What's made you smile today?

[StevenRB45]

Because I'm a child...I've been looking up tuning options for the C3.

Can be chipped to 145bhp and 200lb/ft of torque..for a modern car it weighs not much at 1090kg. So 133bhp per tonne which is coincidentally about the same as Mk1 Golf GTI..but twice as much torque.

It will still handle like a boat..and I've got a feeling given it already likes to start a tyre fire in wet conditions if you try and hurry it in first and second that driving it would be very interesting indeed..But interesting is good right?

 

[SB1500]

Filled up at a BP petrol station. Lately I’ve been going to Maxol (an Irish brand which promised quality assured fuel you can trust). We don’t really have many BP petrol stations in NI anymore, think they sold out to a number of home heating oil suppliers many years ago.

I wonder if the quality is better or as good... generally speaking I’d opt for
The UK brand more if it were closer to me!

Since 2015 I was using Tesco / ASDA / Sainsbury’s fuel but suspect they’re being diluted somehow. One time after filling up with their stuff my Panda felt utterly dead and choppy, struggling to move up its revs. I blamed the possibly diluted fuel....

Since using the ‘better’ stuff no such mishaps. Revving very well. About 275-280 miles per tank.

Is this ‘better’ fuel all in my head? [emoji848]

 

[The Panda Nut]

Filled up at a BP petrol station. Lately I’ve been going to Maxol (an Irish brand which promised quality assured fuel you can trust). We don’t really have many BP petrol stations in NI anymore, think they sold out to a number of home heating oil suppliers many years ago.

I wonder if the quality is better or as good... generally speaking I’d opt for
The UK brand more if it were closer to me!

Since 2015 I was using Tesco / ASDA / Sainsbury’s fuel but suspect they’re being diluted somehow. One time after filling up with their stuff my Panda felt utterly dead and choppy, struggling to move up its revs. I blamed the possibly diluted fuel....

Since using the ‘better’ stuff no such mishaps. Revving very well. About 275-280 miles per tank.

Is this ‘better’ fuel all in my head? [emoji848]

I noticed a substantial difference in power with my Perodua, the Panda like the stuff but it seems to make less difference. I have also noticed improved mpg, but not enough to justify the fuel on economic basis. I use it on occasion as I think it may help keep injectors clean. So I dont think its just in your head.

 

[StevenRB45]

I noticed a substantial difference in power with my Perodua, the Panda like the stuff but it seems to make less difference. I have also noticed improved mpg, but not enough to justify the fuel on economic basis. I use it on occasion as I think it may help keep injectors clean. So I dont think its just in your head.

On knock sensor and VVT equipped Japanese cars I've got a brim to brim average up to about 10% better mpg and what seemed to be better low end torque (in my Suzuki it pulled 5th up a hill on my commute that required 4th on supermarket). Mazda is a bit more peppy and free revving on it but both engines are more advanced than the Fire unit in a Panda.

Both cars run pretty well on decent 95 i.e. shell or something but the Suzuki especially felt broken on supermarket and the Mazda just feels flat like you've got an extra passenger.

 

[DaveMcT]

What's the betting that Fiat measure the claimed power with posh petrol. There might be enough additional mpg to make it cost neutral or better, but I'd still use it for the nicer drive.

I run both Pandas on Tesco 99. The 1.2 Dynamic with just 60bhp claimed is especially flat on ordinary 95RON so I'm more than happy to have that little bit extra. The 100HP is just that bit more spritely. Not as much as between Sport and Normal modes but noticable all the same.

The BMW 1200 boxer twin bike was horrible on supermarket 95RON. I had to fill at a Morrisons which does not sell posh. The bike stalled twice just getting off their car park and then felt like the brakes were binding. The exhaust headers were stinking hot so the ignition timing must have been on full retard.

 

[SB1500]

What's the betting that Fiat measure the claimed power with posh petrol..

I wouldn’t be surprised if they tested it using olive oil! [emoji634]

 

[Eklipze3k]

Finally had my offer accepted on our first house, exciting and daunting times ahead!

 

[StevenRB45]

Finally had my offer accepted on our first house, exciting and daunting times ahead!

Good times!

All I'll say is budget a random pile of money for that thing you never thought of that will blind side you!

In my case I turned up day after we got the keys, my FIL informed me that the previous owners washing machine had been leaking and rotted out the backs of the units. Not to worry though...he'd ripped it all out (without telling us naturally) and he'd fit the new units..which we didn't have obviously given we'd bought a house with a kitchen!

Cue a hurried trip to B and Q with a rented van and a credit card for whatever they had in stock (we still have only 1 drawer in the kitchen because that's all they had!)..didn't even have time to take the old one away with the van as we'd rented it only for 24 hours as we only expected to use it for the move..so this happened as well.



It got much abuse the 1st 6-12 months after we moved out bless it..200kg of tiles? No bother..flat pack on the roof? why not..maintenance? nah mate I'm skint.

