The new news 24 thread

[Negative Creep]

On my way to collect my latest car. First of all I had to pay money to get on this wreird large car thing which was full of smelly poor people an now I'm in this bizzare carriage that goes along rails. What an odd world we live in

[HMC]

Range rover arrived this morning and true to the form of my old one promptly refused to start at a critical time, the pug 205 being called upon to haul it off the trailer and into the drive whilst dodging the rush hour traffic. Meanwhile the missus was looking through the window disapprovingly....

 

[Ghosty]

I think she'll agree with the numberplate...

[cort16]

That's a good start.

[320touring]

Better it fails to start on the way down than the way up..

[EssDeeWon]

 

It made a big bang and now I need a new engine. 

 

Where is this taken Skoze?? Just trying to work out where that bend is...

[Angrydicky]

Looks like Eastwood Road in Rayleigh to me.

[Skoze]

Dicky's got it, literally just nipped out of trinity road in a gap int he traffic and BOOMDUGGADUGGADUGGABANGDUGGA nothing. 

Was at about 4.5k under load, so i'd be surprised if it wasn't smashed to buggery in there. 

[Bren]

Essex V6 in OMG GRENADE SHOCK.

 

A v8 is what you need - a nice 351.

[Junkman]

I had no idea Essexesses can break?

[Rocket88]

Fibre timing wheel gone south?

[Skoze]

Yeah, it's all chilling out in the sump at the moment I think. 

[Mr Livered]

You should see this as an opportunity to lose the dodgy old boat anchorhttp://www.americanmuscle.com/mustang-crate-engines.html

image.jpg

Only $6000 which is about £500 I think ,and that's if you only want 400bhp.

6000 US dollars? If so it's about seven times that.

[ruffgeezer]

Gah, I can't make my mind up, I don't think I want the C15 I used to own back, and the next nearest one available is in Hull, it's ok but the bonnet is fubar, the seller has got all defensive and "don't expect a rolls royce" about it, but there it is, he wants £550 no budging.

 

The trouble with that is that it's well into slightly shonky Berlingo territory, and they are capable but VERY VERY dull.

 

Or I could just do nowt, as usual. I've seen a 106 that I don't want or have use for for £300 that needs a new starter but has plenty of t&t, however I doubt it'd turn much of a profit at that.

[dave21478]

I have bought a new (to me) trailer. I can now get rid of my old one which was a little too small for my liking and I never had 100% confidence that it wasnt all about to fall to bits. Also, the way the ramps were stored allowed them to rattle horrendously - to the point where everyone walking nearby will turn and gawp as it sounds like an accident happening. There were also minor* irregularities with its paperwork which always made me pucker up whenever I passed the cozzers.

 

The new one seems nice, The lights are pretty crap, but I have some fancy LED clusters in the garage so that will take care of that.

Its twelve years old, but looks like its only had light use - its still got the original tyres. I will get the drums off it this weekend to see what state the shoes are in, but the brakes seem to work fine so Im not expecting a drama. (famous last words)

Got to head into town to register it, which is another €50-odd and then to insure it. I can add it to my pickups policy for about €80 but it will only be insured when towed by the pickup, so no use if I want to tow with the Landrover or loan the trailer to someone. Some internetting has turned up a horsey place that does stand-alone insurance for horse boxes and looks like it will cover normal trailers too. Its €55 for third party, or €150 for fully comp. Seems reasonable-ish.

[Mr Livered]

Don't French car insurance policies cover you for trailers you might be towing?

[spike60]

It never occurred to me that trailers have their own insurance, is it the same in the UK?

[dave21478]

Small trailers or caravans under 750kgs gross are covered by the cars normal policy but anything larger needs to have its own registration number and its own insurance.

Insurance here is strange - most people choose one company and stuck with them for life, usually arranged through a local agent. I do the British thing and shop around at each renewal for the cheapest price, and have three policies for three cars through three different companies. Everyone things Im full-on mental for doing this, despite the fact that I save a decent amount each year.

If I had done everything through the local agent, I could just add the trailer in and it would be covered for all my cars, but I dont want to do that  as they will then start incessantly badgering me to change all my insurance to their company....cars, house, life, cat etc. and I cant be arsed with that, and it would cost a fortune to do so.  But very few online companies do stand-alone insurance for trailers

Its only within the last few years that insurers have really caught on to online purchasing and a few comparison sites have popped up. - Typical France, always at least a decade behind everywhere else regarding I.T.

 

In UK, the cars policy automatically covers the trailer third party. I assume that could be upgraded to fully comp if you pay extra.

[Micrashed]

 

 

In UK, the cars policy automatically covers the trailer third party. I assume that could be upgraded to fully comp if you pay extra.

I dont think so.AFAIK no car policy will cover a trailer for anything other than third party damage.

 

As an ardent caravanner and beard grower the caravan is covered third party only whilst coupled to the towing vehicle. Once uncoupled it either isnt insured or has to have its own policy.

 

I have a policy for my caravan that covers the van for fire, theft and damage and third party damage if, say,  it makes a break for freedom on the motorway. The car policy only covers it when attached to the car ( the van policy doesnt cover it for third party damage if coupled though).

 

Its very complicated. I dont have a policy for my camping trailer.

[Micrashed]

In other news...

 

Great steaming hobgoblin turds. I said to the garage I would be off work this Wednesday (last Weds) to pick up the Mav - phoned them and they have taken off the side steps to make it easier to weld. Thats it.

 

Im not off work again until next Thursday now.

 

Flaps.

[trigger]

 

New rubbers have arrived for the Civic from tyreshopper.com. I can't knock their prices or quick delivery but the delivery driver was shit, I heard a bang on the door came down stairs and they had been left in my open porch in full view of everyone and I hadn't signed for them.

 

I had to ring the company up to complain as like I said to them, if someone had knicked them it would have been my word against there's as they hadn't been signed for. To be fair the sales lady didn't sound impressed and I get the impression I'm not the first to moan about that either, she said she'd pass it on to the MD to investigate. We'll see.

[trigger]

In other news, now the Acclaims wheel bearing has been fixed I've took it back for its MOT retest and yay!

 

 

Not bad for a 30 year old British Leyland car that's used everyday.

[dugong]

Today I collect a right old piece of rammle from an address in Cambs. It is like what I owned before. Similar, but different. 

[vulgalour]

What is this?  I don't even...

[derskine]

That knob has wood!

[barefoot]

That knob looks like a loaf.

[Richard]

Is it a Peugeot 505?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

It's either a Porsche 917 or a Carrera GT, based on the plywood gear knob.

[Angrydicky]

The low fuel level warning light no longer works in the Maestro. Also, it runs out when the needle is pointing exactly at 'E', and not below. I found this out when I hopped in the car this afternoon, moved out of the space and it cut out. Thank goodness it did it at home and not the night before, I must have got back home on fumes. Anyway, a couple of gallons in the tank and I was on my way again. Still need to sort out a new throttle cable for it as it keeps sticking though. Apart from that, no problems in the last 700 miles, including a jaunt up to the BMC and Leyland show in the midlands where I saw Dollywobbler in his Maestro van. 

[michael t]

 

 

I was looking for a job and then I found a job, and heaven knows I'm miserable now....

 

 

It's in a local fish factory (10 min walk away) sorting those bloody razor clams, mind numb-ingly repetitive and a killer on the legs (8.5 hours standing with an hour break in-between) but beggars can't be choosers and at least it gives me something to do until September when I'm back in college, not to mention a few quid which will go towards buying shite when I get my full license hopefully in the next few months... overall, I'm actually pretty happy