What's made you smile today?

[PuntoHowTo]

We went a slightly shorter walk today due to the cold, but still made it round the park's perimeter track. At the kerbside just outside the park entrance on the far side of the park was a medium sized good looking car. I couldn't recognize it so went for a closer look. As I approached it I thought at first that the emblems on the centre caps of the, large diameter, wheels were Mercedes Benz. But as I got closer I could see they weren't. The fancy, very large, orangy golden front brake calipers and the unusually large diameter wheels attracted my attention next as I moved round to look at the front. That same strange emblem on the bonnet nose. Wandering round the back I couldn't see a name, just that emblem again, quite subtly in the middle of the boot and by now Mrs J was saying she was cold and wanted to move on. I grabbed a last quick look inside it - definitely trending towards the luxury market I thought. What a nice looking car, must see if I can find out what it is when I get home!

So, home now with the laptop cranked up and it hasn't taken long to discover it's a Polestar! https://www.polestar.com/uk/polestar-2/ I think, somewhere in the very murky depths of what passes for my brain, I've heard that name before and that I thought it had something to do with China? Having now read about it I've learned it's actually associated with Volvo - who, of course are now owned by Geely - and I think they, Geely, have something like a 50% holding in the company? I liked the look of it very much, nicer than a Tesla I thought. So that was a nice wee unexpected treat for me on my walk today. Mrs J says "No, you definitely can't have one!"

Looking at the link I've given you above you'll notice how unusual the rear lights are? I realize I was following one, two cars back from it, on my way home from my boy's house yesterday - remember thinking I didn't recognize the lights, which is unusual for me.

I followed one through my COVID test a few weeks back... obviously I couldn’t get out and take a look but it was the first one I’d seen and it was a nice looking car

I only really got a look of the back then the side once he parked up, then after that I was parked up away from him

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I probably should have taken up the quote to get the heated seats fitted...but they cost more than the tyres and I know which one has been more useful.

Next winter maybe...would like the car paid off first but loan is 50% paid off which isn't bad given we bought it 3 months ago and it was over 2 years. I always planned to overpay..but nice when it goes to plan.

I fitted my own to the punto, only cost about £25 for the kit off of eBay. Both front seats with dial controls. The punto has leather seats and there is nothing worse than leather seats and cold weather

 

[portland_bill]

I fitted my own to the punto, only cost about £25 for the kit off of eBay. Both front seats with dial controls. The punto has leather seats and there is nothing worse than leather seats and cold weather

Are you not old enough to remember vinyl seats? I'd vote them as being worse than leather, hot or cold. Not a common thing now though.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Polestar = Volvo?

 

[dave]

Are you not old enough to remember vinyl seats? I'd vote them as being worse than leather, hot or cold. Not a common thing now though.

Do you remember the glass bottle of orange stuff everyone had to clean vinyl seats? was trying to remember what it was called the other day.

 

[portland_bill]

Do you remember the glass bottle of orange stuff everyone had to clean vinyl seats? was trying to remember what it was called the other day.

Decosol. Still out there, but in a plastic bottle. Have some in the garage, it'll clean all upholstery, works better than foam on deeper or stubborn stains, but is a bit messy.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Are you not old enough to remember vinyl seats? I'd vote them as being worse than leather, hot or cold. Not a common thing now though.

My mum had a Datsun Cherry with vinyl seats, the main problem being they had cracked and split down the line of every stitch so they where basically bits of hard, sharp edged, vinyl stitched to some foam.
She then put a seat cover over it which did nothing to help the sharp edges or lumps it just hid them under the thinnest stretchy material you could get back in the 80s/early 90s and so it really only made the comfort issue worse as you now had something on top of the vinyl to make it slippery, and the last thing you want when sitting on what was essentially razor blades, is the surface to then be slippery

You’re right that probably was far worse lol

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Can of heat tolerant spray paint? - For those calipers that is.

 

[dave]

Decosol. Still out there, but in a plastic bottle. Have some in the garage, it'll clean all upholstery, works better than foam on deeper or stubborn stains, but is a bit messy.

thanks, just did a search with that name but cant find it in a plastic bottle either just spray cans

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Are you not old enough to remember vinyl seats? I'd vote them as being worse than leather, hot or cold. Not a common thing now though.

Brings back vivid memories of getting into my brother in law's VW Beetle at NISI beach in Cyprus (back in the 70's before it got all developed and overrun with tourists). We'd parked the car under a small tree but the sun had moved round 'till it was shining on the plastic seats. I was wearing just my swimming shorts (everyone wore budgie smugglers in those days). Bare thigh flesh directly on the seat! Never moved so fast in my life! The other thing you learn to do in hot countries is to put a towel or cloth of some sort over the steering wheel because it can get so hot you can't hold on to it to drive.