 

[Eklipze3k]

All I'll say is budget a random pile of money for that thing you never thought of that will blind side you!

We're buying a fixer-upper, so we know there's going to be a lot of money needing spent

 

[DaveMcT]

I bought a fixer upper with broken windows (in steel frames) and no plumbing - pipes, rads everything stolen. Contracts exchanged just before one of the coldest winters in living memory so, apart from fixing the broken glass, nothing significant got done for 6 months. It was another year before I could move in.

I did the whole lot myself fully replumbed, rewired (professional safety check), new bathroom, new (basic) kitchen and a fair bit of semi structural stuff like plastering.

I did ok in the end, but for the work involved it wasn't the easy option.

 

[StevenRB45]

Got a week off for my Birthday (34 where did the time go?). First day was spent at Fountains Abbey, not the 1st time I've been but last time my wife was 8 months along!

Given I've spent several hours with a 9 month old it's been a very good day..he behaved for the most part. Fountains is a pretty amazing place, and the Leeming Bar road works are done...so significantly less annoying to get to.

But after 3 hours on the A1 with the cruise set at 70...I have a job for tomorrow.



And a random photo from the day.

 

[Schumi2001]

Went to see my local mechanic today to get an MOT booked on the recycled U-boat.

Explained I may have to call the AA to get into it and he told me to get some 3 in 1 oil into the lock barrel then wiggle the key. I'd done this, but he said it'll need more wiggling. He was right... I now have managed to unlock the car.

That'll save me a lot of hassle and probably some cash, then!

 

[portland_bill]

At last changed the winter tyres back to summers. Had left the winters on to get a bit more wear out of them, they're 2013, so nearly 6 years old now, and hardly any wear. Would like to get some wear before replacing due to age. As they get older, I'm sure they're getting less flexible.

Replaced the two rear hubs at the same time, at last an easy job that went without hiccup.

 

[Liquid Knight II]

Phone call about my new job today. Both yesterday and today they have been calling, emailing and sending smoke signals to my previous employer for a simple reference.

Passed around from phone to phone, dead end to dead end, put on hold and giving up after forty minutes.

Sure I no longer work for these people and they have washed their rhetorical hands of me but this ineptitude has helped me no end demonstrate the sort of company it is and how professional they are. So without a reference from a company who if they issued one now would not be considered credible I'll be back to work as soon as possible.

In the mean time due to some local issues representatives of the same company have been stuck in my village and I personally made sure they have been fed, watered (tea'd) and have had access the downstairs facilities at my home. Also where one had to stand around outside all day I took one of the folding sun loungers for them to use.

It may turn out this whole getting sacked for the first time ever has been a very, very, very well disguised blessing.

 

[DaveMcT]

I noticed a substantial difference in power with my Perodua, the Panda like the stuff but it seems to make less difference. I have also noticed improved mpg, but not enough to justify the fuel on economic basis. I use it on occasion as I think it may help keep injectors clean. So I dont think its just in your head.

I use Tesco Momentum at about 5p more per litre (about 4%). Both cars feel so much better it's worth the cost, but I actually get more than 4% mpg so its cost neutral if not cost negative.

The air cooled bike was noticeably rough on 95 RON with exhaust headers absolutely stinking hot. Which is to be expected as retarding the spark timing puts more heat down the exhaust - less heat is taken by the piston.

 

[SB1500]

Second coat of Turtle Wax done last night... shame about the bumper damage. I might have dented the side, but sadly there was missing paint from before my time with the car...

It’s new name is ‘the flying brick’....

 

[Liquid Knight II]

I had a little bit of car polish left. Nowhere near enough to use on a car so I polished the little plastic garden slide. My niece ended up bouncing across the yard on her bottom a few times.

 

[Schumi2001]

Track day at Llandow today.

Not only did I drive my Schumacher (very effectively, I may add!) and give passenger rides in it to members of our armed forces with PTSD, I also invited one of my customers, who brought along his Austin Allegro Vanden Plas and a Jensen Healey Mk1.

All 3 cars were a hit with our passengers and I hope we have aided their PTSD recovery by giving them a fun day out.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Caused me to smile but also despair somewhat at the state of humanity when I witnessed yesterday two "gentlemen" almost coming to blows out side our local big Morrisons supermarket over who was going to have the last two 70 litre bags of multipurpose compost! They could have just been nice and taken one each, but no, they were each convinced that they were entitled to both bags!

They were gone when I came out and the pallet was bare. I'm now consumed with curiosity wondering what the outcome was?

 

[Liquid Knight II]

Track day at Llandow today.

Not only did I drive my Schumacher (very effectively, I may add!) and give passenger rides in it to members of our armed forces with PTSD, I also invited one of my customers, who brought along his Austin Allegro Vanden Plas and a Jensen Healey Mk1.

All 3 cars were a hit with our passengers and I hope we have aided their PTSD recovery by giving them a fun day out.

You should come along to our charity track days at Blyton. #FCTDC