Be Excellent To Each Other

The F1 was from 2013, so very very very.

I bought a full size alloy for my Focus after one rim cracked going down a really big pothole. It came with a tyre which I got replaced and at the same time had the wheel checked over. Was half the price of getting a brand new one from a dealer.

I've been searching through my email trying to find the details, but I'm not sure I still have them as this was back in 2008. I think I used http://www.breakeryard.com/ to find it.

There's plenty of new space saver wheels complete with the jack on eBay for reasonable prices.

I'll check out ebay and breakeryeard, thank you.

That breaker yard site rings a bell. I'm sure someone else recommended it a while back.

Me, perhaps. I use them for Land Rover bits every now and again.

I've used breakeryard for Clio bits.

Saw a BMW i8 today, kinda weird at the back, but generally nice. Didn't even know it existed before!

IIRC didn't he win this, beating Schumacher in the process, whilst still very much a rookie driver, as it were. I think he was something like 17 years old at the time.

Someone at Pistonheads mentioned that it looks exactly like a BMW shitting out a Porsche 911, and I cannot see anything different now.

Nope, he's not won before. Doesn't mean he didn't beat Schumacher though, as it's a knockout.

The oil light on the Subarurururu flicked on a few times on my way in (it is strange driving it after the ka. You can see over things! You can get out of junctions! You can engage low range and clear a parking space!)). If it is dripping 70ml a day I think that isn't a terrible and is probably a leaky gasket. I shall change the oil filter and wipe down the crank cases to see where it is coming from before it goes in for the belts.

Edit: coolant is clear as a bell. I ran my hand along the head gasket on one side and there was no oil. Suspect sump bolt or oil filter now.

I shall file this under "other expenses"

I have a shop with no built in heating, the only warmth comes from an oil filled radiator as I have been told this is the cheapest option. It is 2000 watt, units of leccytricity 13p roughly. if I leave it on full bore for 10 hours how much will it cost me? I suppose it does click off and on occasionally so ambient temperature is a factor too, any idea how much its costing me to run it?

2kw is two units per hour, so twenty in your ten hour day - £2.60

Space heaters are the way forward for workshops.

Thankyou

Unfortunately it's a retail bike shop so members of the public etc etc

You decided on a car for your Ring trip in 2016 yet, Grim...? What about Mk2 MR2's?

Jem and I are totally up for it now that I've driven on the continent, won't be quite so worried about it now

The prelim meeting is in January.

Oh shit son, the new Bugatti Chiron looks fucking HAWT



Only 290MPH though, so I shan't bother with one.

290mph would probably be ok for me but there's nowhere to put a pushchair or RC planes so I'm out too.

Blue? Nah, I'll keep my money

I don't have a garage. No way am I keeping that on the street.

My next car has to have at least 10 headlights.

Been getting intermittent limp mode with my TDi Leon, usually when the engines cold and or giving it beans. Happened more and more on the run up to Christmas then the coolant light came on and realised it was practically empty! Topped it up and the limp mode problem has gone. Coincidence or could the coolant level been freaking the engine management out?

Could be, but it's worth plugging a Code reader into it to see if there are any fault codes logged.
What age and size is it?

2003 (mk1) 1.9TDi 110. Before I topped up the coolant I was looking at possible sticky vanes in the turbo as that's common. Not got a VAG code reader to check myself. I'll look into getting it read if it starts playing up again.

Yep, either sticking vanes in the turbo or a small boost leak are the two most common faults on them. I had that engine in my first Octavia.

Been reading up on people using Mr Muscle oven cleaner on their disconnected turbos but don't really fancy trying it myself

Can't see anything under £3k that's going to be any better for my requirements than my Clio so going to stick with it for another couple of years I think, then upgrade to a Fiesta ST (£10k at the mo).

Still waiting to see what the damage is!

Go on...

~7 seconds 0-60, handles well, seats four people, reasonable boot size, 30+mpg

Unlimited budget? Good for you.

I already mentioned budget in my previous post.

Ah yes!

Worn plugs and HT leads. They were replaced but the error kept coming up. One of the injectors needed replacing after that which fixed it! £250. Whew.

Octavia VRS?

Oh yeah and not diesel.

The last of the Mk1s were on a 55 plate and they occasionally crop up with sensible mileage for your budget - that's a 1.8T petrol engine.
The first Mk2s aren't too much more but are likely to have quite substantial mileage and come in either petrol or diesel.

Look at you, Mr "I go away with friends'

More like taxi driver to my gf and her mates. #jokes

Here's a nice demonstration of how much an F1 car relies on downforce (the start), and how fucking fast they are when they have it (25s).

Was over in the badlands of the UK the last few days for my brother's 40th. He was putting diesel in his car at 99.7p per litre which is fully 13-14p cheaper than it is over here.

Can't remember how many years it's been since I saw the litres go up faster than the pounds.

Also, UK roads and motorways are bonkers. I think I'd go insane if I had to deal with that sort of traffic on a daily basis. It's like, there are queues everywhere, all the time.

Not if you're a biker there aren't.

It's a braver man than me who'd take a motorbike out into the sort of driving that was routinely on display.

I wouldn't even ride a bike on IOM roads these days, let alone UK roads.

Meh. I'm either stupid, pig-headed, ignorant of the risks or all three; I suppose I take the view I ain't dead after 32 years of it so what the hell. (Also, the bike's so bloody loud you'd have to be stone cold deaf and half blind to be unaware of my presence on it within a 10 metre radius, no matter how loud your in-car stereo. You can feel it approaching lol)

Must admit to spending most of December in the car due to the foul weather but I've already used the Hog a couple of times for my work commute since we've been back. Literally cuts my journey time in half.

Yep, I've not found anywhere I wouldn't ride a bike, at least in decent weather anyway. At night if it's raining I'm more cautious.
I've gone on plenty of motorways and through Manchester, Birmingham and London city centres and didn't feel too at risk.

That's only on a 300cc Vespa too.

Changing the subject slightly, how well are the earliest VRods holding up Cavey? Still nice and solid or total money pits?

As far as I can tell, not bad at all mate - the big, lazy old motor's so understressed and over-engineered. (Mine hasn't put a wheel wrong in 3 years either but to be fair she's only done about 5000 miles)

In truth I'm sure you'd be better off with a Honda Shadow or whatever, but however irrationally, for me it's just got to be the real deal, warts an' all.

'Rods even have half decent (Brembo sourced) brakes!

Here's a dedicated forum if you fancy doing a bit of research; personally I can't recommend the bike highly enough and absolutely adore it.

http://www.1130cc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

I'm most tempted by a Triumph Speedmaster, but I have had a test ride of a HD Street 750 and thought it was nice enough but a bit too quiet to feel like a real Harley.

One of the first VRods would be at the top end of what I'd like to spend but my preference is for a newer low mileage bike.