What's made you smile today?

[PuntoHowTo]

This story on yahoo news has made me properly laugh out loud. https://uk.style.yahoo.com/speed-ramps-stop-boy-racer-driving-lowered-car-village-145948326.html

Not only did this idiot apparently spend £13,000 on a 2006-2010 B6 VW Passat To keep the car on the road, including £5k on insurance which is twice what he paid for the car is worth. He also apparently spent £3k on lowering it, which even with an air system seems a bit over priced, but at least with an air system I would make it over the bumps so I’m gonna assume that’s not what he had fitted. The car doesn’t even looked lowered in the picture.

He also apparently has to now drive an extra 600 miles a month to get to work, when he lives in a small village with only 3 small roads. And caused £2000 worth of damage, not sure how some scratches on the underside of a bumper equates to £2000 on a car that’s now probably not even worth that.

He then rambles on about being discriminated against. Because I’m sure when they fitted “SPEED” bumps they where thinking “this will stop that one guy with a knackered old VW getting into the village.

I think my standard golf sits lower than that car in the picture, and the bumps look to be long and sloped so I really don’t see how this is in anyway a story, unless he is hitting them at 80km/h as quoted in the article

 

[StevenRB45]

I saw that article..gave me a laugh for much the same reason.

None of the maths makes sense..he could be running an Audi RS3 for what that Passat has cost him. Also 3k on suspension would suggest very trick coilovers (which normally have adjustable ride height) or a top flight airbag set up. It appears instead he went for the solid gold lowering springs.

 

[Schumi2001]

I’ve had Centos a lot lower than that. I think our camper van is lower, too!

 

[puntofan01]

That article did rather make me laugh too. God, some people are idiots, lol!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Got a little connected car thing free as part of my breakdown cover through work.

Does the usual of connecting to the OBDII port and reading error codes which tbf don't particularly care about much at this point as I don't have any. But it will actively monitor them and let me know..and also my breakdown cover know should any showstoppers appear. All it's told me so far is "Battery healthy".

My main reason for attaching it..you can track your car from a button on your phone. So if it's nicked you can see where it currently is, also if someone says hey you hit me pay up and you weren't there...you can prove you weren't there.

DO please let us know how this thing goes and if poss any part number / manufacturer.

Also of course means they know where you are.... I am paranoid, but my employers were always trying to monitor this. Had they given a hoot about any other aspect of welfare I wouldn't have minded.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Noop is status 65 so should get him in a week or so. Big smile at last.

 

[puntofan01]

A couple of things: my mum's surprise birthday break going well, and having now owned my Grande for 5 years.

 

[Schumi2001]

New rimz for da campervan.

The old ones were 19" and chrome - tyres for 2 tonne vans don't usually come in 19" and 40 profile - it was chewing through fronts in about 8k miles. The chrome was also pitted and peeling.

So, I bit the bullet and ordered a wheel / tyre package which arrived today. Not the easiest vehicle to jack up on the drive, but I managed it.

 

[StevenRB45]

DO please let us know how this thing goes and if poss any part number / manufacturer.

Also of course means they know where you are.... I am paranoid, but my employers were always trying to monitor this. Had they given a hoot about any other aspect of welfare I wouldn't have minded.

Way I see it theres not really anything on it you couldn't necessarily get from my location history on my phone if I was involved in accident (as a side note it contains a g meter so if an impact of a certain threshold is detected they'll ring you to check you are ok and send someone out if required). Also I don't drive my car for work other than a commute if I'm going off campus company policy says I have to have a hire vehicle or take public transport. So theres not really much value in it for spying on my working day. That and it's an off the shelf product ( AA Car Genie) so I doubt they bothered making special ones just for staff.

In terms of benefits...it's a attached to a Mazda so no idea if the fault code reader works. But last year the factory (7 year old battery) started struggling to hold a charge if the car was stationary for a few days and It would ping me a message to warn me I needed to go for a drive until after a month I got bored and replaced it.

Also it's quite addictive spying on whether or not garages are taking the ****..otherwise it's something you can pretty much forget you've got unless something is wrong and it starts messaging your phone. Similar to those SOS buttons in new Peugeots..its there you hope to never use it.

 

[SB1500]

First wax of 2019, shines up well!

 

[puntofan01]

Looking good! Is the Panda still running well?

 

[lkc]

This wasn't today so technically doesn't count for this thread but thought I'd share anyway.

My nephew's ST failed it's MOT and his trusted mechanic went off on holiday for a week immediately afterwards so he had to endure a week of no car. No bother though as he brought his other pride and joy home from his Aunt's farm and pottered around in it for a week instead - including taking it up to my quiet cul-de-sac for me and my neighbours to admire.





