The grumpy thread

[Polystratus]

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.

 

Father Ted's borrowed Rover and the result of trying to get a small dint out of the bonnet.

[ChinaTom]

The next time I get a cracked windscreen from normal day to day driving, I'll think of that there photo.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Could the MOT inspector cutting bits off the sound deadening, strictly speaking, be seen as criminal damage? Probably not worth pursuing, it depends if you want to go back there.......

The mind boggles

[Pete-M]

Could the MOT inspector cutting bits off the sound deadening, strictly speaking, be seen as criminal damage? Probably not worth pursuing, it depends if you want to go back there.......

The mind boggles

Indeed. Just superglue the deadening back in place and don't take it back there. Fuxake, getting all legal and shouty over an MOT fail on a £100 Cavalier is not worth even contemplating.

 

Tis naughty cutting the deadening, but it's also naughty driving round with a quick release steering column.

[Alexg]

Wasps.

 

That is all

[brammy777]

^I agree, working in a shop which sells sweet things is the worst for them. They always either fly into the window for half the day then die, or somehow get into the plastic covers which are over the light bulbs. Such pointless creatures, the nettles of the insect world. One nearly flew into my ear the other day too.

[Alexg]

Hate them! Went to an outdoor wedding yesterday and they were everywhere pissing everyone off. In Bournemouth for the night today and they are all over my beer and the mrs pizza. Fuck off!!!!

[eddyramrod]

You want to see the size of the fawkers over here!

[Guest]

If I was at a wedding, it would probably involve my extended family, so I'd be quite happy for some wasps to turn up just to slightly increase the chance of them all being killed.

[ChinaTom]

You want to see the size of the fawkers over here!

I'll see that and raise you an inch. When the ants striding along your floor are nearly 3 cm long, you know you're in the wrong part of the world.

[boobydoo]

I've got fruit trees in the garden and the jaspers ( as we used to call them as kids) are all over them. I've hung two wasp traps in one of the trees (i.e. a jar with a hole, filled with beer..wasp smells beer... flies in... drinks beer... cant get out ...drowns) and its worked a treat! Must've emptied over 100 of the buggers since last weekend!!!

[CIH]

We have huge flies round here and they're almost tame. If you're inclined to do so they can be handled. Maybe the local dodgy water has made 'em loopy or something. No joke, the water here really is bad.

[Tayne]

.

[Guest]

Amazon issues.

 

MM5 and me went over to Wales to see if there's any cheap work we can do on the Volvo.

 

The NS brakeline is in a state, and the front floor pan (which has has patch after patch patched over patches connecting to the inner sill) now has a hole the size of a sparrow's brain in it.

 

Also, there's been some jack damage to part of the chassis leg as it joins the outrigger on the NS. And we still can't get the bastard window channel cleat to grip the cable. At least the window isn't stuck down. And the new door seal is fitted. The bloke who did the door crushed some of the seal channel, which pissed me off somewhat, but nevertheless.......

 

It's SORN time! I am so glad I didn't do Sparkford in it this time. For a while I've had the vibe that I'm taking the piss with it somewhat, and perhaps this is my comeuppance.

 

I break, MM5 will sort. There is hope........

[rocco1504]

Does anyone leave Feedback on Ebay anymore ?.

 

I've sold one thing and bought two others all well over 2 weeks ago, and I've left good feedback for them, but it seems the lazy fekkers can't be bothered to reciprocate in kind.

I think from now on I won't bother until some positive is left for yours truly.

It's such a shame that Ebay has become such a haven for Trolls and Shysters, with the owners being the worst culprits

[whitevanman]

I often forget to leave feedback for a few weeks as I am usually quite busy......half the time I try to I am no longer allowed, as the item doesn't show up anymore.

[wuvvum]

I have to say that since the eBay feedback system lost its validity (when they stopped sellers being able to neg buyers), I have been less inclined to bother with it. I usually only leave feedback when I am left it myself - and if the other party takes the same approach, no feedback gets left.

[dollywobbler]

I think Mr Bollox has the right approach when it comes to Ebay feedback. HILARIOUS!

[retrogeezer]

back onto friggin car insurance....

 

I've just set up the policy with Admiral which supposedly has a free courtesy car, BUT this is only if your car is repairable. If it's a write off, no car but wait - you can pay extra for this!! Just £28 on your premium will GUARANTEE you a courtesy car.

 

So I said, but if the accident is the other drivers fault then I can claim for a courtesy car on their insurance and use my 'free' legal cover. Yes, says the girl, but we are getting lots of claims now where the other party is not insured. At these premiums, I'm not surprised says I!!

 

Then she blurbs on about the 14 day cooling off period but if you do, there is still a £22.50 admin charge!!! I then ask 'what if I change my car' and she says any policy changes incur a £17.50 admin charge.

 

I mean jesus fookin christ on a bike. you are a law abiding citizen and they just keep shafting you left right and bloody centre.

[Mr Lobster]

I got my renewal on the SEAT a couple of weeks ago. Gone from £375 to £560. A quick bit of go comparing got it down to £404 including 180 days foreign cover (which was costing me an extra £20 whenever I went abroad before).

 

Happy with that.

 

(oh, wrong thread then)

[retrogeezer]

I don't understand why it's costing so much for my £800 Mondeo - it must be a high insurance group.

 

I tried a 1.4 2006 Focus worth £6k, premium was £70 less and for a £15k, 2005 3.0 S Line Audi A4 Cab it's only £100 or so more expensive!

