The Ex-forum of several shiters 95 Mazda 323 coupé - for sale again!

[RichardK]

They have left; the car is of course untouched.

A few reminders that kids get born/dragged/brought up in this situation, which makes the cycle of police, confrontation and bailiffs something to think about (the parents make their choices but still… ugh. Grotty situation).

[Minimad5]

Those gas bottles make great BBQs 

[TheOtherStu]

23 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

Those gas bottles make great BBQs 

More importantly, they're like rocking horse shit.

You may or may not be aware, but Calor, Shell and so on are refusing new contracts at the moment - so if you buy a new BBQ and you've never had gas, you can't actually get it.

They're reserving for refills only. Apparently, during lockdown last year and this, every bugger and their dog decided to buy a BBQ rather than go abroad. Calor are also struggling with deliveries. I had to hunt round Milton Keynes (using a couple of local social media groups) to actually find someone who could do a refill!

[RichardK]

It’s still here. Someone forgot when the MOT ran out.

But then the BMW ran out in September. FFS.

[RichardK]

Still here, still has a dashcam worth more than the car.

It's getting new boot gas struts. Not really sure what else I can do with with before I the MOT. Current car levels mean it may well be departing, but not because I don't like it - it's just not being used. Really quite enjoy it when I do use it!

[grogee]

On 8/25/2021 at 7:56 PM, RichardK said:

No 323 news apart from it being deployed as rapid response transport; a group of travellers pitched up in Bauer’s car park and while I’m minded to live and let be for people who want to roam around the country/world, generally if you land en-masse in a private car park, abuse the security and reception staff and refuse to fuck off when police and bailiffs show up - you’re probably part of the problem that honest/legit travellers face whenever they want to stop in legal places too.

Anyway. Car “value of something happening to it” hierarchy starts with the 2021 Hilux (which also seems quite likely to be targeted) goes through Jaguar, BMW and ends on Mazda. So it went high speed and I got the Hilux back the moment we were told (we had to move a lot of press cars too).

323 has very obviously got cameras in it which could be recording  (wires aren’t hooked up sadly), looks inoffensive and is parked outside the main office in view of CCTV and well-lit so I hope it will be left alone.

Main fear of course is cat theft, or more, the damage a bunch of twats do while removing the part 😕

#prayformazda

I’m sure it’ll be fine and it’ll be amusing seeing what it did record before power went off. And ultimately if this group of people asked, treated the place with respect, etc. why shouldn’t they use a big empty lump of tarmac to stop on?

Sadly this lot from all reports are the ones that perpetuate the stereotype and the residents of Peterborough will have their fears and prejudices reinforced 😕 and I too feel justified in thinking “my” shiny pickup was at risk.

Of course not helped that the last vehicle crime I suffered was someone nicking the plates off my Fullback while the fair was in AG in Brum - then getting a ticket parked on double yellows in Leighton Buzzard in a Fullback Cross with towbar!

Similar happened here. Travelling folk moved onto the football fields adjacent to our estate then wrecked the clubhouse (smashed toilet cisterns, faeces on the walls).

Like you, initially I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Of course, now it's very hard to advance the argument for traveller's rights and freedoms following that episode. 

Same thing happened at work - stormed into car park, abused and threatened staff, stayed a couple of days until council paperwork and local plod evicted them. Just weird really. 

[LessThanEqual]

I started a new job in October and the first thing that caught my eye is this very car standing outside the office to the side. Small world.

[TheOtherStu]

On 1/2/2022 at 2:41 PM, grogee said:

Similar happened here. Travelling folk moved onto the football fields adjacent to our estate then wrecked the clubhouse (smashed toilet cisterns, faeces on the walls).

Like you, initially I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Of course, now it's very hard to advance the argument for traveller's rights and freedoms following that episode. 

Same thing happened at work - stormed into car park, abused and threatened staff, stayed a couple of days until council paperwork and local plod evicted them. Just weird really. 

Now this is something that definitely boils my piss.

If I buy a motorhome, not only am I not allowed to park up and sleep where I am, unless my motorhome is registered as a "motor-caravan" on the V5, many campsites won't let me in either.

When I actually had a motorhome, some 10 years ago, it wasn't difficult to get the V5 changed. As long as you had certain things (windows, a bed, a table and the ability to cook) then you could get it done. Not any more. Pop tops are no longer allowed, for instance, unless they're properly coach built by companies who have the right ticket.

Whereas, in France, they not only have free places for you to stop, but they actively encourage it. But then again, whilst they have their own cultural issues, Travellers aren't one of them.

As above, I've no issue with people buying a double decker bus, going round the country living some kind of hippy life. You knock yourself out. But taking over private (or indeed public) land and being a criminal nuisance isn't really cricket.

[RichardK]

1 hour ago, LessThanEqual said:

I started a new job in October and the first thing that caught my eye is this very car standing outside the office to the side. Small world.

West Point/former Thomas Cook office?

[yes oui si]

2 hours ago, TheOtherStu said:

 

As above, I've no issue with people buying a double decker bus, going round the country living some kind of hippy life. You knock yourself out. But taking over private (or indeed public) land and being a criminal nuisance isn't really cricket.

There's no such thing as public land in the UK. 

[yes oui si]

On topic, I love this wee egg

[TheOtherStu]

3 hours ago, yes oui si said:

There's no such thing as public land in the UK. 

