Search results

Since retirement 20 years ago I actually enjoy driving either of my two classic cars, as journeys are usually at my choice rather than being obligatory (I drove for a living for 3 decades) & I still take pride in being a safe driver, as my record will attest. The idea of a driver-less car is...

I often wonder how many car owners that park on the road, because their garages are full of household junk, tell their insurers that the car is garaged overnight.

Sounds like what is needed is a few delivery truck drivers with poor ability to judge the width of their vehicle. A few broken mirrors might encourage the selfish/lazy to park responsibly.

Interestingly I was 'pulled' on bank holiday Monday evening (first time in decades & by an un-marked car) on suspicion of being un-insured. The WPC was very polite & accepted my explanation that the car's insurance had been renewed 48hrs. before but perhaps not yet showing on MID. In fact it...

Quote from an old farmer > 'I've had this old Land Rover for 20 years & never topped-up the oil .. how come the damn thing has seized up now?'

I'm tempted to ask .. how many miles since you last checked the oil level, prior to this incident? Unless you have a fairly serious leak it will take a lot of mileage before the oil level is low enough to illuminate the light & by the time it does ..

I know how she feels ! Some drivers (I use the term loosely) will benefit from the day that driverless cars become the norm :rolleyes:

It's all about marketing, kid perspective buyers (that don't know any better) that their new toy has long service intervals ;)

Engine oil, ready mixed coolant/AF & a compact jump starter pack in my case, plus of course breakdown/recovery membership.

Next oil change certainly though not top-ups in my case, as despite covering 173k my 27 year old BM doesn't use any oil between annual 5k services.

My BM takes 6.5L including the filter, fortunately my supplier markets a 7L pack. You're quite right, the cost of a single litre is way out of proportion to a 5L.

+ 1 The car manuf. spec. for the engine oil is far more important than the label or the price. I use a 5w40 fully synthetic in my old BMW but stick to a 20w50 with high zddp for the old Range Rover as it's flat tappet engine design harks back to the 1960's

Components made from monkey metal? Think the (quite comprehensive) tool kit that new Russian Ladas came equipped with in the 1980's :rolleyes:

And auto wipers but then a large proportion of today's car owners are not drivers in the true sense, so someone with a business mind will benefit from that fact by inventing a device that was never needed in the first place.

To me it's just another gimmick that employs additional technology with the potential to fail. Presumably both battery & starter motor have to be purpose built, in order to save miniscule(?) amounts of fuel & emissions. But then I'm a confirmed cynic.

Thanks to both of you (#9 & 10) I would imagine that constitutes a significant slice of the £1800 +vat of the quote he's already had from my local garage & would include their labour charge.

That's definitely a good idea, I'll suggest that to him. Thank you.

As yet I don't think he has. Being a pensioner like myself, lacking the ability & facilities to carry out the swap himself, he's probably concerned that having forked out for the labour charges the used replacement 'box might develop the same fault .. especially if the 6 speed is known to have...

That's exactly what he does, but curious to know why repairers give it a wide berth. Could it be the usual story, why repair something when you can flog a new one instead?

A good friend of mine has a gearbox (manual) problem on his Dec '12 reg. Ford Focus 2ltr. diesel. The sixth gear will not stay engaged once selected & jumps straight out of gear regardless of whether it's under load or overrun. He has been quoted £1800 to supply & fit a replacement 'box, which...