***Motors Chat Thread Round 3***

advertsfox

RoverJames wrote: »

Nah, they wouldn't suffer increased wear, they just move about a tiny bit.

Ah so that's why it happens when it's only pressed up to about 30% on the pedal - makes sense. Thanks again

Ronnie Beck

Passed the driving test today, woo! Then crashed into a parked car in the van this evening :mad:. Some gobsh:te had there fiesta parked at an angle on the white line in the space beside me. A proper candidate for the parking thread. I just clipped there wing mirror with with my passenger indicator. No damage apart from the indicator. Their wing mirror was hanging of. Luckily nothing had broken inside the mirror and I was able to clip it back on with a bit of fiddling before they got back. Scratched up the plastic on the mirror a good bit but they'd never notice. The car was fairly rough all over.

Anyway, when can I start looking for a reduction in my insurance? Now or when I actually get the licence. Seems to take a good while to get one. This years insurance expires on the 30th march. Any point in contacting them tomorrow

Stheno

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

Passed the driving test today, woo! Then crashed into a parked car in the van this evening :mad:. Some gobsh:te had there fiesta parked at an angle on the white line in the space beside me. A proper candidate for the parking thread. I just clipped there wing mirror with with my passenger indicator. No damage apart from the indicator. Their wing mirror was hanging of. Luckily nothing had broken inside the mirror and I was able to clip it back on with a bit of fiddling before they got back. Scratched up the plastic on the mirror a good bit but they'd never notice. The car was fairly rough all over.

Anyway, when can I start looking for a reduction in my insurance? Now or when I actually get the licence. Seems to take a good while to get one. This years insurance expires on the 30th march. Any point in contacting them tomorrow

Least it was after your test I can see all the learners who like to claim that qualified drivers are worse bookmarking this post for future reference when ground hog day around learners strikes again.

Anyway congrats on the test (my OH knocked down a dog halfway through his first one!), sorry about the accident, and you can start getting quotes straight away, the saving for a month tbh will probably not be worth chasing.

Ronnie Beck

Stheno wrote: »

Least it was after your test I can see all the learners who like to claim that qualified drivers are worse bookmarking this post for future reference when ground hog day around learners strikes again.

Anyway congrats on the test (my OH knocked down a dog halfway through his first one!), sorry about the accident, and you can start getting quotes straight away, the saving for a month tbh will probably not be worth chasing.

It felt strange driving home after the test alright. Must have done enough messin to fail 5 tests on the way home:pac:. I have just worked eight days straight so I was pretty wrecked after it. That's my excuse anyway.

Right so, I'll start looking for quotes for when this years insurance runs out. Just done Liberty insurance for the craic, exact same as the current policy on the provisional. There an expensive bunch. Actually 125 euro less for third party only which the last policy was. Worked out the same for Thind party F and T.

Stheno

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

It felt strange driving home after the test alright. Must have done enough messin to fail 5 tests on the way home:pac:. I have just worked eight days straight so I was pretty wrecked after it. That's my excuse anyway.

Right so, I'll start looking for quotes for when this years insurance runs out. Just done Liberty insurance for the craic, exact same as the current policy on the provisional. There an expensive bunch. Actually 125 euro less for third party only which the last policy was. Worked out the same for Thind party F and T.

Have you tried seeing what it's like if you add a named driver?

Ronnie Beck

Stheno wrote: »

Have you tried seeing what it's like if you add a named driver?

300 extra for a female 24 new full license.

I'll probably get the golden pages out some day and have ring around. Should be able to get it down a good bit. A few of the lads on here have recommended it as the best way to go.

Stheno

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

300 extra for a female 24 new full license.

I'll probably get the golden pages out some day and have ring around. Should be able to get it down a good bit. A few of the lads on here have recommended it as the best way to go.

Yer ma is only 24?

Seriously see what adding your mother will do in terms of reducing the price few of the lads on here have found it helped.

Gary ITR

CianRyan wrote: »

Anything, I've done the 20 CVs and emails a day thing for ages and got nothing.
Sticking to places that are actually hiring and looking for people with my skills yields more results.
Cheaper too, I'm not buying loads of paper and ink anymore.

It's a PITA, do you mind me asking what experience you have?

You can PM me if you like

CianRyan

Gary ITR wrote: »

It's a PITA, do you mind me asking what experience you have?

You can PM me if you like

Nah, it's fine.
I've bar/restaurant experience, shops, sorting, post/deliveries.
My problem is the gaps in my record I think.

All of my jobs have been cut short, ie, bad business in the restaurant meant I had to be let go, when I was working with City Post they hit a bad spot and let a load of us go.
Future employers don't give me the chance to tell them that though, they see a guy in his 20's that been between more jobs than someone twice my age and they think I'm getting fired/quitting after a few weeks/months.

I'll be going back to college at some stage but that'll probably be next year.

Ronnie Beck

Stheno wrote: »

Yer ma is only 24?