OK, I'll go with common land then.

[RichardK]

4 hours ago, yes oui si said:

On topic, I love this wee egg

Me too. I will get the MOT sorted soon - as mentioned it may have to find a new home after the MX-5 appeared but it's hard to part with given the sort of smooth, unobtrusive way it drives. Very twist-and-go nippy sort of thing.

Annoyed that the new boot strut is damaged - was looking forward to making it less bitey.

[LessThanEqual]

On 1/6/2022 at 2:49 PM, RichardK said:

West Point/former Thomas Cook office?

Media House, so just next door.

[RichardK]

1 hour ago, LessThanEqual said:

Media House, so just next door.

I also work there. Except I don't because WFH...

[LessThanEqual]

4 minutes ago, RichardK said:

I also work there. Except I don't because WFH...

Makes two of us 🤣

[RichardK]

On 1/14/2022 at 9:48 PM, LessThanEqual said:

Makes two of us 🤣

Well, I can be found virtually on Parkers and CAR. Except I'm very wary of people so actually I can usually be found scurrying past reception awkwardly making small talk when I need to get keys.

Some 323 news!

I want to track down the person who decided on the engineering for the boot gas struts, and hurt them. Just a little bit.

Possibly the worst setup I have ever seen.

The body side is attached by two bolts into a bespoke plate. The plate has a press-fit/riveted mushroom capped post for the pivot, which is a welded-to-the-strut eye.

Then the upper balljoint is bolted to the car and PUNCH FIT into the socket. Not a clip. Not a hook and clip. It's fitted then punched. So you cannot extract it, you have to unbolt it.

The replacement strut has a plate - it took three tries to get one that didn't have a damaged plastic bush - and a normal socket, but no balljoint.

After mangling the socket attempting to extract the balljoint I just got one of the spare balljoints from the new struts for the Tavria. But what a monumental ballache of a task for something that on most cars is just spend £20, five minutes, done.

[Yoss]

Yep that does seem daft and pointlessly complicated. I did this job on the Felicia about a week ago and as you say, it's a doddle. They have a socket both ends like the one in your picture but with the simple difference of a spring clip on the outside. You lever it back a bit with a small screwdriver, they even have a small groove to insert the screwdriver, hook it over the ball and tap the clip back in place. 

 

It seems like they've over complicated it just to keep the design staff in a job. 

[RichardK]

85% sure this'll be up for sale once I've MOTd it (though who knows when I'll find time for that) - too many cars for the space and that's making me unhappy, miss my massive barn and lovely covered storage from when I last had a handful of cars 😕

Anyone potentially interested, drop me a message otherwise I think it'll be a roffle. Have had normal people looking for a cheap small car asking about me selling it but that won't happen - it's just for people who would appreciate what an odd and rare little thing it is. No interest and I'll abandon it at the office again until circumstances change!

[yes oui si]

I'd be in for some randoms... 

[egg]

Let's update the known Coupes:

- N979 FLP - Blue 1.5 GLX Auto - Richard's.
- M37 ACV - Green 1.5 GLX - SORN, MOT'd expired on 15 September 2021
- M335 BLP - White 1.5 GLX - Taxed and MOT'd to 3 Feb 2022
- M287 DGO - Blue 1.5 GLX - SORN and no MOT since October 2020
- N617 VBA - Blue 1.3 - SORN, but not MOT'd since 2011
- M651 VJL (upthread) - still SORN, no MOT since 2019

J50634 in Jersey - white - status unknown

- N85 FKJ (Familia imported in 2000) - Taxed and MOT'd until December 2022

So only 2 known cars currently MOT'd and one of those is an import and not one of the 970 odd officially sold in the UK. Rarity.

[RichardK]

Mine will at least be MOTd soon - what was the identity of the white one being broken on eBay?

[mk2_craig]

31 minutes ago, egg said:

J50634 in Jersey - white - status unknown

I suspect this one is away now, different car occupying the spot I often used to see it parked in.

[egg]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

Mine will at least be MOTd soon - what was the identity of the white one being broken on eBay?

I think that was one of the ones on the list?

[RichardK]

Out we go:

Result:

And back.

[RichardK]

M335BLP is MOTd until 2023 now so clearly still properly alive.

2 UK 323Cs and 3 in total! 3 in 44m chance of spotting one in the UK now.

[Jim Bell]

Fan-tastic result. It looks like a right jolly little car. 

[RichardK]

5 hours ago, Jim Bell said:

Fan-tastic result. It looks like a right jolly little car. 

It is. It needs a good wash, and I'm still weighing up if I keep it or just park it at work again. It costs very little to keep it around, but at the same time winter electricity/etc. bills have bitten hard and it'd be a quick and relatively cheap roffle I suspect - and I'm not using it, and have a BMW and Mazda MX-5 I'm also not using enough.

[Jim Bell]

17 minutes ago, RichardK said:

It is. It needs a good wash, and I'm still weighing up if I keep it or just park it at work again. It costs very little to keep it around, but at the same time winter electricity/etc. bills have bitten hard and it'd be a quick and relatively cheap roffle I suspect - and I'm not using it, and have a BMW and Mazda MX-5 I'm also not using enough.

Two please. 

[loserone]

Two please