Supernaut's Cars - 323i / Megane / ShiteLK

[Supernaut]

2 hours ago, Nyphur said:

What mods does the BMW have? I don't keep up with threads religiously these days but I thought it was standard.

It has a non standard rear silencer of unknown make, but it's been on there since before I bought it. I also declare the Pipercross air filter element and Bluetooth head unit just to be legit.

[Tayne]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

It has a non standard rear silencer of unknown make, but it's been on there since before I bought it. I also declare the Pipercross air filter element and Bluetooth head unit just to be legit.

That sounds to me like a pattern part, an efficiency mod and a safety mod.

[Mrcento]

11 hours ago, Stanky said:

I suspect that the risk profile of an unemployed person is actually surprisingly high, not least because they would be using the car and exposed to opportunity for crashing far more than an employed person who, statistically, is imprisoned for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week.

This is one where i'm sure the data exists, but i'd LOVE to actually see how it was profiled. In particular for the age groups of unemployed.

The above makes 100% sense logically, however, where are they as a demographic all going that regularly to increase that risk profile significantly?, They're not going to work so there's 2 drives a day (likely during rush hours) commuting instantly off the table, Family, friends etc you'd assume would mostly be working so constant socialising is unlikely, they probably don't have the money for fuel to be on the road most hours of the day touring about sightseeing. You're pretty much looking at somebody going to the shops like a normal person (perhaps even at less risky times), visiting people at the same times and regularity as an employed person, maybe (hopefully) going to the odd job interview, most likely at non peak times.

And all that is minus them being physically and mentally frazzled by 40+hr weeks, where by the same logic, an employed person may well be more likely for a concentration lapse just through sheer tiredness or thoughts drifting to things that are happening at work that day etc.

I suspect it's purely a predictability thing. Insurance favour people they deem 'responsible'. That own a house, that have a wife, that have a kid or 2, that have a solid job, a consistency in life and routine. Far easier to assess someone like that than somebody with no ties that 'could' just decide to go 'Fuck it i'm bored, i have nothing to lose, quite fancy a KFC and reversing my KA off the top of a multistory car park today, what else is a Tuesday afternoon for anyway?'.

Where as Joe, the married bank clerk with 2 kids has to at least wait until the evening for such extravagance...  😉

9 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I'm just generally a bit pissed off at the world. Constant automatic email knockbacks for jobs I'm qualified for and thought I had a chance of at least an interview for. Nope. My experience is in IT so employers just straight-up reject my applications for jobs in other sectors no matter how much I focus on my transferrable skills and the fact I want to move sectors.

Know that feeling. I'm in a weird situation of being freelance in my industry, and work has its ups and downs, patchy spells, never really know if i'm going to be snowed under doing health damaging hours and knocking back work, or i'm going to have the driest of dry spells waiting for the next gig to come along. Such is the industry i'm in. Have applied for some things here and there purely because some consistency at least for a while would be nice, jobs i could do standing on my head to a good standard and have tons of transferable skills for, and like that it's pretty much 'Nope' or along the lines of 'Oh sorry, you've been self employed, you're overqualified for the role, this isn't a management position, we need people to work in a team and report to somebody'

Like...bitch, what do you think being freelance is? The person giving you work IS the boss, my entire role is doing that work and REPORTING TO THE 'BOSS' who hired my services and is paying me at the end of it. Yknow... like you do, at your company, and like the people for the 'team' you want to assemble will be doing?, Always just code for 'Shit. we hire this dude and he's anywhere near that competent, he'll make me look redundant'.

It's nothing you are doing wrong at all. It's all box ticking and if you don't tick the box word for word with no thinking required by the appointed Tickee, then it's tough to get anything other than a straight no.

[Supernaut]

8 hours ago, Tayne said:

That sounds to me like a pattern part, an efficiency mod and a safety mod.

I do enjoy your style of lateral thinking.

The exhaust definitely isn't a pattern part though. The already generously appointed m-tech bumper appears to have been modified to fit that exhaust.

[Supernaut]

MOT booked for next Wednesday, going ahead with the insurance now, starting from Monday.

Fuck it. What happens will happen. I don't expect an instant MOT pass but hopefully a small to-do list.

[Supernaut]

I took it out of the box and it looks right.

Just waiting for the socket now. Hopefully I'll have an Astra that behaves itself once again, soon.

 

 

The BMW is now insured from Monday for a year, with the MOT confirmed for Wednesday. Sphincter is clenched!

[cort1977]

13 hours ago, Supernaut said:

It has a non standard rear silencer of unknown make, but it's been on there since before I bought it. I also declare the Pipercross air filter element and Bluetooth head unit just to be legit.

Are you supposed to declare stereos now?

Frankly, any of those things is not a mod I would bother declaring.  Plenty of people wouldn't even know they weren't standard.

On our shite cars, what are the insurance going to pay for the vehicle in the event of a claim anyway? The square root of fuck all.  What you're really paying for is liability coverage.  They can't weasel out of third party claims because of a non-standard air filter so why worry?  

By declaring it to be 'modified' you're putting yourself in a whole other category and paying the insurance grifters hundreds extra for no reason.

[SiC]

They have to cover third party but can also refuse future insurance cover making you a bit fucked as this data is shared with other insurers. 

Most policies that I've ever read the small print (I'm the type that does) doesn't require declaring non-oem stereo modifications but won't necessarily cover any claims from it being stolen. Or only upto a certain amount. 