Seriously see what adding your mother will do in terms of reducing the price few of the lads on here have found it helped.

Oh right, I was wondering why you suggested that . I'll try that one.

Toyotafanboi

so so torn with the starlet. considering spending 750 euro on preventative maintenance on it... then wondering am i mad.

two rear tyres are @ 40%
front pads are @ 30%
would like to get a full service with a few more bits done (plug leads and distributor, brake fluid and gearbox oil change)

and the timing belt was done 3 years, or 40k kms ago @ 101k kms "supposedly". i took the last owners word for it, he had owned it for the full 3 years since import and he imported it himself, so i can only asume he wouldnt take risks.

anyway thinking of doing the pads, tyres, major service and belt and having a super running car. then wondering am i just mad? is spending 750 on maintaining a 2 grand car foolish?

Toyotafanboi

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

.................

anyway thinking of doing the pads, tyres, major service and belt and having a super running car. then wondering am i just mad? is spending 750 on maintaining a 2 grand car foolish?

Well if you keep it another 12 months it's far from foolish imo.
Keep it another 24 months and it's even further from madness.

I'd be slow to change rear tyres at 40% thread depth though unless they are plasticy yokes.

Gary ITR

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Stuck my entry in for a race at SPA in Belgium, going to be racing a car I have never driven before!

Do tell?

Ded_Zebra

It the tyres are a good brand and not extremely old then I would leave them on for another while/rotate them to the front if the fronts are better. I would also leave the ignition stuff alone unless there was a problem but other than that I would do the work if I was keeping it for another year plus.

I'm in the middle of making the same decision about my timing belt... Not sure how long I'll keep the car though.

Toyotafanboi

RoverJames wrote: »

Well if you keep it another 12 months it's far from foolish imo.
Keep it another 24 months and it's even further from madness.

I'd be slow to change rear tyres at 40% thread depth though unless they are plasticy yokes.

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

It the tyres are a good brand and not extremely old then I would leave them on for another while/rotate them to the front if the fronts are better. I would also leave the ignition stuff alone unless there was a problem but other than that I would do the work if I was keeping it for another year plus.

I'm in the middle of making the same decision about my timing belt... Not sure how long I'll keep the car though.

the rears are chinese tat... that said, i cant imaging the rear of the starlet gets much work, it'd just be nice to have 4 matching brand name tyres.

see that's my problem with the ignition bits, are they serviceable items, or replace them only if they break items?

thanks for the advice. probably going to have it at least another year, so kinda just looking for justification to spend that much when nothing is actually wrong :pac:

edit : aren't the levin 20v belt kits OEM only? i think they cost a fair packet. do you have any history of it being done?

Ded_Zebra

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

the rears are chinese tat... that said, i cant imaging the rear of the starlet gets much work, it'd just be nice to have 4 matching brand name tyres.

see that's my problem with the ignition bits, are they serviceable items, or replace them only if they break items?

thanks for the advice. probably going to have it at least another year, so kinda just looking for justification to spend that much when nothing is actually wrong :pac:

edit : aren't the levin 20v belt kits OEM only? i think they cost a fair packet. do you have any history of it being done?

Ignition parts to me are fix them when they go wrong kind of thing but I'm only a weekend worrier not a mechanic. I would also get rid of the Chinese tyres even for something budget but good:)

I haven't priced a belt kit yet but I'm told they're not too bad. It's not due yet by the writing on the cover but I have no receipt for it. But it wasn't "done" just before I got it. I also trust the seller as he did have the car for 5 years... I might do it this summer though for piece of mind because I do think about it occasionally just as the revs reach the red line :pac:

Beyond plugs I wouldn't bother replacing ignition bits if the car is running fine.

166man

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

so so torn with the starlet. considering spending 750 euro on preventative maintenance on it... then wondering am i mad.

two rear tyres are @ 40%
front pads are @ 30%
would like to get a full service with a few more bits done (plug leads and distributor, brake fluid and gearbox oil change)

and the timing belt was done 3 years, or 40k kms ago @ 101k kms "supposedly". i took the last owners word for it, he had owned it for the full 3 years since import and he imported it himself, so i can only asume he wouldnt take risks.

anyway thinking of doing the pads, tyres, major service and belt and having a super running car. then wondering am i just mad? is spending 750 on maintaining a 2 grand car foolish?

Try and make some kind of decision on whether you'll keep the car or not., then answer your above question. If you're selling then there's not much point, if however you wish to keep it for quite some time then it's hardly mental tbh.

I decided I'm never going to sell my Alfa so I'm piling money into it now. Makes sense to me anyway...:D

Foxhole Norman

Update on the Yaris. The whine doesn't seem to exist past 2.5k Revs or at Idle. Topped it up with oil as it was at the minimum :eek: and hopefully that should smoothen it up a bit.

Stheno

CianRyan wrote: »

Nah, it's fine.
I've bar/restaurant experience, shops, sorting, post/deliveries.
My problem is the gaps in my record I think.

