The grumpy thread

[HillmanImp]

  retrogeezer said:

Honestly, you really wonder why you bother with car insurance. Our main car is a 14 year old Mondeo worth about £700. 2 years ago it cost £206 for a years insurance.

This year renewal comes through at £404!!!

 

I've done a bit of confused.com'ing and the cheapest I can get it is £290...despite having 15 odd years since claiming. The insurers say that although I haven't claimed in 15 years the most I can have is 9 years as thats whats on the renewal (and apparently some only give 5 years)

Also someone hit me on a roundabout nearly 3 years ago.... no claim made but this still puts my premium up as I have 'had an accident'!! So it seems no claims bonus and protected ncd mean pretty much sod all.

 

So here I am, aged 41, no 'at fault' accidents, no points, do less than 5000 miles a year and paying virtually half the cars value for a years cover - and there is fook all you can do about it.

Some places do it on age rather than car type dont they? 1 more year and you will be able to get classic will you not? That should bring it down at least a bit?

 

Anyhow, no matter what car you drive you can still kill someone else in it. Actuarial staff will make risk assessments based upon a load of numbers that they produced from a hat that lunchtime down the pub to make it look like they know what they are talking about when they obviously have no fucking idea. Look at pensions. Destroyed by actuaries.

 

  dollywobbler said:

Is this a bad time to say that I've just renewed the classic policy for my lot for £137 unlimited mileage with class 1 business cover? You do have to shop around though. This is the same company that was charging me £190 a few years ago, then suddenly decided that £250 was a reasonable amount. So I left for a year. Now it's cheap again!

Just insured 3 people on the DAF for £91. Brilliant. Rocco is £128, GT6 is £108........Scenic is £350. WTF? Imp is obviously not insured.

 

Irony is, I am more likely to crash the Scenic (ignoring the crash I had in the GT6) as I am liable to drop off out of boredom whilst driving it. The only thing that keeps me awake is the steering wheel vibration because the wheels need balancing.

[HillmanImp]

  ChinaTom said:

With all due respect, we should be the judge of that. I'm off to the fridge now and I hope to see some pics when I get back and hit refresh.

 

 

[dollywobbler]

The CX. Made the mistake of tinkering with it. Discovered that lifting the air intake hose raises the idle, pushing it down makes it conk out. Found an air leak. Better hose fit cured it. Now it won't run at all. Great. Oh, and cranking it over flattened the shite battery. Then it started raining.

 

Was going to pull the air filter assembly out but being a big Citroen, this is buried right down below the RH headlamp and I reckon an angle grinder is an essential tool to remove it. Beggars belief that a small Citroen can be easy to work on, and a bigger one is an absolute nightmare.

 

Hate it. Don't want it. Anyone fancy an ENORMOUS estate car? Will exchange for something that just works!

[brammy777]

Got my phone back today from Vodafone all repaired and..... Oh wait they havent bothered to fix it. Well done.

[trigger]

FFS!!! I'm sure someone is out to fuck me over at the moment, Ive just got home in this Astra loan car i got, went to get something out of the boot and found this bloody dent on the top of the tailgate.

 

 

Now how the hell did that get there??!! I've never seen it before, Nothings hit the car since I've had it that i know off but we never saw it when i walked around the car with the lady so I'm now going to cop a £250 excess charge because of it.

 

What a pain in the arse!

[Guest]

Another for fecking robdog insurance companys. My renewal has just come through and its gone up from £280 to £590. Theres no change - no accidents or anything on that Bugger

[Timewaster]

  trigger said:

FFS!!!

Now how the hell did that get there??!!

Did you shut the tailgate whilst parked under a tree and caught a branch?

 

Other than that - its a mystery to me, unless it was a break in attempt by the worlds dumbest criminal.

[trigger]

There isn't any damage to the roof strangly and haven't been anywhere where it could get damaged.

 

I'm totally gutted right now and i know it sounds bad but I'm close to tears about, I'm just so angry, If it wasn't for that bloody Celeste and that bloke bull shitting me none of this would have never happened.

 

I can't even afford to buy a classic car now as i need the money for a new daily.

[Pillock]

Trig - get a load of towels and a rubber mallet. Just push the leading edge of the boot down towards the roof so you can't see the "peak" and they'll probably never notice it.

 

Slightly fraudulent admittedly, but if you're confident it wasn't you.....

[trigger]

I was thinking about trying that but I'm sure that they will still notice it, I could leave it and say it must have been there before but with no prove and having signed the form I won't have a leg to stand on.

