***** Motors chat - round 12 *****

Leonard Hofstadter

On the topic of poor fuel economy from small engines, I had a 1.1 naturally aspirated Fiesta with 69 bhp a few weekends ago and I got (and this is not one word of a lie) just 37 mpg on a spin from Dublin to Cork. It just doesn't have enough power and so the engine has to be worked very hard at motorway speeds, around town it was doing over 30 mpg and on main roads at 100 km/h it was doing about 45 mpg.

Fantastic little car apart from that, so much fun to drive (despite the lack of power, the engine is very smooth for a three cylinder engine, revvy and sounds pretty good), the steering almost feels hydraulic it's so good by electric power steering standards, just light years ahead of any other supermini I've driven for driver appeal. It's definitely whetted my appetite for an Ecoboost or an ST model.

hooch-85

I had an ST, used to get around 37mpg out of it and I drove it hard every day for nearly 3 years. Great cars.

whippet

My wife had a VW UP for a year (need must at the time) .. while it felt like a bit of craic when pottering around .. anytime I took it on the motorway you could see the needle dropping on the fuel gauge . It only had a 40l tank but at 120kph it was thirsty !!

Never trusted the brakes on it either

ShadowHearth

Austmcc wrote: »

Absolutely fair, the R plenty powerful from factory.

Ye I've been eyeing up cupras for years. I'm quite happy with the baby cupra at the mo, and I've had it nearly a year. It'll be hanging around at least a couple more I imagine. I'm always looking at the leon cupra when I see them. Theres one in the showroom of the dealer i have to go back to, so I'll be having a gander as per usual. But won't be throwing any money around.

I love my baby Cupra too. It will be 3 years around June 1st since I picked it up. 68k km on it all out by me and only had one issue.... Noise that no one could point out. 3 Tyre fitters, main dealer ( who put new wheel bearing and noise was still there ), until a Polish lad in small Indy garage put it up on lift and took less then two minutes to look around it while eating a breakfast roll pointed out - your rear Tyre is ****ed. Change it and noise will be gone. Already had tyres ordered and when changed them - noise gone lol. Other then that just servicing. Still on original break pads and discs.
My plan was to change now to Leon Cupra ( 181ish ) or i30N or Alfa Giulia, but for obvious reasons this is scrapped and the only real reason why I want to change is to get 4 doors car, because my daughter getting bigger and it's a bit pain in the ass with small 2 door hot hatch.
I work as a Chef in hotel that is shut down now so I am going to be on famous 203eu now. And God only knows how long. At least I was smart enough to put away 70eu a week to separate account for PCP balloon/next deposit. I can pay remaining even now, but I will just wait until last payment and pay it off.
So plan now is to wait it out and when things start to move again and New Leon Cupra should be out. The 240hp one is right up my alley, and hopefully will be able afford it brand new.

Funny enough when I was looking for my baby Cupra, my local dealer did not have any in stock so I took 1.2 FR for test drive and I was really surprised how nippy that thing was! Test drove that, and 3 days later they got my Cupra to be. Test drove that and told "wrap this sucker up, I am taking it."
About 3 weeks ago I went to Ford dealer and my experience there deserves a thread of itself... But anyway, No STs ( salesman did not even knew Ford made ST cars, not just ST-line, I **** you not ), so I took 1l titanium Fiesta for a test drive. Now that felt fecking dead. I expected it to be slow and I did test drive not for power reasons, but it was definitely guttles, which makes me wonder how people live with engines like that. Ironically donkeys years old interior of my baby Cupra felt so much nicer then brand new Ford...

tossy

ELM327 wrote: »

I've officially reached the end of interesting youtube car videos after not even a full week of work from home.

It feels weird to be at home for so long, I can't remember the last time my car didnt move for a whole 24 hours!

I doubt you have, throw up a list of the channels you're subscribed too and people can add to it, be a good list for everyone to work off.

Channel name - brief description of content maybe.

selectamatic

ELM327 wrote: »

I've officially reached the end of interesting youtube car videos after not even a full week of work from home.

It feels weird to be at home for so long, I can't remember the last time my car didnt move for a whole 24 hours!

