Well they haven't always been this reliable, but a great story here about a 1966 Volvo doing 3,000,000 miles and riding into the Guiness Book of Records ...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/1966-volvo-...6.html#mh8wJqN
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Well they haven't always been this reliable, but a great story here about a 1966 Volvo doing 3,000,000 miles and riding into the Guiness Book of Records ...
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/1966-volvo-...6.html#mh8wJqN
Any tyre recommendations members want to share. Need a full set in the next few months and have been very happy with Goodyear Assurance Amorgrips (about $130 each so not really pricey) and living on wet Tamborine Mountain I need a very assured tyre in the damp and drizzle - not to mention the annual flood as well. Any good recommendations that I should look at? Must be quiet on rural bitumen, roads aren't "third world" up here but they're not that flash either.
Hal55
PS must be able to steer around ducks and all assorted dopey widlife, plus equally dopey rubbernecking tourists not watching where they're going.
Hal55
Oz supplier ? http://new.bigtyre.com.au/tyres/otr
Well, my (new) ancient VW Golf 1.9D estate goes in for its MOT this afternoon.
I've just welded a patch in the n/s sill where a rust hole was developing and I've been round the whole of the underneath waxoiling and undersealing. Amazing how much crap can store up BEHIND the plastic front wheelarch liners, about half a kilo of damp muddy debris on each side. 15 years worth, done now and rust proofed.
I've only had the car about six weeks, I just fancied something simple, reliable, comfy and roomy with good economy. It is basic to say the least, SOHC 8 valve diesel lump, no turbo, no dreaded DPF, wind up windows, no sunroof, manual box, no aircon and basically little to go wrong. These are mechanically as near everlasting as you'll find and with only 87k miles on the clock I reckon it may put another 200k+ on that.
It's only an old banger, but it drives very well, quite happy on the motorway and being very flexible there's none of the changing up and down all the time that many petrol motors require. Current impressions are that it uses even less juice than my little Suzuki Carry van, I seem to be getting between 50 and 60mpg!
http://i41.tinypic.com/s2876r.jpg
Evo recently did a tyre test......Yokos did really well in the wet testing.......worth a look if you can get it on line or in the shops your neck of the woods.
Hooray, it passed. The only glitch was an intermittent rear No. plate light which they sorted with a new wire length above the door hinge and only charged me a tenner to do.
Glad that's done. I'm doing a 1000 mile round trip/break to Cornwall at the end of the week.
Yeah, it roars baby!!
Sadly it failed it's MOT, needs two lower wishbone/balljoints, two front springs and new handbrake cables. Still, could have been worse I suppose. :(
Me current jelopy, known in some quarters as 'the hearse' :D
2007 Mercedes C320 CDI Avantgarde SE (estate):
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2047/lyou.jpg
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/3246/wffp.jpg
Recently re-mapped with a TDI tuning box to achieve 285bhp and a top speed of just under 170mph. It goes like the wind! However, I'm thinking of doing the job 'properly' and having it kitted out with the Brabus engine performance kit from Mercedes: http://www.brabus.com/en/raster.php?...49&kategorie=9
Interior:
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4587/pht5.jpg http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/6981/2lj7.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1875/wvcg.jpg http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/1176/cjb2.jpg
Certainly puts a smile on my chops every time I get behind the wheel! :)
Marco.
Ali,
there is a very good alfa/fiat independent not far from me very reasonable rates and really knows his potatoes.......did my cambelt and major stuff when I was running ma poverty spec punto.......he had all sort including an SZ sitting waiting to be fixed have a google near east kilbride......If you fancy it gies a bell I can drop you up and back from my place a fit in a wee session while yer sledge is gettin sorted!!!!!
Cheers Tony, it's in a garage round the corner from me, a good bloke and doesn't charge the earth, even lets me source my own parts and fits them for me. For anything specialist like cam belt etc. I usually take it to McLennans in Loanhead, who've looked after my Alfas for the last couple of years. Typical back street garage, but they know Alfas and do a great job. One of the best Alfa indies in the country.
A sesh sounds good. Are you mobile yet? Gaz was on about having one soon, and I'll have one after Owston when I've hopefully got the black stuff up and running.
Gaz has his new server with all linear supplies up and running I believe. Be interesting to hear it.
aye the saw doctor has fixed me up good and proper......next week my place any use or will we pester Gaz and spill more stuff on his nice carpets!!!!! I will bring the battery dacs wee frenchie and BM MK2......Good to all get together again, brian and gaz were at mine last week good laugh.......
Aye sounds good. Gaz?
Was out for a walk with my good lady on Saturday and bumped into one of my neighbours that stays across from me.......said he was glad to see me working away on the motorbike ( oil change took 4 hours-bloody KTM ) Missus wasn't too pleased, meant to be recuperating from spinal surgery! My neighbour was mortified he had grassed me up!
Still should be good for an MOT this week.......me and the Bike.
Still deciding on tyres (the ever diminishing tread will force a decision pretty soon) and I was keen on Yokohama C4s for a while but the new revised version, which incorporates eco friendly orange oil, isn't getting anywhere near the positive feedback that the older ones did. Continental has a well regarded tyre, the Premium Contact 2, that gets both good results in road tests and also plenty of good buyer feedback. If any of the members here have experience of the Premium Contact 2, or indeed of the brand generally, I'd love to hear your comments.
Hal55
ADAC in Germany do good tyre reviews every year, quite informative if you have a root around....
Bugger. Good review site alright, but it goes and rates the Cdrive2s that I'd disregarded as very very good in two of the areas that are important to me (wet grip and comfort). Pity wear seems a bit poor.