 

I wish I had never drove the bloody gutless heap of shit, I was quite happy to get a old banger to tide me over, wish I just got one now.

[Milford Cubicle]

My mum had a Primera hire car while her Accord was off the road.

She hit a deer and cracked the bumper, they didn't notice when it was returned.

[trigger]

I hope they don't notice this then! I'll try and straighten out the edge and just say that the dent must if already been there.

 

It must of happened whilst I popped into the local Ford Garage for 10 mins earlier.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Some cunt smashed the rear windscreen of my sister's car last night. £200 to replace

[Louise2cv]

"Brighter Headlamps! Brighter! They must be safer if they are brighter! Lets make them brighter! I'll be so safe if everything is bathed in piercing white light!"

 

Well thats great love but you might still have a crash because no-one driving towards you can see a FUCKING THING!

 

I've just approach a junctioned, cars parked up on the other side of the road so i stop to let the car approaching round them. Only he doesn't move and I'm so blinded by the headlamps I can't see if there is room between him and the parked cars as he seems to be on my side of the road.. parked maybe?

 

I edge closer, he eventually flashes. Once I'm 3m away I can finally see the hazzards (I also think indicators in headlamps are wrong) He's unloading his shopping. I gingerly trundle the rest of the 2 miles home with green headlight-shaped blobs in my vision.

[eddyramrod]

  rootes_arrow1725 said:

Another for fecking robdog insurance companys. My renewal has just come through and its gone up from £280 to £590. Theres no change - no accidents or anything on that Bugger

Safe to assume you won't be renewing then.... Another four hours wasted on the phone, giving all the same information again and again to some spotty Asian who can't even spell Hillman and then still quotes you the wrong side of 500... We should start charging them for our time!

[pogweasel]

beer festivals.

 

i have been out on the pop at a hostelry round t'corner

http://www.strattonhouse-hotel.com/

and given the fact that I am absolutely BOLLOCKSED I suspect that all of tomoz will be a major grump fest.

If it says 'marmalade' and '6.5% abv" on the label, be advised to walk away...

[Angrydicky]

  retrogeezer said:

Honestly, you really wonder why you bother with car insurance. Our main car is a 14 year old Mondeo worth about £700. 2 years ago it cost £206 for a years insurance.

This year renewal comes through at £404!!!

 

I've done a bit of confused.com'ing and the cheapest I can get it is £290...despite having 15 odd years since claiming. The insurers say that although I haven't claimed in 15 years the most I can have is 9 years as thats whats on the renewal (and apparently some only give 5 years)

Also someone hit me on a roundabout nearly 3 years ago.... no claim made but this still puts my premium up as I have 'had an accident'!! So it seems no claims bonus and protected ncd mean pretty much sod all.

 

So here I am, aged 41, no 'at fault' accidents, no points, do less than 5000 miles a year and paying virtually half the cars value for a years cover - and there is fook all you can do about it.

RH Specialist Car Division FTW. The only stipulations are that the car must be used as a second car and the driver is over 25. My dad got classic insurance on his 11 year old Cavalier 1.7 TD for £150 even though it was his main car. "And what is your main car sir?" "A Ford Fiesta" "Thank you sir"

[trigger]

I feel sorry for Mrs Pog and the kids tomorrow if they have to follow you into the bathroom, I know last year at the local beerfest i was on some local brew tarmac-cum-ale stuff that tasted like treacle and i had the squirts all day the following day.

[trigger]

  Angry Dicky said:

RH Specialist Car Division FTW.

That's who i was with on the BMW, really recommend them myself, They give a good service and we got european breakdown cover as well for £100 a year, I think my wife gets discount though as they are part of equity red star who have something to do with my wifes work.

[Station]

Clearing the garage out, I picked a plastic crate up full of calipers, brake stuff, and a new, vented disc brake fell out and landed on my big toe.

I think I swore a bit.

It's gone purple.

[AXrescuer]

  rootes_arrow1725 said:

Another for fecking robdog insurance companys. My renewal has just come through and its gone up from £280 to £590. Theres no change - no accidents or anything on that Bugger

Mine has doubled as well. From not a lot to far too much! The joke is, I can now only get the price down if I add my wife to the policy as my spouse. She can't even drive a damn manual!

 

I've been driving 32 years and never made a claim. It totally fecking sucks. No wonder so many people don't bother with insurance. Oh hang on, it's due to those knobs that I'm having to pay more.

[Milford Cubicle]

You can't really get away with driving without insurance any more due to ANPR cameras everywhere. At least without cloning some number plates.

