Ask a Shiter

[chaseracer]

Cheers, Cobs mate...

[skattrd]

Will 5x112 Golf mk5 15" steels fit a W124 Merc, or is the offset/centre bore all wrong?

 

Nope, centre bore on golfs is way smaller

 

http://www.carlsalter.com/wheel_fitments.html

[drum]

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status

Cheers Dave

[Junkman]

I had great fun when i did my psv skid traning in 60s,

 

Think bus was an Albion if i remember rightly

 

 

WANT!!!

 

The only non-British (or Commonwealth) city I know, that uses predominantly double-deckers, is Berlin.

In the entire history of double-decked transport, there was only one accident ever that caused one to topple over.

It happened on Easter Sunday 1958 and four people were killed in the incident.

The bus was driven into a corner way too fast and started to slide sideways. It climbed broadside onto the pavement without any problem, so much for the stability of those things! But it then slid still broadside into the sand embankment of a railway track, where the outer wheels immediately dug in and caused the bus to tip. Mind you, this would have caused a Caterham to roll.

It turned out that the driver was DUI, and not only slightly tipsy, but rightfully plastered, German style. This was good for two years in prison in those times, can you believe it now.

[rml2345]

They've gone over a few times in the UK but it's a pretty rare event really. I think the regs is a minimum chassis tilt of 28 degrees before it'll go over, which is a body tilt (usually) of about 35 degrees.

That Chiswick footage is class though!

[UmBongo]

You ever seen them being tilt tested? Amazing how far they can lean. 

 

 

and a slightly less high-tech version:

 

Let Bond test it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzwXNvMyZd8

[wuvvum]

OK, here's a question.  You know all the roadside ANPR cameras that have sprung up all over the shop in the last few years, especially in London and on motorways but also in pez stations all over the country?  Are they directly linked to DVLA / VOSA, i.e. if you drive past one with no tax / MoT will you automatically get a fine in the post? 

 

I always thought that they were there to flag vehicles that were already wanted by the police for one reason or another, and that if a vehicle tripped a camera a police patrol car would then be dispatched to pull it over.  I was just reading an article though (not in a very authoritative publication it has to be said) which said that the camera record on its own was enough to issue the registered keeper with a fine, without any plod intervention or any necessity for the vehicle to be stopped.  I would have thought this would be unworkable, if only because the ANPR camera will take no account of any exceptions to the rules (on way to pre-booked MoT, trade plates present etc).

 

Anyone on here know anything one way or t'other?

[Junkman]

You know all the roadside ANPR cameras that have sprung up all over the shop in the last few years, especially in London and on motorways but also in pez stations all over the country?

Real stupid question amnesty here. Why haven't they been lynched on the spot?

And no, I have no pitty with them. There are decent ways to feed a family.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

OK, here's a question.  You know all the roadside ANPR cameras that have sprung up all over the shop in the last few years, especially in London and on motorways but also in pez stations all over the country?  present etc).

 

Anyone on here know anything one way or t'other?

The pez station ones are pure bollocks,just CCTV that records the reg in case you don't pay.

The DVLA roadside ones are only concerned with tax. The ones to worry about are those fixed in Police cars or the van based ones that have an army of coppers 200yds down the road.

The cameras only know that there isn't a specific insurance policy on the car ,you could have a traders policy or be driving on the 3rd party for other vehicles bit, or have just insured and the company hasn't updated yet. Hence the need for a real Policeman to actually nick you. Similar with MOT, on the way to test,re-test or driving on tradeplates for example.

Interestingly they don't pick up cloned cars as far as my experience, I bought a car with a private plate, the plan was that the seller would complete the transfer and contact me when it had gone through. He lost my number and we were both driving around on the same plates for about 4 months until I chased him up.i went through numerous anpr cameras especially at airports and must have gone past plenty of car mounted cameras,the number would have come up as a white X6, my car was a black CLS. Seems as long as the number is insured no one cares!

[Angrydicky]

Is it possible to restore delaminated numberplates? The front plate on the Maestro is starting to go at the top, and as it's the original with the dealer name at the bottom I'd like to keep it if possible. Certainly now that dealerplates has closed and I can't get a replica made.

I was thinking of using Mr Muscle then a lolly stick to carefully pick out the green algae in there before sticking the film back down with a dab of superglue. Does that sound like it'll work?

[Hendry]

Is it possible to restore delaminated numberplates? The front plate on the Maestro is starting to go at the top, and as it's the original with the dealer name at the bottom I'd like to keep it if possible. Certainly now that dealerplates has closed and I can't get a replica made.

I was thinking of using Mr Muscle then a lolly stick to carefully pick out the green algae in there before sticking the film back down with a dab of superglue. Does that sound like it'll work?

Look up a company called DMB graphics, they do repro number plates (and you'd never tell they aren't original such is the quality having seen some close up) as I doubt your method would look any good tbh.

 

http://www.dmb.uk.com/10/gallery/gcat/18/dealer-sets-number-plates-rear-stickers-and-tax-disc-holders

[Pillock]

Superglue especially will make the clear plastic front go all cloudy instantly....

[Wilko220]

British gas man reckons TEH GOVERNEMENT are gonna pay for a new boiler for us in the next few weeks because we qualify somehow through some Energy Companies Obligation scheme. Sounds hugely massively suspicious to me, but it's apparently deffo not going to cost a penny. It's up on the level of free* solar panels and that lot of suspiciousness, but we really do need a new boiler and don't have a pot to piss in.

 

Yep, it's true. My dad just coined a brand new boiler out of it, paid for by my (and your) electricity bills.

 

More info here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/energy-companies-obligation-eco

[Angrydicky]

Look up a company called DMB graphics, they do repro number plates (and you'd never tell they aren't original such is the quality having seen some close up) as I doubt your method would look any good tbh.

