:31 »

Two boxed traps not triggered.......but all the poison taken again. 

What does it take to kill these little f*uckers.

The traditional English solution is a couple of Jack Russels roaming the property, although other terriers can be as good.

95

General Car Chat / Re: Annoying little shits.

« on: 30 November 2023, 17:39:16 »

Have you thought of driving it now and again? 

I do, almost every day. It is the warm engine bay that attracts them.

Have you thought of not driving it?

Park it next to a Mercedes. Rats love Merc wiring

96

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 29 November 2023, 21:45:13 »

Merc drivers.   All of them.  Is it a requirement for a lobotomy upon purchase.

How oppsing slow can they all drive, and just how much fresh air can they give way to.

 

Is it a lobotomy, or because they're so blind that they willingly buy such ugly cars?

97

Omega General Help / Re: cambelt 3.2 elite gates

« on: 26 November 2023, 12:59:00 »

It's at half the mileage, and over the age limit. I would fit a timing belt kit in the next year or so.


The only reason to change the water pump is if it's leaking. The original suggestion to change it while you're in there was that reliably good quality replacements were readily available for so cheaply it wasn't worth not doing it. That's no longer the case, it isn't driven by the timing belt, and replacing it isn't that big a job.


Now that these engines are over twenty years old, I would put the extra time and a fiver into changing the crankshaft oil seal instead.

98

Omega General Help / Re: What lies beneath

« on: 18 November 2023, 16:13:11 »

Thanks Nick, yeah springs all appear to be in Europe.

I bought all four springs for my estate from Germany for about the same price as one rear spring from a British supplier. Not that any of them had stock available.

99

Omega General Help / Re: What lies beneath

« on: 18 November 2023, 15:20:45 »

The sill covers slide along their fittings, so should come off easily.


If you think finding rear springs online is faffing about, you'll hate trying to find somewhere to get them over the counter. Paying for them that way will be even more painful.

100

General Car Chat / Re: Lets do the maths.

« on: 17 November 2023, 21:55:39 »

The old scouse lad will be on in a minute to tell me his soot chucking planet destroying  derv only costs £30 pa.

1.0l Focus is £24 pa. That's the only good point of the entire car. It isn't a good deal.

101

General Discussion Area / Re: Potholes

« on: 17 November 2023, 17:56:45 »

I wonder if Rishi will appoint Rod Stewart as chief coordinator?

What if we used former ministers as initial ballast for filling the holes? They're no use for anything else, and there's loads of them....

I see absolutely no reason to wait until they're former ministers.

I was allowing my natural optimism to bubble to the surface.

102

Omega General Help / Re: Bonnet opening

« on: 17 November 2023, 13:25:40 »

Hello Doc why are you saying lubricate the lock barrel which lock barrel,

All four** of them. That's both front doors, the boot lid and the ignition lock. The good news is that it's quick, cheap and easy to do:


  give each barrel several copious squirts of solvent cleaner(brake/carb/contact/whatever you have).


  rub a soft, good quality pencil over the sharp bits of the key and


  pump it in and out of the barrel a few times.




Finish the job by ensuring that the keyring you use for the ignition holds a maximum of one key.


While you have the cleaner handy, use it on the both parts of the bonnet latch then grease them both and as much of the inner cable as you can see.






**I know Omegas might not have four, but this isn't Omega specific advice.

103

General Discussion Area / Re: Potholes

« on: 17 November 2023, 13:18:08 »

I wonder if Rishi will appoint Rod Stewart as chief coordinator?

What if we used former ministers as initial ballast for filling the holes? They're no use for anything else, and there's loads of them....

104

General Discussion Area / Re: No one going to Rwanda anytime soon

« on: 16 November 2023, 12:26:23 »

Staggering figure.

Time for a war, good way to sort out debt?

Do you have a particular victim/culprit/aggressor in mind, or should we just pick one for political expediency?


If it's the latter, how about Liechtenstein? That would save the Navy getting involved, and we have instant scapegoats in Switzerland, Germany and Austria not allowing us to cross their territory to shoot a few people. Then we could get Braverman to change a few words in her hilarious letter to the PM and everybody is happy.

105

General Car Chat / Re: Cortina or All-aggro?

« on: 15 November 2023, 21:15:07 »

We used to call russet brown rat shite brown

At its best when the interior was the same colour.

Could be worse; Chrysler did a bright green Sunbeam GLS with a matching velour interior. The whole car looked like it had been dipped in pond slime. The bright red one was only slightly less garish.


Vermillion ought to be a brilliant deep red, not any kind of brown.