Messages

1

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: How long does it take to get some petrol?

« on: 11 June 2013, 07:19:12 AM »

Years ago I would often fill up and pull forwards while I went to pay, so as not to inconvenience others.  These days I don't because I don't trust the surveillance cameras, they might just think I was a drive-away.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Spare or no spare (or am I out of touch?)

« on: 31 May 2013, 10:52:16 AM »

My sister in law is looking to replace her ancient car and is quite taken by a Nissan Juke.  Sort of ersatz tonka toy, little car hiding in a big body, but being Nissan it is probably well put together.

It comes without spare, not even a  space saver, although you can buy an extra it fills a lot of not a lot to start with boot space.  I see that many cars come without spares these days, some don't even have a dedicated place to put one.  It strikes me that goo and pump is OK for a normal puncture, but useless with a badly damaged tyre or rim.  OK if you mainly trundle round populated towns in working hours, but useless up an alp on a Saturday afternoon or on a Hebridean Island anytime.  A spare, even a weedy space saver, is better.

I have counselled her to "think carefully" (Hard stare - don't expect me to sort you out of it goes wrong) before buying a car with no spare, but the salesman will surely apply snake oil - its fine madam, they are all like that these days - because he has to sell them.

Am I just old fashioned and out of date?

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Rear window tinting

« on: 19 May 2013, 08:06:20 PM »

Indeed, but as you can't fine people using an unmanned camera/revenue generator it's all too much trouble for plod to stop the all black tinted even the drivers window but must have ersatz xenon lights lowered big bore exhaust teenage yobs that buzz pointlessly through the 'burbs.  I suppose the empty see through brains are regarded as compensation for non see through windows where it matters.

Are all those super tinted Addison Lee ford galaxy taxis (sorry, private hire vehicles)in London transporting drug dealers or super-secret spooks?

Wonder, does non original darkness count as a cosmetic change and will your insurer use tintedness to wriggle out of a payout if you do bend it?

Rant over.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Rear window tinting

« on: 18 May 2013, 07:21:02 PM »

I had an untinted (apart from standard) 9-5 estate and now run a tinted citroen C5 estate.  Second hand so it came with it I didn't ask for it.

Advantages, looks cool, maybe keeps some glare out on very brights days. Looks great after a wash if you chamois the windows. Disadvantages, too dark for normal days in this country, makes it hard to see when reversing in the dark, other drivers can't see through from front or back.  Harder to see exactly what's following you at night.  Bikes can disappear from view in the dark.

On balance the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in everyday uk road use, for me, but its a personal thing.  If a car comes with it fine, but I wouldn't pay to get it done. 

Hired a Chevy equinox in the states last year, by chance a top spec one, had very dark rear and rear sides, a liability.  Couldn't see to manoeuvre at night or in enclosed car parks.  Fortunately if you pressed the right button the radio screen relayed a picture from a camera in the boot lid otherwise I might have been parking by ear.

I had some grey mesh shades with a single sucker in the middle when children were young, just blooped it onto side windows when needed.  Cost a few shillings.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Breakdown Services - no help!

« on: 19 April 2013, 03:17:56 PM »

I think a lot depends on the individual 'mechanic' that you get on the day, yours sounds either naive or obstructive, but the manufacturers need to know that stuff like this damages the brand.  Aeons ago I had company cars: good story, bad story....

Ford Granada 2.9 auto, 6 months old, work trip from Cheshire to Cambridge, M6 blocked so using A5, engine management failed so choice of full throttle or no throttle, using ignition key as full/none switch (dodgy now cars have steering locks).  Rolled up at a big Ford dealer on the A5, sorry sir can't even look at it for 2 days, tough.  Tell you what, said I, I will drive it to that layby just there and call Ford recovery who will send you to drag it back and fix it and if you can't you will have to give me a hire car.  So I did, and they did all grumpy like, and all was well except I vowed never to go near a new Ford again (plus they nicked my Nancy Griffiths cassette while it was in the workshop)

SAAB 900XS auto, 4 months old, when SAAB were SAAB and proud.  On holiday miles West of Fort William, took short ferry from Mallaig to Skye, drove a few miles and car dumped all its power steering fluid (turns out, loose union).  Phoned recovery, they worked out that nearest dealer was Inverness, I said I would buy some fluid, put it in and get back to Ferry and Mallaig, they said good plan, we will meet you there.  They did, a local garage on SAAB behalf waiting at top of ramp.  Bang on time.  Tow to their garage, up on ramp, fixed. No bother.  Later that evening, car phone rang "SAAB here sir, just checking that everything is OK for you ............"

