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.

1

General Car Chat / Re: The Victor...

« on: Today at 11:30:29 »

A biggish car back in the day. Sadly, like most other cars of that era, they succumbed to rust earlier than they should have done. I recall the aerial on my Cortina falling through the wing.    Wheel Arch liners weren’t a thing back then so all of the water and dirt got trapped in the corners.

Yep.

Although by the standards of 2026 it is positively small.

I had an uncle who owned a 1965 C reg 101, and it always seemed large.

Be it cars or people there are far more 'fat bastards' around today when compared to the swinging sixties.

2

General Discussion Area / Re: The latest Epstein case files...

« on: Yesterday at 11:45:39 »

All of that aside, i think Starmers days as PM are seriously numbered now because of the Mandelson thing.
Its just a matter of time.
It could even be days or a few weeks. Probably depends whats in the paperwork he has been forced to release.
In any scenario he is now very much in office but not in power.

Trouble is, the current mob stay in power, and they have nobody fit to run the country

If / when Starmer goes, Lammy takes over ! 
Then Rayner, Streeting and Miliband will be fighting like rats in a sack to oust him and get the big job.
Any of those is a terrifying prospect. 
Meanwhile, the national debt continues to rise by half a billion per day !
The next attempt at serious grown up Government will be a thankless task for whoever it is.

Red Ed had a crack at the job once before. It didn't end well.

3

General Discussion Area / Re: The latest Epstein case files...

« on: 04 February 2026, 11:16:50 »

At last things are really stirring against this awful man, with the police now being involved.  The Government, at last, has referred the matter to them after files suggested Mandelson allegedly passed sensitive information to Epstein.  Epstein is also quitting the "other place"

It has taken Sir Keir too long to take full action, but at last he has started the ball rolling!

With him and Andrew letting the side down, how embarrassing all this is for the UK!

Don't write Mandy off, Lizzie.

He has come from behind on more than one occasion.

4

General Discussion Area / Re: Doctors and waiting times

« on: 03 February 2026, 12:39:21 »

Golf....a waste of a good walk.

5

General Car Chat / Re: Car tax

« on: 01 February 2026, 13:03:49 »

Indeed. 
The only way they got you was if they outran you in a chase and then it was a fair cop*.
If you outran them, they just thought " we will get you next time".
It was good sport enjoyed by all who took part - apart from those who died trying, but that was the risk, if you decided to take it.
The world was a simpler and better place then. 

* It was sometimes a bit more complicated in Belfast, where they had random Police roadblocks.
Thats how I got caught riding a Norton Commando when I was sixteen.
 Cop pointed at me to pull into the nearside. I briefly though about just gunning it, but the machine gun he was pointing at me made me se sense, so I complied. 

Yep. Very wise.

I was given a good kicking in the cells a number of times. This was before CCTV or recorded interviews.

It was something we all knew would happen if we got caught being a naughty boy.

6

General Car Chat / Re: Car tax

« on: 01 February 2026, 12:08:34 »

£5690....

And you can't simply write 'tax in post' and pop it in the tax disc holder like I used to with numerous two-wheeled beasties.

Guinness label

I didn't like to discriminate so no tax ran along side no insurance, no MOT, and no licence, when they caught me.

Ah....those were the days.

7

General Car Chat / Re: Car tax

« on: 01 February 2026, 12:05:40 »

Used AI instead

 59 cars facing £5,690 car tax in April 2026
(Most are high-performance or large-engined petrol/diesel models)


Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo
Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10
Audi RS6 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi RS7 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi RSQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi S8 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi SQ7 4.0 TFSI V8
Audi SQ8 4.0 TFSI V8
Aston Martin DBX 4.0 V8
Aston Martin DB12 4.0 V8
Aston Martin Vantage 4.0 V8
Bentley Bentayga 4.0 V8
Bentley Continental 4.0 V8
Bentley Continental 6.0 W12
Bentley Flying Spur 4.0 V8
BMW Alpina XB7 4.4 V8
BMW M8 4.4 V8
BMW X5 M 4.4 V8
BMW X6 M 4.4 V8
BMW X7 M 4.4 V8
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2 V8
Ferrari Purosangue 6.5 V12
Ferrari Roma 3.8T V8
Ford Mustang 5.0 V8
Ford Ranger 2.0 TD EcoBlue
Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue
Ford Ranger 3.0 V6
INEOS Grenadier 3.0P
Jaguar F-Pace 5.0 P575 V8
Jeep Wrangler 2.0 GME
Lamborghini Huracan 5.2 V10
Lamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 BiTurbo
Lamborghini Revuelto 6.5 V12
Land Rover Defender 90 5.0 P425 V8
Land Rover Defender 110 5.0 P425 V8
Lotus Emira 3.5 V6
Maserati Levante 3.0 V6
Maserati Levante 3.8 V8
Maserati MC20 3.0 V6
McLaren GT 4.0T V8
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4.0 V8
Mercedes-Benz G400D
Mercedes-Benz G63
Mercedes-Benz GLC63
Mercedes-Benz GLE63
Mercedes-Benz GLS63h
Mercedes-Benz SL55
Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GT4
Porsche 911 3.7T 992 Turbo
Porsche Cayenne 4.0T V8
Porsche Macan 2.9T V6
Range Rover 4.4 P530 V8
Range Rover 4.4 P615 V8
Range Rover Sport 4.4P V8
Rolls-Royce Ghost 6.75 V12
Rolls-Royce Cullinan 6.75 V12
Toyota Hilux 2.8D
Toyota Land Cruiser 2.8D
Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI

