The new news 24 thread

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Tried our fleet after 5 weeks 406 Coupe, Fiat 500, both modern Mercs- no problem. E30, Beetle Floppytop and CLKdidn’t want to know ordered a £40 battery from Euros that will fit both the BM and VW , hopefully at least one will recharge and hold a charge. CLK already on charge.

Yesterday spoke to the owner of a brand new FerrariPortofino, he drove it for the first time since it was delivered 4 weeks ago, on Wednesday . Went to London to his doctor, so about 130 miles round trip. Left it outside so not on the battery conditioner overnight, it didn’t start!  He did wonder why Ferrari give you a free*conditioner whereas Aston Martin sell you one as an extra...

I reckon there’ll be a shortage of batteries when(if) things go back to normal.

[wuvvum]

My socket set is a "Torq" thing I bought on special offer from B&Q about 15 years ago - it was around 30 quid if memory serves.  It's all metric, socket sizes from 8mm to 32mm, plus a surprisingly decent ratchet, a selection of extensions and a universal joint.  The main advantage it has is that the sockets are all 6-sided - I've had issues in the past with 12-sided sockets rounding off rusted nuts.

I've only had to replace one bit in all that time - the 17mm socket, which cracked when I was trying to undo a ridiculously tight wheelnut on a Punto by jacking the car up, wedging a 2' breaker bar between two paving stones and dropping the car off the jack.  All the rest has survived my hamfisted attempts at mechanicing completely unscathed.

[wuvvum]

1 minute ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Yesterday spoke to the owner of a brand new FerrariPortofino, he drove it for the first time since it was delivered 4 weeks ago, on Wednesday . Went to London to his doctor, so about 130 miles round trip. Left it outside so not on the battery conditioner overnight, it didn’t start!  He did wonder why Ferrari give you a free*conditioner whereas Aston Martin sell you one as an extra...

Never heard of a Portofino before.  Is that the replacement for the California?

[Kiltox]

Those new halfords sets are expensive but look at what’s in them - 6 point sockets in all sizes etc. Vast improvement. 

[Six-cylinder]

9 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Never heard of a Portofino before.  Is that the replacement for the California?

Yes it has replaced the California

There is a new model due this year a Roma and I rather like it! Maybe you guys could crowd fund one for me, ok just dreaming!

[Cord Fourteener]

5 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Yes it has replaced the California

There is a new model due this year a Roma and I rather like it! Maybe you guys could crowd fund one for me, ok just dreaming!

I'll donate 50p if you promise me a go in it!

[Six-cylinder]

2 minutes ago, Tim_E said:

I'll donate 50p if you promise me a go in it!

Are there 400,000 willing shites to raise the £200k needed!

[Hertz]

9 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Yes it has replaced the California

There is a new model due this year a Roma and I rather like it! Maybe you guys could crowd fund one for me, ok just dreaming!

Looks like a barried Jaguar F Type to me.

[richardmorris]

I like the shape, but not the grill. If one turns up outside work I’ll let you know.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

11 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Are there 400,000 willing shites to raise the £200k needed!

Going for a bASe spec then?

This lists at £165,000 , he paid £225k , doesn’t even know what half the options are, Ferrari specced it for stock.

The Roma is going to be a bit more expensive and 29bhp more powerful-like you’ll notice that when there’s already 600.

 

[Six-cylinder]

1 minute ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Going for a bASe spec then?

This lists at £165,000 , he paid £225k , doesn’t even know what half the options are, Ferrari specced it for stock.

The Roma is going to be a bit more expensive and 29bhp more powerful-like you’ll notice that when there’s already 600.

 

No prices announced yet. I guess you are right I was thinking base price under £200k and £30k in options, your right so can all 400,000 of you all send 65p!

[anonymous user]

I had a lovely surprise this morning there was a knock at the door, when I went out there was nobody there, but someone had left a parcel and it's not even my birthday.

It seems to be some sort of alarm clock,  I haven't been able to get it working yet, I'll have another try after tea.

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Tim_E said:

I'll donate 50p if you promise me a go in it!

ill dontate £4.56 or £5.50 if you dont

[DVee8]

2 hours ago, Kade said:

Has anyone ordered anything from EuroCarParts recently? I've made 2 orders - the first one arrived in one day and the second one hasn't been delivered after 11 days now. Contacted support but no response yet

I tried a click and collect last night for it to come up key workers only..

[loserone]

How do you prove key worker or otherwise to ECP?

[richardmorris]

2 hours ago, Kade said:

Has anyone ordered anything from EuroCarParts recently? I've made 2 orders - the first one arrived in one day and the second one hasn't been delivered after 11 days now. Contacted support but no response yet

No, but an order for one of my neighbours arrived earlier. They were lost.

[egg]

Just chatting to my mum, she was telling me about how one of her Uncles used to drive her and parents about in an Austin 7 down the A2 (before the M2 was built!) probably in the mid 50's. She was saying how antiquated/comedic it was and like being in a carriage rather than a car. I guess even then that was a bit of a jalopy.

[brownnova]

My day in school today, so I go out to get in the Saab and.... click.... dead.

