OV9

scotta wrote: Mon Oct 27, 2025 2:03 pm Next week i have booked the A110 into Litchfield for their remap

Great value upgrade that. Power/weight jumping from a healthy 227 to more like 282 bhp/tonne.

mik wrote: Fri Oct 24, 2025 4:52 pm Then the range estimate goes blank. Not zero. Blank. No estimate offered. “Low Power/Low Range” bing-bong warning. Shit.

No turning back now. Just keep going. Slowly. Feather that go pedal. 6 miles feels a lot further at low speed, with “Low Range” messages bonging at you every minute or so.

“Yes I know”.

“Yes, I KNOW”.

“YES I CHUFFING KNOW!”

You are Mat Watson AICMFP.

Re boring 911 news - the rattle that was supposedly solved has come back with the cold weather. FFS.

i had a few hours of fettling today on the Lotus. I had a little list of stuff:

- reattach the battery where i’d disconnected it and fit a new cable for my ctek after the old one snapped.

- sort out the handbrake light. there’s a little lever which i presume had broken off that presses a button to turn the light off. a new part was £16, but after vat and postage worked out at £40. So as a medium term temp solution, i just hot-glued a lolly stick to the side of the lever. It’ll be covered by the shroud anyway and works perfectly. I’ll order the switch when i order some other stuff so i can share the postage costs.


- then i fitted seat belts because the harnesses were a faff on normal roads. i didn’t quite realise how simple/quick this would be.

- i decided i’d try wrapping the upper dashboard trims in alcantara-a-like, they were scratched and always looked scruffy. I’m not 100% on the results, but it didn’t take long and cost about a tenner. i’ll see how i feel about it - i can always take it off and try something else (repaint/wrap).

- now i need to get it MOTd again and back into service.

Model 3 strikes again

Uk power networks still not admitting that it’s something on their end/equipment that’s not right. House was pulling 14kw when this happened so hardly approaching the 100amp fuse limit.

Do you work for the Daily Mail

A big electric oven can pull 30A which is the maximum a Type 2 charger will pull!

Yes of course it’s not the cars fault, it’s just that it pulls enough load to show that there’s some problem. It always happens on a Sunday evening and has happened ever since they built a new estate up the road a few years ago. My suspicion is they didn’t upgrade the electricity network sufficiently and the voltage drops. Their solution is they can’t do anything about it aside from upgrade to 3 phase for a mere £15,000

Rich B wrote: Fri Oct 31, 2025 10:09 pm i had a few hours of fettling today on the Lotus. I had a little list of stuff:

- reattach the battery where i’d disconnected it and fit a new cable for my ctek after the old one snapped.

- sort out the handbrake light. there’s a little lever which i presume had broken off that presses a button to turn the light off. a new part was £16, but after vat and postage worked out at £40. So as a medium term temp solution, i just hot-glued a lolly stick to the side of the lever. It’ll be covered by the shroud anyway and works perfectly. I’ll order the switch when i order some other stuff so i can share the postage costs.


- then i fitted seat belts because the harnesses were a faff on normal roads. i didn’t quite realise how simple/quick this would be.

- i decided i’d try wrapping the upper dashboard trims in alcantara-a-like, they were scratched and always looked scruffy. I’m not 100% on the results, but it didn’t take long and cost about a tenner. i’ll see how i feel about it - i can always take it off and try something else (repaint/wrap).

- now i need to get it MOTd again and back into service.

Dash looks good. I love that low tech solution for the handbrake light - a button under/next to the handbrake lever, that's pressed when you lower the handbrake. Is that how handbrake lights normally operate, it's not something I've ever thought of. Lolly stick is awesome!

JonMad wrote: Mon Nov 03, 2025 4:39 pm

Rich B wrote: Fri Oct 31, 2025 10:09 pm

- sort out the handbrake light. there’s a little lever which i presume had broken off that presses a button to turn the light off. a new part was £16, but after vat and postage worked out at £40. So as a medium term temp solution, i just hot-glued a lolly stick to the side of the lever. It’ll be covered by the shroud anyway and works perfectly. I’ll order the switch when i order some other stuff so i can share the postage costs.

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- now i need to get it MOTd again and back into service.

I love that low tech solution for the handbrake light - a button under/next to the handbrake lever, that's pressed when you lower the handbrake. Is that how handbrake lights normally operate, it's not something I've ever thought of. Lolly stick is awesome!

Will you be pitching this to @dan as a weight saving option? It's like the 917's balsa wood shifter knob!

Looks like an excuse to upgrade a tired handbrake, Rich. If only you knew someone selling billet aluminium ones for a reasonable price.

Matty wrote: Mon Nov 03, 2025 6:05 pm Looks like an excuse to upgrade a tired handbrake, Rich. If only you knew someone selling billet aluminium ones for a reasonable price.

