The grumpy thread

[sporty-shite]

The Sun "newspaper". I know, and most, if not all, of you know, it's a fucking despicable rag, but with today's front page, they have surpassed themselves. I'm not even going to link to it, or show a picture, but their lead of  "1200 KILLED BY MENTAL PATIENTS" has really boiled my piss.

 

How the fuck can society accept mental illness as just that, an illness, if these sort of stories are pushed around? How much harder does this sort of shit make our jobs, working with mentally ill people? All for a cheap headline.

[Bobthebeard]

The Sun "newspaper". I know, and most, if not all, of you know, it's a fucking despicable rag, but with today's front page, they have surpassed themselves. I'm not even going to link to it, or show a picture, but their lead of "1200 KILLED BY MENTAL PATIENTS" has really boiled my piss.

 

How the fuck can society accept mental illness as just that, an illness, if these sort of stories are pushed around? How much harder does this sort of shit make our jobs, working with mentally ill people? All for a cheap headline.

Agreed.

The reason tabloid "newspapers" are so popular* is that they print stories that make the readers angry. The readers believe all this guff and therefore relate it to others as "it's true, it was in the paper". Ergo, more angry people buy the tabloids in order to wind themselves up even further.

The actual real truth is irrelevant to the tabloid editors/journalists. Just another story in the making when all the rabble end up as vigilantes or causing hate riots. More papers sold you see, they can then report the riots and hate crimes.

Bastards*

The tabloids love to create disharmony and hatred amongst the "masses"

 

IMHO.

[cort16]

It's not a great surprise but my Jag's shat it's mot

 

Nearside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Nearside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear rear parking (secondary) brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.6b)

 

Balls

[Bobthebeard]

Whatever Cameron, or indeed any politician has 'planned' for the NHS won't end well. The health service is in utter chaos thanks to the meddling of such buffoons. It may still appear to be functioning, but speak to anyone who is actually involved at a grass roots level, or indeed has in depth experience, and meltdown seems to be imminent.

 

Edit. The post that generated this reply has just disappeared..

Unless I was seeing things...

[Bobthebeard]

Does anyone know a better route to drive from Preston to Chesterfield? And back obviously.

M62, M1 route hideously slow.

Going through Glossop even slower.

Hazel Grove and Stockport.... Arrrgh.

Roughly 100 miles in five hours.

Whichever of the above routes was chosen.

Tedious.

[overrun]

Does anyone know a better route to drive from Preston to Chesterfield? And back obviously.

M62, M1 route hideously slow.

Going through Glossop even slower.

Hazel Grove and Stockport.... Arrrgh.

Roughly 100 miles in five hours.

Whichever of the above routes was chosen.

Tedious.

Sorry I can't help. I can share your pain though.

 

Manchester to Chesterfield. 40 miles and around 3 hours iirc. :/

[Cavcraft]

Long way round, but Macclesfield-Buxton-Bakewell?

[Bobthebeard]

Long way round, but Macclesfield-Buxton-Bakewell?

The Preston to Macclesfield bit (and back) seemed to be painfully slow though...

The Manchester suburbs in particular. Sucks out the very essence of your soul.

[Station]

It's not a great surprise but my Jag's shat it's mot

 

Nearside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Nearside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear rear parking (secondary) brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.6b)

 

Balls

 

I might be wrong, but other than the tyres, it looks like he was probably trying to find fault with them, seeing as they're all the same area (wheel bearings, ball joints). Why not try elsewhere, you might not get the same fails?

[Partridge]

The Preston to Macclesfield bit (and back) seemed to be painfully slow though...

The Manchester suburbs in particular. Sucks the very essence of your soul.

My ex lived in Manchester area...bloody hated driving around there.

[hairnet]

Sorry I can't help. I can share your pain though.

 

Manchester to Chesterfield. 40 miles and around 3 hours iirc. :/

takes hour and half on the bike even ffs

[Station]

As soon as I get to the Manchester area of the M6, I want to make like the hundreds of Audi/BMW drivers every week on that stretch by doing 110mph in the overtaking lane before ploughing into the central reservation. I honestly get depressed, no wonder that area produced the musical bands it did.

[Alfamale]

@chaseracer:  Just off J30 of the M1.  PM me for a more exact address if required.

I'm not a million miles from you. I took a rust bucket of a Lancia Delta to a chap in Cresswell called "Jacko", round the back of the model village. He did repairs of rust and dings on nearly every panel and then painted over the top. Excellent colour match and reasonable finish. Best part was change from £500.

 

If you go and see him, be warned, he is definitely a character!

[Bobthebeard]

I'm not a million miles from you. I took a rust bucket of a Lancia Delta to a chap in Cresswell called "Jacko", round the back of the model village. He did repairs of rust and dings on nearly every panel and then painted over the top. Excellent colour match and reasonable finish. Best part was change from £500.

If you go and see him, be warned, he is definitely a character!

I got fed up of bodywork guys quoting daft prices or refusing to repair bodywork on my old stuff. Bought a MIG welder secondhand for £80 and just got stuck in to it. Never welded before, but it is surprisingly easy if you follow various hints and tips ont Internet. Plus painting isn't that difficult if your standards are..... Modest!

You can always improve with practice.

[Albert Ross]

It's not a great surprise but my Jag's shat it's mot

 

Nearside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Upper Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h)

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Nearside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Inner Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear rear parking (secondary) brake grabbing severely (3.7.A.6b)

 

Balls

Looking at the RfR list, It either has 3 axles and 8 rear wheels, or the tester is a cunt. "Nearside rear rear"? "Offside front rear"? Inner tyres? I would seriously try elsewhere, and then get this clown investigated.