Which is why I bought another SAAB but have never had another Ford.  Pure prejudice I know, but hey, reputation lives on, and on and on and ...

6

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Re: That bit of plastic under the nose

« on: 15 April 2013, 09:03:29 PM »

My old Vector had one, possibly the same.  Went to station, parked with it over a  kerb.  Picked up 4 people + loads of luggage, reversed off kerb .... grrrr.

Anyway, I found it was made of pretty tough stuff, quite flexible.  Back home, I pushed and shoved it into  the shape it was before, which left just one big split from bottom to almost the top.  There is a lip along the bottom, about 1 cm wide, so I got a bit of meccano and riveted it to the top of the lip to join up the 2 halves.  You can only see the rivets if you lie on the ground under the front spoiler.

The whole thing was now reasonably sound.  That just left  the crack,  so I got out my ersatz dremel (black-something brand) and made the crack a V shaped valley.  Next, used a hot glue gun to fill the valley, next a quick trim with a sharp blade to level it off and a bit of touch up paint applied by brush.

Not perfect, but unless you come across someone who enjoys rolling around on the ground commenting on other people's chin spoilers, it will be un-noticed.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: New York / New Jersey Itinerary recommendations

« on: 13 March 2013, 11:30:18 AM »

I enjoyed our 2 train trips, and standard class is plenty good enough, seats to fit a full sized American male not a standard sized anorexic dwarf like on GW trains here.  Pays to book in advance if you are prepared to plan ahead, prices go up closer to the day.  Go to the Amtrak website, beware of imitations.  Took me a while to figure out seat bookings, not like UK.  You are booking a seat but not a specific seat like here.  Once aboard, you pick a free seat, the train conductor comes along and puts a tab in the luggage rack above it and it is then yours for the journey even if you leave it to go to the buffet car.  Never seen anybody standing so I reckon it is one seat per passenger.  Trains seem to chug along pretty slowly (except the Acela express which costs a lot more) perhaps a result of poor track/low investment.  I know nothing of Philadelphia, but on our trip up to Boston noticed some nice little places by the coast not too far up the line which might be good for a day out.

If you hire a car, maybe you can take drive on the New Jersey Turnpike, and all go to look for America.  Last year we were briefly standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and between Seligman and Needles we did get our kicks.   You will certainly have the chance to take the "A" train.  (sorry, musical lapses).

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: New York / New Jersey Itinerary recommendations

« on: 12 March 2013, 09:27:48 PM »

315 West 44th Street, not far from Times Square.

The best jazz club I have ever visited.  True to its roots.

Most evenings you get big names, sometimes big prices.  But EARLY FRIDAY, On Fridays, doors at 4.30 show at 5.00 to 7.00, early evening, their own big band.  Leader Tommy Igoe (he's not always there) one of the very best drummers in the entire known universe, even better than Animal in the Muppets, food good, prices not too high by city standards.  Because it's big band its easy to listen to even for non-jazz fans.  As many regulars as tourists.

Need to book but its all easy, tables allocated when you arrive so don't be late.  OK with children as long as they don't drink alcohol or sit at the bar.

Here is all about it:  www.birdlandjazz.com, www.tommyigoe.com/

and get a sample here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8XByEvjmc

Magnificent, go on, you know you want to ....

Meanwhile, weirdly nostalgic, if you are passing the branch of the New York public Library - Schwarzman building on 5th and 42nd, go in for a few minutes.  Nice building, in the basement you will find Winnie the Pooh and others, AA Milne's original toys.

And another thing.  We stayed in the Waldorf Astoria, between 49th and 50th and between Park & Lexington.  Got a deal. BUT even if you are not staying there worth going in to the public areas.  No need to be specially smart, loads of people wander in and out and there is a Starbucks in the basement.  Art Deco, bit like a museum without exhibits, clock in main lobby very fine, ace place.  If you really wan to feel rich blow $20 on a cocktail ( a Manhatten would be ideal) and spend an hour sipping it in the bar that has a piano player and soak up the atmosphere.   The Waldorf is the official residence of Mr President when he is New York, and of the US Ambassador to the UN.

