OV9

Delphi wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 am All ready for Germany now.

Enjoy the unrestricted Autobahn sections. I've only ever driven them in humdrum hire cars

Don't forget that you'll need a UK sticker if you haven't got the marker/flag on the LHS of your reggie plate (must be UK, not GB). Halfords sell both external stickers, and inside-glass (not sticky) versions for £buttons.

Make sure you have good brakes, I don't think German lane discipline is anywhere near as good as claimed and you will get idiots just coming into lane 2/3 going 50mph slower than you...
The Belgians do that all the time but at least the speed differential there is much less.

mik wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:10 am

Delphi wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 am All ready for Germany now.

Enjoy the unrestricted Autobahn sections. I've only ever driven them in humdrum hire cars

Don't forget that you'll need a UK sticker if you haven't got the marker/flag on the LHS of your reggie plate (must be UK, not GB). Halfords sell both external stickers, and inside-glass (not sticky) versions for £buttons.

Already fitted - looks shit but at least its legal!


Not sure our route includes any unrestricted autobahn. Rotterdam-->Stuttgart-->Speyer-->Koblenz-->Rotterdam

Delphi wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:54 pm Not sure our route includes any unrestricted autobahn. Rotterdam-->Stuttgart-->Speyer-->Koblenz-->Rotterdam

Pretty sure it will.

https://autobahnspeedhunter.com/

Delphi wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:54 pm

mik wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:10 am

Delphi wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 am All ready for Germany now.

Enjoy the unrestricted Autobahn sections. I've only ever driven them in humdrum hire cars

Don't forget that you'll need a UK sticker if you haven't got the marker/flag on the LHS of your reggie plate (must be UK, not GB). Halfords sell both external stickers, and inside-glass (not sticky) versions for £buttons.

Already fitted - looks shit but at least its legal!


Not sure our route includes any unrestricted autobahn. Rotterdam-->Stuttgart-->Speyer-->Koblenz-->Rotterdam

You almost certainly will - >60% of the network is unrestricted. Map below shows unrestricted in blue:

http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/Limitkarte.pdf

Oh FFS. There’s a speed hole in the trailing arm too. I would guess that will deserve an MOT fail.


Shout out to the knotted wire brush disc on the angle grinder though. It rips through rust & paint like anything.

Not my fleet, but ended up having an hour long conversation with one of my neighbours about his recently purchased 1991 928S4. Turns out it is his fourth (third was a pilot's company car, and second used to be owned by Phil Collins). He wasn't in the market, but it showed up locally and was in very good condition, so he thought it rude not to make an offer.

He's sorting out a few issues (moisture in lights) and need the idle adjusted, but it runs very nicely. Not a concours car, but bought to be used.

As an aside his 19yo son has just bought a somewhat modified MK2 Focus ST. Insurance is £5k/year

DeskJockey wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:53 pm As an aside his 19yo son has just bought a somewhat modified MK2 Focus ST. Insurance is £5k/year

I mean, we've all been there...it's the kinda stupid shit you do when you're young and realise that £5k could have been kept back until you were 21 and used to buy (and insure) something much better

Matty wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 7:30 pm

DeskJockey wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:53 pm As an aside his 19yo son has just bought a somewhat modified MK2 Focus ST. Insurance is £5k/year

I mean, we've all been there...it's the kinda stupid shit you do when you're young and realise that £5k could have been kept back until you were 21 and used to buy (and insure) something much better

Yup. His dad tried to convince him to hang onto his (cosmetically) modified 52-plate Rover 25, but he wasn't interested.

DeskJockey wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:53 pm As an aside his 19yo son has just bought a somewhat modified MK2 Focus ST. Insurance is £5k/year

Just wait until he realises it uses 5k a week in fuel

Got the "ACC inactive" warning the other day and was worried the sensor was borked. I gave the sensor a good clean and it is now working again. Whilst feeling the urge I also bought and fitted the battery for teh fob as that warning had popped up too.

