Ask a Shiter

[Albert Ross]

GR9 idea. I had a lovely 2001 1.8 Petrol Ghia Estate, (pre-facelift) and wish I still had it. I now have a 2006 1.6 Petrol Ghia with leather, it just DOES everything it's asked to do. Go for a nice 4 door Ghia......... They seem to go for about £500 these days. Buy one or forever wonder.

[Tayne]

I had use of a mk1 Focus in a previous job, I rather enjoyed it.

It seemed well put together and was fun to drive.

I almost bought a couple of years ago but it was rather rotten underneath.

I say buy one.

[dollywobbler]

Yup. The Mk1 Focus is a fine ol' tool really. The rear arches rust I've noticed, so it does get some shite points. I've driven 1.4 petrol (not quite as wheezy as you'd expect), 1.8 petrol (very nice), 2.0 petrol (fuggin' awful) and 1.8TD (not my favourite diesel, but pretty good). Saloon gets shite points too - I've only driven the estate and hatch.

[ashmicro]

Even if a car fails the current certificate is still valid

 

Gestapo man at Larne MOT centre told me the exact opposite of this. Having said that, he's a civil servant so most likely talking out of his arse.

[CreepingJesus]

Even if a car fails the current certificate is still valid

 

Gestapo man at Larne MOT centre told me the exact opposite of this. Having said that, he's a civil servant so most likely talking out of his arse.

 

Cheers, both. I'll have to let my tame MOT bloke have the casting vote then!

 

Mind you, in thinking about it; I don't even have the V70's V5 back from Swansea yet. Being as I'm unaccustomed to buying cars from dealers, I'm feeling a little uneasy that the green slip on the existing V5's still there. The dealer sent the red slip away, at the time. Should that be ok, or do I need to send the green slip? I've read it over, and it doesn't seem to be the case, but it'll need taxed soon, and that'll be an issue. Is it Swansea's fuck-up or mine?

[Cavcraft]

I've never ever driven a Ford Focus. ? Am I missing outThey're supposed to be very good and turn up in the classifieds and affordable prices these days so I think I might invest in a cheap one.

 

Good idea or bad?

 

No. Nothing special, no better than anything else in the same class that I can think of. I can only assume they were so highly rated because the car it replaced was so abjectly awful anything at all would have been better.

You can (probably) buy my neighbour's 1.6 petrol though. It uses more oil than most refineries and has had the head off twice in the space of a couple of months.

They're not especially bad per se, they're just nothing special at all and God help you if you ever want to use the boot space for a bit of luggage.

[Cavcraft]

Been reading on another forum (forgotten where now sorry) that you can lob two stroke oil into diesel fuel tanks at a ratio of something like 1 in 500 and it does them the world of good.

Can this be true or is it just rubbish?

[outlaw118]

Fatha Outlaw has a 53 plate 2.0 Ghia Estate, 140k on it, no bother at all, just a bit, well, meh.

Performance is ok, economy, ok, doesn't rattle, and body has a small amount of grot round rear window - it's had a new glass in it, so I'm guessing that Gavin whatever from Autoglass was a clumsy twat.

He had a 1.6 pez Escort Finesse Estate previously and reckons the Fuckus is 397.78% better.

 

As long as you don't expect fireworks, decent enough motor.

6.8/10

[scaryoldcortina]

Even if a car fails the current certificate is still valid

 

Gestapo man at Larne MOT centre told me the exact opposite of this. Having said that, he's a civil servant so most likely talking out of his arse.

 

It's a bit of a catch-22 actually - the old certificate is still valid until its expiry date but the fact that the car failed a test means it is unroadworthy and it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure roadworthiness..... I suppose it depends mostly what it failed on.

[Lord Sterling]

Driven a few Focuses myself at my old workplace. They seem pretty well put together and are fairly easy to drive, certainly better than the previous Escort it replaced.

 

Here is a hypothetical question:

 

Lets just say that whilst abroad (say Belgium for example) I was given, for free, a British registered car that had been standing for while. The owner is an ex-pat and just wants shot of it. Its run out of Tax and MOT, but its pretty easy to get the thing up, running again. Where do I stand legally? Short of getting it recovered back to Blightly would I have to go to the European equivalent of an MOT centre and get it tested? Can I insure it from the UK or would I have to use the insurance of whatever country I'm in?

 

The reason for this question is, over the past year or so whilst passing through Belgium/France/Germany I've seen a few British registered cars that have been parked up collecting mould and flat tyres and always wonder what happens to them.

