Ask a Shiter

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Down Pompey way yesterday, a convoy of unmarked vehicles came flying past with blues and a not-quite-police type siren. It being dark and having eyes on the road obviously I think I made out the silhouette of a Hyundai i30 and a Ford S-Max out of the 4 vehicles that went past.

 

Idle curiosity really, but anyone know who that was likely to be? Royals seemed an obvious answer, but there were no Range Rovers or Audis, which are the preferred vehicular transportation devices from what I recall.

There seem to be hundreds of unlikely cars with blue lights and sirens flying around the country , presumably , given the number of news stories about terrorist arrests,they might well be Security Services etc.

The fact that I usually see them in small convoys on the motorways points to them not been normal Police - they tend not to need to travel long distances.

Mostly VAG shite including Octavias,Passats,A3,A4 and A6 often hi spec big wheeled things. X5s,Q7s and somewhat sinisterly big wheeled ,fancy VW Transporters and Vitos, have they got shackled and hooded prisoners in the back heading for Cuba?

Last week I saw a silver Astra Van Sport with blue lights on the M1, the last vehicle you'd ever suspect, I suppose that's the idea.

[xtriple]

I bought (deliberately!) a LHD Merc 560SE (not L) 126 which was originally meant to be used on the autobahns of the Fatherland. Merc made quite a few of them but they weren't used by the Police for some reason. They were all then sold on....

 

Seriously wierd spec: 5.6 litre engine in short wheelbase body, no sunroof, no AC, manumatic rear windows, no leather, no other toys at all.

 

By heck, it didn't half shift!

 

Must have been several hundred kilos lighter than standard and had decent suspension and big BIG brakes. I loved it.

[twosmoke300]

I have to be pedantic otherwise my customers get annoyed when I send them screws that don't match what they have already got.

As a lot of people don't know the difference I thought I would explain. I am very sorry if this upsets you.

I used to love going to the local nuts n bolts place and watch farmers ask for so and so bolts. The guy comes back with them and every time the farmer would ask if they had any that were threaded all the way. The assistant would grumpily say " oh you wanted machine screws then"

[Asimo]

Beetle engine removal: up on stands, disconnect stuff, remove the four bell housing bolts.

 

Place an empty gallon oil can or similar under the engine and pull smartly on the exhaust pipes and the engine will drop onto the can / squashy stuff.

 

Simples

[CreepingJesus]

Any hints or tips on parking near Hammersmith Apollo on Monday night?

Long story short, I've been bounced into going to a gig there, and the only way I can do it, is drive there, and drive back. So I'll need to berth the V70 in the vicinity from teatime, until sometime after midnight.

 

Lunatic SVM missions...not only for The Win, but also for The Cure.

[Alan_Green]

Any hints or tips on parking near Hammersmith Apollo on Monday night?

Long story short, I've been bounced into going to a gig there, and the only way I can do it, is drive there, and drive back. So I'll need to berth the V70 in the vicinity from teatime, until sometime after midnight.

 

Lunatic SVM missions...not only for The Win, but also for The Cure.

• Driving down from Scotietland? Monday night rush hour just before Christmas?
• Park at Heathrow Terminal 5 and take the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith.  
• 30 mins on tube from Heathrow or up to 3 hours driving,,,queueing,,,,,faffing about looking for a space in Hammersmith,,,,,walking to gig....getting stressed out and missing the start,  
• You will have to pay the toll at Birmingham or that could add hours

[CreepingJesus]

Yes, as stupid as it sounds, that is the case. Fife to London and back in as little time as possible.

I'll be avoiding Brum at all costs!

Sounds like a plan. Cheers for that Mr Green.

[skattrd]

Thats a good shout about parking outside of London, just be careful of the last tube times.

When I'm working in London I often park in Stevenage, 30 mins to Kings Cross on the train, quicker than driving in to London and cheaper than paying for parking in the city.

[320touring]

Yes, as stupid as it sounds, that is the case. Fife to London and back in as little time as possible.

I'll be avoiding Brum at all costs!

Sounds like a plan. Cheers for that Mr Green.

Pretend you are ryanair and park at Prestwick-start walking!

[CreepingJesus]

Or curl up in the glove box, and arrive at a field near Swindon. Hey presto, the EasyJet experience...

[Alan_Green]

Yes, as stupid as it sounds, that is the case. Fife to London and back in as little time as possible.

I'll be avoiding Brum at all costs!

Sounds like a plan. Cheers for that Mr Green.