Thankfully the weather held for him

 

[SB1500]

Looking good! Is the Panda still running well?

Thanks. Yeah, just passed 150k there. Still going strong!

 

[The Panda Nut]

I hadn't realised the Outlander PHEV was so pricey! - that's 330e and Passat GTE money. It's also £4k more expensive than a Lexus ES300h.

Brother in Law got a brand new top spec with leather for 28K a year ago. Now top spec Pandas without leather or hybrid are 16400 it does'nt sound so bad.

 

[Schumi2001]

Brother in Law got a brand new top spec with leather for 28K a year ago. Now top spec Pandas without leather or hybrid are 16400 it does'nt sound so bad.

I look at list, not discount prices, as that’s what’s on my P11D for tax purposes.

No way would I have said the Outlander was a £40k car.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I look at list, not discount prices, as that’s what’s on my P11D for tax purposes.

No way would I have said the Outlander was a £40k car.

Hi Schumi 2001. Just thought I would pass on this nugget. I had company cars for 15 years. All generally uninspiring things and not fit for purpose for the miles I did. In the end a colleague said he was using his own car & that it was more financially efficient. I did not believe it at first but eventually took the plunge and bought my Bravo. I was doing 40K miles a year, but left and retired after 10 months. It was the best move I ever made as the firm paid 530 or so a month and the taxman allowed this and still allowed me to claim miles against tax. End result was that when I left I had a nearly new car that cost me nearly nothing. I think it depends on how many miles you do, but I can only say I think company cars are not as good as cracked up, unless they are purely a perk and few are these days.

My scheme was nothing special, but I recon I could have had a new car of my choosing every 2 years and been better off running my own car. The firm were not pleased that I chose to go it outside the company car issue but caved in when I said I need something different to fit my size and shape. Helps that you can choose exactly the car to match need, and ensure the best economy too.

That P11D valuation is a real killer to choice. Just a ruse to gather tax revenue as no one ever pays list. With a new 120hp Tipo costing in the real world 10200 it might make sense to consider this avenue. Bravo now done nealy 100K and still 100% reliable apart from panel light bulbs which just cost me a stack to ahve done.

 

[Schumi2001]

I have to take a company car, due to the business miles I do.

Fortunately, we get a choice of very nice cars. All premium badges and decent specification. I currently run a BMW 520d Lux which cost, with options, £42,000.

But BIK is getting silly, a new 520d would now cost me about £420 per month in tax!

I’m looking at a Lexus IS300h, ES300h or, if we get our act together, a VW Passat GTE Advance.

These will cut my BIK by £150-£300 per month.

I did a 500 mile day and a 300 mile day in the last 10 days, so even if we could have a Tipo, it wouldn’t be suitable. I learned my lesson about smaller cars in a BMW 120d.

 

[StevenRB45]

I have to take a company car, due to the business miles I do.

Fortunately, we get a choice of very nice cars. All premium badges and decent specification. I currently run a BMW 520d Lux which cost, with options, £42,000.

But BIK is getting silly, a new 520d would now cost me about £420 per month in tax!

I’m looking at a Lexus IS300h, ES300h or, if we get our act together, a VW Passat GTE Advance.

These will cut my BIK by £150-£300 per month.

I did a 500 mile day and a 300 mile day in the last 10 days, so even if we could have a Tipo, it wouldn’t be suitable. I learned my lesson about smaller cars in a BMW 120d.

This is why my wife came out of her work company car scheme..tax bill was ridic even on something much more modest. Even her Diesel DS3 came in at 32% Bik.

For us it worked out cheaper to PCP a car even with paying insurance and we get free servicing as part if the deal we negotiated.

However mileage may kill the financial advantage in that for you.

 

[The Panda Nut]

This is why my wife came out of her work company car scheme..tax bill was ridic even on something much more modest. Even her Diesel DS3 came in at 32% Bik.

For us it worked out cheaper to PCP a car even with paying insurance and we get free servicing as part if the deal we negotiated.

However mileage may kill the financial advantage in that for you.

Glad to say I dont work. Only a part time job in the village. Eventually told the greedy slave driving corporate ***********'s to take a hike and shove the job right where the sun doesn't shine. The hours I used to put in and of necessity eventually made my hourly rate so low it was cheaper to stay at home. My big regret is not punching the idiot who was my last MD. I know it would have been wrong and I might have paid a heavy price, but I really wish I had done what was right, and knocked him clean out. I feel better for saying that.

Retirement has proved much more economical than I had ever expected and I have been so busy, I find it hard to fit in a few hours each week for work. Another new Panda coming next week and I determine the service levels and tyre replacement point without someone else saying that tyres are still safe in wet weather with 1.6mm of tread. Bliss.

 

[The Panda Nut]

being grumpy