The new news 24 thread

[Barry Cade]

Today's infatuation is the Renault Wind. 

Help.

[richardmorris]

4 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Today's infatuation is the Renault Wind. 

Help.

Is that the weird two door targa thing? I’ve never seen one. Did they sell any?

[horriblemercedes]

19 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Did some driving in London yesterday for the first time in a long time, I think since the extended ULEZ was introduced. So I can't go inside the North Circular as neither of my Škodas is compliant (the Triumph is exempt, certainly not compliant and whilst it does seem to work I still haven't completely finished putting it back together and need to do some short runs before I attempt anything like this). 

But no worry, I'm heading for Hendon which is just outside the North Circular. I did have to do a swift U turn at one point as I used one of my old shortcuts through Brentford and Ealing (it's not really a shortcut in terms of distance but it cuts out Kew Bridge and Gunnersbury roundabout which can be a nightmare) when approaching the North Circular it said no left turn. I can understand no right turn but no left turn makes no sense. Going straight on would take me in to ULEZ land. Fortunately being 9.30 on a Sunday morning it was relatively easy, London doesn't wake up very early on a Sunday. 

Once there I was riding round on old buses, as some of you will have seen, some of which were going inside ULEZ but my observation is that are still plenty of non compliant cars both sides of the boundary. 

These two were in the same road in Golders Green, well inside the zone. 

Shirley these aren't compliant if my Škodas aren't. Maybe they just popped in for the day but the Micra in particular didn't look like it moved often, lots of leaves on and around it. So how does it work if you are parked inside the zone and stay there? Do you get charged every day or just as you enter? They can't have cameras everywhere (actually they probably can), there must be hundreds just on the boundary. But with the above pair it wouldn't take long before the charges (£12 a pop) pass the value of the car. These weren't the only two by any means. Maybe I'm just tight but I wouldn't even consider entering with my two. 

 

Another observation (I'm suddenly thinking I should be putting this in the grumpy thread but hey ho), driving through Brentford and Ealing it's now almost a blanket 20mph speed limit. I even saw a speed camera in the 20 limit which is a first for me. Ironically the only bit you were allowed to go faster was on the North Circular itself but on a Sunday evening you can't. But as soon as soon as you turn off you could but you're not allowed. 

I don't know when this all happened, possibly the same time as ULEZ perhaps, the painted 20s on the roads certainly didn't look that fresh. I used to drive round London all the time, but don't any more, but they are certainly doing their best to make it as unpleasant as possible. I guess that's the idea. 

The Fiat would almost definitely be compliant. You only have to pay if you move the car. If parked, it won't pass a camera and therefore trigger an alert

[Barry Cade]

5 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Is that the weird two door targa thing? I’ve never seen one. Did they sell any?

I saw one today, and have been browsing.. A dealer locally has one in for sale, in a rather nice spec. Autocar likened it to a modern X1/9... 😆

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

I saw one today, and have been browsing.. A dealer locally has one in for sale, in a rather nice spec. Autocar likened it to a modern X1/9... 😆

Just been refreshing my memory. Yes x1/9 ish. But just having your head visible from the side is weird.

The proportions are a little off I think.

 

[Barry Cade]

This is the local one,, might be nosey. Developed by Renaultsport seemingly... I think I may be too tall for them..

[richardmorris]

1 minute ago, Barry Cade said:

This is the local one,, might be nosey. Developed by Renaultsport seemingly... I think I may be too tall for them..

All the ones I’ve just seen have been blue metallic. that one looks smart in black. Can’t think they’re easy to sell, sp could he a deal to be bargained.

says he who has had a new fiat TIPO cross for a year now and not seen another on the road!
 

[loserone]

44 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Plural is new to me but after a quick google I understand.  And not sure but changing to Yarises  now. Think that's right?

Don't worry about it, he asks because noone knows the answer!

[Barry Cade]

1 minute ago, richardmorris said:

All the ones I’ve just seen have been blue metallic. that one looks smart in black. Can’t think they’re easy to sell, sp could he a deal to be bargained.

says he who has had a new fiat TIPO cross for a year now and not seen another on the road!
 

I've had 2 black X1/9's with tan leather.. it's tugging some heartstrings! The dealer that has it asks top money, but the car are right. Just checked the MOT history, and it had a few failures on it's first MOT at 3 years old... nothing sinister though. I've never seen a Tipo cross either!

[richardmorris]

1 minute ago, Barry Cade said:

I've had 2 black X1/9's with tan leather.. it's tugging some heartstrings! The dealer that has it asks top money, but the car are right. Just checked the MOT history, and it had a few failures on it's first MOT at 3 years old... nothing sinister though. I've never seen a Tipo cross either!

Yes, once I’d parked them together I realised why I liked it.

[Yoss]

13 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

I saw one today, and have been browsing.. A dealer locally has one in for sale, in a rather nice spec. Autocar likened it to a modern X1/9... 😆

Hmm... More of a Clio convertible than a modern X1/9. If that's what you're expecting you'll be very disappointed when you open the boot. Still look quite interesting though. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

6 minutes ago, loserone said:

Don't worry about it, he asks because noone knows the answer!

I was most interested in knowing if it was correct in order to learn English better, but it doesn't help if no one knows what is correct. But I feel his one suggestion that I used sounds right.

[Barry Cade]

1 minute ago, Yoss said:

Hmm... More of a Clio convertible than a modern X1/9. If that's what you're expecting you'll be very disappointed when you open the boot. Still look quite interesting though. 

There's nothing comes close to an X1/9.. but I don't have a garage now and wouldn't press one into daily use now. Can't afford an Elise, don't want an MR2, had a Fiero and hated it. Don't do Honda's.. 