Just walking around there - Grand Central Station, the Chrysler, into the Waldorf, then on to the Rockerfeller, is plain brilliant.

Staten Island Ferry is free, walk on walk off and goes close to Mr Eiffel's other tower.

One thing I would have done.  We got tickets to top of the rock and went up early in the day.  Fine.  For little more, I could have had a ticket that let us back in again the same day.  Would have been brilliant after a broadway show, wish I wish I wish I had.  Will have to go back one day for the night time view.  I reckon top of the rock is best because you see the Empire Stete from it, and Central park, and you can't see the Empire State too well from itself.

An observation.  Went in '89, walking about in the evening seemed a bit risky.  Went back in 2010, much better feeling, happy to walk around Times Square and back to Hotel after the show etc., much more relaxed.

This last trip we went to Washington, train to NY, train to Boston then picked up a car so can't really say much about places to drive too.  Remember in '89 the Hertz car hire place in the City was plain bl**dy rude but I think that was the ethos in NY then.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Worst car you've owned

« on: 25 February 2013, 12:04:34 AM »

I had a Hillman Hunter, Mk 1 round headlights (the early Hunters had round ones) 1725cc alloy head.  My Dad had it from new and did about 30k miles, he got a company car so I had the Hunter in my final year as a student.  Magnificent, finally went when a piston ring broke at around 170k miles.  Very little to go wrong, kept the dashpot on the stromberg carb full of oil, did head gasket a few times, only an hour or so with 2 of you, leave all the manifolds & gubbins on, disconnect from exhaust and fuel feed, and lift it all off in one go.  Got through a  couple of alternators.  Clutch lasted.  In its dotage I drilled a few holes in the boot floor to let the rain out,  cheaper than buying a new rubber seal for round the boot lid to stop the rain coming in.  It did drift a bit, came on Dunlop C41 crossplies but eventually got some Michelin ZX just as radial tyres were taking over the world.  You could get along pretty quickly with sufficient optimism in the corners.  Shore Beige with a sort of mid olive grunge brown interior.

Minx came later, when Rootes ran out of old shape Minx body shells, was only 1500, lower compression ratio and cast iron head, whole balance of car was that bit different.  Generically the "Arrow" range, they started to mess (a la BMC) with badges: Singer Vogue, Humber something, Sunbeam ....

By no means the worst car I have owned, but certainly the most Beige inside and out.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Heathrow Parking Recommendations

« on: 21 February 2013, 11:59:42 AM »

I think I can help here, did the same pair of terminals in summer albeit for a long holiday, and have done a fair bit of Heathrow parking.

Car Parks are by Terminal, 1-3 are grouped together, then 4 then 5.  Its best to park at the one you are leaving from, because catching the plane is pretty critical, a bit of time spent getting to your car after coming back isn't so bad.

Terminal 4 is best accessed off the M25, not off the M4.  There is a perimeter road so you can go round if you get lost, but direct off M25 is quickest.  It is south side of Runways, all others are north.  More on car parks in a moment. 

When you get back, it's easy from T3 to T4 but does take 20 minutes or so.  You do the formalities, passport, luggage etc. in T3, then you go down to the underground station inside the terminal and follow the signs.  You may need to change lines at the terminal 1/2 stop, can't exactly remember, but its just crossing a platform.  The underground is free within the Heathrow complex, no complications at all. Trips are so short its hardly worth sitting down on the train. In T4 you go to the car park shuttle bus just as if you had arrived in T4 (I think its up a floor).

Parking at T4.  I have always booked directly with BAA/ Heathrow website: find the links and do it from baa.com.  Make sure you are on the official site - if you google for heathrow parking you get all kinds of rubbish.  Do it soon and get an advance pre-paid deal, saves loads.  If you know which car you are taking put in the number, the cameras read it on entry and exit and all is well.  No need to speak to a human being unless you want to.  When you arrive and draw the ticket out of the barrier machine, by magic it has your reference on it.  Used it many times for various terminals and never had a problem.  One year I had to change car at last minute, so when I arrived I just went into the office with my booking reference and it was no trouble.  You may be able to find a cheaper deal, but not by much and I always think it would be easier to sort out problems direct with the car park than through an intermediary.  BAA has no booking or credit card fees and I like the clarity of what you see is what you pay.  I never quite trust off airport parking, saves a few ££ maybe but adds some time and I worry about security.  If someone came along with a recommendation, fine.