[Bobthebeard]

Looking at the RfR list, It either has 3 axles and 8 rear wheels, or the tester is a cunt. "Nearside rear rear"? "Offside front rear"? Inner tyres? I would seriously try elsewhere, and then get this clown investigated.

[Cavcraft]

The Preston to Macclesfield bit (and back) seemed to be painfully slow though...

The Manchester suburbs in particular. Sucks out the very essence of your soul.

 

 

Looks like you're fucked then. The most obvious route was the one you'd already mentioned, and short of redesigning the road system or going by helicopter, you'll just have to grin and bear it.

[vulgalour]

I took a rust bucket of a Lancia Delta to a chap in Cresswell called "Jacko"  If you go and see him, be warned, he is definitely a character!

 

Jacko does sound vaguely familiar from many, many years ago.  But then who in Cresswell isn't a 'character'?  It's another one to follow up at any rate though I have been reminded about a MIG welder that was offered to me a while ago is still available, one that I'd completely forgotten about.  Trouble is, every new thing that goes into my head pushes an old thing out.

[cort16]

Looking at the RfR list, It either has 3 axles and 8 rear wheels, or the tester is a cunt. "Nearside rear rear"? "Offside front rear"? Inner tyres? I would seriously try elsewhere, and then get this clown investigated.

 

I recon the front suspension is fair enough as it has a detectable clunk but I'm not convinced about the wheel bearings or the handbrake. The question is, is it worth spending another 50 quid

getting it tested elsewhere?

[Mr Livered]

Just goes to show how much aggro an overzealous tester can cause for the hapless shiter. Whether they're touting for business or just pernickety sods is equally annoying, but just in case I get the former when using a different tester I make a point of mentioning beforehand that I do all the work myself.

 

Don't know if it makes a difference, but at least he knows that if he produces a long fail sheet, he will have to do a retest but he won't get any work out of it.

[Negative Creep]

Haven't tried it myself, but I have heard the local council's MOT places can be good, since hey don't do repairs and there's no reason to make faults up

[bub2006]

I take my motors to the local we only mot place. Always been straight up and obviously have no reason to fail for things that some more unscrupulous garages would try and get you to re mortgage your house to pay the bill.

[Mr Livered]

There was an mot garage I used in Cambridge that was terrible. When I went to puck the car up they'd not only failed it on loads of things, but they'd already priced up the repairs it needed. That was thoughtful of them eh? It came to over £500, nothing major but loads of smallish faults.

 

I drove it to another garage out in the fens and it passed with only two advisories.

[cort16]

The thing is, it's the guy I rent my lockup off who took it to them and he takes all his customers cars there for an MOT so you'd think they'd be straight up with him but results vary.

I've had a look for a council mot station but can't find one. There is an MOT only place in Ayr I might take it to. The tyres and suspension arms I'm happy to deal with but pressing in 3 new wheel bearings makes me thing I should maybe just try to sell it on before the mot expires. Am I really going to get that money back if I mot it?

[Cavcraft]

Haven't tried it myself, but I have heard the local council's MOT places can be good, since hey don't do repairs and there's no reason to make faults up

 

 

This. Also some tyre/exhaust places are good too, as it's only really in their interest to fail it on things you can see are wrong. Except **I* F**, of course, who are just twats anyway.

[skattrd]

I'm not sure what model of Jag yours is cort16, but some of them have wheel bearings that come as a complete hub. Easier to fit for a diy type person, but a bit  dearer to buy.

[cort16]

Cheers skattrd, it's a 308 XJR. I looked online at that and a 2nd hand hub is £90 compared to £20 for the wheel bearing. If I can get the hubs off the garage next door will press them in.

The really costly item looks like the wishbones.

[Timewaster]

There was an mot garage I used in Cambridge that was terrible. When I went to puck the car up they'd not only failed it on loads of things, but they'd already priced up the repairs it needed. That was thoughtful of them eh? It came to over £500, nothing major but loads of smallish faults.

I drove it to another garage out in the fens and it passed with only two advisories.

I'm guessing Lex Autocentre?

[alf892]

Surely you could just look at the things he has failed it on and decide yourself.............if no fault apparent go for test somewhere else or if points are justified then fix and retest.

 

Just dismiising him as a cunt seems a bit harsh without at least having a look for yourself. The next tester might have other 'pet fails' (IF that is what you've got).................and it will cost to find out!

[beko1987]

Found a letter advising me that my car doesnt have a parking permit flapping under my wiper at lunchtime. So I wrote an email to the security bloke asking if they had any other option than sticking it to the glass, as they melt into it through experience. He replied saying I should just leave it on the cardboard backing, and leave it on the dash.

 

He obviously missed the point I made about things sliding or blowing off my dash due to its design. Decided to file his email under C for cunts and carry on not having a parking permit. 

 

The letter (standard things that gets wheeled out twice a year, its been photocopied so many times its fading itself) threatens clamping with a release fee. We are on private land, should I feel safe telling them to fuck off and do one?

 

Oh, and Pistonheads, fuck them. Replied to a thread about missing wheel bolts, regailing my story about the xm missing one for most of its life and having been fine and someone took offence to it. Although I await him being torn apart for being a prick, I'm not going to post on there anymore, jumped up pricks.

 

Could we have a shed of the week feature on here? But rather than it being a grand, make it £450 or something fun? (yes I know about the tat thread etc)