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14 minutes ago, cobblers said:

I drove it about ten miles on the road, accidentally ended up very very deep into 3 figure speeds, drove it back home and then very quickly sold it before I broke it and or lost my licence. It was a total bitsa, every part of every bit of it was custom and the more I looked at it, the more I just saw "headache" rather than "fun". The wiring on it especially was horrible.

I got about seven grand for an "easy sale" to an acquaintance of mine. The lads at darkside said I'd undersold it and it was worth 20k, but when he came to sell it on a 2nd time, again all he could get was 7k. I spent the money building my camper van.

I remember you winning that.

I also remember thinking the guy who got the second prize was the real winner, as he ended up with a heavily tuned - but still entirely usable (as in all the interior was still present) - Ibiza instead.

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I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

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25 minutes ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I was hoping home servcing would make a comeback given most people's finances and the difficulty of findjng competent workshops that don't charge the earth.

Maybe it will?

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1 hour ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I've never really had an issue with Halfords. I quite like the fact I can go in and have a wander about, if anything. But I don't get called a doughnut for having the wrong brake discs sent to me by them if I shop in Halfords too, that was an ECP only thing.

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12 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Any builder types on here?

Our garage window needs replacing, I found a UPVC one on marketplace which is exactly the right size for £20, and can get it fitted by a proper window fitter for £80. Seems fair to pay £100 all in for it to look presentable again.

However I’m now wondering whether it’d be silly money for a builder to come in and create a doorway in place of the window? At the moment there’s no personnel door so it’d be useful to have access from the garden. Plenty of used doors on marketplace, I just don’t know what sort of money it’d be to have it knocked out and partly bricked up to create a doorway?

 

 

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Why not get a full width lintle, and put in an up and over door (or roller shutter, so that you can drive through into the garden. 

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Talking of Brake discs. 

Anyone help me find a set of front discs and pads for a 2015 Astra J GTC 1.4 T auto.  Fucking prices on line seem to me to be fucking mental. I'd quite like a set which will last too. And work

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38 minutes ago, New POD said:

Why not get a full width lintle, and put in an up and over door (or roller shutter, so that you can drive through into the garden. 

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

DECBB791-9F79-4202-9BBC-C27A5F9E8440.jpeg

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3 hours ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I have found my local ECP and GSF to be pretty much spot on - no incorrect parts and they guys behind the counters are pleasant and friendly.

Halford has its place as in it’s convenient for a bottle of oil or some wiper blades but they train their staff to sell or sign up to e-mails etc which when your car has thrown a wiper blade off on a rainy Sunday is the last thing on your mind.

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49 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

DECBB791-9F79-4202-9BBC-C27A5F9E8440.jpeg

The back garden is there to be driven on, partners definitely disapprove but don't let that stop you!

IMG_0651.thumb.JPG.3f62e6b40c263c21432253f984796597.JPG

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1 hour ago, dozeydustman said:

I have found my local ECP and GSF to be pretty much spot on - no incorrect parts and they guys behind the counters are pleasant and friendly.

Halford has its place as in it’s convenient for a bottle of oil or some wiper blades but they train their staff to sell or sign up to e-mails etc which when your car has thrown a wiper blade off on a rainy Sunday is the last thing on your mind.

To be fair, I've been buying parts through halfords trade card this week - which are supplied by ECP - and they work out cheaper than on my ECP trade account.

ECP in return deactivated my Omnipart account as I wasn't spending enough.  Cunts. 

I asked for a mid spec 019 battery today;  ECP 4yr model £120+vat trade,  Halfords 5yr model £96 Inc vat.  Its not even a small difference. 

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2 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

DECBB791-9F79-4202-9BBC-C27A5F9E8440.jpeg

Have you got a big angry grinder ? If so, get a diamond disc and cut a line as deep as you can and then chisel off the cut bricks. I've done this a few times.

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3 hours ago, New POD said:

Talking of Brake discs. 

Anyone help me find a set of front discs and pads for a 2015 Astra J GTC 1.4 T auto.  Fucking prices on line seem to me to be fucking mental. I'd quite like a set which will last too. And work

Brakes International have discs at £57 apiece and pads at £40 a set if yours are the 321mm discs. I don't know if you would consider that mental or not.

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6 hours ago, Bren said:

I was hoping home servcing would make a comeback given most people's finances and the difficulty of findjng competent workshops that don't charge the earth.

Maybe it will?

Do a lot of people even bother with or understand the need for servicing nowadays? “ that’s wot the mot’s for innit?”

