The grumpy thread

[Mr Lobster]

A cab driver once told me about a car rental firm in the states called 'Rent a Wreck'. Basically they just hired out old bangers, cheap. Sounds GR8 4 a cross country mission!

They have a few European locations too although nothing in UK. I know there is one near Oslo airport. On a similar theme there is (was?) a company called Ricketty Rentals (IIRC) that rented out old tat and Practical Car and Van Rental used to run older stuff too - when I worked there cars and vans with 100k on were not uncommon!

[trigger]

Yet another ebay rant.I sold 85 Q music magazines on ebay last week which i listed as collection only for 99p to a someone in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.I thought this was going to be a pain as he is 422 miles away, A week later i still hadn't heard from him so i sent a ebay dispute email to him which he's replyed to tonight.He now wants me to box them all up so he can get a courier to collect them, I don't want to be going around looking for boxes big enough and strong enough to carry them and waiting around all day for a courier to collect them, If i was i would of said so in the listing and hopefully of got more then 99p for them. Wish i just dumped them now like i was going to.

[retrogeezer]

tell him he wiil have to pay for your time if he wants you to do that.....he should have asked if that was o.k before bidding and its not it the terms of your listing.

[outlaw118]

The O2 arena.What a bunch of robbing bastards.Went to the NBA game last night; mate of mine was stuck with a ticket (which was £75, plus booking fees..!!), said he didn't want ticket to go to waste, so if I drove, we'd call it quits.I looked online at car parking......£17.50+booking fee, if I pre-booked, £25 if I just turned up.For that money, I'd have wanted my car valeted, including a toothbrush job on the wheels, and to be escorted to the arena by a foxy chick.Instead you get some sullen twat on the gate, no communication at all, just "card" mumbled at you when you turn up at the barrier. then you leave your car in a gravel car park anywhere you want. I mistakenly thought that having given my registration, they would have at least an area for pre-booked customers, but no.What really heats my urine, is that this place was paid for using OUR taxes for the labour government to wank themselves to death in, and was then sold to pay for itself...did I get a refund? Did you? Twats.

[garycox]

Illness. I feel bloody awful today! Really bad headache, sore eyes, horrible cough etc etc...Woke up at 10:20 this morning (I should have been up before 8, leave at 8:20, work by 9). Never overslept that much before!So anyway it's my last week at this job so I should really be making the effort but I can't be arsed going in today. Still, new (temporary) job next week so hopefully I'll be better by then...Eurgh.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, reminds me of my biggest lateness. Last week somewhere again and for some reason, a friend had a mid-week party. I woke up at half past two in the afternoon, wearing nail varnish. Thought it best not to go into the office.I did go in the next day though and - random fact - at the time, I was sitting next to now-TV presenter Alison Hammond. She was a nutter.

[M'coli]

What really heats my urine, is that this place was paid for using OUR taxes for the labour government to wank themselves to death in, and was then sold to pay for itself...did I get a refund? Did you? Twats.

IIRC, it was the blue tories that started the dome, and then it was finished by the red tories...

[Rocket88]

if we thing the Dome has been a bit of a balls up, the Olympics should be off the scale, testicle-wise

[M'coli]

Absolutely. I pity those in London who have no option but to contribute to it through a levy on their council tax. It would have been better if Paris had got it - easier for the majority of the country to get to for a start...

[dollywobbler]

S'alright. There will be an almighty gathering of Citroens in York in 2012. Everyone can escape to the North and ignore the Olympic melee.

 

http://www.icccr2012.org.uk/

 

There will be a LOT of Citroens.

[seth]

Metric Fasteners.I spent a fair few hours yesterday doing some dismantling on a modern (well, '91) car. Its the newest thing I've ever worked on. Now what the hell is it with metric fasteners. I had to use 10,11,12,13 and 14mm spanners as well as a couple bigger and smaller then that. Why all the different hex sizes? On a proper imperial car its 7/16" (small), 1/2" (medium) and 9/16" big. Three spanners cover that range and hold about 90% of the car together save ages spent picking up the wring tool.

[Ratdat]

Metric Fasteners.I spent a fair few hours yesterday doing some dismantling on a modern (well, '91) car. Its the newest thing I've ever worked on. Now what the hell is it with metric fasteners. I had to use 10,11,12,13 and 14mm spanners as well as a couple bigger and smaller then that. Why all the different hex sizes? On a proper imperial car its 7/16" (small), 1/2" (medium) and 9/16" big. Three spanners cover that range and hold about 90% of the car together save ages spent picking up the wring tool.

Sounds like a French car. Japanese cars tend to use 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19 in my experience whereas French also throw 11, 13, 15, 16 and even occasionally 18 in as well.

[retrogeezer]

People that pull out in front of you causing you to brake, then they constantly tap their foot on the brake and crawl along at 20mph as they consider you to be 'too close' behind them!Don't friggin pullout in front of me then!

