What's made you smile today?

[worcestersource]

Hooning around in my Uno puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. Makes me feel like I’m 19 again, except I’m now 47 and this one’s a nice 1.4 with a few toys like front fog lamps, not a poverty spec 999cc.

I love the lack of power steering (good upper body workout) and how snickety it is round corners.

And I’ve even made myself a 90s mixtape (well, Spotify list), so I’m driving to the likes of Shakespear’s Sister, Tasmin Archer and the Lightening Seeds. They say nostalgic people are generally more content in life.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I have been nickel plating the rusty looking metal work under the bonnet, and am very happy with the results considering it is done with a bit of vinegar, salt, a phone charger and a nickel plate

Very impressive!

 

[StevenRB45]

Trying to fit a week's worth of outdoor activities into this weekend as although I'm off the week...after Monday the weather is meant to be catastrophic.

So today...tiny train.

Which is a bit of oddity definitely.

Normally they use it as a shunter but for whatever reason they had it on the full line today.

Slightly strange experience, although more pleasant than last time when the carriage was filled with diesel fumes on the return trip while this you could just stand on the balcony /deck (there's probably a proper term I don't know)and enjoy the sun and wind in your hair. Nearly made up for lack of steam engine.

Of course...while I absolutely don't tend to take him to huge number of car things..this may have been his highlight.

Also just a beautiful drive over the north Pennines, and absolutely bare minimum traffic whereas yesterday was up the A1 and it was painful, slow downs every 4 miles for no reason other than traffic volume.

 

[worcestersource]

This made me smile. The Uno attracted a Fiat Fwend.

 

[s130]

I have been nickel plating the rusty looking metal work under the bonnet, and am very happy with the results considering it is done with a bit of vinegar, salt, a phone charger and a nickel plate

So I did a little brain refreshing and this may help others

https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Nickel-Plating

 

[s130]

This made me smile. The Uno attracted a Fiat Fwend.

View attachment 441279

I just love those parking bay lines. Far less chance of dinged panels.

 

[vexorg]

View attachment 441279

Amazing how photoshop can hide rust these days

 

[portland_bill]

I just love those parking bay lines. Far less chance of dinged panels.

Sadly, there are still people who struggle to get between them.
Friday, I slipped the Panda into a smaller than necessary gap, because the car adjacent was almost on the second line. My passenger side, to his driver's side.
Returned with my shopping to find him waiting for me, as he was not agile enough to get in the other side. He'd been waiting 10 minutes, and was about to ask the supermarket to put out a call. He was even grumpier when I pointed out the lines, and then returned my trolley to the storefront, gently. No need to hurry.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sadly, there are still people who struggle to get between them.
Friday, I slipped the Panda into a smaller than necessary gap, because the car adjacent was almost on the second line. My passenger side, to his driver's side.
Returned with my shopping to find him waiting for me, as he was not agile enough to get in the other side. He'd been waiting 10 minutes, and was about to ask the supermarket to put out a call. He was even grumpier when I pointed out the lines, and then returned my trolley to the storefront, gently. No need to hurry.

Yep the monster truck brigade. Why oh why do suburban mums need 4 wheel drive pickups. There should be a more stringent test for the drivers and penalties for discouteous driving of the things. Freedom of choice is not always a good thing!

 

[portland_bill]

Yep the monster truck brigade. Why oh why do suburban mums need 4 wheel drive pickups. There should be a more stringent test for the drivers and penalties for discouteous driving of the things. Freedom of choice is not always a good thing!

A lot of Mums like the SUVs because it 'makes them feel safer'. The older separate chassis 4x4s were solid, no crumple zones, so actually more likely to injure their occupants. Now they've moved to monococque SUVs, the higher centre of gravity does make them more susceptible to rollover. I enjoy pointing these things out occasionally.

 

[portland_bill]

Just received a marketing email from Wayfair, titled, "Unmissable Toilet Seat offers".
Perhaps a group of us could gather and 'test' the 'unmissable' bit.

 

[The Panda Nut]

A lot of Mums like the SUVs because it 'makes them feel safer'. The older separate chassis 4x4s were solid, no crumple zones, so actually more likely to injure their occupants. Now they've moved to monococque SUVs, the higher centre of gravity does make them more susceptible to rollover. I enjoy pointing these things out occasionally.

Good keep on pointing it. It might take root one day. When mum A hits Mum B who also cant drive her 3 ton truck they will both find out the hard way about crash physics. Eventually the silly people will all be driving tanks, and probably electric ones.

