The grumpy thread

[dugong]

Yeah, you are!  

 

They are not fast and if you first drive one with that expectation, you will be sadly disappointed! I worked for a Mazda main dealer back in the late 90s and drove a few new ones (mk2s) and thought they were feeble, insipid little heaps.

 

I listened to all the hype on PH and bought a MK1 and loved it. They are just fun but take a while to 'get' them. The whole idea is about balance of power and grip... not too much of either!

It must be me, then. Very 'meh'.

 

See, I read all the powerfully built company director track day legends guff as well....and the MX-5 fell short of the hushed tones and yards of praise they heaped on it. It would be crap on a track, you'd get black flagged the second you made it move around (because that's the only way you have fun in one).

 

It could do good powerslides. So what? So can loads of cars. I was expecting some kind of giant slaying wonder car. What I got was a slow and soft ragtop that didn't measure up to the breathless hype. Nothing wrong with it, I was just expecting more.

[chaseracer]

I reckon I'm probably the only one who can do it in the time frame wanted, so hopefully they'll get back to me when they'll promptly be told to FRO.

 

Tell 'em they get a special price - THIRTY QUID.

[AlabamaShrimp]

I'm going to scrap the Frontera. Even I have had enough of penniless knob warblers wasting my time.

Go on how much have they offered. I'm still slightly interested in it if only for bits for mine

[D Spares & Tyres]

The fun with MX5s is that they are pretty slow really, you have to really wring their neck to get the best from them. Get a good one on good tyres, preferably with a slip diff and drive it like you`ve just nicked it are are trying to kill it. I guarantee it will make you smile. Anyone can make a fast car go fast, but these are about skill and planning.

Great cars and I have literally driven hundreds

 

But its all opinions...

[beko1987]

New wheels and Tyree are fitted. That bits a grin, but...

 

It pulls to the side the other way now, tracking really needs doing

 

Both rear tyres are the best of the 4 and still need desperate replacement

 

The clonking from the rear isn't the exhaust which I hoped it was

 

Rear drivers wheel looks on the slant...

 

Rear pads are very worn. I would write this off to cheap pads but I know it's the calipers being fucked

 

And I can only afford to do one of these things, and possibly not before shitefest.

 

Tracking or rear tyres first?

[Cavcraft]

Go on how much have they offered. I'm still slightly interested in it if only for bits for mine

 

 

Two and a half hundred quid, coming for it tomorrow.

[messerschmitt owner]

going through tyre/wheel hell!

 

One Merc alloy is cracked!  Which probably means tyre was not knackered!

 

Put spare steelie on, go search for same type alloys - best price £200 plus £45 delivery for four with tyres with 4mm tread.

 

Bite bullet and buy tyre inflating  attachment for compressor.

 

Don't buy wheels, so today spare goes flat 40 mils from home - cheapie tyre inflater dies, buy new tyre inflater!

 

Fiat 126 also has puncture - tyre knackered - six days wait for tyres due to wierd size! Spare won't hold air! So two tyres ordered.

 

 

This week's total!

one brand new Uniroyal 17 incher

four alloys with tyres

 

two brand new 135/75 13s

 

one tyre inflater from Halfrauds

 

most likely one 16in tyre for spare to replace the 2002 original Michelin. And still nned a spare alloy to make two sets - giving potential for winter tyres.

 

This week is being expensive.

[MrDuke]

Probably a stupid question - why did you buy 4 alloys if only 1 was cracked?

[michael1703]

New wheels and Tyree are fitted. That bits a grin, but...

It pulls to the side the other way now, tracking really needs doing

Both rear tyres are the best of the 4 and still need desperate replacement

The clonking from the rear isn't the exhaust which I hoped it was

Rear drivers wheel looks on the slant...

Rear pads are very worn. I would write this off to cheap pads but I know it's the calipers being fucked

And I can only afford to do one of these things, and possibly not before shitefest.

Tracking or rear tyres first?

Trailing arm bearings could be knackered,causing wheel camber/clonking/poor steering

[Tayne]

Because four used wheels are usually cheaper than one new one.

[fordperv]

Silly question but Why didnt you just have the alloy welded?

[ruffgeezer]

What alloy is it? We have one on the shelf at work with a new tyre on.

 

Beko. Are you talking about the zx? Could be the axle mounting rubbers.

[Ghosty]

Sounds good, thanks for the advice all. Had a read through the warranty (hidden in Apple's website!) and it basically says I'm covered for things like this, and they'll repair, replace or refund. It seems like the likely outcome is replacement as I've heard that from a couple people now - hope so.

 

Fixed. Took it to Apple and they looked at it, said they'd replace the screen. It was done in about two and a half hours, one waiting for a Genius appointment and one and a half to replace the screen, which is supposedly done by a machine. Free of charge on the year's limited warranty they don't really tell you about (£82.50 otherwise). 