If the exhaust was "OE Spec" I don't believe it's a modification that needs to be declared. As the design has been made to be equivalent to an OEM part. Of course we all know they're not as good quality but the sound levels/emissions/etc should be the same. I can't imagine just a "sports"/whatever exhaust will do too much to insurance costs though. 

I'd probably have chucked out the Pipercross panel filter as they don't clean as well as a paper filter (hence why they supposedly flow more). Also the oil in them can fuck up MAFs. All that for at best one or two bhp more 🙃

[SiC]

£100 extra over a regular engined hatch versus a 6cyl BMW doesn't seem too bad though imo. I imagine the BMWs get crashed a fair bit more than an Astra G. 

Some cars are just more expensive to insure. My E320 is a good 50% more expensive than my Boxster or TT to insure. Likewise my wife's Civic Estate is a similar price to the E320. 

[Supernaut]

14 minutes ago, cort1977 said:

Frankly, any of those things is not a mod I would bother declaring.

Yet this sort of thinking is one of the reasons why we get shafted for insurance.

Ok, the intake can be returned to standard easily, but the exhaust is quite visibly non standard.

Most insurance companies in my experience simply say thanks for declaring the radio but it's not entirely necessary / not covered etc.

[SiC]

Everyone judges risk differently and are prepared to take on different amounts. 

I know personally as someone who always seems to have bad luck always running after them, I know it I didn't declare everything then I'd be the one that is royally screwed over by the insurance company! 

[cort1977]

44 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Yet this sort of thinking is one of the reasons why we get shafted for insurance.

Well, that's their story.

[Supernaut]

I did say one of the reasons.

The others mainly being greed and lol fuck you.🤣

[Supernaut]

Oh look what arrived while I was out!

Due to being dowsed in penetrating fluid for a couple of days, it just went ping with a 2ft breaker bar.

I may test drive it... tomorrow.

[SiC]

🤞🤞🤞🤞

[riek]

Renewing my insurance (E46 330ci, so similar-ish profile) recently, costs fell gradually as mileage was increased from my usual 3000, up to 8000, where it started to go up again. I'll never understand insurance Logic.

[SiC]

Oh look what arrived while I was out!

Due to being dowsed in penetrating fluid for a couple of days, it just went ping with a 2ft breaker bar.

I may test drive it... tomorrow.

Did it work?

[Supernaut]

I didn't get far. About 100 yards out the end of the track...

When I turned round it felt like it misfired briefly though...

[Supernaut]

Nope!

Still fucked.

[SiC]

What does the live data show for the lambda? 

Double check the ECU connectors are dry and aren't corroded. If you can see, make sure the loom isn't damaged - especially around any bends. 

I fear internal ECU failure. 

[Supernaut]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

What does the live data show for the lambda? 

Double check the ECU connectors are dry and aren't corroded. If you can see, make sure the loom isn't damaged - especially around any bends. 

I fear internal ECU failure

I foresee a dishwasher, or perhaps a washing machine...

Already enquiring about a replacement.

 

[SiC]

Yeah check free / easy things from now and see if it can be diagnosed or made to at least play ball, definitely don't parts dart. 

If it runs okay with the lambda disconnected then you can always do that so you have a usable cat. It'll pretty thirsty and likely fuck up the car. But at least you have something to get you somewhere. 

[SiC]

Take the new lambda out and put the old one in. Many sensors are pretty generic at this age and might be worth to have as a spare for the future for something else. No point killing a new lambda or chucking it away with the car. 

[Supernaut]

It's only got an MOT until May.

Fuck it.

 

 

Basically what it does is runs fine for about half an hour then goes PHUT

[SiC]

8 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

It's only got an MOT until May.

1st of May, 48 days left.

Bodge it to make it usable (like put a switch on a sensor) and then drive it for another 1.5 months to get the rest of the life/money out of it imo. 

It's only an Astra G - still scrap fodder nowadays. It'll never be worth loads (for a very long time at least) and not worth putting money into it if it's being a pain to fix. 

[Supernaut]

Quietly confident about the MOT on Wednesday.

Gingernutzz' work from October 2022 still looks fresh. I gave the front offside jacking point a wire brush then a coat of stonechip. Then the entire sills and floorpans got brushed over with lanolin underseal, plus the rear arches too.

 

All the lights seem to work, no fluids pissing out, all the tyres are round and full of air.

I guess all I can do is submit it for its test!

[TrabbieRonnie]

8 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Quietly confident about the MOT on Wednesday.

Gingernutzz' work from October 2022 still looks fresh. I gave the front offside jacking point a wire brush then a coat of stonechip. Then the entire sills and floorpans got brushed over with lanolin underseal, plus the rear arches too.

 

All the lights seem to work, no fluids pissing out, all the tyres are round and full of air.

I guess all I can do is submit it for its test!

Godspeed, those BM's have just got better and better looking to my eyes...

My pal occasionally tries to talk me into a red convertible 328 (orange indicators(!)), I find it increasingly hard to resist!

 

[Supernaut]

Dropped off at an MOT station about 20 miles away.

Temperature gauge stayed rock solid, heater was like a furnace, and it drives very well indeed.

I'm looking forward to having this back. Hopefully it doesn't disgrace itself too badly tomorrow.

[Tayne]

I remember that place, you were so excited when the tester told you he had 36 BMWs at home.

Good luck for tomorrow.

[Supernaut]

2 hours ago, Tayne said:

I remember that place, you were so excited when the tester told you he had 36 BMWs at home.

Good luck for tomorrow.

Did he say 36 BMWs or was he just referring to (E)36s?

Nobody knows...