All of my jobs have been cut short, ie, bad business in the restaurant meant I had to be let go, when I was working with City Post they hit a bad spot and let a load of us go.
Future employers don't give me the chance to tell them that though, they see a guy in his 20's that been between more jobs than someone twice my age and they think I'm getting fired/quitting after a few weeks/months.

I'll be going back to college at some stage but that'll probably be next year.

Cian, something that might help, that I used due to contracting and having something like 5 jobs in four years, with one three month gap.

I was contracting after being made redundant, and it looked a bit dodgy if you were applying anywhere that mainly had permanent staff.

So rather than wait for the agency to get me an interview then have to waste half my time explaining, at the end of each job I put reason for leaving, such as six month contract, 3 year fixed term contract, redundancy, and I found that completely cut out those questions, and made me more "marketable.

Also and sorry for asking, is your c.v. up to scratch? No more than 2 pages long, listing job history first, with description, key duties, achievements, then reason for leaving? After that, education and that's the end of mine, I don't put in references or hobbies Might be different for you though.

I got a c.v. in yesterday to review, it was five pages long and by the end of page two I couldn't read anymore, it was for a second interview. I ended up printing it out and highlighting the stuff I wanted to ask about :rolleyes:

So for you e.g.
Cian Ryan
Date: X - Y: Position x Citypost
Duties

Blah blah blah
Achievements:
Blah blah blah
Reason for leaving : Closure of company

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Update on the Yaris. The whine doesn't seem to exist past 2.5k Revs or at Idle. Topped it up with oil as it was at the minimum :eek: and hopefully that should smoothen it up a bit.

Is it making any tap tap noises? My evil beast was like a drummer up to about 2.5k then it shut the feck up. The tapping was the worst.

Ronnie Beck

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Update on the Yaris. The whine doesn't seem to exist past 2.5k Revs or at Idle. Topped it up with oil as it was at the minimum :eek: and hopefully that should smoothen it up a bit.

It sounds like an auxiliary belt pulley to me just by the way it follows the revs back to idle. Possibly the alternator or water pump.

Foxhole Norman

Stheno wrote: »

Is it making any tap tap noises? My evil beast was like a drummer up to about 2.5k then it shut the feck up. The tapping was the worst.

Nope, nothing of the sort thankfully.

Stheno

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Nope, nothing of the sort thankfully.

Mine tap-tapped like a feckin irish dancer up to about 2.5 k revs then shut up.

Doesn't sound like what I suggested so which is good news.

Expensive services due in this house, OH needs a new timing belt, I need new spark plugs /shudder and both cars need at least two new tyres, along with the normal service items.

Toyotafanboi

quiet apartment block where i live. probably 25 ish spaces and around ten cars maximum, yet every day this fat asshole parks his car here. its so frustrating to see his total lack of consideration. bring back the worst parking thread :pac:

Stheno

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

quiet apartment block where i live. probably 25 ish spaces and around ten cars maximum, yet every day this fat asshole parks his car here. its so frustrating to see his total lack of consideration. bring back the worst parking thread :pac:

He's a right idiot, is it outside his front door or what?

challengemaster

Have to say I'm really surprised how well the Eagle F1's and RE050A's are lasting. Considering they're performance tyres that grip like a mother****er, I don't always drive on the nicest of roads, and I'd tend to be fairly aggressive with them most of the time.... The eagles are on the longest (11k miles) and there's still 5mm left.

Stheno

challengemaster wrote: »

Have to say I'm really surprised how well the Eagle F1's and RE050A's are lasting. Considering they're performance tyres that grip like a mother****er, I don't always drive on the nicest of roads, and I'd tend to be fairly aggressive with them most of the time.... The eagles are on the longest (11k miles) and there's still 5mm left.

That's pretty decent! I've to check what's on my car as they are good tyres in terms of wear and check others out. Think I've continentals on the front.

Toyotafanboi

Stheno wrote: »

He's a right idiot, is it outside his front door or what?

there are no flats on the ground floor, just a community center thing and a laundrette. its only student accomidation, but still. its clearly hatched to keep free for emergency access and the likes.

used to see it parked there the odd time and now he's just gotten cockey and doing it 100% of the time because nobodies called him up on it.

so frustrating :mad: but maybe im just in an angry mood.

challengemaster

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

there are no flats on the ground floor, just a community center thing and a laundrette. its only student accomidation, but still. its clearly hatched to keep free for emergency access and the likes.

used to see it parked there the odd time and now he's just gotten cockey and doing it 100% of the time because nobodies called him up on it.

so frustrating :mad: but maybe im just in an angry mood.

You'd get a 10 pack of matches for €2...

Ronnie Beck

challengemaster wrote: »

You'd get a 10 pack of matches for €2...

Or get your hands on a clamp and make some money. Ask a mate to come around in a high vis and unlock it so he doesn't know its you.