[M'coli]

Metric Fasteners.I spent a fair few hours yesterday doing some dismantling on a modern (well, '91) car. Its the newest thing I've ever worked on. Now what the hell is it with metric fasteners. I had to use 10,11,12,13 and 14mm spanners as well as a couple bigger and smaller then that. Why all the different hex sizes? On a proper imperial car its 7/16" (small), 1/2" (medium) and 9/16" big. Three spanners cover that range and hold about 90% of the car together save ages spent picking up the wring tool.

Sounds like a French car. Japanese cars tend to use 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19 in my experience whereas French also throw 11, 13, 15, 16 and even occasionally 18 in as well.

On the plus side for French cars, I've removed flexihoses from them where one side is a 17mm and the other is 19 mm, so you don't have to buy 2 spanners the same size to do a job.

[Pete-M]

[On the plus side for French cars, I've removed flexihoses from them where one side is a 17mm and the other is 19 mm, so you don't have to buy 2 spanners the same size to do a job.

Now that's how to spanner Autoshite style. One spanner each size..

[warren t claim]

The Citroen C6...For not depreciating fast enough.

[Mr H Sceptre]

The Citroen C6...For not depreciating fast enough.

Holding their value?A future classic. Wonderful looking car.

[Mash]

Obviously we've given modern cars a bashing along the way on this thread, but here's a new slant - does anyone else actually find them DIFFICULT to drive rather than the breeze we're led to believe?Seriously, I had a brand new Mondeo diesel yesterday and far from being the wonderful conveyance it should have been I found it to be a cack handed chunky oaf of a car and was glad to get back into my Sunny today. And do they have to be so damn big? It only just fit up my drive. I've driven a few different modern cars over the last couple of years and none has left me with any desire to change from older stuff. Only the Pug 307 was anywhere near tolerable and I wouldn't have one on account of the looks not being to my taste (at least it's not a 308 I hear you cry!) .Of the smaller cars I've sampled the feeling that something may come off in your hand does not inspire confidence in new material (Corsa, Fiesta).Also, all I need in most controls is ON, OFF, HOT, COLD. I do not wish to be prodding at the centre console or column stalks all the live long day

[trigger]

Just had a bit of a moan at the wife, First of the bloody cat is sick all over the carpet so on my way home from a 12 hour shift at work i get a call asking me to get some carrpet cleaner from a shop, No i say I'm busting for a shit and I'll and get some after I've been.So i get home to see marks all over my nearly new carpet from the sodding cat and the misses moaning at me about not getting the cleaner, so of she storms to get it herself whilst i go for a dump.10 minutes later she comes in, she's only manged to drive the poxy Puma into the wall and scrape and dent all the rear 1/4 The walls only been there 30+ years and we have lived here 4 of them, Luckly it's the side with the rusty wheel arch so it now looks like I'm repairing the 1/4 and the rust, Wouldn't be so bad if i wasn't trying to sell it.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Obviously we've given modern cars a bashing along the way on this thread, but here's a new slant - does anyone else actually find them DIFFICULT to drive rather than the breeze we're led to believe?Seriously, I had a brand new Mondeo diesel yesterday and far from being the wonderful conveyance it should have been I found it to be a cack handed chunky oaf of a car and was glad to get back into my Sunny today. And do they have to be so damn big? It only just fit up my drive. I've driven a few different modern cars over the last couple of years and none has left me with any desire to change from older stuff. Only the Pug 307 was anywhere near tolerable and I wouldn't have one on account of the looks not being to my taste (at least it's not a 308 I hear you cry!) .Of the smaller cars I've sampled the feeling that something may come off in your hand does not inspire confidence in new material (Corsa, Fiesta).Also, all I need in most controls is ON, OFF, HOT, COLD. I do not wish to be prodding at the centre console or column stalks all the live long day

Agreed.I used to drive my sister's 54 plate Saab 9-3 Turbo quite a lot. It was a decent car, comfortable etc etc, but just lacked the responsiveness of older stuff.Of the newer cars I've driven, I'm a big fan of the Ford Focus.

[Mr Lobster]

Agreed about new cars as well. I drive an awful lot of new cars and most do absolutely nothing for me. Mondeo is way bigger than it needs to be, Insignia is just big, unreliable and uncomfortable, new Fiesta is actually pretty good though. Drove a Nissan Qashqai last week which manages to be a big car with not so much interior space, have a massive thirst for fuel and be not particularly fast.So many new cars have no sense of what is actually happened under the wheels, you feel very disconnected from whats actually happening.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Just had a bit of a moan at the wife, First of the bloody cat is sick all over the carpet so on my way home from a 12 hour shift at work i get a call asking me to get some carrpet cleaner from a shop, No i say I'm busting for a shit and I'll and get some after I've been.So i get home to see marks all over my nearly new carpet from the sodding cat and the misses moaning at me about not getting the cleaner, so of she storms to get it herself whilst i go for a dump.10 minutes later she comes in, she's only manged to drive the poxy Puma into the wall and scrape and dent all the rear 1/4 The walls only been there 30+ years and we have lived here 4 of them, Luckly it's the side with the rusty wheel arch so it now looks like I'm repairing the 1/4 and the rust, Wouldn't be so bad if i wasn't trying to sell it.