I was going to offer a replacement micro switch for free as i'm bound to have a few lying around, but thats a much better idea

dan wrote: Mon Nov 03, 2025 6:17 pm

Matty wrote: Mon Nov 03, 2025 6:05 pm Looks like an excuse to upgrade a tired handbrake, Rich. If only you knew someone selling billet aluminium ones for a reasonable price.

I was going to offer a replacement micro switch for free as i'm bound to have a few lying around, but thats a much better idea

cheers Dan, The micro switch works, it’s just the little lever bit, so war time spirit, make do and mend!!! as much as i’d love a billet one (same as Duncs i presume?) , i'm very poor right now - van service, tracker renewal, insurance renewal, etc all come at once!

i just need to get the Lotus back on the road before worrying about (lovely) frivolities!

MOT for the Tesla. Front tyres (over 2 years old) worn on the insides, only advisory. Will book in for some new tyres and wheel alignment check.

Indicator lens fell off the Clio and I think a bottom ball joint is going on the drivers side.

Going to Wales with the eldest but sadly just so he can do a Tang Soo Do tournament. Might try and sneak a fun drive in on the way home.

Dave!

V8Granite wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 11:03 am Indicator lens fell off the Clio and I think a bottom ball joint is going on the drivers side.

Going to Wales with the eldest but sadly just so he can do a Tang Soo Do tournament. Might try and sneak a fun drive in on the way home.

Dave!

I imagine these will be the same as the twingo as that basically is a 182 front end- Ball joint can be removed from the arm and replaced and generic parts are available for those, just need a special tool, a lot of heat and a lot of patience. Full lower arms used to only be available from Renault direct and were often on back order, may be better availability now

Didn’t expect to get another photo with Scott’s car so soon - and close to me rather than in Scotchland. It’s definitely quicker in a straight line than an MX5.

jamcg wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 5:24 pm

V8Granite wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 11:03 am Indicator lens fell off the Clio and I think a bottom ball joint is going on the drivers side.

Going to Wales with the eldest but sadly just so he can do a Tang Soo Do tournament. Might try and sneak a fun drive in on the way home.

Dave!

I imagine these will be the same as the twingo as that basically is a 182 front end- Ball joint can be removed from the arm and replaced and generic parts are available for those, just need a special tool, a lot of heat and a lot of patience. Full lower arms used to only be available from Renault direct and were often on back order, may be better availability now

Just a replacement joint and it's pinched in the wishbone so hopefully just precision tapping needed.

I expect I'll give it a tap and something will fall off the back end

Dave!

Jobbo wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 5:27 pm Didn’t expect to get another photo with Scott’s car so soon - and close to me rather than in Scotchland. It’s definitely quicker in a straight line than an MX5.

What was the occasion? Trackday?

Reminds me, I'm off to Glasgow over xmas, need Indian restaurant recommendations please

We just met at the pub - it’s pretty much the closest one to my old house. Scott’s been busier than me so I’ll let him post his travels.

In other news, The Hulk went to WBAC last weekend

The suspension had been grumbling for some time. I finally took it to my Tuna who quoted £1500 to replace all the camber arms, ball joints, drop links, you name it. It also needed a service and some tyres so I decided to cut my losses rather than throw a couple of grand at something pretty much worthless.

The W220 is renowned for suspension trouble, so this was all rather expected, but the Airmatic was perfect! Just had the one problem with HLK while I had it (ok barring 2 grand of suspension work!), it needed a water pump for about £400 fitted. Did about 11,000 miles usually with my mates in tow who all loved it, obviously!

Really glad I had one, ultimate barge really. Not sure what we've gained in luxury cars in twenty years that's worth having, apart from maybe modern radar cruise? Have no desire for a heavy car any faster though, it handled ok when you put it in the various sport modes on the gearbox and suspension, it's just that it felt ridiculous to be pedalling something like that round sharp corners. The V12 twin turbo one must be hilarious. Fun in a straight line I imagine

I shall remember it tanking down the derestricted autobahn outside Aachen, chasing AMGs at 120+

Here it is outside a hotel in Bruges, after said thrashing. I actually think it's one of the better looking S Classes. Presumably all the 75 plus year olds I exclusively saw driving W220s thought the same

speedingfine wrote: Thu Nov 06, 2025 6:57 pm Reminds me, I'm off to Glasgow over xmas, need Indian restaurant recommendations please

https://www.motherindia.co.uk/restaurant/the-lansdowne/

If you are going to book - The Lansdowne.

If you are happy to queue a little, then curry Tapas at Mother India Cafe (part of the same group) is also epic. Best if you can time your visit to something like 4:30pm if you want to completely avoid the possibility of a 45 min wait outside in the cold.