horriblemercedes

On 14/04/2024 at 20:59, danthecapriman said:

Here’s a quick question for all you big rig fella’s…

How come lots of the European manufacturers of commercial vehicles didn’t import or even build their trucks here in the UK?

Theres so many makes (back in the good old days I mean!) that came from Europe and were very very popular there but for some reason never made it over here. Berliet for example. Was it as simple as they decided the domestic products popularity meant it was unlikely their stuff would sell here? Couldn’t be arsed with the hassle of right hand drive? Maybe our little island wasn’t thought of as a substantial enough market?

I just think it’s weird how we’re so close physically to the European mainland yet we got bugger all from them really truck wise. Cars obviously made it here and sold well enough for the most part.

The same question from the opposite side - ERF trucks were great, yet I don't remember seeing any abroad in the 20th century. 

I think it's just that local operators were familiar with the local product. Over time that changed with tariffs disappearing and globalisation meaning we had a 'survival of the fittest' situation. The biggest makers bought the smaller ones and assimilated them and others failed 

Note also that a lot of the DAF trucks you see around the UK and elsewhere are Leylands - engineered and built by Leyland but with DAF branding as the Leyland brand is long gone. You still see Leyland stickers in the door jamb on modern DAF trucks. The ones that are Leylands, that is 

I'm planning to go from Loughborough to St Ives (Cornwall) and back on Saturday 27th April, if that helps anyone. Should have space in the car for most reasonable requests

2 hours ago, jakebullet said:

I've seen the ugly side of gambling today. It's mecca fucking bingo.

Take this email for free bingo, drink, and burger for you and a friend worth £50. It could be good for a giggle on a boring Sunday afternoon?

WRONG. It's just depressing. The grannies desperately donking their pension away. The queue for the bar where everyone asks for a 4 pint jug of carling and 1 glass, n they look at you like you have done a shit on the carpet when you ask for a cappuccino. Terrible songs* that have the music from popular songs but words extolling the virtues of bingo.

Plus Mrs has broken a tooth n won nowt to pay for it.

I don't think that's the ugly side of gambling. More like the pathetic, shit side. 

The ugly side would be addiction and destitution 

20 hours ago, cort16 said:

32 door mk2 escort

I don't remember that version 

Took my car for an MOT today. Passed, no advisories. I'm very happy about that. 

This evening I decided to file the pass sheet and noticed the testers name. M. Thatcher. Nice to get a Prime Minister look over your Jaguar XJ

1 hour ago, Marina door handles said:

 

Love the look of this Granny and I have no problem with a free car (had a couple!) but this rings alarm bells, most free cars have a back story, mine certainly did. 

I don't think it's really free - that's just how it's listed. I think he wants offers or a swap/part exchange 

18 minutes ago, MantaGTE85 said:

Tommy Autos channel on Youtube has just uploaded a review on a T-plate 300Tdi Disco 1. I thought the Disco 2 with TD5 came out 1998/R reg.

I saw a T Reg V8i Disco 1 today, coincidentally 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2729128360580791/

Lovely Opel Monza with manual gearbox, LSD and red interior 

4 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

No, but definitely will be known to the Police.

The public shouldn't have access to Police records (for instance Roxanne)

1 hour ago, 17-Coffees said:

I did not know these were a thing...

A South Korean Jeep CJ with a Mazda engine?

 

Count me in!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326076332413?itmmeta=01HTXFP0PTXYKH4A8FJC148XJW&hash=item4beba9f97d:g:Sx8AAOSwkZhl3PPn

They were decent for what they were meant to be, but I've never seen a car rot as fast as they did

Yep. I can see at least one rotten sill without clicking on the link for the ad

28 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

I thought it was 25 years for exemption (my car is 21, thinking it might just get there), but now find it’s 40.  When did it change or am I wrong in thinking it used to be 25?

I noticed steam powered vehicles are exempt. In terms of CO2 per km ( not to mention kg if soot per km), they must be the worst possible case.

It was 25 years but changed in 1998 (was frozen at pre-1973 and the rolling exemption stopped)

Then about 10 years ago, it became a 40 year rolling exemption like the old 25 year one.

10 hours ago, Burnside said:

Mine's up to £335 a year now, plus my Car will only run on E5 pez which is another bloody rip off.