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1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Brakes International have discs at £57 apiece and pads at £40 a set if yours are the 321mm discs. I don't know if you would consider that mental or not.

20230118_055631.thumb.jpg.530faedc5c2ea15e8e773e1b84f5c7e9.jpg

Using Euro random car parts and putting in my reg CE65ANR i get offered 276, 300, and 322 mm diameter.  I do wonder. 

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1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Brakes International have discs at £57 apiece and pads at £40 a set if yours are the 321mm discs. I don't know if you would consider that mental or not.

I suppose it depends on the quality  and fuck knows these days, it's impossible to tell. 

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Daily new fiat has thrown up a message this week since idling for 30mins to defrost on Tuesday. Change engine oil.

I thought it may have a sensor to detect degradation and indeed there was a bit of emulsion on the cap, but I wiped that away and it’s ok now. But message still there.

it’s only 2000miles since the dealer service last august.

Anyone know if it’s based on a sensor reading, or miles and stop-/start trips etc? Also anyone know how to remove the message ? There’s no light showing on the dash, just a message on the car info page.

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I was almost very late for work this morning.  Got the car defrosted in good time, got out of the estate OK although pulling out of my road was a challenge as it was sheet ice so I went to pull away and the car just sat there spinning its wheels.  Then on the main road someone had hit a deer - not a muntjac either, one of the big feckers the size of a small horse.  It was still alive but was lying down and didn't look like it was able to move very far, and its arse was sticking out into the carriageway - I didn't see the car that had hit it but a postie van had pulled in in front of it and another car had stopped behind to protect it from traffic.  It was on a bend too so not ideal.  Plod had just arrived at the same time as me and I was the last vehicle to get through before he stopped the traffic. 

Not sure what happened after that, but I would assume they'd call one of the local vets out to check it over and put it out of its misery if need be - not sure how they'd go about moving it after that though, presumably that'd be a specialist job as it wasn't of a size that you could just drag it off the road.  Shame as it was quite an impressive creature.

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46 minutes ago, New POD said:

I suppose it depends on the quality  and fuck knows these days, it's impossible to tell. 

It is sort of impossible to tell with most brands, but I'll share what little I know:

Delphi are alright and actually make their stuff, with proper quality control and all that sort of thing.

Brembo too decent and sometimes not £OMG

EVERYTHING ELSE is a lottery. Mintex is a zombie brand now, EBC I've heard terrible reports, Comline will be the same Chinese factory as Mintex, QH ditto. Ferodo used to be good but I've no idea now.

When I changed discs and pads for a mate's Jag XE in the summer, there was three options of size and I couldn't tell until I'd got the wheel off which one I needed. Then we went to Leamoco and spent about £120 on discs and pads, because they were open and had what we needed.

The three options of size makes it a pain if you want to order online and use the car in between having the wheel off to measure up.

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2 hours ago, artdjones said:

Brakes International have discs at £57 apiece and pads at £40 a set if yours are the 321mm discs. I don't know if you would consider that mental or not.

Total from them comes to £155 plus shipping.  And they only list 321 mm which suggests mine has the same disc size as a VXR with twice the power. 

Lodger still has a trade account with Vauxhall dealer in Derby, so is going to price up GM parts for me. 

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2 hours ago, New POD said:

20230118_055631.thumb.jpg.530faedc5c2ea15e8e773e1b84f5c7e9.jpg

Using Euro random car parts and putting in my reg CE65ANR i get offered 276, 300, and 322 mm diameter.  I do wonder. 

Task 1 would be to get a wheel off and measure whatever is on there now  but 321mm was the only listing for a GTC 1.4  on Brakes International.

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24 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Task 1 would be to get a wheel off and measure whatever is on there now  but 321mm was the only listing for a GTC 1.4  on Brakes International.

Strangely all the GTCs have different wheel PCD from other Astra J s even If they have.the same engine..

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3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Daily new fiat has thrown up a message this week since idling for 30mins to defrost on Tuesday. Change engine oil.

I thought it may have a sensor to detect degradation and indeed there was a bit of emulsion on the cap, but I wiped that away and it’s ok now. But message still there.

it’s only 2000miles since the dealer service last august.

Anyone know if it’s based on a sensor reading, or miles and stop-/start trips etc? Also anyone know how to remove the message ? There’s no light showing on the dash, just a message on the car info page.

There's an Italian guy on you tube who says the following (link): 

In short, he says to :-

1.  Switch the ignition on but do not start the engine.

2.  Press the accelerator to the floor and keep it there.

3.  Press the brake pedal 7 times at roughly once per second, keeping the accelerator to the floor throughout and keeping it there for the next step.