There are 3 grades of parking, short stay, business, long stay.   A few years ago I had a 3 day trip from T4 and the BAA website had a cheaper deal for short stay than for long, you just walk into terminal.  That is unusual.  In summer you can get good deals on business parking, and for T1-3 and 5 that is a lot closer than long stay.  (T5 magic, from business you get to travel in your very own monorail bubble).  For T4 there is no real difference between business and long stay - its the same parking lot divided only by posts in the tarmac.  In theory the shuttle bus is a bit more frequent in business and the spaces may be a bit wider, but having done both I would just go for the cheapest.  Go to website, put in T4 and the dates, see what pops up.

One final thought, the pre paid is in 24 hour chunks.  If you go over,  they crush your car for security reasons.  NO - they don't but overs are charged at the full 'walk in' daily rate.  Our last trip, admittedly almost 3 weeks, I would have been on the last minute  before the clock ticked over, so paid for an extra day upfront, it was a marginal amount: rather pay £ and not worry, than worry about £££.  As it happened, I did go over because an internal flight was cancelled (after check in, thanks United) and I spent a disrupted night at LAX and got home late.

Hope that helps.

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Snow tools

« on: 29 January 2013, 06:06:26 PM »

I caught a glimpse of a News item - Paul Scholes had his car stolen, left it running to de ice.  Its probably only about a weeks wages to him (a Chevrolet Captiva).  Does that make him a snow tool?

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Snow tools

« on: 22 January 2013, 12:15:56 PM »

Round here we get lots of cyclists, even in cold weather.    My 16 year old often cycles the 7 miles to school.  It strikes me that driving round with a roof full of snow that might end up on a cyclist or motorcyclist is unacceptable. 

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Are Audi drivers the new BMW drivers?

« on: 19 January 2013, 11:13:42 PM »

I reckon that the interior of an Audi is so perfectly designed, so free of character and interest, so funereal,   that the occupants are bored out of their heads.  Add to that painfully arse-numbing seats in the sportier models, they lose all prospect of joyful existence and drive fast/ badly in the hope of a serious accident or an arrest by the authorities which will put them out of their absolute, humourless misery.  Voorsprung Durch Technik as they used to say.

(OK, I know there are some big comfortable interesting ones as well, driven by big comfortable interesting people who don't tailgate or park stupidly)

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Snow tools

« on: 19 January 2013, 11:02:23 PM »

2 random thoughts on useful and un-useful snow tools:

A very useful tool is a broom.  I keep my broom by the front door in this weather - as long as the snow is fresh and powdery you can clear the whole car in seconds.  I keep a large brush in the boot for when I am away.

Subset of random thought: a few years back when my son was young and enthuisisatic he said stay indoors Dad, I will sweep the snow off the car.  It hadn't occurred to him that it would be best to sweep it off towards the back or sides, he started at the back and manged to get the whole lot (it was an estate car) onto the bonnet then off the front.  So then we had to get a shovel to move the self made snowdrift so we could set off.  I think I might have said something rude because he hasn't offered since.

Random thought 2.  A very un-useful tool for moving about in snow is a high power rear wheel drive BMW with wide low profile tyres.  Someone I work with  had to walk the last couple of miles home on Friday.  I did explain that the "S" button on his BMW 52-something Auto box settings doesn't stand for sport, it means "STUCK".  Not sure he was amused, but I am amused to ponder that BMWs are supplied with a "stuck" setting on the gearshift.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Re: GoodBye to Saab

« on: 03 January 2013, 09:51:56 AM »

I've been saabless for 14 months now but still visit the forum weekly and occasionally contribute.  Although I am happy with my 'new' - bought a year old - C5 Diesel Estate, I still get pangs of regret every time I see a really nice 9-5.  The styling is timeless.  To compensate, I cheer myself up every time I fill the tank and see the DTE go up to 700 miles instead of 400 that I got with my petrol 9-5.

I suppose you will be after one of those 1960's amphicars soon,  being in Norfolk and with sea levels risisng .....