Yet they class my car as Ulez compliant for nearby Birmingham.

But if I had the so called evil polluting Diesel Version, I'd pay just £210 Road Tax and be better off fuel cost / MPG wise too.

So it just proves what a load of old bollocks this all is on the environmental angle. 

Can't wait for my Insurance renewal in May, to see what shit they come out with too.

Still whatever happens in the future with the soring costs of motoring, they won't get me back on public transport or worse in a fucking EV. 

 

But you're comparing apples and oranges. The tax is based on officially measured CO2 emissions and that is simply a direct reflection of fuel consumption

The clean air zones are bsaed on nitrogen oxide production, and that is somewhat more complicated. You're not taxed on NOx

8 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

used 4 berth campervans motorhomes for sale | eBay

From the ad:

"Everything works, just needs decommissioning"

I like that Volga in the first picture. Somehow I still haven't managed to have a ride in one of those

5 minutes ago, Wack said:

Having pasta at 9am strikes me as strange but not unpleasant. Not my first choice of breakfast but I'd be fine with it. 

I guess there's a reason why he has pasta for breakfast, otherwise it wouldn't be relevant here 

12 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Boss has just had his tax reminder - £180 for a 2001 1.9TDi Golf - yet my 1998 1.9 TDi Passat is £325???

You're on different tax systems. His is based on CO2 output, yours is based on engine capacity. From 1st April 2024, yours is £345

The system was changed to a banded CO2-based one in March 2001

1 hour ago, RustHoarder2000 said:

I think that was during the price spikes. They're usually only a couple p more than supermarket

I would think so, yes. That price gap between petrol and diesel is about right for that time too

1 minute ago, w00dy said:

Shame.

I do the same, but it takes ages for Royal Mail to bother delivering letters these days and some definitely go missing. It's fine, but just one more thing to go wrong and just feels unnecessary in 2024.

I probably do it 6-10 times per year and the cheque is always there within a couple of days. DVLA seems very organised with getting them posted out, at least

5 minutes ago, w00dy said:

I do wish they'd stick it on the fuel, I'd probably pay about the same as I do a fair amount of miles, but it would stop good cars getting scrapped simply because no-one wants to pay the tax. Doesn't seem very environmental to me.

I will have to be a bit smarter in sorning cars when I'm not using them. If you pay 12.months by direct debit then sorn part way through do they put your money back in your account rather than sending a bloody cheque?

They send a cheque. That's the only refund method.

Can you not pay it in using a banking app? I always buy 12 months at a time and cancel it when I stop using the car and just pay the cheque in with a photo in the app

Just now, mk2_craig said:

I don’t know what you lot are bitching about, check out the Vehicle Emissions Duty payable on first registration here. (Ok it’s a one time thing with no annual road tax thereafter, offset by a few p extra on fuel)

Want to import an old Range Rover? Hope you have deep pockets. 
 

 

Jesus Christ. 201g/km is not even a massive amount. Would've been 8 grand for my old 2005 Astra, for God's sake

12 minutes ago, andyberg said:

That's threatening behaviour. Tho I don't really expect the plod to do anything about it, but worth a try maybe?

I guess the problem is that once they've been round to speak to her, she'll then probably launch a vendetta against the poor neighbour. With people like this, sometimes you need to bide your time and wait for something big to grass on that'll actually have repercussions for them

1 hour ago, Me9 said:

So they don't want us mere mortals going where we want and when, they want to control everything about us. 

 

Why though this is what don't get. 

That's not what it is

Taxation does change, for many reasons. It really is that simple. Some taxes go down, others go up. It's not a conspiracy. This is an easy money raiser and helps to influence behaviour (choosing more fuel-efficient cars) that is seen as desirable

36 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Funny you should mention that.....
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/electric-cars/running/electric-car-road-tax-guide-do-i-need-to-pay/#:~:text=The changes are as follows%3A

Standard rate tax is kicking in (£180 per annum) in 2025 for most EVs

I'd be happy if they just put all cars onto a standard rate. That'd be novel, not as if we've been there in the past?  
 

That is what they've done for vehicles built April 2017 onwards

Most cars are preferable as diesel rather than petrol