Seems home button failure may or may not be a common problem - the guy at the Apple store passed it off as a quality control error and said something about how they were moving manufacture from China to the US to counter it. When I came back to get my repaired phone a woman asked 'is that a common problem?' to the bloke giving it to me - same thing had happened to her identical 5S after seven months - more than four but still not reasonable.

The bloke also seemed to suggest there was actually a three year "warranty" for repairs on things bought directly from the Apple Store, or something to that effect if you took in a faulty product.

[vulgalour]

House hunting again.  Can't even get the landlord to answer his phone, let alone fix the problems with this house.  Then there's the screaming children in the two houses joined on to us.  Had enough.

[fred]

House hunting again.  Can't even get the landlord to answer his phone, let alone fix the problems with this house.  Then there's the screaming children in the two houses joined on to us.  Had enough.

Sounds very much like a flat I rented 6 years ago, great place, but the fucking neighbours were absolute mongs. spent many an evening listening to them rant rave crockery up the walls etc...kids screaming ... I feel your pain ..

[AlabamaShrimp]

Two and a half hundred quid, coming for it tomorrow.

Too much for me. Maybe I'll buy it one day when it's bean cans

[messerschmitt owner]

Because four used wheels are usually cheaper than one new one.

this -£200 for a new alloy from Mercedes - £225 for four of the same design as already fitted

 

and having a knackered tyre on the spare means I have three wheels and tyres effectively so car is off the road till a new wheel (or two) arrives.

[messerschmitt owner]

What alloy is it? We have one on the shelf at work with a new tyre on.

 

Beko. Are you talking about the zx? Could be the axle mounting rubbers.

it's this alloy!

 

five hole 7.5j et37 and is a 17 incher

 

and crappily painted black is the other reason for getting a whole set!

 

Also, crack was two inches long and I don't like taking risks with wheels, tyres or brakes. They're all that keep me on the road!

 

[cms206]

Today's word is prohibition, and today's letters are V, O, S and A

[bub2006]

Don't sound promising andy

[320touring]

Today's word is prohibition, and today's letters are V, O, S and A

Illicit stills and nascar ftw

[messerschmitt owner]

big bus or big car with said notice?

[hairnet]

Today's word is prohibition, and today's letters are V, O, S and A

nae driiiink laddie

[hairnet]

tell me it wasnt a bus

 

volvos are invisible to vosa right??

[cms206]

Four buses on the trot; a swollen airbag on a tag axle on a decker, a bad earth in a tail light, vertical movement in a track rod and a fuel leak from an overflow pipe, and my favourite... exhaust brake missing on a Merc 709D. Except there is nowhere to mount and exhaust brake, it's had a cab floor so there is no switch for it and it's gone through at least four MOTs with no exhaust brake.

[320touring]

Someone has had a new one torn at the testing station methinks...

[alf892]

Fleet inspection?

 

Been naughty in the past of just o licence review?

 

I worked for a firm where the Traffic Commisioner told them to get sorted and gave them 6 months to sort things out.......just after the six months was up we had vosa visits at 30 of the sites in my patch. This was before the traffic light grading system they use now.........

[Bobthebeard]

House hunting again. Can't even get the landlord to answer his phone, let alone fix the problems with this house. Then there's the screaming children in the two houses joined on to us. Had enough.

You have my sympathy!

Whilst our house isn't rented and no wish to move anytime soon, the neighbours with house/garden behind our back fence are a noisy lot. Screaming and shouting at each other randomly and three small yapping squealing dogs that are left out all day in the passageway behind our fence. The noise is almost constant. Occasionally the owner leans out of a window and screams at (her own) dogs to "fucking shut up". Charming. Maybe if she took them out for a walk now and then they wouldn't be so bored and noisy! Theirs is a rented house and proper scruffy. Noisy kids, noisy bored un walked dogs and chavvy parents. Any form of communication with them is pointless as the standard "fuck off" reply ensues. Not that this is any way relevant so will stop rambling on.......

😬

[cms206]

Fleet inspection?

 

Been naughty in the past of just o licence review?

 

I worked for a firm where the Traffic Commisioner told them to get sorted and gave them 6 months to sort things out.......just after the six months was up we had vosa visits at 30 of the sites in my patch. This was before the traffic light grading system they use now.........

23 first time test passes on the trot, but we had a prohibition off the same fella about four weeks ago for an exhaust clamp at the tailpipe being "insecure" - our mechanic was hanging off it on the hywemas and it wouldn't budge. Showed up for a fleet inspection this morning... our newest coach is a '96N (Autoshite Bus & Coach) but someone's been upset by us it seems.

[alf892]

Vosa men on crusades are dangerous! Ask him nicely to show you in the book why is a pro no.........some of them think 'because I say so' is enough.

Mind you they never rescind them anyway.

 

Maybe he will find a softer target some time soon