 

I guess the mondeo must be a high insurance group or something but still, with my history and age the premium is a rip off.

[Milford Cubicle]

I've been told that 'old bangers' are considered a higher risk, regardless of insurance grouping/value/driver history.

[cms206]

Could the MOT inspector cutting bits off the sound deadening, strictly speaking, be seen as criminal damage? Probably not worth pursuing, it depends if you want to go back there.......

The mind boggles

Indeed. Just superglue the deadening back in place and don't take it back there. Fuxake, getting all legal and shouty over an MOT fail on a £100 Cavalier is not worth even contemplating.

 

Tis naughty cutting the deadening, but it's also naughty driving round with a quick release steering column.

Indeed fellas, I wouldn't even contemplate legal action - the car cost me £450 a year ago and doesn't really owe me anything, but it's the tidiest MOT fail I've seen in a long time and for what it did fail on, it's pissing me right off! Work will commence soon on it's return to the road...

 

My rusty hole, so to speak... the bit at the top is grotty but not holed, and the rest that i can feel is just as Vauxhall intended.

 

[Albert Ross]

They've applied incorrect test methods on this car. No dismantling is permitted. This is damage, and whilst the corrosion is indeed in a structural area, if it can't be seen, it can't be inspected. They've commited an offence by stripping it and also admitting it. I would be in touch with my area office to arrange an incognito test with a similar car. You might get them hauled over the coals for this. Tut Tut.

[ChinaTom]

Not wishing to insight wrath or anything; and not at all qualified to judge, but aren't they actually doing you a favour here? OK, so this particular example was not as bad as could be; but had it been as bad as they feared, by removing this bit of material they may have saved you a nasty accident. Seems to me there is an argument to support their actions that's as strong as the one that criticizes it.

 

But I may be missing something. I suppose the best couse of action would have been to mention it when you handed the keys over, but the chances are you will have given the keys to a receptionist and not actually spoken to a mechanic.

 

I suppose I'd be happy with this in the same way as I'm glad they search my luggage in airports.

[cms206]

I'm not at all angry Tom, indeed I am pleased that they found it... but at the same time, I'm not hugely pleased they've started buggering about with sound deadening in order to find it! The mechanic I gave the keys to was the one who did the MOT AFAIK and nothing was said until afterwards.

 

I expected it to fail on about a dozen things, so I should be grateful... just ain't got a garage to whip the engine and dashboard out to do the job!

[Albert Ross]

VOSA rules are quite specific. No dismantling. I agree, it could be dangerous, but it was hidden, therefore it could never have been inspected. What they should have done is add a caveat to the invoice stating that they are aware of a corrosion problem in this area on these cars, and due to VOSA regulations, they are not permitted to dismantle the sound deadening to inspect.

However, if "Sir" would pay a nominal sum of £5 to have this area inspected AFTER the MOT has taken place, (Which is timed and dated)then they would be happy to carry out this simple inspection. If not, then they have a timed and dated signature which removes their responsibility from any accident caused by the corroded bulkhead area. If the inspection is authorised, then obviously the cat is out of the bag, it's all in the open, and needs repairing prior to the retest, as it is therefore then visible. Simple really.

[trigger]

After my recent run of bad luck, I was hoping my luck would start to get better, Sadly today isn't that day, I jumped into my wife's 2004 Micra DCi to go to the DVLA office in town to put my number plate on retention (£105 which i can't claim back for! ) started the car up and noticed that it was sounding like a tractor.

 

 

GR8, The weld around the join for the back box has snapped off, Been around a few places, The middle section isn't made yet and the back box is on back order, My old work has found a company that does stock them both but it's £100 for both parts.

 

I'm hoping that my tamed mechanic will be able to weld them up for me, If not it's going to get even more expensive.

[dollywobbler]

I made the mistake of using the CX today. I'd been fiddling with it at the weekend to try and get it running. Looks like there's an air leak on the induction side of things. Thought I'd cured it, or at least improved things. The firing-back on the over-run and near constant misfire suggest otherwise...

 

However, I'd committed to the car and it got me to the office. Then I needed to nip out to collect some parts for the CX. Sadly, in the few hours I'd been in the office, the LH front tyre had gone COMPLETELY flat. The sidewall cracks looked to have got the better of it. I'd be trying to arrange for some new ones, but now my hand had been forced.

 

I had a spare, so set about changing them. This is quite easy on a CX. The wrench could actually crack the nuts (oo-er missus) and it's a simple case of suspension on high, slot in the jack, then drop the suspension. Bingo. Wheel in the air. Turns out the spare is almost as shagged as the knackered tyre, but it just about held. Then the car refused to start and two attempts was enough to flatten the clearly knackered battery. This was a problem as I needed the suspension up to release the jack.

 

Got a jump start from a colleague. Engine running really badly but I limped to the parcel place, then headed to Apex Tyres in Peterborough - a very sound bunch. £95 sees two new tyres fitted - an expense I'd hope to postpone a little longer - but the CX is running like shite now, and I have to back out of the bay using both feet - one on the throttle, the other hard on the brakes as I try to give it enough beans to keep the engine running while also trying to avoid reversing at 30mph in a small car park.

 

On the plus side, moving the spare wheel, which sits in the engine bay, must have nudged a wire, and the heater blower works again for the first time in weeks.

[Marshall]

Robson Green. That is all.