What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[RedSparrow]

Karl Pilkington

 

[vulgalour]

A steady stream of commission work over the past couple of weeks means I've been able to put a decent chunk of money aside to use on the Princess.  My only problem is that I now have enough to do one of a few jobs and I don't know which to do first!  I could afford to buy all the paint, or to get half the bodywork repairs done or to splash out on some brand new tyres.  It's been such a long time since I had disposable income I'm really loathe to spend it on anything but I can't deny that there are jobs in want of doing.

 

The ultra-sensible course of action is to eliminate as many mechanical niggles as possible, get as much bodywork repairs done as I can and blend in the worst of the paint to be as close to a single colour (probably beige at this point) as I can.  But a big part of me wants to just run out and buy paint and get busy making large chunks of the car shiny and purple.

 

Or equally I could splurge the cash on the Golf, get it MoT'd and sold sooner rather than later so that I can crack on with acquiring a hearse.

[purplebargeken]

Sort the Golf out as it seems that it won't be a keeper. Then as you say, save for what you actually want.

[CortinaDave]

Got done for speeding last night. So so pissed off as I was back on a clean licence after hitting 12 points when I was younger/ a speed demon

 

generally I dont really speed now, largely because a) fuel is too dear to put the foot down and I drive a diesel Focus.

 

Long story short I was coming back from looking at a car last night. Dual Carriageway, deserted, middle of nowhere, half past midnight. Pulled over by traffic cops who'd been hiding in the bushes with their radar gun and told I was doing 62mph and that part of the Dual carraigeway is a 50. Its not an area I'm familiar with and to be honest I wasnt really looking at the speed limit signs.

 

OK, hands up - i was speeding.

 

But REALLY? 3 points and a £100 fine, plus increased insurance for five years because I did 62mph on a deserted dual carriageway, in the middle of the night.

 

I know its an old chestnut - but do they have nothing better to do ?

 

I of course got the full car check, all my tyres examined, MoT checked , tax checked, insurance checked, breathalyzed etc to see if there was any other avenue they could book me for.

 

Pissed off.

[cort16]

Wrong thread I think Dave. Some of those 50 bits of duel carriage way are very badly signed posted.

 

I spotted this earlier and thought of you.

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/mg-zt-cdti-2005-bmw-diesel/1030226946

[skattrd]

I got done for speeding a couple of years ago, SP30, didn't make any difference to insurance. I had a chat with my insurer about it and they said that up to 6pts for std speeding tickets (SP30 type things) didn't affect their premiums - other insurers may be different though.

[CortinaDave]

Yeah wrong thread. Oops! oh well its here now. That ZT does indeed look a good deal. I was out looking at the LPG one last night which is why I was over west and got booked. Its bloody lovely but the guy seems firm on his £1k as he's spent a fortune on it. When there's this 05 plate CDTi (which is worth more than the V6) at 1150 and a blue 53 plate CDti in north ayrshire at 1200 it does seem a bit on the salty side which is whats stopped me doing a deal.

[darkfour]

Not sure whether this makes me grin or grump but only in America could you bacon wrap your car.

 

 

 

http://www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/Ford%20Introduces%20First%20Bacon%20Wrapped%20Car%20Satisfying%20Even%20the%20Most%20Insatiable%20Appetite.aspx

[skattrd]

New insurance policy came through today and my list of insured cars is now on three pages.

[John F]

I got my Katana running today after a lay-up of about 12 years...!

 

VERY pleased.

[M'coli]

Been for a knee arthroscopy today, another superb NHS experience, all the staff were excellent.  The knee can also bear my (considerable) weight, which is very good news.

[wuvvum]

Took out a proper insurance policy on the Spacy yesterday.  £94.  Bargain - cheaper than the 50cc Sym.

[Cavcraft]

Took out a proper insurance policy on the Spacy yesterday.  £94.  Bargain - cheaper than the 50cc Sym.

 

 

I got quoted one hundred and twenty fucking quid fully comp and ninety pissing two quid TPFT on the Speedfight with two years NCB. It was less than that on a 200cc Vespa with no NCB!

[wuvvum]

That's rider profiling for you.  No spotty 17-year-old oik would be seen dead on a Spacy.  Most of the local teenagers LOL at it when I take it out for a ride.

[daveb47]

Brilliant idea

Make the companies etc pay to phone you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

[Wilko220]

Actually saw my first real life MG6, in public on an actual road, today!!!!!!!1111!!11

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I've only ever seen one in the wild, and that was one of the Avis ones. 

[DodgyBastard]

Had my first article published.

 

[phil_lihp]

Congrats!  Out of curiosity, how does that sort of thing work?  Do you write an article and then offer it out to various publications or do they put out tenders for specific topics as and when they want them?