[garycox]

Another MOT question:

 

The headlight "flasher" function thing on my Allegro doesn't work, the main full beam does though. It that an MOT failure?

[loserone]

Could't say for certain, but in a mk1 MX5, the switch is there to flash the lights, but it's not actually connected to the pop-ups - so the lights flash under the bonnet, which is entirely useless. Unless someone's been tinkering of course.

[Pete-M]

Could't say for certain, but in a mk1 MX5, the switch is there to flash the lights, but it's not actually connected to the pop-ups - so the lights flash under the bonnet, which is entirely useless. Unless someone's been tinkering of course.

 

I think that's normal. I used to use the pop-up button on the dash instead. Do it right and you can wink at laydee motorists!

[loserone]

It is on pre-94 cars, apparently:

tinkering

[scaryoldcortina]

"flash" function not tested, Main and dip must work though (with a warning light for main)

 

My question - was the VOSA main computer down today, or was it just us? Spent half the morning in a world of fallback/SAT/ET pain (I had to read section N of the scheme guide, it wasn't fun!) and couldn't get through to the help desk either.

[warren t claim]

Is the Peugeot 607 still in production? I saw an 11 plate one today which seems quite new for one of these.

[Pete-M]

 

My question - was the VOSA main computer down today, or was it just us? Spent half the morning in a world of fallback/SAT/ET pain (I had to read section N of the scheme guide, it wasn't fun!) and couldn't get through to the help desk either.

 

Yes. VOSA was on the wonk.

[scaryoldcortina]

^ There was a special notice a few weeks back saying Siemens Data Services had been bought out by somebody (probably Talk Talk : ). If the whole lot was down, it explains why we couldn't get through to any of the helpline numbers!

[garycox]

"flash" function not tested, Main and dip must work though (with a warning light for main).

 

Cheers Scary, looks like I'll be OK then.

[Albert Ross]

ET for sure. Ref PCC 1312. I had a right game as I was logged on when it went tits up. I ended up doing a 6 hour test in the end. Only one ET cert issued by me. I pity the others......

[Danblez]

What is all this twin air bollocks about?

[Pete-M]

What is all this twin air bollocks about?

 

It's bloody clever, and hopefully it'll get rid of diesels.

 

[myglaren]

What is all this twin air bollocks about?

 

It's bloody clever, and hopefully it'll get rid of diesels.

 

 

Didn't get much from that other than it is an engine with four cylinders missing

[Morgan84]

"flash" function not tested, Main and dip must work though (with a warning light for main)

 

My question - was the VOSA main computer down today, or was it just us? Spent half the morning in a world of fallback/SAT/ET pain (I had to read section N of the scheme guide, it wasn't fun!) and couldn't get through to the help desk either.

 

Yes,the main server went on strike for about 90 minutes,but was back to normal about 12.35. Quite annoying as I had a test on the go,and had to wait it out,as the service desk and even our local office was engaged all the time.Nice how they can have problems,and we have to be patient,but if a station has a problem,its zero tollerance !!!

The biggest stinker is the rising costs of testing,such as equipment updates of Gas analysers and DSM's not to mention the sting of having to pay for toner cartridges for the new printers,plus we will end up having to supply all the damned paper as well I'm sure !

[RoadworkUK]

What is all this twin air bollocks about?

 

It's bloody clever, and hopefully it'll get rid of diesels.

 

 

I really, really want to try one of these.

[eddyramrod]

A neighbour in my new village has a 98 Daewoo Leganza 2.0, which his wife really loves; however it recently lunched the engine. He's pretty sure a replacement will be required, as the car is way too good to scrap (he says, I haven't seen it yet). I seem to remember these used Vauxhall technology, so is the engine the same as the 2.0 Cavalier from the mid 90s? Or if not, is it interchangeable with anything else?

[trigger]

Does anyone know what the white car is?, i thought it was a Hyundai Pony but someone else says it's a Alfa Romeo Arna?.

 

1989 Car Park with Honda Accord and 1980 Hyundai Pony by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[scaryoldcortina]

It's a pony. Looks nowt like an arna.

 

eddy - I confidently predict that a cavalier engine will ALMOST bolt into the daewoo. I'd recommend a V8 instead.

[Tayne]

Does anyone know what the white car is?,

 

Morris Marina.

[Volksy]

I think it's a Cherry Europe, dat/nissans version of the arna, but with a bodykit on. Defo not a pony.