Ask a Shiter

[Albert Ross]

If your originals were worn more on the inner edges, I'd suspect a balljoint. If it was just the front left worn on the outer edge, (Which is entirely normal for FWD shizz) then my suggestion is that they set the tracking to suit your old tyres.

[outlaw118]

Is there any way of finding out if a car is MoT via interweb?

the blokes who did my capri resto, insist that it was done, and passed, and the certificate is in the car.

it isn't.

I have an old style log book for it; it's been off the road sine 31/7/96, and I can't lay my hands on it anyway.

 

Am I going to need to apply for a log book, and then the mot details, of can someone find the mot details out for me/

 

does that make any sense? probably not, i'm off my tits on Codeine.

[JohnDeere]

Thanks Albert. Old tyres were pretty evenly worn and I don't think they paid them any attention when checking/setting the new tracking. Worn balljoint unlikely after 34k I'd have thought?

[Cavcraft]

Is there any way of finding out if a car is MoT via interweb?

the blokes who did my capri resto, insist that it was done, and passed, and the certificate is in the car.

it isn't.

I have an old style log book for it; it's been off the road sine 31/7/96, and I can't lay my hands on it anyway.

 

Am I going to need to apply for a log book, and then the mot details, of can someone find the mot details out for me/

 

does that make any sense? probably not, i'm off my tits on Codeine.

 

You'd need the V5C number mate. Do you know any friendly local MOT garages though, I'm sure one of them could find out for you?

[Albert Ross]

Ref: Honda balljoints.

http://imgur.com/a/YZSne

There's a lot of history of premature failure on Hondas, mainly Civics, but they're the more popular ones....

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/lowerbal ... index.html

 

etc. Google is your friend, but jacking it up and getting it all checked is a greater friend in this case.

[ShiteRider]

The luxurious velour seats in the 'tina are kinda shitty (oil grease tet dust etc) could i pull the covers of the seats and chuck them in the washing machine?

[Spiny Norman]

What exactly is it that makes some car dashboards prone to cracking?

Looking at the photos of the green Ebay Cavvy in 240GL's thread shows a dashboard cracked like I've never experienced on any of the 50+ cars I've ever had.

 

Is it as simple as excess heat and bright sunshine of a type not seen in sufficient amounts in central Scotland to do any real damage or is there more to it than that?

[KruJoe]

The luxurious velour seats in the 'tina are kinda shitty ... could i pull the covers off the seats and chuck them in the washing machine?

Dunno about the 'tina seats specifically, but sometimes the cloth is a right pain to get off, then comes off with bits of wire sewn in/hooks around the sides. Which will do your washer no favours.

MY fave method (seats out): Rub in a strong suspension of washing powder in warm water, using a brush - as stiff as you dare. The jet-wash proper thoroughly, until no more bubbles and crap runs out. May take a while. Do the carpet while you're at it. Leave on the drive in good weather, it might take 24 hours for them to stop dripping. After a week somewhere DRY, they'll be ready to put back in. Or, chuck 'em in a the car with a dehumidifier, empty it twice a day until it stops sucking the water out of them. Job's a good un.

 

 

 

What exactly is it that makes some car dashboards prone to cracking?

Just sunlight I think. Most plastics degrade in sunlight, some more than others.

[Partridge]

What en earth happened here?

http://www.silverlake.co.uk/breakers/de ... l/bc18991/

[Cavcraft]

/\

Too close to a fire of some sort?

[KruJoe]

It hasn't been close to the heat (no melted plastics), looks like just smoke damage.

 

 

Dunno what happened to the front shocks though.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Vehicle has been deemed uneconomical to repair. The price of a wash would be higher than the value of the car.

[M'coli]

Unless it's fingerprint dust/bodyfluid reagent, but the inside's ok so probably not...

[Partridge]

I thought maybe fire damage. The fact that there’s windscreen wiper marks on it makes you think someone moved it. If the heat melted the shocks though, surely the bumper would have melted too?

[cort16]

Here's an ebay related stupid question. I was discussing ebay bidding tactics with a guy at work and his theory is that if you're bidding on a say a car and the maximum you want to spend is 700 you're as well just to lob the 700 quid bid on right at the start then that way the auction will go up with you being the highest bidder until someone outbids your budget. If the auction goes over 700 then you're out and you've not exceeded your budget.

 

I always tend to hang back right until the end then lob my bids on in increments ideally making me the highest bidder only at the point the auction ends. The downside of this is you could always be outbid at the last minute and you may feel the need to exceed your budget in the heat of a button press.

 

My thoughts are that putting your highest bid out there right at the start forces the bids up as people counter bidding you will tend to do it right from the start of the auction. He thinks that that theory is a delusion and resulting price of the auction would be the same as things tend to find a natural pricing level during the aucion no matter what your tactics.

[KruJoe]

^ This is why snipers are for the win.

[Richard]

What en earth happened here?

http://www.silverlake.co.uk/breakers/de ... l/bc18991/

 

Minor shunt, then parked up in the corner of a brick works/feed mill/foundry or similar.