[Wilko220]

Congrats! Out of curiosity, how does that sort of thing work? Do you write an article and then offer it out to various publications or do they put out tenders for specific topics as and when they want them?

I think a lot of specialist magazines (motoring and otherwise) rely on paying freelancers for articles to fill their pages - although the money isn't anything to write home about.

 

I remember sending an article to Land Rover Monthly once, as I part of some PR work I was doing at the time. All I wanted was for it to be published (which it was) but LRM couldn't seem to get their head around the fact that I didn't want paying for it. In the end, they agreed to make a small donation to charity instead!

[vulgalour]

37.8mpg in the Princess over the last 272 miles.  That I'm happy with, very happy indeed.  She even managed 20mpg when being used as a removal van so I must be doing something right.

[Lord Sterling]

Goodness me, I have something for the grin thread.

 

Well, today I was to go out and meet a Flickr contact who lives down the road from me. He has bought himself an SD3 213 auto. We were going to meet at Longbridge and do usual thing of standing our cars on the plinth and taking photos....

 

What I didn't know was, there was some sort of festival going on at Cofton Park, this meant that the road to Q-gate was closed off as a through road, but was open if you wanted to pick up/drop off someone from the festival. What the festival organisers had done was to lead you through Q-gate, tour all the way around the factory all the way back to the car park were you could pick-up or set down any festival goers, so I took an unexpected tour through the Longbridge Factory works! Something I'd never ever thought I'd ever be able to do. My heart nearly exploded.

 

I explained to the festival stewards that I was supposed to meet someone as in another Rover fan rather than a festival goer, my contact hadn't actually been that far behind me, so we were allowed to pull up and admire each others car, when a bloke from the MG plant came over and gave us 2 brand new Claret MG-Rover T-shirts, then he showed us (unofficially) the museum and Lord Austins office.

 

What a day!

[vulgalour]

You lucky, lucky man.  About time you had something nice like that happen.

[phil_lihp]

Just went out for a quick blast on the CG125 in the dark, hadn't used it for over a week and it was a little reluctant to run at first but ran fine when it caught.  Yes, the engine sounds like a washing machine full of nails but I have a cheap-as-chips rebuild kit to sort that on my week off.  It put a smile on my face because you just don't get the same feeling with any other form of transport; the noise, vibration and wind blasting through gives you a buzz at 30mph you wouldn't get at 100mph in a car.  Should have started riding years ago!

[Pillock]

Holy crap L_Sterl, that's a bit of a result and a half! Jammy sod

If anything like that happens to me I usually end up waking up with a bit of a start, duvet wrapped around me and the cat sitting on my head or something.

[trigger]

I hope you took a camera Mr Sterling!

[Doctormop]

Well Chuffed for you Lord S,

Proof positive that sometimes, just sometimes an honest friendly approach is met with a bit of mutual respect and courtesy, there are many many tw**ts in this world but still some decent human beings sharing it as well.

Never give up hope, I say!!

[Lord Sterling]

Cheers lads. It was a great day but only spoiled by the fact that I had to go back to my area. I have spoken with FATHA_Sterling so hopefully there should be work forthcoming, if I go and my KV6 is still working, I shall be taking that with me to Brussels. I just hope that going to Brussels will be sooner rather than later.

 

Trigger - Yes I did take lots of pics, I'll have to put them up in a thread at some point, spotted the new MG3 which actually looks Ok I the metal, I'll book a test drive at some point. It was a bit sad to see a once vast factory with lots of little lanes demolished and shrunk but nevertheless it was very, very interesting. I've been trying to find work there but no one seems forthcoming. Never mind, I'm trying to go to Brussels to work instead, I've had enough here.

[eddyramrod]

Now that our bathroom refurb is almost done, MrsR decided she liked some bathroom ornaments she saw on ebay.  So I had to send for them, obviously.  Almost immediately I had an email from the seller, giving me a discount for buying two; and the goods arrived within 48 hours.  Excuse me?  Almost immediately I had an email from the seller, giving me a discount for buying two; and the goods arrived within 48 hours.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Needless to say, I've ordered three more of her items!

On a related note, on Saturday we decided to try out the new bath.  This house only had a shower room before, so neither of us has had an actual bath for about a year.  MrsR went first, and found she could get in and out with the help of the grab rails we've had installed (although a couple more would help; I'll have a word with the builder), then I tried it.  Ohhhhh such luxury!

 

Oh and, Lord Sterling?  I'm jealous!

[eddyramrod]

Another grin from today: I called in at a local scrappy on my way home from work, and idly mentioned that I wanted some universal crossbars to fit on my roof rails (I was in the Tacuma).  Follow me, said Mr Scrappy, and we dug around in a pile of assorted metal until we found them.  Straight, with their fittings, should clean up nicely.... a tenner.  Couldn't get my wallet out fast enough.