Vice grip garage
Deboss garage
Zipties and bias plies

whippet

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Agreed the brakes dont seem the best and mine is an auto which doesnt help

I always felt the brakes were spongy .. especially a low speeds which meant I was always bricking it at higher speeds

colm_mcm

ELM327 wrote: »

I've officially reached the end of interesting youtube car videos after not even a full week of work from home.

It feels weird to be at home for so long, I can't remember the last time my car didnt move for a whole 24 hours!

Thames TV have some great retro car videos.

Not sure if you’ve been following Project Binky?

CIP4

ELM327 wrote: »

I've officially reached the end of interesting youtube car videos after not even a full week of work from home.

It feels weird to be at home for so long, I can't remember the last time my car didnt move for a whole 24 hours!

Yes I am not working from home but have moved to a shift pattern resulting in me having more days off. Its weird with so many places being closed the joke about it being like Christmas day with out the present stands.

Just back in from giving the car a full check over all the fluid levels, tyre pressure and thread depths all is good. The interior of my car is genuinely the cleanest its been since the day I collected it.

ELM327

colm_mcm wrote: »

Thames TV have some great retro car videos.

Not sure if you’ve been following Project Binky?

Ive been watching a few non car related stuff from thames tv alright, good channel
Have just caught up on hoovies garage, great channel!

ELM327

CIP4 wrote: »

Yes I am not working from home but have moved to a shift pattern resulting in me having more days off. Its weird with so many places being closed the joke about it being like Christmas day with out the present stands.

Just back in from giving the car a full check over all the fluid levels, tyre pressure and thread depths all is good. The interior of my car is genuinely the cleanest its been since the day I collected it.

I must actually clear out the car, the boot is full of rubbish and I could do with a good clean of the interior (dusting, clean the tablet screen etc). Unusually for me the car has just been washed!

ba_barabus

ELM327 wrote: »

Have just caught up on hoovies garage, great channel!

I love Hoovies Garage. It's as addictive as crystal meth........his voice goes through everyone elses head however.

colm_mcm

ELM327 wrote: »

Ive been watching a few non car related stuff from thames tv alright, good channel
Have just caught up on hoovies garage, great channel!

Have a look at WatchJRGO, you might enjoy it. Mainly buyin cheap stuff to flip.

Have a look at Deboss Garage too. Massively talented mechanic. Heavy machinery, Cummins swaps etc

ELM327

tossy wrote: »

I doubt you have, throw up a list of the channels you're subscribed too and people can add to it, be a good list for everyone to work off.

Channel name - brief description of content maybe.

Can't a man whinge in peace!

MetzgerMeister

Doug DeMuro is very good.

colm_mcm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Doug DeMuro is very good.

In minute doses.

colm_mcm

What I can’t stand is the sponsorship, the repetition, the milking of multiple episodes on something trivial, buying ‘cheap’ supercars, sharing of cars across channels.

Now that said, it’s free content for the viewer.

ba_barabus

colm_mcm wrote: »

In minute doses.

Aye, he can be a bit much but some cars like the Vector are great

Midnight_EG

Customs held these for 3 days and I absolutely expected the worst... Only €152 :O

wotzgoingon

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Customs held these for 3 days and I absolutely expected the worst... Only €152 :O

What are they going in?

Tacitus Kilgore

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Customs held these for 3 days and I absolutely expected the worst... Only €152 :O

Lucky you didn't get the aussie treatment :pac: anyway :

ELM327

LIGHTNING wrote: »

All of that is an american thing. You watch Harry's garage or Tyrells garage and its night and day compared to the US.

