Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

13726

General Discussion Area / How much time spent on maintaining Omega/driving ?

« on: 13 March 2009, 15:52:17 »

So how much time do you spend repairing/maintaining your Omega as opposed to driving it?

For me it seems about equal parts! More if you count loss of sleep over whatever is wrong with it that day.  

varche

13727

General Discussion Area / Re: Anyone know Leicester?

« on: 13 March 2009, 13:02:21 »

Well where is the venue?

there are plenty of taxis and mini cabs.

varche

13728

General Discussion Area / Re: Solar Water heating being installed next Thursday

« on: 13 March 2009, 12:33:39 »

When we came out to Spain we fancied solar water but the Spanish unlike the Greeks aren't into it. I guess they just prefer the low capital outlay of a gas heater and gas bottles that were traditionally dirt cheap. New houses have to have it fitted as standard.

We do have a long length of black one inch water pipe on the ground outside that gives buckets of hot water for washing car etc for six months of the year.  

varche

13729

General Discussion Area / Re: Looking for a large fresh fish market

« on: 13 March 2009, 10:32:28 »

Cheap flight to Galicia, Spain, any of the fish markets but you have to be up early. You will see that the Spanish love fish and land it from all over the world and make the British look like vegetarians.

Don't fly with Ryanair though as they would charge you extra to bring back a Turbot, Rosada,dolphin,shark etc !!

varche

13730

General Discussion Area / Re: Exporting the Miggy

« on: 09 March 2009, 16:25:00 »

I "exported" my car to Spain. A good move financially as the cost of acquiring a car here are high (both residuals and transfer tax). Like in NZ people here drive the car till it/they die.

There have been many times I wished I hadn't brought the Omega much as I love it. Getting spare parts, despite there being Opel dealers is difficult as they are few and far between. Scrap yards (I have seen) don't have petrol Omegas in them or diesels for that matter.

You may be able to get parts via say EBay Uk, but not all sellers ship worldwide, but my advice would be not to take it. Get a local car instead. If you do insist on taking it then I would go over it with a fine tooth comb and get it up to A1 before setting off and then take all the parts that seem to go on the car. You could ship these stowed inside. e.g. exhaust system.

Exporting a car is straightforward enough via DVLA but I would check there aren't any undue costs at the other end other than a local MOT, inspection and NZ plates.

varche    

13731

General Discussion Area / Re: Poll - how long have you owned your CURRENT Omega

« on: 01 March 2009, 20:35:28 »

"Surprised no one with more than 7 years as yet - Omega was introduced in 1994."


I replied and voted but didn't hit the submit button properly. Nearly ten years of ownership!.

El Varche

13732

General Discussion Area / Re: Poll - how long have you owned your CURRENT Omega

« on: 01 March 2009, 17:36:47 »

August 99. Nearly ten years of trouble free motoring unless you count wishbones, gearbox, ABS Ecu, PAS pump,DIS pack,cam cover gaskets............. still on its original crank sensor! Only done about 145k miles. Best tractor a man can buy.

El Varche

13733

General Discussion Area / Re: Sir Fred "The Shred" Goodwin v. Government

« on: 01 March 2009, 13:48:43 »

Total lack of due diligence. One of the conditions of receiving governement cash should have been to change the conditions of every bank employee (except those in barclays of course) to capped bonuses and a apply a cut of a minimum of 10% across the company. That way they would appreciate the pain incurred by joe public.

There is no chance of Fred giving up his money.On the positive side think of how much tax he will pay on all that money.

Rearrange this well known phrase. HORSE DOOR STABLE CLOSE.

varche

13734

General Discussion Area / Uk Email contact for Belkin please!

« on: 02 March 2009, 16:00:13 »

I need to drop Belkin Uk an Email with details of a problem with a UPS.

Everytime I navigate to the UK support details it takes me to the Spanish support site as I am using a Spanish IP address.

Could some kind soul have a look on http://www.belkin.com/uk/ and let me know an Email address for UK support?

varche

13735

General Discussion Area / Re: Post not getting delivered

« on: 28 February 2009, 11:35:50 »

It could be much worse. Here is what it is like if you live in the country in Spain.

Postboxes few and far between one per village if you are lucky. They should get emptied each week day but often don't.

Deliveries. To a local point e.g. a bar or a shop. You have to go and collect. Deliveries are made once and sometimes twice a week except in the summer when it is too hot, the postman is away on holiday or if the postman is poorly. then there are none. Signed for stuff you have to call at the postmans house 3 miles away at 11.00 a.m. on the dot otherwise he is out (in the bar).

Recently we wanted to send a few photos to an uncle but also wanted to write a few lines. So we went to the nearest Post Office which is twenty miles away and only open till 1.30p.m. each day. You have to buy a Post Office padded envelope. How much will this be with these photos and this sheet of paper to ENGLAND? Price given. Are you sure? Yes. Right I will have the stamps and put them on now and post it tomorrow. Went home and wrote the letter,posted it and two weeks later it arrived at our local bar. Took it back to our local postman and he said ah yes the main post office said not enough stamps for England. Went to same main post office and same person said yes it needs another 2 euros 56. GRR

My experiences of the UK Post Office were excellent. Our postman used to "come back" later if our bedroom curtains were still drawn if he had a parcel for example.  

varche  

13736

General Discussion Area / Re: what's everyone doing today????

« on: 28 February 2009, 11:11:11 »

Was going to harvest a few more olive trees but it started raining last night so its working indoors pulling new wiring through and installing a few doors and frames.

El Varche

13737

General Discussion Area / Scrappage

« on: 27 February 2009, 10:38:03 »

I can't help wonder at the sense in these government schemes to pay people (in Germany approx 2,000 euros) to scrap their car when they buy a new one. One in seven Germans work in the car industry! Apparently the UK is thinking about introducing this too.

Surely it would be better to reduce car production and keep the old car running a bit longer? Out of interest what actually happens to the old car being scrapped? Is it broken for parts (recycling) or deliberately obliterated and converted into ingots of metal etc?

varche

13738

General Discussion Area / Re: Sir Fred Goodwin

« on: 27 February 2009, 10:17:52 »

More lack of due diligence. In fact nowadays there seems to be NONE. The government knew about his "huge pension" but thought they couldn't do anything about it. Now it turns out they could. Bit late.

Once again no one will get sacked for not having done their job properly.  I wonder if he will rescind his "sirdom". doubt that.

varche

13739

General Discussion Area / Re: Another year another MOT

« on: 25 February 2009, 11:38:18 »

Well done. It is amazing what a clean and a polish does. That was a tip from Omegatoy!

varche

13740

General Discussion Area / Re: ive given up lager

« on: 22 February 2009, 14:44:15 »

Marston Pedigree and a bag of Walkers Salt n Vinegar crisps. Oh the stuff of dreams.

El Varche