November 2005
A friend's company is offering by sealed bid a 99 Mondeo LX (AC) estate, with 250,000 miles, one driver from new, who has been on the motorway most of the time. Minor scrape along the leading edge of the bonnet, but near perfect in/out.
It'd suit me fine, as I do lowish miles, but need a bigger vehicle for work and play.
What's it worth? Read more
Do these cars at 120K miles make a good buy? I have looked at the CBCB at it's generally positive. Some reference to corrosion that I have heard elsewhere.
Are these still sensible cheap buys or at this mileage best avoided? It's up for £900. And it's a petrol 1.8 estate. Read more
Apart from the issues I mentioned above, I would say the one I had was well built, had a solid feel to it, and was very reliable.
Not even december and I'm thinking of summer hols...
Almost £500 for a western Channel crossing next summer, so it looks like a drive across to Dover where at the moment its around £75 for a late July return crossing.
Q1 - Do these prices rise dramatically as time progresses?
Q2 - What's the weekend traffic likely to be like from Calais / Dunkirk down to Dijon or perhaps Lyon. Is there a practical choice of routes or does everyone bottleneck down the Peage? Read more
This practice is mercifully fading away - Norfolkline and SeaFrance now give you a price based on a single rate for outward and return crossings, though there may be special offers for day trips etc.
Thank goodness for that, I wish Eurotunnel and the rest would do it as well, I think they would get many more customers.
My Mum is changing her car in the next couple of months and is considering a Golf V.
One key criteria for her is to be able to fit her golf clubs into the book without folding the back seat down.
I know that this would not have been possible in the Mk IV - any Mk V owners have any experience with their car and golf clubs?
(I know this is a dodgy question as it depends on the clubs, but before she hauls her clubs and trolley off to the dealer to check, any experience the forum has would be much appreciated - hers are normal ladies clubs).
DF Read more
I do like these cars with a higher seating position. Its not just about getting older; unless you are driving a sports car, then the ease of access, especially in a tight car park, makes the extra few inches off the ground all worthwhile.
Mind you, once you get to Range Rover size, the extra height is too much and I feel like a mountain goat climbing into my mate's RR.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
In today's Telegraph is an article about Traffic Stress Syndrome. It seems that 29% of drivers suffer from this condition due to being stuck in traffic. With most motorists going nowhere for 12 minutes every day, this causes drivers to become agressive and stressed. With suffers of TSS this can start within a couple of minutes.
Being held up in traffic does not worry me as there is nothing I can do about it. Do you suffer from TSS?
Full article at
www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/...l
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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I do suffer from TSS when I find that the jam I have been involved in was due to nothing more than rubbernecking at the policeman calmly noting down details of a minor shunt on the other side of the motorway, adding half an hour to my journey for no good reason (as happened yesterday morning). Or, traffic coming to the end of a motorway at home time, slowing down to an average 20 mph instead of the usual congested-but-moving 40, due to rubbish collectors in high visibility jackets several feet to the left of the hard shoulder, that everyone seemed to assume was plod with a speed detector. They do tend not to move around so much when they want to catch you ... Cue lots of standing on the brakes causing everyone else to do the same. Oh and every time I drop back to leave a gap so that I have a nice crawling distance to avoid this kind of behaviour, someone drives into this space causing me to have to brake suddenly. That bit of fun added 40 minutes to my trip in the evening, giving me a 13-hour day in total.
What irritates is the fact that this kind of holdup is caused by sheep-like behaviour and/or over-reacting to a non-existent "threat", plus an apparent lack of awareness of their actual speed. Mutter, mumble, where's my rocket launcher, etc.
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
Hi All,
Mitsubishi Galant 2.0 16V 2000 Auto (X) 69,000 miles. Has a very good history and cambelt has been changed @ 36k in 2003.
I have just aquired the car and the engine is making a 'tappety' sound at start up which dies down once the car has warmed up (5-10 mins) and when warm it seems to be noiser than most engines when standing outside the vehicle with the engine running. I lifted the bonnet and left it running and the noise appears to be coming from the left handside of the engine block (the area with the plasctic housing at the 'end' of the block - where all the belts are located).
Is this engine naturally noisy? anything i might check or potential suggestions as to the cause greatly appreciated? amybe it just needs a tune-up?
Aside from this - it's great car with very good spec for the money.
thanks in advance for any help
regards
fraz Read more
You may find some help at www.clubvr4.com They are mainly interested in the twin-turbo V6s, but other Galants are also catered for and they are very friendly.
My wife's Golf has done 29000 miles and recently started to stall while stll cold, when declutching for roundabouts etc. The garage cleaned the 'throttle body' saying it was a common condition at that mileage, but denying it should have been cleaned at the recent service. My question is whether using supermarket petrol creates more deposits in the throttle body and would using an injection cleaner every 5000 miles help to stop this biuldup? Read more
A dirty throttle body is usually only an issue on the turbo engine when there is some oil in the inlet tract.
If it is an multi point injection engine the fuel goes nowhere near the throttle body.
Look for a vacuum leak or a temperature sensor problem.
I?ve been thinking about getting a transportable sat nav system, so was interested when I got in a taxi this weekend and the guy had an ?O2 mobile? set up.
I was amused when the system told him to turn left into a one way street in Mossley. The wrong way.
I was less amused to watch the driver then follow the instructions, not noticing the signs. Needless to say, the manoeuvre hacked a couple of people off, but the driver seemed unfazed and continued stating ?must be a new one way, cos it?s not on the sat nav?.
Is this sort of glitch common in sat nav?
Anyone seen similar jaw-dropping behaviour from ?professional? drivers?
Read more
saves me hours in any given month, time equals money, an on top of that saving 20 minutes in a day means 20 minutes doing something else - somehting I enjoy doing (i.e. no work). Wouldn't be without it. BMW std kit is ok (odd wrong turn suggsted) about to buy a TomTom 500 for SWMBO's carif it gets it wrong for her I wouldn't like to be in their shoes
hi im thinking of changing my car to a vectra diesel on a 03/04 plate is there any silly problems i should be aware of? i want a low mileage one. Read more
I've got an 03 2.0Dti Vectra c, bought it with 38,000 on now has 56,000, no probs at all, i know theyre not the most modern engines, but they're chain cam not belt and if looked after will do starship mileage. Also these newer vectras dont use oil like the older ones, only thing that is likely to play up i think is the MAF sensor and the leak off pipes.
Does anyone know the proper name / names of those small 3 wheelers you get predominately in Southern and Eastern European Countries and Asia. I would rather like one, but don't know what to search ebay for! They are called autorickshaws in India and Tuktuks in Malaysia I think. Anyone know what they are called nearer home, and the issues with making them UK legal for use rurally.
www.mamut.com/homepages/Norway/3/13/india2001/auto...g Read more
There was one plated working in Sheringham, Norfolk this summer in full Thai style livery. Seemed to be busy all the time and was suited to the small roads in the town.
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Was Charles {P} but someone c o p i e d my name with spaces.
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I'd set my limit at £620, and I'm happy enough - as bm says, there's more where it came from.