Still, good to be informed.....any Cdrive2 owners out there???
Hal55
My beloved Chrysler 300C "mafia-mobile" is no more, I just got fed up with the running costs, and replaced it with something a bit more sensible - but still a little bit different - is going to save me about £250 per month - Insurance £310 vs £650, tax £125 vs £290 and 55mpg vs 32mpg... The boot and interior space is hardly smaller, and it has plenty of toys - my lovely Volkswagen CC: :)
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1381057474
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps36649704.jpg
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1381057587
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps7a57a374.jpg
Part of the reason for "downsizing" is because Maggie - my beloved Land Rover 110 Defender is going to be completely rebuilt onto a brand-new galvanised chassis, with a replacement bulkhead and all new lifted suspension - should then out live me... Here she is, in last year's snow:
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u.../IMG_4020a.jpg
I've also got a 1998 Kawasaki ZX6-R Ninja - owned since new in immaculate condition, 8k on the clock and as fresh as when she left the factory...
http://staging2.centricwebs.com/wp-c...13/02/zx6r.jpg
Beemer 840. Lovely cruiser, more than sporty enough for me.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/1...bc2f2e99_m.jpg
Piccy no worky!!
Marco.
Bummer - no Beemer :scratch:
Blurdy Flickr :punch:
Lol... Use Photobucket or Imageshack, dude! :)
Marco.
I always used to forget to undo the speedo cable on minis (hidden low down at the back) and wonder why the engine would not lift out! :eyebrows:
Well my 'new' old banger is going rather well. I'm still not sure why I bought it, it just appealed to me because of it's simplicity. It's a 16 year old VW golf 1.9 D estate and I've just used it for a holiday in Cornwall and covered 1000 miles without missing a beat and got around 60mpg too. It is happy to cruise at anything up to an indicated 90mph on the level whether empty or fully laden, more than adequate for my needs. I wouldn't be surprised if the old thing has got another twenty years left in it, its only done 88k miles and these are good for 250k plus.
I may end up getting a fancy motor to use alongside this car, but this is meeting all my needs really.
I picked up my new Ford Kuga Titanium today,2lt TDI but that new smell was a little over powering tho.
And no ashtrays in it wtf not that I use them.Not taken any pics as yet
These days I can't stand the smell inside a new car. It smells like curing plastic! :(
Six hours to change a set of heater glow plugs!! With unobstructed access it would have taken 15 minutes, but the injector pump is right in front of the left pair meaning you need fingers nine inches long and half an inch thick to reach them. What a bugger of a job, got it done in the end (and in the cold). Fiddliest car job I've ever had to do and I've done some tricky ones in the past!
Changed cars recently, more by accident than by design.
Had a Volvo V40 for just over 5 years and although it had a 1.6 engine and wouldn't pull a pussy off a piss pot, it never once let me down so had no real notion of getting rid of it. Then I was given a 2 berth caravan and no way was that poor old Volvo going to haul even a small two berth tin tortoise without causing worse tailbacks behind me than a tractor with four flat tyres. Fitting a towbar wasn't cheap either and had nightmares about the Cornish hills impeding rapid progress. A chance conversation by the missus resulted in swapping the V40 for a Honda CR-V, already fitted with a towbar :) Got 130k on the clock and it still runs like a swiss watch, jolly comfy too and no more thirsty than the Volvo was surprisingly.
The missus has a Kia Rio of 2003 vintage and just had (as many on here have read) a heap of aggro over poor running and an MOT failure on emissions which I promised that once it was fixed I would wave it goodbye, even though it runs really well now it's fixed. Once I got the MOT pass sheet I showed it to the wife and said "This isn't an MOT certificate, it's an Eviction Notice for you to hand back the keys to my Honda" :lol: She saw an advert yesterday for a lady wanting a swap for a smaller car for her Freelander, so negotiations are underway to see if she wants a Kia instead of a Freelander :eyebrows:
BMW 335d M-Sport Coupe. 3.0l twin-turbo, remapped for 350bhp and 700nm torque. Gives 34mpg which is pretty reasonable. My third BMW, lovely to drive and handles beautifully.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5441/1...17fb135d_o.jpg
Nice Martin.
LOL! I've verified the onboard computer a few times by filling up and checking the mileage. For a performance car, I'm pleased with the mileage. My old 540i would barely get me 21mpg.
This was fun (if a bit difficult to park with no power steering)
http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps2d8174ff.jpg
This was quite a laugh too, with 2.7 litres of 24 valve V6 to shove it along it was a pretty rapid beast, 120mph cruising a doddle. Amazing handling & roadholding, at the price of a rock hard ride. Strangely, I found it comfortable, it was the first car in years that didn't give me backache on a long run. Sold it about a year and a half ago, not sure why really, it was a damn good car and in great nick!.
http://i39.tinypic.com/6z0c9e.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/9ifw9f.jpg
Were you grinning like Garfield stuck to the window Alex, like this :D'ley,
if i was planted in that i'd get Martin to take the scenic route and refuse to get out if he doesn't comply. :lol:
@ Roy and Geoff ~ both are smart buys with big fun factor them two motors. :clap:
Nice one. That's also a rather succinct description of the performance of my 'hearse' (although your Beemanto currently has the edge on horses)... :D
Six-pot diesels are just so super-smooth, giving you effortless power delivery and venomous levels of torque!! :eek:
I'm looking forward to getting the Merc Brabus tuned (and unlimited) in the New Year, which will take the engine performance up to around 300bhp, with a top speed of over 170mph. It should certainly make it one of the quickest estate cars on the road....!!! :eyebrows:
Marco.