Harrys Garage is another great channel

punisher5112

Tacitus Kilgore wrote: »

Lucky you didn't get the aussie treatment :pac: anyway :

Wonder did the swab show traces of drugs, if they scanned it it should have shown it had no contraband.

hooch-85

ELM327 wrote: »

Harrys Garage is another great channel

Harry's is one of the only ones I watch.

cherryghost

I'm losing my marbles. I have L permit with EDT done, paying through my nose for the car + insurance and its going to be just parked in my drive for the forseeable future. Cant drive it because instructor understandably has cancelled all lessons. My brother cannot be with me usually due to ongoing covid situation. Parents live in the midlands (I'm Dublin based). During the week I had to walk all around Clondalkin to find nappies for my child after Tesco failed to deliver them to me on 2 occassions.

colm_mcm

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Customs held these for 3 days and I absolutely expected the worst... Only €152 :O

Those are class window winders

Austmcc

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I love my baby Cupra too. It will be 3 years around June 1st since I picked it up. 68k km on it all out by me and only had one issue.... Noise that no one could point out. 3 Tyre fitters, main dealer ( who put new wheel bearing and noise was still there ), until a Polish lad in small Indy garage put it up on lift and took less then two minutes to look around it while eating a breakfast roll pointed out - your rear Tyre is ****ed. Change it and noise will be gone. Already had tyres ordered and when changed them - noise gone lol. Other then that just servicing. Still on original break pads and discs.
My plan was to change now to Leon Cupra ( 181ish ) or i30N or Alfa Giulia, but for obvious reasons this is scrapped and the only real reason why I want to change is to get 4 doors car, because my daughter getting bigger and it's a bit pain in the ass with small 2 door hot hatch.
I work as a Chef in hotel that is shut down now so I am going to be on famous 203eu now. And God only knows how long. At least I was smart enough to put away 70eu a week to separate account for PCP balloon/next deposit. I can pay remaining even now, but I will just wait until last payment and pay it off.
So plan now is to wait it out and when things start to move again and New Leon Cupra should be out. The 240hp one is right up my alley, and hopefully will be able afford it brand new.

Funny enough when I was looking for my baby Cupra, my local dealer did not have any in stock so I took 1.2 FR for test drive and I was really surprised how nippy that thing was! Test drove that, and 3 days later they got my Cupra to be. Test drove that and told "wrap this sucker up, I am taking it."
About 3 weeks ago I went to Ford dealer and my experience there deserves a thread of itself... But anyway, No STs ( salesman did not even knew Ford made ST cars, not just ST-line, I **** you not ), so I took 1l titanium Fiesta for a test drive. Now that felt fecking dead. I expected it to be slow and I did test drive not for power reasons, but it was definitely guttles, which makes me wonder how people live with engines like that. Ironically donkeys years old interior of my baby Cupra felt so much nicer then brand new Ford...

The Ford dealer not knowing that is unforgivable. Even you're not a car guy, your a sales person, you should know at least the product line you're selling. But ye that deserves a thread to itself.

Being hit bubtue covid situation is awful. The whole country is gonna jump into economic crash again. But again another thread.

Back to cars, have you done anything to the cupra? At the moment I'm only considering upgrading the tyres and a sports exhaust.

Just picked it back up from the service and it's back to feeling proper and fresh. Only noticable change was they switched it from 5W-30 to 0W-30. Which at least makes sense to me. I still got them to explain themselves to see if they knew what they were doing. Any other points were expected or usual service items. All sorted for the first nct in a few months.

bazz26

Anna on Roads loves her cars and driving them, nothing wrong with the eye candy either:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXJhzra29Ajhp_rWFOR47g

Joe Achilles if your a BMW head, though he reviews other fast German stuff too. More product placement and sponsorship coming into his channel these days but I guess something has to pay for the time and effort involved:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcaIAJKFpu24wvkIBsArpQ

Then you have Autogefiuhl for just general but very in dept car reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG0__4AhnoCWRH7TPO0PQyg

For American stuff I like Joe Raiti of Raiti's Rides. I mainly watch him for the muscle car reviews he does:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCILN_EvJ2ocZ5MW7168oQLg

Duke O Smiley

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfxlBQnvNXX6o-2KbCMszWQ

Hubnut is class if you are an old car licker like me, your man has an encyclopaedic knowledge of just about anything motoring related. Very enjoyable channel and presenter IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWncaJZ7ynkv28k1wlpFsw

Came across this channel over the Christmas - High Peak Autos - he is a bit dry but very good. He is a UK based car dealer who reviews everyday normal cars aimed at the enthusiast who can’t afford super cars and all that lark.

Midnight_EG

wotzgoingon wrote: »

What are they going in?

R34 :pac:

I remembered that pic about the piston being drilled and that just added to the worry!