Ah... now I know the battery is a little bit shit, and so I’ve been trying to keep it charged, but alas no.

Quick swap of keys and have to drive Mrs_b’s modern Citroen instead.

Why is this not in the grumpy thread? There has been a dead Peugeot 206 SW sat in my drive for the past few months. And as luck would have it the batteries are the same size! Its not too old either! Bonus.

 So I’ve stuck it on charge and hopefully problem solved. I’m only wondering why it took me so long to think of stealing the 206’s battery?!!

[wuvvum]

7 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

This lists at £165,000 , he paid £225k , doesn’t even know what half the options are, Ferrari specced it for stock.

Why would he do that?  Is there a waiting list if you want to spec it yourself or something?

[wuvvum]

The Merc brake bits still haven't arrived.  They're coming from Lithuania though so understandable I suppose.  The exhaust clamp I ordered has turned up though, as has the replacement latch for the V70 door, so weather permitting I should be able to get both the 75 and the V70 operational again this weekend.  75's MOT is actually due to run out in just over a week - that'll be extended though.  I hope they're still doing the extension thing on the 27th when the Tempra's test runs out - that's going to need a bit of fettling.  The 75 probably wouldn't need much now that it has a new exhaust - as long as the headlight levelers behave themselves it should just be rear pads, and possibly a wiper blade.

[hairnet]

5 hours ago, loserone said:

How do you prove key worker or otherwise to ECP?

if you are a key worker how would you have time to be fixing your car

 

[New POD]

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

if you are a key worker how would you have time to be fixing your car

 

4×11.5 hour shifts, followed by 4 days off followed by 4x11.5 hour shifts then 4 days off..... every 16 days you have 8 off.  

That's the shift pattern my daughter is working (Pharmacist at Salford Royal) . 

She doesn't do car repairs though. 

[Craig the Princess]

The 206 HDi passed 100,000. Disappointingly it only managed 64.5 mpg on the second tank.

It must be close to the cheapest motoring there is.

 

[Angrydicky]

It seems like a spectacular own goal for ECP vetting who can buy from them and who can't. Do their owners want them to survive or not?

I can understand shutting the shops but I don't see the problem with selling to everybody mail order.

[egg]

On 4/25/2020 at 3:29 PM, hairnet said:

ive had various cancelled by prem inn and travelodge and ive cancelled some

refunds all happened very quick - from 6 i think id paid straight for two the others were flex  - even if you booked saver you should get money back

 

On 4/25/2020 at 4:04 PM, Six-cylinder said:

18th March which must have been close to the date they offered refunds.

Thanks for those responses - I chased up by email, as the call centre is closed, and finally got my money back today - the day I was meant to be staying...

[Split_Pin]

So people who are not "key workers" just have to sit and starve to death, because their car is not working. Garages seems to love advertising a similar policy and these people therefore can't get to the shops.

This and other companies are just virtue signalling now. My wife is a so called "key worker" and finds this all a bit embarrassing. 

Absolutely prioritise them, especially at supermarkets, but I wish they would stop making everyone else feel like second class citizens.

Tell you what, let's now shut all the College, University and other educational courses who don't offer "key worker" degrees because according to social media, the radio and that insufferable gobshite Piers Morgan and his little sidekick Dr Hilary, anyone other than that is dead to society right now.

 

[andy18s]

One of our local supermarkets has been running a free delivery service, where you can order your stuff at 1 van parked outside and another is used to deliver it

Managed to get pics of the pair today

[Skizzer]

 

15 hours ago, loserone said:

How do you prove key worker or otherwise to ECP?

I assume the ‘key workers’ ECP has in mind are mainly garages/mechanics. Key workers doesn’t just mean nurses, of course.

Technically I’m a key worker under the official definition, because I’m in charge of crisis management (amongst other things) at a provider of essential financial services.  Clearly I don’t actually require any special treatment so  I haven’t (no sarcasm) written myself an official letter of entitlement, nor have I for any of our staff, except for a couple of IT infrastructure and mailroom guys to say they’re allowed into the (closed) office occasionally to keep the lights on.

Crisis management now mainly involves reassuring the regulators and board of directors that we are still in business and looking after customers, which is easy because we are. All the staff are working at home, so we can mailorder our car parts and queue at the supermarket or get lower priority delivery slots like all the other ‘non-key’ (sarcasm) workers.

The next challenge is working out what safely going back into the office looks like, and when.

[Jamie]

Just picked this up for a grand 78000 miles drives mint! 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I

10 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Why would he do that?  Is there a waiting list if you want to spec it yourself or something?

Yes, it was about 12 months, so the importers know that rich men ( almost exclusively, I’d have thought) will pay a big lump for options they neither want or need and Ferrari can’t accuse them of marking up the price to jump the queue.

This is pretty common  for expensive cars- hence “ Launch Edition” models loaded with extras- this guy’s DB11 was such a beast. Still only got £100k for it traded against the Ferrari though - that’s £110,000 depreciation in just under 3 years and 3,200 miles. That’s a house in some parts of the country, certainly more than I’ve made in that time.