Now, thats a thought. Tanks would be well suited to electric power. ALl that lovely torque.

HERE, PUTINN
OUR ELECTRIC BATTLE TANKS ARE BETTER THAN YOUR OLD DIESEL ONES!!!!!!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Just received a marketing email from Wayfair, titled, "Unmissable Toilet Seat offers".
Perhaps a group of us could gather and 'test' the 'unmissable' bit.

Marketing people are often some of the dumbest idiots possible.....

If we gather to test it, it MUST be in their offices, on the carpet!

 

[worcestersource]

Amazing how photoshop can hide rust these days

Lol. It really is amazing. It was resprayed a few owners ago and the rust it had on the door has been taken care of by me.

I’ve had the car a year now. It needed the head gasket doing and the cooling fan failed, boiling over on me in traffic in the process but aside from some cosmetic things I’ve sorted is pretty much perfect and incredible fun!

 

[AndyRKett]

A lot of Mums like the SUVs because it 'makes them feel safer'. The older separate chassis 4x4s were solid, no crumple zones, so actually more likely to injure their occupants. Now they've moved to monococque SUVs, the higher centre of gravity does make them more susceptible to rollover. I enjoy pointing these things out occasionally.

I’d disagree to some degree one advantage of an SUV type car is being taller it makes it a lot easier to get a carry cot in and out of the back, it also makes it much easier to get a toddler in and out and when moving the enormous car seats we have now from one car to another it makes that easier too, there is more visibility out of the windows for little ones, the boot size/shape is better for getting a push chair in and out there are a lot of advantages for mums to buy SUVs

The likelihood of rolling over is still extremely low and given the average speed on any journey in the uk is just 28mph which is probably fair on the school run. The safety of a 2020 SUV is going to be far greater than the safety of something like a Fiat 500, in fact the reason cars have gotten bigger over time is to incorporate more safety devices and measures.

One of the biggest SUVs going the Tesla Model X had at one point the highest safety rating of any car and despite numerous attempts they couldn’t get it to roll over during testing therefore it scored the highest rating for roll over safety in the USA.
With many more cars moving to electric, the centre of gravity tends to be much lower and so they are again more safe than the non electric counterparts with loose fuel swilling about in a tank

 

[StevenRB45]

To be fair...all the practicality advantages tend to be erased by not fitting in a standard car parking space.

Which unless you're one of these who happily parks over people's driveways, on double yellows, on school entrance markings, or in the middle of the road because you're only going to be a minute and you are more important than everyone else as you have a larger monthly payment is an issue. They don't actually fit properly in multi story car parks, you can't open the doors wide in a standard space making them harder to put kids in than a smaller car..and obviously the additional height is perfect to ensure you can run over a child without seeing them.

Of course add to that the additional running costs and mainly it would be a vanity purchase which is fine...but let's not pretend they do anything a Dacia Jogger couldn't do except look like you're doing well..

 

[s130]

Just received a marketing email from Wayfair, titled, "Unmissable Toilet Seat offers".
Perhaps a group of us could gather and 'test' the 'unmissable' bit.

Reminds me of Batman & Robin

"Holy Crap Batman - I missed that!"

 

[bugsymike]

Reminds me of Batman & Robin

"Holy Crap Batman - I missed that!"

Bit like the sign in the pub toilets "We aim to please, will you also!"

 

[AndyRKett]

To be fair...all the practicality advantages tend to be erased by not fitting in a standard car parking space.

Of course add to that the additional running costs and mainly it would be a vanity purchase which is fine...

our mini countryman fits in any standard sized parking space…..

Arguably any car is a vanity purchase, and can be countered by the argument why don’t you get the bus, why don’t you walk? What’s wrong with a hose and carriage? And so on.

 

[StevenRB45]

our mini countryman fits in any standard sized parking space…..

Arguably any car is a vanity purchase, and can be countered by the argument why don’t you get the bus, why don’t you walk? What’s wrong with a hose and carriage? And so on.

But also your mini would eradicated in a collision with a full size range rover...as would most things.

Also calling it an SUV is a bit strong.. crossover perhaps like a qashcai. I.e. all the practicality of a reasonable sized hatchback..none of the pretty. Like most things bearing an SUV aspiration these days it's not it's a mock Tudor hatchback and it should be pointed out that the cooking version of your Golf has a bigger boot and more interior space than a countryman.

There's a line between what you need...and saying a V8 that does 14mpg and can only be moored rather than parked is the perfect vehicle for the school run.

Obviously that falls in different places for many people.