Your fleet running reports

[tim]

I see one in the work car park every time I go there and think how nice they look, and I was behind one that did an emergency start at the old Reims circuit a few years back which sounded epic.

Will £20k buy a non-shit one?

Youve not played this game for a while have you...Have you lost your Timculator?

Yes, sadly. My mid-life crisis is well and truly over and I'm likely to spend £20k on a 4 year old XF Shootingbrake in a couple of months so I was idly speculating if a Quadrifoglio would be in budget, having not been arsed to type that into autotrader

[Ascender]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

[Gavster]

I see one in the work car park every time I go there and think how nice they look, and I was behind one that did an emergency start at the old Reims circuit a few years back which sounded epic.

Will £20k buy a non-shit one?

Youve not played this game for a while have you...Have you lost your Timculator?

Yes, sadly. My mid-life crisis is well and truly over and I'm likely to spend £20k on a 4 year old XF Shootingbrake in a couple of months so I was idly speculating if a Quadrifoglio would be in budget, having not been arsed to type that into autotrader

I got curious after you posted that, and to answer your question the bottom end of the market is around £28-30k with quite a few in that price bracket. No idea if they're non-shit though

[Jobbo]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

Now I've finished reading Chris Harris's book, I can see Evans being like that. Not someone I'd want to have dealings with

[mik]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

Funny. Buuuuuuut..... if you don't want to sell your car, why would you agree to anyone who has expressed an interest in buying it to travel a considerable distance to view it? Shirley that is setting an expectation that actually you might indeed be willing to sell it? As it's Evans however - F40 bloke is forgiven.

[Ascender]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

Funny. Buuuuuuut..... if you don't want to sell your car, why would you agree to anyone who has expressed an interest in buying it to travel a considerable distance to view it? Shirley that is setting an expectation that actually you might indeed be willing to sell it? As it's Evans however - F40 bloke is forgiven.

I did ask and apparently he was really nice on the phone and was saying that as a collector he'd love to even just see the F40 and shoot the breeze about cars. And this guy had just sold a company so literally had nothing on.... "won't make that fucking mistake again".

I also thought about the Chris Harris comments from his book.

[Rich B]

I’d always advocated the 1 car solution. It’s only really the idea of a swanky van that has allowed me (mentally) to do the 2 fully different solutions, i don’t think i could ever go for the idea of a slow/dull car for daily driving.

Getting buy in for the 2 car solution cost me a cat (i asked what she wanted, she said a cat).

[IanF]

All modern cars come with a cat as standard

[Gavster]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

Funny. Buuuuuuut..... if you don't want to sell your car, why would you agree to anyone who has expressed an interest in buying it to travel a considerable distance to view it? Shirley that is setting an expectation that actually you might indeed be willing to sell it? As it's Evans however - F40 bloke is forgiven.

If I owned a rare car and had made it clear I wasn't selling, but a well known collector still wants to drop by anyway, I'd say yes on the assumption they're eye-balling the car in case I decide to sell in a few years time.

[Matty]

I see one in the work car park every time I go there and think how nice they look, and I was behind one that did an emergency start at the old Reims circuit a few years back which sounded epic.

Will £20k buy a non-shit one?

There are some very early ones for low 20's - usually they're either 100k miles and/or stolen recovered.

Mid 20's will get you a straight, early car with high mileage. But like everything in this bracket, they can throw some big bills so buy with caution, especially down that end of the range.

2017 gets you the most 'raw' car though, as years went on they increasingly softened it off (thicker glass, quieter exhaust, higher suspension, more sound deadening, slower steering)

[V8Granite]

I used the ML the other day and only saw 17mpg where I normally see 19mpg. It’s a short drive we do regularly so was very used to seeing 19.

I checked the average over the last 4000 miles and we had dropped to 19.9mpg over the last month I was away. Went for a drive later with the temp gun and the drivers front was dragging, 70 degrees C where the passenger was 25.

So 2 new calipers, a fluid change and its back to 19mpg.

Managed 24mpg on a run down to Basildon for a 40th party (slut drops were like cannon fire) and all is well in the world again.

Clio went through the MOT with flying colours, which may have been caused by the very high emissions as it still failed , which I’m chasing so am hoping it’s not the CAT that’s been killed by the recent misfire.

Also, I now have some Clio Trophy alloys, they will go on when these tyres are done, soon I hope as they are 2019 tyres.



Dave!

[mik]

Nice wheels them

[scotta]

I have just done the rad on ours last week It hadn’t totally crapped itself but there was steam coming out from the grille. I couldn’t even see exactly where the leak was. New rad has cured it.

AA man "Its been leaking for a while, I can see dried coolant on the end" The coolant was on the max on sunday so it cant have been leaking much and finally shat itself today.

