The grumpy thread

[MarvinsMom]

just we normally end up taking the metro if going off to a show, and me been a tight arse i didn't want to be taking two cars unless i needed too. 

 

the jaguar is a big heavy brute so like you say is much more suited to pulling a caravan. plus as i like small cars the thought of having a small caravan to go with a small car appealed.

 

dunno if the jaguars automatic gearbox would be up for towing even something light(-ish) though......

[wuvvum]

Would imagine any caravan on a metro is going to be a bit of a white knuckle ride, it's not so much a power thing, more that it doesn't have enough weight and you'll end up with the tail wagging the dog, so to speak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kl3ErZpjj8

[Captain Furious]

Well, it's funny you should say that, we used to go caravaning when I was a kid and the only time we ever broke down and had to come home on a breakdown wagon (twice) was in my dads Granada when the automatic gearbox shat itself

 

Now I have a caravan myself, I don't use it for holidays just car shows and festivals, but my last tow car got written off the back end of last year, so I thought I know, I'll get an automatic Granada like me dad used to have (in my defence, they're not available with a manual so it was a bit of a foregone conclusion)

 

I haven't towed with it yet, I've been fitting the tow bar today as it happens, but I am convinced that at some point I will be on the side of the road in a cloud of ATF smoke waiting for the AA. So much so that I've actually bought a spare gearbox for it to have standing by

 

It's all part of the experience though...

[Skizzer]

I whacked (miror to mirror) a parked one the other day (evoque) , and i thought it would be alright because mine was ok..     

On the way home i saw it was smashed to bits   , so obviously ,i stopped , knocked on the  house door and offered to pay for it .. 

 

 Like hell i did !!

That would make you an ignorant twat who thinks it's clever to boast about destroying someone's property and leaving the scene of an accident, then.

 

Hope it happens to you.

 

Blocked.

[MarvinsMom]

the caravans in question are this one

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beautiful-1983-2-Berth-Compass-Rallye-360-2-Very-Good-Condition-Retro-Cute/131796799079?_trksid=p2046732.c100040.m2060&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140107095009%26meid%3D29131e4ba8b446c1b08bc49a79a767f0%26pid%3D100040%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D252373158079

 

and this one

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thomson-Mini-Glen-Vintage-Caravan-2-berth-/141975581229?hash=item210e67722d:g:I8UAAOSwI2dXFWAX

 

but yes that favourite clip off of "you've Been Framed" of the Renner blowing either the engine or the clutch pulling a full sized van up a hill would concern me too.

[Jazoli]

Whilst I appreciate the tech is set up to do this as advertising but does anyone else find it really tragic how many posts end 'sent from my (insert name of stupidly expensive piece of tat), there is an option to disable this.

It's piss easy to disable the signature, but most people are a bit dim

 

SENT FROM MY SUPER DOOPER SAMSUNG IPHONE 9

[Louise2cv]

It's piss easy to disable the signature, but most people are a bit dim

 

SENT FROM MY SUPER DOOPER SAMSUNG IPHONE 9

On another forum I go on someone was saying the latest Tapatalk update has switched this back on or something? Maybe people switched it off previously and haven't noticed it's back?

 

Might not be that of course, but just noticed the same complaint there this week and it made me wonder.

[Lord Sterling]

Ma phoned up today, there was a flat tyre on the Micra, odd I thought, only new tyres last yesr, either it picked up a puncture or someone has been messing about with the valve letting the tyre down.

 

RAC man arrived and confirmed somone had been fucking about with the valve, dust cap missing and valve damaged.

 

I think I'll need to make investigations and take a baseball bat with me.

[Dave_Q]

It's piss easy to disable the signature, but most people are a bit dim

 

SENT FROM MY SUPER DOOPER SAMSUNG IPHONE 9

 

On most of them, you can't even tell what device it is without googling the model number.

 

SENT FROM MY HUAWEI ASGH-22901-GTI-WTF

[sheffcortinacentre]

guy near me tows with his mid 80's mini will see what van is (think its a trophy).

 

have you looked at estirel or similar folders there light enough, only couple of mins to erect.

[Captain Furious]

Back in the olden days, it was recommended not to use the highest gear when towing heavy shit with an automatic.

 

So if you had a four-speed slushbox, putting on 3 instead of Drive supposedly significantly reduced the chances of overheating the box.

Yeah I remember my dad being told the same by the place that rebuilt his gearbox, use 3 instead of drive to stop it shifting in and out of 4th at every slight gradient. They also fitted an aux ATF cooler, but I don't really have anywhere to put one on mine because it has an engine oil cooler and an aux fan on the front of the rad.