 

[portland_bill]

thanks, just did a search with that name but cant find it in a plastic bottle either just spray cans

Found a post from 2012 on another forum, seems they'd recently stopped making it then. So my bottle must be at least that old. Second bottle I've had, bought the first in the late seventies. There's a clue ther as to why it is no longer sold. Not much profit in my usage.

AutoGlym is generally good stuff. A trigger spray is available. https://www.halfords.com/motoring/c...g/autoglym-interior-shampoo-500ml-448910.html
Other retailers may be a better deal.

 

[dave]

Found a post from 2012 on another forum, seems they'd recently stopped making it then. So my bottle must be at least that old. Second bottle I've had, bought the first in the late seventies. There's a clue ther as to why it is no longer sold. Not much profit in my usage.

AutoGlym is generally good stuff. A trigger spray is available. https://www.halfords.com/motoring/c...g/autoglym-interior-shampoo-500ml-448910.html
Other retailers may be a better deal.

aww i'l just carry on using tyre gell brush on, its not for cars its for mobility scooters that have been kept outside for years

 

[jimboy]

Are you not old enough to remember vinyl seats? I'd vote them as being worse than leather, hot or cold. Not a common thing now though.

Aye that brings back memories, like others have said they had drawbacks.. I’ve never been bothered by cold seats, but in the cold vinyl went rock hard and practically cracked to hell. If they had a pattern of raised ridges if you know what I mean, they were a bit better. The garage where I worked at the time had loads of vinyl covers in for repair, even for relatively new cars. It was of the time......

 

[StevenRB45]

I fitted my own to the punto, only cost about £25 for the kit off of eBay. Both front seats with dial controls. The punto has leather seats and there is nothing worse than leather seats and cold weather

Chances of me messing with the electrics of a 3 year old French car that's still in warranty...0.

"Hi dearest you know how you had had a cold bum? Well I sorted it so that car doesn't work by letting the smoke out..so er you've got mine which has seated seats" .

Again good suggestion...but having seen the loom of the car erm..I'd prefer any failures to be someone else's problem. Even the damn cigarette lighter appears to be canbus and go via the bcm...it stays on if a draw is detected if it isn't it goes off with the ignition. Guess it would eventually switch off when the power saver activates after 30 mins.

 

[StevenRB45]

Every time I look...there's something else wrong and hilarious..

 

[rmjbn1]

Bought the cheapest folding bike on the market today in an attempt to ditch the screen time and get out more, lockdown or not, and decided to check out one of the UK based cycling forums in hopes they are as useful as this forum and some others have been...

I'm laughing at the absolute cringe-fest that is their collective hate / prejudice against 'all drivers' who are aggressive, entitled and a risk to everyone and their planet... lol

I agree with you, I don't subscribe to this view that 'drivers' and 'cyclists' are two camps that hate each other. I've always cycled regularly in the country and cities and that hasn't been my experience at all.

I think the truth is that most people are friendly and considerate, there's a tiny minority of inconsiderate people, and they're just inconsiderate irrespective of whether they're driving, cycling or walking. Or just sitting still.

Maybe it's just in our nature to focus on those few unpleasant interactions, and tinterweb is the perfect place for a good old grumble.

I hope you enjoy your new bike and find a helpful, friendly cycling forum. But if you do need input, I'm sure a thread on here in the appropriate section would answer too. If you tag me, I'd be happy to offer any advice I can, and I'm sure there are plenty of other knowledgeable cycling folk on here

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Bought a 1991 Panda 4x4 today

 

[rmjbn1]

I promise I'm not trying to turn this into a cyling forum... but a bicycle is such a great way to be outdoors at present without having to drive anywhere.

We've recently moved somewhere very windy (west coast of Ireland), which has been putting my girlfriend off going for a bike ride. Some of those gusts can stop you dead in your tracks. And she doesn't really like hills either.

I've stripped down an old bicycle we had in the garage for years and converted it into an ebike with a 500W front hub motor.

The 36V 10Ah battery is good for 30+ miles and takes all the hard work out of cycling, so now we can go for longer bike rides together at a decent pace It's a bit of an effort to keep up with her going uphill now!

Also means she no longer has an excuse not to go for a spin

As long as it's not raining. Which it usually is. Every silver lining has a cloud and all that...

 

[dave]

This

 

[StevenRB45]

This
View attachment 215375

Something tells me they weren't very good with a shape sorter

My thing for the day...crunchtime week, employer is replacing a system they have used for 20 years + with an alternative.

Been building everything in readiness for months but it's very real/stressful at the moment.

To quote myself from the neither grumpy or smiley thread...this went live yesterday nothing blew up, fell over or caught fire. I've got a list of snags/housekeeping to do for next week now it's live and handed over but as things like this go amazingly painless.

Didn't realise how stressed I was about it until I logged out last night and sat on the couch and just felt relief. I suppose it's only been building for about 2 years...