4.  Still keeping the accelerator pressed to the floor, wait for one minute then release the accelerator pedal.

5.  Switch the ignition off and wait another minute.

6.  You can then do a normal car engine start and the message should now be reset i.e. 'change engine oil' note gone.

Set your options for subtitles and see the above from 2min-09sec.

 

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On 26/05/2021 at 21:52, bunglebus said:

My son in law (ish - girlfriend's daughter's husband) is a nidiot. He always goes at everything like a bull in a china shop, and tonight it has bitten him on the arse

Remember this guy? Thought I'd do an update on some of his latest motoring disasters.

Astra became bean cans and was replaced by a Citroen Picasso. Despite my initial concern about it surviving his "care", it actually did rather well. He turned up several times with the engine doing an impression of a Talbot Solara, and would say "Oh yeah, it needs some oil in it". Throwing in a litre or so of whatever I had spare from the Lupo or Passat seemed to cure it with no apparent long term effects. 

Various faults were mentioned in passing (rear suspension seemed very low, odd suspension noises), but what killed it was an engine mount breaking which apparently dropped the running gear onto the steering rack, meaning it was stuck where it was and had to be trailered home before webuyanyshite.com gave him a few hundred quid for it.

Latest mobile dustbin is a Zafira, once again it seemed to survive quite admirably at first, daughter in law has learnt to drive in it and passed her test first time - however I think this may have contributed to its current FTP.

Before Christmas he asked me why in 3d and 4th gears the engine was revving up but the car wasn't going any faster - told him the clutch was FUBAR and he needed to get it done ASAP or he wouldn't be going anywhere at all.

On Wednesday they drove to Maldon and met my Mrs for lunch - she saw how much the car was struggling to get up hills and also told them not to drive it again until it was fixed.  The very next day we get a panicked phone call because the car has ground to a halt in the outside lane of the A12 about 20 miles away from home. He's called the AA and because the person on the phone said it might be a gearbox fault, he'd been ringing around garages and stressing about getting quoted £~{_+ for that to be repaired. We got a quote at Mr Clutch for £550 but as usual he didn't listen, told them it was the gearbox so of course they said not interested. Now he's had to pay over £100 to get it recovered to a clutch "specialist" who have said, surprise surprise , it's the clutch - and quoted £850. He's also hired a car for the week for even more spendage. They're not exactly well off and have had to cancel getting new flooring in their house to pay for it.

Drives me potty

Oh - and then this morning calls asking if I could change the oil pump because it's over £1000 - apparently the "yellow light" is always on and the red pressure light comes on when cornering. Couldn't be arsed to ask if he'd actually checked the level.  

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chap in France trying to work out how many Citroen LN's left on the road in France (produced 76-78 before they became the LNA), translated by Google

Quote

I arrive at an "empirical" figure of around 300 LNs still running (out of around 130,000 produced in 2 years).

https://ln-lnaclubdefrance.1fr1.net/t4107-recensement-des-ln-encore-roulantes?utm_campaign=popular&utm_medium=topic&utm_source=newsletter

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19 hours ago, RayMK said:

There's an Italian guy on you tube who says the following (link): 

In short, he says to :-

1.  Switch the ignition on but do not start the engine.

2.  Press the accelerator to the floor and keep it there.

3.  Press the brake pedal 7 times at roughly once per second, keeping the accelerator to the floor throughout and keeping it there for the next step.

4.  Still keeping the accelerator pressed to the floor, wait for one minute then release the accelerator pedal.

5.  Switch the ignition off and wait another minute.

6.  You can then do a normal car engine start and the message should now be reset i.e. 'change engine oil' note gone.

Set your options for subtitles and see the above from 2min-09sec.

 

Did see that exact one earlier, it’s not got exactly the same dash warning setup. Seems it’s the cold starts and idling that’s likely to have done it. I’ve not cycled to work much this month, so using it for shorting journeys etc.

another YouTube( in fact mopar)  says that pressing the accelerator three times with the ignition in position 1 will also clear it. 
 

what’s wrong with a simple ok/clear button?

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11 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Did see that exact one earlier, it’s not got exactly the same dash warning setup. Seems it’s the cold starts and idling that’s likely to have done it. I’ve not cycled to work much this month, so using it for shorting journeys etc.

another YouTube( in fact mopar)  says that pressing the accelerator three times with the ignition in position 1 will also clear it. 
 

remove tagliatelle from intake?

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