[rocco1504]

Happened the other day, but still I'm pissed about it, as it's cost me some £50 to rectify.

 

Some local "VW SCENE" Spastic Monkey, Thieving Cunt, Drug Addled, Pikey Scum stealing one of the Pirelli P Slots off the Scirocco, whilst I was in my living room watching the box, and leaving the car propped up on a stupid little jack, and damaging the cill into the bargin.

 

 

I'm NOT a vw Scenester, but the car was supplied with them on in 1987, and as I've been told that my Scirocco GTX is one of the most original that the Scirocco register owner has ever seen, I kind of want to keep it that way.

[retrogeezer]

  Angry Dicky said:

  retrogeezer said:

Honestly, you really wonder why you bother with car insurance. Our main car is a 14 year old Mondeo worth about £700. 2 years ago it cost £206 for a years insurance.

This year renewal comes through at £404!!!

 

I've done a bit of confused.com'ing and the cheapest I can get it is £290...despite having 15 odd years since claiming. The insurers say that although I haven't claimed in 15 years the most I can have is 9 years as thats whats on the renewal (and apparently some only give 5 years)

Also someone hit me on a roundabout nearly 3 years ago.... no claim made but this still puts my premium up as I have 'had an accident'!! So it seems no claims bonus and protected ncd mean pretty much sod all.

 

So here I am, aged 41, no 'at fault' accidents, no points, do less than 5000 miles a year and paying virtually half the cars value for a years cover - and there is fook all you can do about it.

RH Specialist Car Division FTW. The only stipulations are that the car must be used as a second car and the driver is over 25. My dad got classic insurance on his 11 year old Cavalier 1.7 TD for £150 even though it was his main car. "And what is your main car sir?" "A Ford Fiesta" "Thank you sir"

I have the Escort & Bluebird insured with RH and have already told them my main car is a Mondeo....

 

Are you saying your dad just said he had a Fiesta as a main car even when he didn't? Coz that is insurance fraud.

[cms206]

  Angry Dicky said:

  cms206 said:

Bugger... !

 

That's not too bad. My A35 had a whole page full of failures and another page full of advisories!

 

What is the rear brake setup on these? How many clicks are there at the handbrake?

 

Could be duff cylinders or stretched handbrake cables. Corrosion doesn't sound too serious, couple of small patches needed I'd imagine.

  greengartside said:

Dammit! You gonna get her fixed then?

 

What were the advisories on it?

 

Gonna get fixed as soon as I have time... points 2, 3 and 4 are pretty easy, the only advisory was for lightly corroded brake lines front to rear. Point one is a bastard, I'll get photos when I'm out in a bit... basically the garage said they had a problem a few years ago when they had a Cavalier front end collapse less than a week after MOT, so they cut back about an inch of sound deadening at the n/s steering rack mount on every Cavalier they get in... mine has two rust holes, about a centemetre each square. Not sure how bad the offside is, but they're saying the rack is moving forward about an inch on lock... engine and dash out to patch it...

 

It's discs front and rear on mine, I don't find the handbrake too bad but it's coming up about 8 clicks... oops!

[Timewaster]

  cms206 said:

they cut back about an inch of sound deadening at the n/s steering rack mount on every Cavalier they get in...

I'm pretty sure they are not allowed to do that.

I'd check the rules.

[Pillock]

Is it the same rack mounting as an Astra Mk2? Chap that looked at mine wound it all the way onto full lock, and the entire rack then just started moving around where it mounts to the bulkhead. He reckoned that was a common problem too.

[cms206]

Thats what I've heard from umpteen people, which is a bollock. I'm thinking I'll stick the deadening back down, take it somewhere else for test after I've done the brakes and the patch at the rear subframe and take it somewhere else so that it's at least mobile... for a 21 year old Cavalier to only find two bits of welding and brake adjustment at 166k I'm actually surprised!

[trigger]

I've had a go on the dent on the roof of the Astray today, I've seem to have got the worse out of it, I just hope they don't notice it now.

 

It looks as if somethings got jammed between the hinge and the body and then the boots been opened it pushed the bodywork up, It must have already been there and i just hadn't noticed it on the pre inspection, I'm never having a loan car again.

[CIH]

  tontops said:

  cms206 said:

they cut back about an inch of sound deadening at the n/s steering rack mount on every Cavalier they get in...

I'm pretty sure they are not allowed to do that.

I'd check the rules.

Deffo not allowed. They can't remove anything, not even a wheel trim.