Mini rad done. Made harder by not being able to remove the AC condenser. Had to take the bumper off the barge with the crash bar to get the rad out. Crash bar wasn’t coming off. Unlike the R50 that’s just a few bolts they’ve got chocolate hex bolts as well. So I just left that on.

Done now though. £117 inc coolant.

[integrale_evo]

Mito is being a pain, wheel bearing I changed a couple of months ago seems to have got noisy again. I put some extra grease in when I fitted it because as it was supplied it looked a bit stingy.

Can’t actually feel any play in it, but when I took the dust cap off there was a little moisture so wonder if it’s corroded inside a little somehow. Pretty disappointed as I used a febi one and have used plenty of their stuff over the years with no issue, and avoided the dirt cheap ones.

Have gone for an skf one this time…

Also decided I’d had enough of my torque wrench not ratcheting cleanly so stripped that down, cleaned out all the hard old grease and relubricated it.

Then collected a boot full of paving slabs in the x5.

Gave the merc a quick rinse as it was fairly clean, then a proper wash for the x5 which was proper disgusting filthy

Compact had its first run out since before Christmas during the week, great to be back in it.


Please please please can we have some warmer dry weather…

[integrale_evo]

Compact door handle now opens the drivers door without having to push the door in while you try and open it

There’s a peg on the handle which sits inside a lever on the latch. There’s a plastic piece on the peg, presumably to stop it rattling and give a nicer handle feel. Unfortunately it ages and splits and falls off leaving the bare peg only juuuust able to open the door.

Found some heat shrink which just about squeezed over the head of the peg - was actually one of those heat shrink solder joints, which provided two lengths.

Hopefully it’ll last a while, my left forearm looks like I’ve been fighting with an angry cat

[scotta]

Message from Niece..."Cars making a funny noise..." 2013 R56 One.

Sends video of it knocking its head off...

Phoned her as soon as i looked at the video. Answers from obvious bluetooth connection in driving car.

"Tell me your not driving that car...Stop immediately and turn it off. i'll come get you"

Gets there and it's knocking like fuck from the top end. Sounds like it could be the timing chain.

Have arranged a mini specialist to look at it. Need to get it there now. Mate has a fixed tow bar so hopefully we'll be able to tow it.

[Mito Man]

Finally ordered bits for servicing the American cars from America. Got enough for the next 5 years so things should hopefully return to normal by then but almost everything is made in China


Whilst browsing I saw they had a special offer on those fancy 4 pronged BMW spark plugs - £3 + VAT each!

[Sundayjumper]

Message from Niece..."Cars making a funny noise..." 2013 R56 One.

Chain guide or tensioner. Been there, done that. Twice

Quite a long-winded job to do chain/guides but not too difficult. The cost will be in the labour.

[scotta]

Message from Niece..."Cars making a funny noise..." 2013 R56 One.

Chain guide or tensioner. Been there, done that. Twice

Quite a long-winded job to do chain/guides but not too difficult. The cost will be in the labour.

It needed a water pump and actuator. Think its one and the same on this engine. Now fixed but not cheap at £540 Lots of labour.

[Jimexpl]

Not really fleet running but its about cars... Guy working here yesterday "so you like cars then?" and off we went. Which ended in a conversation about his friend who has an F40. Chris Evans was interested in buying it and they agreed he'd fly up to see the car and meet for a chat even though the guy didn't want to sell it. Cordial chat ended up with the guy having a standup argument in his garden and him chasing Evans off his property as he wouldn't take no for an answer, "don't you know who I am etc" and was apparently a "proper c*nt's c*nt".

Funny. Buuuuuuut..... if you don't want to sell your car, why would you agree to anyone who has expressed an interest in buying it to travel a considerable distance to view it? Shirley that is setting an expectation that actually you might indeed be willing to sell it? As it's Evans however - F40 bloke is forgiven.

I did ask and apparently he was really nice on the phone and was saying that as a collector he'd love to even just see the F40 and shoot the breeze about cars. And this guy had just sold a company so literally had nothing on.... "won't make that fucking mistake again".

I also thought about the Chris Harris comments from his book.

He’s a car dealer, not a collector. I had four transactions with him until he got upset about how much we’d made from the sale of his Miura. I won’t comment on a public forum about his attitude. His son-in-law was a really nice guy to deal with.
I sold him a Daytona spider conversion cheap which he immediately put at another dealer on sale or return, and sold for him an original rhd AC 289 cobra, the Miura and a 250 2+2. I tried to sell him an F40, but he didn’t want to pay more than he saw it go through auction for 9 months earlier. We also failed to sell a 250swb California replica and 250 Lusso of his (he wanted too much for both of them).
This was over about a 12 month period.
The Muira was the best one I’d driven - Joe Macari had converted it to fuel injection with 12 throttle bodies, and the seat was lowered. I think he’d been out in it two or three times.