[Albert Ross]

More like front springs snapped (common on these heaps) and then dumped somewhere..... or injector failure.....

[Cavcraft]

I don't get sniping. Unless you're going away on holiday or something when the auction ends (and even then you could just lob a bid in beforehand as Glenn said) then why not just actually bid at the end? If you bid £700 (or whatever) then surely the amount you'd put into the sniper is just the same and other people bidding would effect it?

 

I'd rather not put my eBay details into one of those sniper things for exactly the reasons I think Watanabe has had problems recently.

[KruJoe]

...why not just actually bid at the end?

1. you *might* forget to be on it when the time comes

2. if you're on it, as Cort said:

you could always be outbid at the last minute [or] you may feel the need to exceed your budget in the heat of a button press

3. you can decide your bid days before with a cool head - the way I do this is to find the line between "I feel I got a good deal" and "if someone else wants to pay more, they can have it". Just set up the snipe and relax, your email will tell you if you win.

4. Statistically, the more bids you place, the less likely you are to win the auction! Strange but true, 'specially on something like a car. When you sell one, look at the bidding history, usually the winner has put in just one strong bid. (The first example I found is a good one, Will's Shamborghini: http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 1438.l2765 )

 

Also, if I feel it's worth £700, I'll bid £703.73 (or snipe if it's something I don't want to miss).

This way, if it's a round number like £700, other bidders may bid that price too, and if they put their bid in first, they'll get it. If you're a few pence more, you'll get it, even if the bidding increments are £20 or whatever.

[TimothyClaypole]

I decide what I want to pay and bang it in at the first look then leave it.

 

If it goes over then I'll live without it.

 

For cheaper stuff I just don't even bother (who wants to wait 9 days for a packet of saw blades just to be outbid by pennies...) and just find the cheapest ones that are buy it now.

[cort16]

But if you think about it is the sniping software not just a bit pointless? If you banged in 702.24p right at the start of the auction would ebay not just keep upping your bid for you just like the sniping software does?

The only benefit I can see to not wanging your max bid in right at the start is you kind of show your hand early and might force the price up. I've no idea if this is true or not though.

[KruJoe]

Yes, that too! A snipe hides your hand 'til the last moment, and avoids the other plebs getting caught up in a frenzy at the end, and pushing it above what it's worth.

[CreepingJesus]

I tend to chuck a bid of what I think it's worth, then leave it. If it wins, it wins; if it doesn't, then fuck it. I didn't want it anyway!

What I think I see (particularly with smaller stuff), is that if there's a few of the same thing ending within 24hrs or so, they get more expensive as time goes on. Noticed it a few years ago, when hunting guitar effects pedals. Then again last week, with a particular camera lens.

Missed the first one, it went a couple of quid over my bid. Upped my bid on the next one, from £20 to £25; went for £30. And so on, until the last one was £45, and dearer than a couple on BINs!

Unless I'm mistaken of course...

[MrDuke]

Is there an obscure rule that prevents MOT testing garages carrying out MOT work on cars that are being tested there? I was told by a garage a few years back that they "weren't allowed to touch it" but at the time I put it down as an excuse for not wanting to replace the relays on my Riva (and didn't really blame them to be fair). However, it's happened recently as well - my local tester will replace bulbs or wiper blades for me if necessary for the MOT without even asking, but refuses to do anything more.

[skattrd]

Is there an obscure rule that prevents MOT testing garages carrying out MOT work on cars that are being tested there? I was told by a garage a few years back that they "weren't allowed to touch it" but at the time I put it down as an excuse for not wanting to replace the relays on my Riva (and didn't really blame them to be fair). However, it's happened recently as well - my local tester will replace bulbs or wiper blades for me if necessary for the MOT without even asking, but refuses to do anything more.

No. My local garage does tests, and more often than not if a car fails it's left there for him to repair and re-test.

I think some garages are lazy and just want the test fee, and not the extra work at times.

[Cavcraft]

Don't knock it! I would never trust a garage that found loads of work at an MOT then offered to give me a quote for repairs. When this happened in the past I've always used someone else to carry out the work and often found that some of the failures were just a load of bollocks.

[cort16]

I'm pretty sure there's a place around here that only do mot's and don't do any repairs. The idea I guess is that you'll get an honest MOT as they've not got a vested interest in failing it.

[HillmanImp]

Most places are dying to do the work, necessary or not.

 

I use these:

 

http://www.centralgarageleeds.co.uk/mission.htm

 

People who take their cars to a cut price test station where there are large racks of exhausts, shock absorbers, brake parts, and other costly to fit big discount spares, where semi skilled mechanics stand with their mouths open waiting for them, should have their heads tested first.

 

Volksy is taking the Audi 100 there for its test tomorrow. Hopefully should be a pass. There is an outside chance it might be going to the show next weekend depending on whether or not we sell the Lancia this week as some dealer is apparently coming to look at it.

[skattrd]

I know what you mean Billy, but if you trust the garage (or say it's run by a relative) then theres no reason not to have them do the repairs.

I do know of some places failing cars on things that should be advisories to get extra work.