 

I'll just take it easy, I don't do vast distances, the worst is down to RIAT in Fairford because there is quite a few punishing hills. AA membership all paid up..

[cros]

Looking at that pic of Cros's motor, I have come to the conclusion that he is the bloke in Constables "The Haywain" and I claim my five pounds....

Here we are, my other lorry loading with HAY, WAYNE on top stacking it.

 

[cros]

I had one of these for a short time a couple of years ago. Apart from the stupid name it was easy to tow and cheaper than the 'classic' Eribas, but I didn't like it much. The bloke I sold it to towed it away to Glasgow behind a old Mini. My present caravan was cheaper, bigger and hardly any heavier because the chassis is aluminium. It has gas lights which is more important than a flushing bog or central heating. I think there was a caravan from the 80's called a Silverline which is small car friendly and also escapes the stupidity tax.

 

[Urko]

If the ewok was barging it's way through on your side of the road when you clipped the mirror that would be OK, or maybe at a push it would be OK if the owner parked it like a twat on the road meaning there was no way of avoiding the mirror, but with the info given I'm looking for the dislike button it makes me sad

Coincidentally, I did have a clash (more of a tap) of mirrors with a VW EOS yesterday. I dunno if I am just imagining it, but I have the distinct feeling that people are more likely to be driving straight at me on my side of the road (and similar) when I am in the Puma than on the (now occasional) days I am using the Discovery.

[Cavcraft]

Plenty of people will drive closer or at you if you're driving a small car, either in the mistaken belief they can bully you out of the way or that you'll be more scared as you're in a little car.

Quite a few of them shit out if you just keep on going, it's like a mental game of chicken with them. 

[Pillock]

Unfortunately on narrow roads there's lots of bullies these days, it's the sense of entitlement that goes with owning a car for a lot of the population. 

Quite often I've found that not pulling over to the very left until the last minute works - if you straight away make as much room as possible, they'll invariably not want to do the same and take as much as possible. Give yourself a foot of wiggle room, they see you headed straight at them and either slow down or move over at which point you can use the foot of room you were saving. 

 

It used to be more common on country roads when there's an approaching 4x4 driver that didn't want to get their tyres dirty but since moving in here, a lot of local roads are typically narrow residential streets but have a line of cars down one side.

 

I also find breathing in helps as yo go through the gap.

[Tamworthbay]

If you wear a big fat grin and move slightly towards them that helps a lot. The thought that an insane (and therefore probably uninsured) nutter is heading towards their precious soft roader usually does the trick. As for 4x4s not wanting to get dirty, I used to go shooting at a range in Sennybridge, the access road up the side stopped and you had to turn down the hill and allow gravity to do its thing, then at the end of the day you just roll down to the bottom road. Easy as long as it wasn't soaking wet. I normally went in a Passat estate and never had problems, went once with my mate in his disco and he flatly refused to 'risk it', the same day an old Bedford van and a metro went down. FFS why have one and then be afraid to use it? I had to lug a load of crap down a hill for no reason.

[Supernaut]

I don't mean to keep going on about my attempts to sell the OMGa, but this one really fucked me right off.

 

I have it advertised on a certain Vauxhall-dedicated page on facebook (I know, I feel dirty). I got all of one comment on it, which went nowhere.

 

 

 

Today, somebody advertised a Nova. The description of it featured such gems as:

 

"Nova 1.5td izuzu engine, mot till september, 116k miles"

 

"Working Gte digi clocks( except rev counter)"

 

"Cone air filter is missing

Steering wheel sits squint when driving

No radio/cd player

Fromt grill has a crack thats been repaired.

Small oil leak. Nothin major with these faults just being honest.

This nova has seen a welder a good few times as a few people know but which one hasnt these days. All welding done to a good standard and has been undersealed."

 

So basically it's a barried, slightly fucked, diesel Nova.

 

They're asking £2,000 for it. TWO THOUSAND POUNDS.

 

Within 10 minutes of the ad going live, the comments / replies had soared well into double figures.

 

FUCKING PHILISTINES.

[Cavcraft]

Yes, but I bet the majority of those comments are 'swop 4 xbox/best price/wel wurf da munny/I wud av it if you weren't not sofar away' (this will be about 4 miles)

 

 

Tell you what's pissing me off, trying to book a holiday. How about if your bastarding website says it's dog friendly and I spend what feels like hours going into all kinds of details to find at the end you don't allow dogs, that maybe, just fucking maybe, you shouldn't advertise as dog friendly?