My cat took a bloody dump in the bath last night. I'd only cleaned the bloody thing yesterday as well (bath, not the cat - he cleans himself)

[Mash]

One of my cats suffers quite badly with hairballs so he's always finding new places to be sick - laminate floor FTW. I went out of the house this morning, went to the car, realised I'd forgotten something and went back in. In the few seconds my back was turned the little bugger had thrown up on the sofa

[ashmicro]

People who tailgate, frighteningly I find this is more often women than men. So, what I do is constantly tap my foot on the brake and crawl along at 20mph as I consider them to be 'too close' behind me.That IS what you're supposed to do, so that if the silly splitarse hits me it'll be a relatively low speed impact.Young women in small French hatchbacks FTL.

[Mr H Sceptre]

People who tailgate, frighteningly I find this is more often women than men. So, what I do is constantly tap my foot on the brake and crawl along at 20mph as I consider them to be 'too close' behind me.That IS what you're supposed to do, so that if the silly splitarse hits me it'll be a relatively low speed impact.Young women in small French hatchbacks FTL.

Whilst texting their mates.

[mattblack]

Also, all I need in most controls is ON, OFF, HOT, COLD. I do not wish to be prodding at the centre console or column stalks all the live long day

+1How is having heater controls that you need a Phd to operate considered a good idea from a safety point of view? Give me 2 sliders, one marked 'HOT' and 'COLD', and the other marked 'SCREEN' and 'CAR' (or a blue rectangle and a red rectangle, and a pictogram of a windscreen and a stick man with an arrow pointing at his feet... I'm not fussy.)

[MrDuke]

Of the newer cars I've driven, I'm a big fan of the Ford Focus.

Really? I occasionally have to drive them for work, and I find them frankly dreadful. Agreed, the diesel versions are quite punchy, and they handle well for their size/weight, but I can't stand the total detachment of driving them. It's like playing an incredibly boring computer game - there's no sense of actually being on a real road at all. I find myself fighting sleep every time I drive them, even when I'm not remotely tired.

[Pete-M]

I know it's not the done thing around these 'ere parts, but I like new cars. Not brand new, they're silly things, but current model stuff.The new model Merc E class is ace. Smooth, quick, quiet, comfy, huge inside and clever. Bloody good on fuel as well if you get one powered by Dr. Diesels Evil Invention. Hate to say it, but it's a country mile better than a W123 or 124. I don't get the whole 'old cars are always more responsive' thing. They're not. Some are a lot more responsive than modern stuff, I'm never gonna disagree with that, but some old stuff hardly talked to you at all. Drive an XJ6 S1 and if you tell me you can actually feel anything through the wheel and I'll call you a fibber. Compare a MkIV Cortina to a new shape Mondeo and the Mondeo will tell you more without telling you stuff you really don't need to know - like your void bushes are knackered. (although the Mk3 Mondeo hatch suffers from a similar issue. Nice to know some things never change). I adore Mk4 Cortinas, but I'm never gonna say they're a better car than a new Mondeo. Simpler by a long way, but better? Nah. Different. It's like comparing a 1920s Gramophone set to a modern, state of the art recording stufio. The old gramophone has a bit of style and a bit of charm, but it's hardly ideal for reproducing a perfect sound.MkIV Mondeo is larger than a Mk2 Granada, of course it'll feel big after a 307. It's a big car.One thing about new stuff that does piss me off is the huge great blindspots all over the place caused by the massive pillars done in the name of 'safety'. Hmm, that's safe, I can't see a frickin' thing.

[retrogeezer]

People who tailgate, frighteningly I find this is more often women than men. So, what I do is constantly tap my foot on the brake and crawl along at 20mph as I consider them to be 'too close' behind me.

Very droll!Just to clarify, I was in no way 'tailgating'. I actually thought she was trying to find an address by her erratic driving but it would appear not.

[Mash]

Oh, I agree that moderns handle and ride better than older cars - in my Datsun Violet you have to anticipate bends well in advance! The thing with most standard cars today is that they just feel so numb, I can't put my finger on what it is, the experience of actually driving the car is not there at all - though I suppose that's what 99% of the population want from a vehicle. It's not there to be enjoyed, merely taken from point A to point B with as little fuss as possible.