📌 These models typically emit over 255 g/km CO₂, placing them in the top Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) band with first-year tax jumping to £5,690 for vehicles newly registered on or after 1 April 2026.

📊 Why the huge tax jump?

New VED rules: The UK government has changed first-year Vehicle Excise Duty calculations so that very high-emission petrol and diesel cars now attract significantly higher tax to discourage their purchase and use.

Threshold effect: Cars emitting over 255 g/km of CO₂ now fall into the highest first-year tax band — previously up to £5,490 under the 2025 rules — but rising to £5,690 for 2026/27.

These figures apply only to first-year tax; subsequent years will revert to the standard rate of car tax with any applicable expensive car supplement added depending on list price.

If you want, I can also break down the VED costs by CO₂ band so you can see how much different cars will pay from April 2026 (e.g., low, medium and high emissions). Just let me know!

With one or two exceptions most of the above are six figure cars when new, so I suppose some can afford to pay without too much thought.

Not many though.

8

General Car Chat / Re: Car tax

« on: 01 February 2026, 11:51:23 »

£5690....

And you can't simply write 'tax in post' and pop it in the tax disc holder like I used to with numerous two-wheeled beasties.

9

General Discussion Area / Re: Doctors and waiting times

« on: 01 February 2026, 11:27:54 »

We're lucky here phone in the morning usually get an appointment then same day or within 24 hours , had to go last week funnily enough phoned at 9am & got an appointment at 11.15am.

Same here

Can't get hold of a quack for love or money.

And, months after you ask for an appointment you end up with a doctor who is hard (almost impossible) to understand.

I tend to pay privately if terminally sick with man flu, or pox.

10

General Car Chat / Re: Another MOT pass

« on: 31 January 2026, 13:43:33 »

Nice  rare colour for the Omega owned by Lizzie, although obviously not as rare as the almost unique star silver.

11

General Discussion Area / Re: Doctors and waiting times

« on: 31 January 2026, 11:16:36 »

Sounds suspiciously like galloping knob rot to me.

Shame on you, Skruntie.

Wondered how you would respond   

As a breakless youth the address and phone number of the 'clap clinic' was well known to myself and my mates of that time.

12

General Discussion Area / Re: Doctors and waiting times

« on: 30 January 2026, 17:36:45 »

Sounds suspiciously like galloping knob rot to me.

Shame on you, Skruntie.

13

General Car Chat / Re: BMW i4 M60 Arrived

« on: 30 January 2026, 12:16:44 »

Not tried the pre-heat thingy on Mrs Opti's I-Pace, or the heated steering wheel.

But I grew up with ice on the inside of the windows, so such things have a touch of the 'nancy boy' about them.

one of the best features, so nice coming into a warm car. You almost don't need a heated seat or wheel

We tried the 'preconditioning thingy' last night before driving to the supermarket...... preheated car for about forty minutes.

Car was good and warm with no misting up to clear away.

However, car was not plugged into the zappy and lost 3% of charge.....94% down to 91%. Hmm.

14

General Car Chat / Re: Banger Volvo vs Brand New

« on: 30 January 2026, 12:04:22 »

the Mexican workers were fast asleep under a sombrero and blanket for 10 hours each day. 

And still achieve more than a railway construction worker in Blighty.

Yep.....sleeping and drinking tea adds up to way more than 10 hours, in the great British tradition.

15

General Car Chat / Re: Banger Volvo vs Brand New

« on: 30 January 2026, 11:36:52 »

Tunnie...

Was your BMW built in Mexico and shipped from there to Blighty?

My M240i was and it took 13 months to arrive, probably because the Mexican workers were fast asleep under a sombrero and blanket for 10 hours each day.