Kick Those Shoes Off and Relax. It's the Delta 2017 Tea Break

[gary396]

Originally Posted by PeterMorley

But your Vauxhall is a German car...

It might be French (sort of) before long if PSA get their way!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by gary396

It might be French (sort of) before long if PSA get their way!

It's totally confusing already! For example- Small Infinity (Posh Nissan) is a Merc, small Merc van is a Renault, big VW van is a Merc, JLR V6 diesel is made by Ford, some Vovos are still Ford Focus based, and so it goes on!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

It's totally confusing already! For example- Small Infinity (Posh Nissan) is a Merc, small Merc van is a Renault, big VW van is a Merc, JLR V6 diesel is made by Ford, some Vovos are still Ford Focus based, and so it goes on!

...and isn't the Vauxhall van also an Opel, Renault or Nissan?

The new Fiat 124 Spider is really a Mazda.

Is this what they mean by 'globalisation'?

[GORDON STREETER]

=Moosehead;3713563
When it finally packed up I went through all the above things until it wore the battery down. Tried it with a jumper battery and still no good. Left it overnight and then it started first time on its original (and pretty flat) battery. Ran fine all day. Next day wouldn't start again and thats where we are now. There are no codes showing via the OBD but I know Saab have their own system too which my generic hand held reader won't read. Can hear the fuel pump when switching on. To me it just isn't getting a spark or rather something is not switching on to give it a spark.

Cheers

Moose, Presumably your central locking is working with the key fob ?
If it is, disconnect the car battery earth lead and leave it off for a while , reconnect it and turn the ignition on and at the same time hold the central locking open button on for about 30 secs then see if it will start as it could be an immobilizer problem, this may or may not work but you have nothing to loose ! My scanner does Saab's and you are right in saying that although there are no OBD codes you may well have a dedicated Saab one lurking. Good Luck !

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Is this what they mean by 'globalisation'?

Probably John! May be it started a little bit before, dont you think so?
As I dont want to upset my new friend Robert with modern things, how many cars based on your so charming Austin Seven (Rosengart, Dixi)? Hasn't the Bristol engine something to see with the BMW one? FIAT and SIMCA promoted the badge engineering too!
Did you ever experience a fantastic moteur sans soupape (Knight patent), fitted to Avion Voisin cars or Panhard&Levassor (OK, the Panhard Dynamic's design can be considered as baroque or rococo).
May be this globalisation thingy is less new than we might thing after all

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Probably John! May be it started a little bit before, dont you think so?
As I dont want to upset my new friend Robert with modern things, how many cars based on your so charming Austin Seven (Rosengart, Dixi)? Hasn't the Bristol engine something to see with the BMW one? FIAT and SIMCA promoted the badge engineering too!
Did you ever experience a fantastic moteur sans soupape (Knight patent), fitted to Avion Voisin cars or Panhard&Levassor (OK, the Panhard Dynamic's design can be considered as baroque or rococo).
May be this globalisation thingy is less new than we might thing after all

You are correct, of course Gerard. It just seems that the major manufacturers are becoming more inter-connected than ever these days. I remember somebody predicting a few years ago that we would eventually have just five manufacturers. At the time it seemed unlikely but suddenly it seems to be happening.

I have a Japanese friend who is a big Voisin enthusiast.

Don't worry too much about Robert. I've known him personally for many years & enjoyed some good banter in his company - he just likes to be controversial!

[Moosehead]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Moose, Presumably your central locking is working with the key fob ?
If it is, disconnect the car battery earth lead and leave it off for a while , reconnect it and turn the ignition on and at the same time hold the central locking open button on for about 30 secs then see if it will start as it could be an immobilizer problem, this may or may not work but you have nothing to loose ! My scanner does Saab's and you are right in saying that although there are no OBD codes you may well have a dedicated Saab one lurking. Good Luck !

Yeah CL still working fine. I have tried similar, ie pressing button whilst ignition on and whilst cranking but I'll try the 30 sec routine next week when I get a chance to have a play.

Cheers Gordon

[Mike Bell]

The above just sums up to me why modern cars are a problem when not new or under guarantee!

I've been mulling over whether to keep my car- approaching its 10th b'day, or spend a relative fortune on a new one. Think the latter option has won, albeit it will not be an outright purchase, and can walk away after a few years......

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The above just sums up to me why modern cars are a problem when not new or under guarantee!

I got rid of 7 older cars yesterday that have been sitting outside of my workshop for the last 4 years and 5 of them started and drove onto the transporter !!!!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

The above just sums up to me why modern cars are a problem when not new or under guarantee!

I've been mulling over whether to keep my car- approaching its 10th b'day, or spend a relative fortune on a new one. Think the latter option has won, albeit it will not be an outright purchase, and can walk away after a few years......

My Alfa 156 has just had its 14th birthday & I've come to the conclusion I might as well keep it. Mind you, it's CT (French MoT) is due next month...

Otherwise, I'd been thinking that a good usable classic might be the way to go, something like an E36 BMW, for which parts supply seems to be excellent, for example.

Now I'll wait for Bauble to tell me I really need an old Astra!

[midgetman]

No you need an old Saab :ROFL:

Now I can't rush out and buy the latest motor anyway and I try to find something that is going to be reliable without spending its time wired to life support machines at a dealer. I tend to buy old, high mileage cheap cars on the basis that

1. If they go expensively wrong it's a no brainer to scrap it and buy another car in the same bucket-price bracket

2. Hopefully all the "oh they all do that mate" problems will have been fixed

3. I actually get something more interesting than the current equivalent of an Astra for very little money (Dons tin hat)



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[Mike Harte]

Bought my last new car in 1982. Did nearly 300,000 and it is still started first turn of the key in the late 90s, but the bodywork was going. Since then, I have bought cars brought in as part exchanges at main dealers who only take the cars because they desperately want the sales. So rather than them having to possibly scrap a half decent good runner, I give them a few bob to take it off their hands.

