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

Augeo wrote: »

I'm in a BMW 118i for a few days. 1.5 3cyl turbo thing. A very pleasant drive to be fair. You've got to love how there's similarities to the e30 inside 3 decades + later. Splendid brand identify IMO.

It's a competent hatch, I think it's returning close to mid 40s mpg.

It's not much heavier on juice then the CLA220d I had a month or so ago.

Iirc the next gen 1 series will be front wheel drive. The transmission tunnel etc is a tad intrusive in a car this size alright.

We have a 151 116d , for sale incidentally, with a 2.0d auto. Fantastic little cars, my mother has one too and is awaiting delivery of another 116d auto only with the 1.5 diesel engine. She looked at the A3 and A class but couldn't be convinced to leave the 1 series which is odd as she rarely stays with the same marque twice, nevermind the same model.

punisher5112 wrote: »

Please say the colour is different :-)

Arctic silver to mineral grey. Haven't seen it yet but it looks well in pictures. It has landed just hasn't been registered yet.

Wibbs wrote: »

Mine would be similar W. The Japanese really knew how to bolt engines together back then. Mad how you would see Levins all over the place at one time, now I can't remember the last time I saw one. Lovely yoke to drive too.

All I seen driving them were blonds

punisher5112 wrote: »

All I seen driving them were blonds

Ay usually young bucks with cheetah style blonde highlights as was the style during those great times.

Most levins are tucked away in sheds now and come out once in a while during the summer months.

Wibbs wrote: »

Mine would be similar W. The Japanese really knew how to bolt engines together back then. Mad how you would see Levins all over the place at one time, now I can't remember the last time I saw one. Lovely yoke to drive too.

Back when Toyota made reliable fun cars.
I'll have the DC2 back this summer all going well, it's only been 5 years since it was running.
Kinda gotten used to not getting hassled by the cops though.

I was on the M6 travelling west around half 6 this evening. There was some still a small bit of brightness but effectively it was dark. A Transit up ahead of me had no lights on... But then as I got closer I realised the dipped beams were on! So it had no working rear lights! :eek:

Wibbs wrote: »

Handy things about being an old fart, I don't get hassled by the Guards.

I'm mid thirties now so hoping I'm in the same boat.
The J's Racing exhaust may have other ideas though..

CianRyan wrote: »

To be fair, my car is louder than anything on the road and I never get hassle. Last time I was pulled it was for doing 140 in an 80 zone and I was told to take it handy and head home.
I’m not even 30 yet! Huzzah!!

Ah but do you drive an obnoxiously loud Honda.
Maybe it's different now, I used to get constant hassle when it was on the road.

I am looking forward to having a fun car again though, diesels have their uses but fun is generally not a word you'd associate with them.

Tazzimus wrote: »

Ah but do you drive an obnoxiously loud Honda.
Maybe it's different now, I used to get constant hassle when it was on the road.

I am looking forward to having a fun car again though, diesels have their uses but fun is generally not a word you'd associate with them.

It’s an RX8 with straight pipes, you wouldn’t hear a Honda pass by at full pelt if I was at idle. :pac:

Well didn't expect to see this outside my door just now:

I plan on picking up a cheap 4x4 for some moderate offroad stuff and muck laden lanes up the Wicklow mountains. The suzuki jimny seems to be the one that keeps coming back to me, cheap to run, easily modified and very good in the rough stuff. Im looking at one during the week and if all checks out, will be bringing it home.

So I plan on giving it a 2" lift, bigger A/T tyres and maybe a snorkel but that's not really necessary. Is it easy to change shocks and springs? Not completely inept mechanically wise but not something I've ever done before.

Only for the tax and terrible economy that's what Id be looking at too. A jimny with a 2" lift and good A/T tyres will be as capable as any of the big boys in the mud!

Like this

I've had it happen before when temp changes suddenly or in heavy rain. I guess changes in baromic pressure could be contributory.

selous wrote: »

Here's a curious one, if anyone has an answer,

When it was snowing on Sunday the TPMS in the car went off, I got out and checked tyres, all good, so reset it, later on when driving, it went off again, got the pressure gauge out this time, all good, all same pressure, reset it.
Monday morning 5am in the frost, it pinged again, had a look, nothing flat, reset and drove off, hasn't happened since,

Was it driving in the snow, and the cold, (it's never gone off before in 3years i've had the car)

Happened to me on Sunday afternoon too. It's something to do with the sudden drop in temperature.

vintagevrs wrote: »

Is it an actual TPMS, as in does it give you a reading for pressures or is it the flat tyre detection system? Few cars have a proper TPMS and instead use the abs sensors to detect difference in rotational speed to detect a potential flat. It's possible the slippy conditions caused one wheel to slip a little more than the other making the system suspect a flat.

My F10 displays the tyre pressure in bars. The TPMS system warning came up when I started the car after being parked up over night so before I even set off in the snow.

Tyre pressure varies depending on ambient temperature

It really depends on the brand your looking at. They seem to watch each other's prices but sometimes one can be slightly cheaper than the other.

Presume it's a diesel?
Probably the added weight over the front increases tire wear.

I've got 80k+ km out of a set of fronts on a Nissan Leaf (as I'm a cheapskate) but 20k is very low.

Past 170 mile mark on the focus today. Not a bother on it touch wood. Had it since 130 miles as a tmeporary thing... The most mileage i've put up on any car .