 

http://www.dmb.uk.com/10/gallery/gcat/18/dealer-sets-number-plates-rear-stickers-and-tax-disc-holders

Thanks, looks like you're laughing if you own a Ford! I'll email them and see what they say, I do have the original rear screen sticker and tax disc holder in my car as well so maybe I could get a set made.

[Bucketeer]

Is there a web-site where you can find previous registered owners of a car or at least when the owners changed?

Or is that not allowed to be made public knowledge?

I dont no coz i iz fick.

 

There's a car currently on the Bay that definitely, possibly, probably, certainly, maybe, 100% might be the same car I had stolen (twice) about 10 or 12 years ago. The reg. no. is very, very similar, if not the same. Unfortunately my memory isn't what it never used to be.

[Pillock]

You can apply for it - it costs money, you have to write to the DVLA with a V888 form and some money (a fiver or so?).

It's meant for people with some sort of interest in the owner like a petrol station tracing driveoffs, or finding out who's dumped a car on your land or whatever - you have to be pretty specific with what you ask for and tell them why.

 

Various internet forums (THE FONT OF ALL KNOWLEDGE) suggest you're more likely to get an answer if you own the car and want it's history but some people have suggested if you're polite and thorough enough it sometimes works if it's not your car. Maybe you're in with a chance if you explain it was stolen from you. If the insurance didn't pay out then I suppose legally it's still yours anyway.

[Bucketeer]

Thanks for the information.

I was quite glad to see the back of it to be honest and it only stood me a couple of hundred quid so I didn't bother reporting it.

It was more curiosity than anything to confirm it was the same one.

I sure as hell don't want it back, it was rough as buggery back when I had it.

Dissapointingly though, it looks even worse now (if it is the same one, which I'm almost certain it is) and is up for £795.

 

The thieves must have been desperate, they stole it twice in one day.

[Pillock]

Does it say the seller has a V5? If so there must have been some jiggery pokery gone off. 

That said, my scumbag ex managed to reregister my Vectra in her name without the DVLA batting an eyelid, trying to piece it all together I think she just told them she bought it when I bought it, and never had the V5 returned. When I queried it, they reckoned I had NEVER owned it! Maybe it helped having the same surname, same initial, same address. Either way it didn't inspire me with confidence. I might try to reregister my arse as my elbow and see what they say, probably wouldn't notice.

[DSdriver]

Yep, it's true. My dad just coined a brand new boiler out of it, paid for by my (and your) electricity bills.

 

More info here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/energy-companies-obligation-eco

So now we're in a quandry. New boilers are shit, a bit like new cars and wont last half as long as old ones. The quandry is: will my old boiler die just after the offer ends. I think in my case I'll stick with the old one because it has a vertical flue going up through a sloping roof with no wall to put a balance flue on without poggering the whole house.

[Bucketeer]

Does it say the seller has a V5? If so there must have been some jiggery pokery gone off. 

 

Never even thought about that. Just re-checked the listing, no mention of V5 either way.

Only thing it says is .....

 

She hasn't got an MOT but it wouldn't be much to put her through one.

There's no TAX either as it had disabled tax on.

 

The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced it's the same reg and same motor.

All I will say is, if anyone's looking to buy an XR4x4, avoid the shonky looking one with flaky red paint. It was a death-trap a decade ago and it doesn't look like time's been particularly kind to it since then.

I owned it, so AVOID.

[meggersdog]

Seeing as Gumtree have now added a make an offer option on car adverts I am going to look elsewhere to sell cars.Can't seem to remove it and I'm sick of emails and text messages offering less than half the asking price.

So my question is : has anyone had any success with vivastreet

http://search.vivastreet.co.uk/cars+cambridgeshire?lb=new&search=1&start_field=1&sp_common_year[start]=&

or other websites like it ?

[Richard]

I was going to ask if anybody knew what the story is with the Mercedes that's always parked on the A9 but the local rag answered it yesterday http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/perth-kinross/man-facing-second-winter-in-car-after-escaping-neighbour-problems-1.141712

 

I've posted the link in case any other Scottish shiters have seen it and wondered.

[SambaS]

Often thinking of moving into the Polonez... GO! that guy

[mercrocker]

must have  different laws in Scotland, the council ayatollahs would have had him banged up down here....

[Richard]

Possibly even more so up here, I don't know how he's managed to stay there so long. I reckon he'll be moved on within the week now he's drawn attention to himself.

[SambaS]

How long can you park a camper on the side of a random road and live there before you are moved on, and how long before you can return and start again. How many "spots" will you have to find to rotate and keep within shit brick at the councils fucking pish posh legislation. I had an argument with the council tax people the other day and basically said I cant wait to be in a camper and never pay them again - fucking jackals. But they said I still would have to pay, to which I responded with they'd have to fucking find me first. C*nts.

 

How much does it cost to permanantly heat a camper using a red diesel heater over winter.

 

Anyone have any experience of not living in a conventional home?

[boobydoo]

I'm sure I read somewhere in the classic car press that  once a car was on SORN you no longer  have to annually confirm it unless there was a change of status. Hence my surprise when I received a SORN renewal V11 form for the Simca 1100.  Did anyone else read it or am I just turning into a doddery old giffer?

[SambaS]

I read the same thing and yet keep having to SORN my cars

[nigel bickle]

Because its a relaxation of the regs, it comes in next April. Takes time to implement -y'see.

 

However, had it been tightening the regs, adding an increased potential fine income, it would have come in 6pm that very evening.

 

Tis the rules.

[nigel bickle]

I got 17 SORNs this month (-3 to tax). Light month!!