So far, touch wood, etc., I haven't had a bad run of cars. The latest is a S-type Jag, runs well and keeps me dry. If it fails it's MOT next month, then off it goes to the knackers' yard and I will have to spend another £300 or so to get myself a new motor. It amazes me that my sons spend more each year on servicing and keeping their cars on the road than I will spend buying and maintaining my car for the two or three years that I keep them.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

My Alfa 156 has just had its 14th birthday & I've come to the conclusion I might as well keep it. Mind you, it's CT (French MoT) is due next month...

Otherwise, I'd been thinking that a good usable classic might be the way to go, something like an E36 BMW, for which parts supply seems to be excellent, for example.

Now I'll wait for Bauble to tell me I really need an old Astra!

Well if you really want one I have a 20 year old version in daily use and is reliable, and economical to run. comes with all it's MOT's and service history.

It can not be long before it becomes classified as something more than just 'an old car'. It is not Veteran, Vintage, Historic, Classic, or Art Deco, but might start a new category, as Pre-Electronic'.

Naturally no Saab's would qualify for inclusion, as the list of acceptable cars would be closely monitored.

Just let me know how much you are willing to pay for a true 'Old Car'.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by bauble

Well if you really want one I have a 20 year old version in daily use and is reliable, and economical to run. comes with all it's MOT's and service history.

It can not be long before it becomes classified as something more than just 'an old car'. It is not Veteran, Vintage, Historic, Classic, or Art Deco, but might start a new category, as Pre-Electronic'.

Naturally no Saab's would qualify for inclusion, as the list of acceptable cars would be closely monitored.

Just let me know how much you are willing to pay for a true 'Old Car'.

Actually Bob, the category already exists - it's called 'Youngtimers'. We even have a magazine here with that title, dedicated to the subject.

[Mike Bell]

'Bangernomics' makes a lot of sense and autocar dedicate a few pages to it every week. Think it has to be new or cheap / very old, not somewhere in between!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

'Bangernomics' makes a lot of sense and autocar dedicate a few pages to it every week. Think it has to be new or cheap / very old, not somewhere in between!

Unfortunately - or fortunately - we simply don't have the same crazy levels of depreciation here, so old cars retain a value right to the end.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

Unfortunately - or fortunately - we simply don't have the same crazy levels of depreciation here, so old cars retain a value right to the end.

Same in Spain, one of the cars that I scrapped yesterday in the UK (a Focus Estate that wanted a clutch) would still fetch €2000 if I'd repaired it and taken it down even though it was a RHD !

[Mike Bell]

Interesting about France and Spain. Different mindset?

Well, I've decided to go the 'new car' route, so will be spending less on racing in the next few years! Swings and roundabouts......

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Same in Spain, one of the cars that I scrapped yesterday in the UK (a Focus Estate that wanted a clutch) would still fetch €2000 if I'd repaired it and taken it down even though it was a RHD !

Yes, a friend here has a 2006 Discovery that is worth about three times as much here as in UK, even though it is RHD.

If I had the spare cash I think I'd go in for the import business!

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Interesting about France and Spain. Different mindset?

Well, I've decided to go the 'new car' route, so will be spending less on racing in the next few years! Swings and roundabouts......

Can't speak for Spain, but France is different in that most people buy their own cars - there simply isn't the big company car culture, so there hasn't been the constant turnover of fleet cars keeping prices down. The car sales figures are dominated by small cars with Renault Clio & Peugeot 208 topping the list.

That's my take anyway.

[gary396]

In addition to the number of fleet cars on the used car market in the UK there are huge number of ex-personal contract purchase cars coming onto the market at the end of their 3-year (or whatever) period.

'They' reckon you pay over the odds for cars on PCP but it sure is a simple way of doing it - that's the way I 'buy' them these days.

[VIVA GT]

I am concerned about the lasting effects of these manufacturer led extended service intervals. OK, it looks good to the fleet buyer that the costs per mile are lower, but despite the improvements in lubricant technology, I am sure that wear rates will be greater in the long run, and although the cars should easily last the 3 years contract period, they will be a lot closer to knackered when the reach the private buyer.
I also learned an interesting fact the other week, that to a manufacturer, when they say that a part is expected to last the lifetime of the vehicle, what they really mean is that it'll last 100,000 miles! That's the official thinking on Diesel Particulate Filters apparently...

[bauble]

When LinkedIn asks; "Do you know Iain Rowley?"

What do you do? Is there a downside in answering either in the positive or the negative?

Any advice would be welcome.
Thank you in advance.

Bauble.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I am concerned about the lasting effects of these manufacturer led extended service intervals. OK, it looks good to the fleet buyer that the costs per mile are lower, but despite the improvements in lubricant technology, I am sure that wear rates will be greater in the long run, and although the cars should easily last the 3 years contract period, they will be a lot closer to knackered when the reach the private buyer.
I also learned an interesting fact the other week, that to a manufacturer, when they say that a part is expected to last the lifetime of the vehicle, what they really mean is that it'll last 100,000 miles! That's the official thinking on Diesel Particulate Filters apparently...

Now that is amusing Viv, had me rolling in the aisle, just what we need on 'the lighter side'.

Any more whitty stories to share?

All together now.... Always look on the bright side of life ...............

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by bauble

When LinkedIn asks; "Do you know Iain Rowley?"

What do you do? Is there a downside in answering either in the positive or the negative?

Any advice would be welcome.
Thank you in advance.

Bauble.

I say no to all the LinkedIn requests I get- you're either fully into it or not at all IMHO! I'm happy to be in the latter camp.....