Simple but satisfying.

Gavin wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:48 am
Simple but satisfying.

I dated a girl like that for a while.

ExMrsChoo1 got covid and gave it to my eldest. I ended up having middle son for an extra week and doing Dad taxi duties. All the extra miles seem to have calmed the 535d down. I think it's in need of a good run out at some point.

Jimmy Choo wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:25 am All the extra miles seem to have calmed the 535d down.

I dated a girl like that for a while.

DeskJockey wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:53 pm Not my fleet, but ended up having an hour long conversation with one of my neighbours about his recently purchased 1991 928S4. Turns out it is his fourth (third was a pilot's company car, and second used to be owned by Phil Collins). He wasn't in the market, but it showed up locally and was in very good condition, so he thought it rude not to make an offer.

He's sorting out a few issues (moisture in lights) and need the idle adjusted, but it runs very nicely. Not a concours car, but bought to be used.

I approve of his purchase.

KevH18 wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 6:17 pm Sold our Focus today so now just down to one car between my wife and me.

Now been charged £50 for having to ring the insurance company, Darwin, to cancel the policy that was less than 3 months old. Unable to do it online after going through all of the options on the website so had to call. Disgraceful how they can get away with that.

Won't be ever be using Darwin® insurance policies, underwritten by U K Insurance Limited and arranged and administered by iGO4 Limited. Registered office: iGO4 House, Staniland Way, Peterborough PE4 6JT on 01733 300017 with our own policy insurance again.

Total and utter twats.

When my dad had to first insure the Caterham he had to do it by it’s VIN as it wasn’t road registered yet.
Eventually the DVLA sent the V5 so he calls up the specialist insurer and they want £50 to add the plate.
You’d think it would be part of the original price as you can’t drive on the road insured with just a vin ffs.

Delphi wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:48 am

DeskJockey wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:53 pm Not my fleet, but ended up having an hour long conversation with one of my neighbours about his recently purchased 1991 928S4. Turns out it is his fourth (third was a pilot's company car, and second used to be owned by Phil Collins). He wasn't in the market, but it showed up locally and was in very good condition, so he thought it rude not to make an offer.

He's sorting out a few issues (moisture in lights) and need the idle adjusted, but it runs very nicely. Not a concours car, but bought to be used.

I approve of his purchase.

I thought you would.

Mito Man wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:22 am When my dad had to first insure the Caterham he had to do it by it’s VIN as it wasn’t road registered yet.
Eventually the DVLA sent the V5 so he calls up the specialist insurer and they want £50 to add the plate.
You’d think it would be part of the original price as you can’t drive on the road insured with just a vin ffs.

it's not as if it really costs anything like the time it's taken to change anything.

I've emailed Darwin to complain but I doubt I'll get anything back.

Mito passed its MOT with flying colours. Well one slightly grumbly wheel bearing aside. I was worried about the brake efficiency. First time driving it in on dry roads with new grippy tyres and I can fully smash the brake pedal and the car won’t lock/trip the abs. Car does actually brake well and triggers the hazard lights. Checked again on a bit of gravel and it did trigger the abs. So I guess the tyres have more grip than the piddly brakes can muster to overcome them

Galaxy's cooling saga should hopefully be resolved. New hose fitted as the final piece. Will keep an eye on it obviously.

It is also getting new summer tyres. Was going to go for the Continental Premiumcontact 7, but then there was 15% off on the Michelin Primacy 4+ with Blackcircles, so I took the £80(ish) saving. The current and previous set are Primacy 4 tyres, so shouldn't be much different. Interestingly the Y rated version was a bit cheaper than the W version that is the factory fit, so we're good for up to 186mph.

Why a car that, when new, couldn't top 130mph needs to have tyres rated to 168mph I don't know. Quick research suggests that the fastest of them all topped out at 135mph, so seems rather OTT.