Also, 'the price of your holiday will be £280, please go to the booking form' yet when you do it's not two £280 at all, it's £490. FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY POUNDS. Not £280. I wish I was Danny Dyer, I'd tell you to jog on and threaten to come down with a tasty firm.

[Supernaut]

Yes, but I bet the majority of those comments are 'swop 4 xbox/best price/wel wurf da munny/I wud av it if you weren't not sofar away' (this will be about 4 miles)

No, the worst part is that none of the comments were like that at all.

 

I find myself considering posting a new ad when I get back from my holiday, but full of utter bullshit to appeal to these mouth-breathers. Things like 'modern classic, getting rare, great drift project, pulls like a train, starts every time' etc. etc.

[cros]

Just to reset the twatted mirror equilibrium, some time ago I had a wide load on a trailer which caught the mirror on a scabby 11 year old Renault 21 that had stopped to let me squeeze past. I gallantly offered to pay and was rewarded by the driver later asking for 80 quid, double what the car was worth.

[Tamworthbay]

No, the worst part is that none of the comments were like that at all.I find myself considering posting a new ad when I get back from my holiday, but full of utter bullshit to appeal to these mouth-breathers. Things like 'modern classic, getting rare, great drift project, pulls like a train, starts every time' etc. etc.

sounds a gud un Bruv, ow much do u want 4 it?

[DVee8]

Hmmm.

 

All this selling and un-able to sell.

 

I am going to put the Astra up for sale,that i have had for almost 6 years,it is like a part of the family I want £2000,for it.

 

The thought of dealing with ebay and/or gumtree people.

 

10years ago we use to do some buying and selling,dealing with the general public was easy.

 

Selling my own.ohhh not to sure.

 

Then i am going to put the Daimler up for sale.

[Parky]

Have to admit I feel the same. The daily is in the uncomfortable phase of being 9 years old so too old for dealers and possibly not cheap enough for Bay Mongs. I can honestly see myself taking a rogering from WBAC just to avoid dealing with all the shit. Getting to the stage where I want another vehicle but starting to think that I can't be bothered with the hassle of changing it.

 

Plus I keep changing my mind about what I want as a replacement, still haven't settled in anything for longer than 48 hours

[Urko]

Unfortunately on narrow roads there's lots of bullies these days, it's the sense of entitlement that goes with owning a car for a lot of the population. 

Quite often I've found that not pulling over to the very left until the last minute works - if you straight away make as much room as possible, they'll invariably not want to do the same and take as much as possible. Give yourself a foot of wiggle room, they see you headed straight at them and either slow down or move over at which point you can use the foot of room you were saving. 

 

It used to be more common on country roads when there's an approaching 4x4 driver that didn't want to get their tyres dirty but since moving in here, a lot of local roads are typically narrow residential streets but have a line of cars down one side.

 

I also find breathing in helps as yo go through the gap.

 

What hacks me off is that if one car goes - and there's time for him to get past the parked cars before I (minding my own business on the clear side of the road) arrive, the next 10 will follow on without looking if anyone's coming, meaning I have to stop and wait - and quite often creating an awkward semi-gridlock as the first car reaches the next line of parked cars, but now can't move as he's blocked by the line of cars behind me on my side, created by the cretins that followed him out. 

[Pillock]

Slowly creep forward, making the gap smaller and smaller. If you do it subtly enough you'll end up with a driver struggling to get their car through when everyone else found it really easy. But yes, that is a pet peeve and there's a road here that it happens on every single morning.

[chaseracer]

^ Chris, you evil man!  Good work... 

[dean36014]

Had my first proper senior moment and fell down the steps at my ex wifes house whilst going to collect for a visit to see our daughter. Didn't feel to bad initially but no aching like crazy and typically its the first day of my holiday. Other grump was we went to see our daughter row in a regatta at nottingham, she did her time trial and then the whole event got cancelled due to high winds.

[DVee8]

Parky i agree, i have thought of WBAC.

 

My Astra is 10 years old,with 64k miles,FSH and in good condition,as i am mainly the only one that drives it,for the 20 mile round trip to work.

 

I am going to try and avoid ebay and gtree and use car and classic and maybe autotrader.

[Urko]

Slowly creep forward, making the gap smaller and smaller. If you do it subtly enough you'll end up with a driver struggling to get their car through when everyone else found it really easy. But yes, that is a pet peeve and there's a road here that it happens on every single morning.

That's how I had the mirror clash