My pleasure.  It is do-able. Terminal 5 because the road in is usually clear (unlike the other terminals).  Heathrow because you can back get there 24 hrs. Parking will not be too expensive if you pre-book long term.  You will need a contactless bank card for public transport (no cash) or get hold of an oystercard. By Birmingham toll I mean pay for the M6toll. Heathrow to Hammersmith between 4pm and 7pm on a weekday can be gridlock and driving it would be a massive gamble. Best of luck

[NorfolkNWeigh]

 

• Driving down from Scotietland? Monday night rush hour just before Christmas?
• Park at Heathrow Terminal 5 and take the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith.
• 30 mins on tube from Heathrow or up to 3 hours driving,,,queueing,,,,,faffing about looking for a space in Hammersmith,,,,,walking to gig....getting stressed out and missing the start,
• You will have to pay the toll at Birmingham or that could add hours

Sorry but I have to disagree, driving from Heathrow or the M25 to Hammersmith takes about 20 minutes outside of the morning rush hour. There are plenty of pay and display spaces around The Apollo . They're not cheap (£4.00 per hour) but you only pay till 19.00 then it's free until 08.00 the next day. If you arrive after 18.30/19.00 you can park on single yellows right outside. After the gig you'll be back in the car and fucked off back out on the M4 before the tube people have walked to the station. At night it takes less than 10 mins from Hammersmith to the M25 even with the 3 cameras you'll pass in the 40mph bits.

Last time I was at Hammersmith Apollo we left at 23.30 and I was at home in Milton Keynes before 01.00 and that was with lane closures on M25 causing delays.

[red5]

I have to be pedantic otherwise my customers get annoyed when I send them screws that don't match what they have already got.

As a lot of people don't know the difference I thought I would explain. I am very sorry if this upsets you.

 

Doh, sense of humour failure....I think you will find I was poking fun at myself (I work in a Engineering dept)..sorry if that passed you by*..

 

 

 

 

*It's a joke, like the last one. Admittedly not a good one, but a joke nevertheless. Honest

[mat_the_cat]

You say pedantic like it's a BAD thing!

[skattrd]

Export marker ... How do I check to see if a car has an export marker against it, what does it mean, and if it has one how do I get it removed?

[spike60]

Export marker ... How do I check to see if a car has an export marker against it, what does it mean, and if it has one how do I get it removed?

Put details into Vehicle Enquiry GOVT UK. 2 of my old ones have markers but I sold 1 to Stuttgart.

https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

The other I don't know, but where and why would a 110k 10 year old Nissan 200SX RHD be exported to?

[skattrd]

Cheers Spike60, I'd never noticed that on the DVLA site.

 

So the car is showing as having an export marker against it, any idea how I get it removed?

[spike60]

Sorry, never needed to find out as I don't own either anymore. Has it been registered abroad and come back?

[skattrd]

Yep, the car was UK registered, gone abroad and come back ... I may phone Swansea on Monday

[spike60]

 I may phone Swansea on Monday

Good luck!

[fordperv]

The other I don't know, but where and why would a 110k 10 year old Nissan 200SX RHD be exported to?

Probably Ireland for drifting

[spike60]

Probably Ireland for drifting

My first thoughts but it went in 2001 before the D word was uttered, I also thought road tax sky high on anything over about 1100cc.

[Danblez]

Probably been asked a thousand times so apols in advance but does a car still need to be MOT'd to tax online?

[skattrd]

Probably been asked a thousand times so apols in advance but does a car still need to be MOT'd to tax online?

 

Yes

[philibusmo]

If I was to make a new diaphragm for a mechanical fuel pump out of the short of detritus that is likely to be lying around the house, what would work best?

 

I'm considering a bicycle innertube or a crisp packet currently but aren't sure on how they would stand up to petrol or under the constant pumping motion.

[meggersdog]

Stupid question as I am an MOT tester.

Had a Transit in today with a taped up hole in the windscreen and several large cracks and although all of which are in "zone B" they are not in the driver's view of the road.The owner is in dispute with the highways agency over the low hanging branch that caused the damage.His insurance say the damaged 'screen is evidence and as this is not in the driver's view last year the tester passed it.

The hole (not a chip) is about 40mm in diameter and all the cracks eminate from it, most of the cracks are more than 300mm long.The hole is within 300mm of the A pillar and as the 'screen is bonded I've failed it due to structural integrity of the vehicle.

The previous owner of my business and the last one to test the van phoned up this afternoon saying I shouldn't have failed it as the damage is not in the driver's view of the road.

Do I tell him to take it up with VOSA or was I wrong to fail it ?

[Inspector Morose]

I'd say you're not wrong. As the dispute is nothing to do with the MoT process, all you can do is test it as normal for road worthiness at the time of presentation.

 

If the insurance wants to keep the windscreen as is for evidence, it's up to them to provide him with an alternative roadworthy vehicle for the duration and not your problem.

[Pillock]

Tell him to go and see VOSA.

They probably need a laugh, and the one about the guy with the taped up windscreen will keep them going for months.

[TimothyClaypole]

If it's been damaged for 12 months then they need to move on and give it up, a year arguing over a tree branch, they should pay the excess and get a new one.

[Asimo]

If I was to make a new diaphragm for a mechanical fuel pump out of the short of detritus that is likely to be lying around the house, what would work best?

I'm considering a bicycle innertube or a crisp packet currently but aren't sure on how they would stand up to petrol or under the constant pumping motion.

tym.co.uk sell a nylon reinforced nitrile for this purpose. Some inner tube is nitrile type rubber so maybe worth leaving a sample in a jar of petrol for a week to see if it stands up to it or turns to goop.

 

I'd buy a bit of the right material if I were you though. Or a pump if at all possible. No want fuel pump failiure and subsequent long walk home.