[richardmorris]

6 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

There's nothing comes close to an X1/9.. but I don't have a garage now and wouldn't press one into daily use now. Can't afford an Elise, don't want an MR2, had a Fiero and hated it. Don't do Honda's.. 

the fiat 124 spider  is rather nice but still £10k plus. I was tempted one last year, but needed a practical load carrying car not a sports car,

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, brownnova said:

Would the plural of Yaris be Yarises or Yari? 

Yarii? Like Auris, Aurises, Aurii? God this is confusing. 

[Yoss]

7 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

There's nothing comes close to an X1/9.. but I don't have a garage now and wouldn't press one into daily use now. Can't afford an Elise, don't want an MR2, had a Fiero and hated it. Don't do Honda's.. 

I mean if you want something that (almost) nobody else has but that is still quite conventional mechanically (Clio based I think) then why not. And as long as you can put up with people taking the piss out of the name. When I say people I mean the general public, I think it would be quite popular in here. 

[brownnova]

36 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Yarii? Like Auris, Aurises, Aurii? God this is confusing. 

Lexus, Lexuses, Lexii 

(channels inner Alan Partridge) 

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

Today's infatuation is the Renault Wind. 

Help.

Nothing wrong with that. 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

Today's infatuation is the Renault Wind. 

Help.

Suitable for flatulence too

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, brownnova said:

Would the plural of Yaris be Yarises or Yari? 

If it was anything it would be Yares.

[brownnova]

It could be like sheep… the plural being simply Yaris… 

[High Jetter]

Baa. Though Yeti is both singular & plural...

[RoverFolkUs]

Focuses or Focii ?

[stuboy]

Got too work... sent out too jump start an ambulance, decided to swap with one I had and drive it back to my base, 2 miles down, the dash lite up and started to die, limped through some lights, called recovery out, they came charged it for 30 mins and I spiritly drove it back to base and in spitting distance it started to fail but managed it before it dropped dead... so that was missus sister and ambulance jump started.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I got snow.

[Barry Cade]

5 hours ago, stuboy said:

Got too work... sent out too jump start an ambulance, decided to swap with one I had and drive it back to my base, 2 miles down, the dash lite up and started to die, limped through some lights, called recovery out, they came charged it for 30 mins and I spiritly drove it back to base and in spitting distance it started to fail but managed it before it dropped dead... so that was missus sister and ambulance jump started.

Used to get a lot of these which blew the main maxi fuse next to the battery which would cause a non start. Jump leads under the bonnet would allow them to start, but wouldn't charge.. I've bypassed a few to get them through a shift, then kept a stock of the fuses in the truck..

[Barry Cade]

Just been to see a Seat Mii at a local dealer. £5295. 2013. looked great until I looked closer (it was black met and raining) It had Mk1 Ka levels of corrosion round the filer cap. Everything I'm seeing at dealers for 5k ish is rough. Looked at a Panda Twinair the other day and the rear quarterlight was smashed, and it had obviously been sitting a while. Did notice a Toyota IQ though.. That's today's infatuation.

A Hyundai i20 came up this morning on Gumtree at 10am. 09 plate, overheating... looked good otherwise so I sent a polite message to ask when I could come and view. got a message back a little later with a phone number. Checked listing again and the price had gone up by £50, then the advert dissapeared as I was reading it. 

I despair, I really do.Everything under a grand that is not quite scrap goes in minutes... do these people not work?

[SiC]

19 hours ago, Yoss said:

Once there I was riding round on old buses, as some of you will have seen, some of which were going inside ULEZ but my observation is that are still plenty of non compliant cars both sides of the boundary. 

In Bristol we are getting CAZ. Not ULEZ but a similar sort of thing.

The old busses have been upgraded to be Euro 6 compliant. I've seen 2006 plated ones with Now EURO6 compliant stickered on the side. Presumably something like a fleet of busses, it makes sense to spend out to get then approved. 

19 hours ago, Yoss said:

So how does it work if you are parked inside the zone and stay there?

If it doesn't move, then it won't pass a camera. Thus no charge. 

A colleague is having a debate what to do about his non compliant 2007 Civic Diesel. He walks into work usually and only uses the car for visiting family/friends outside the city or shopping. He figured the £9 per day charge (with fuel costs) is enough that it's probably cheaper for him to just catch a taxi when he needs to bring shopping home. Given his annual mileage is well under 3k per year and cars parked on the road in cities get ruined, it doesn't make sense him replacing it. 

[SiC]

19 hours ago, Yoss said:

These two were in the same road in Golders Green, well inside the zone. 

Shirley these aren't compliant if my Škodas aren't.

Forgot to say that Petrol Punto is complaint. Many petrol cars are compliant that are near the 2005 cutoff when everything became Euro 4. My 2003 TT is compliant too. If it was diesel then it wouldn't be. 

[JakeT]

Did a trip to Belgium over the weekend, for Spa activities and to start off the (enjoyable) process of stocking up on goodies for Christmas. We took my 2005 330i. On 188,000 miles now It’s definitely in shite territory on mileage.

 

Final scores. Fuel economy is Impressive from a ~260HP, 24 valve six that’s not in the first flush of youth. One fuel stop was needed, 508 miles covered and 59.7 litres added.

Funicular from the hotel to thermal spa. Very novel, even if the hotel is a little costly.

 

Most of the spots were while on the move, including an Opel Ascona. Did see the real hallmark of a French speaking region, though.

 

Finally, the current Bavarian MoronWagen outside Franchimont castle.

 

The old one, in 2019. still missed.

 

It has a couple more trips to do, and then it’s service time. If the ports hold up, we’re also off to Berlin in it before Christmas too.