***** Motors chat - round 12 *****

Truckermal

Speaking of which I seen a Duster and a i40 sporting German plates lately...:rolleyes:

James Bond Junior

Truckermal wrote: »

Speaking of which I seen a Duster and a i40 sporting German plates lately...:rolleyes:

They have become popular with the nomads too. I think their day hath passed.

colm_mcm

They were only cool for a very short time when it was difficult to get them IMO. At least 10 years ago.

Leonard Hofstadter

Fair play, in my experience it's much easier to go back, explain why you've an issue, and give them a second chance, if they're honest and genuine they'll admit fault and fix. Nobody's perfect and we can call mistakes from time to time, it's how they dealt with is what separates a good garage from a bad one.

Brian Scan

Truckermal wrote: »

Speaking of which I seen a Duster and a i40 sporting German plates lately...:rolleyes:

I've seen references to German plates in the Motors thread before. What are they, and why might it be considered strange to see them on a Duster or an i40?

colm_mcm

Brian Scan wrote: »

I've seen references to German plates in the Motors thread before. What are they, and why might it be considered strange to see them on a Duster or an i40?

German number plates use a similar style to Irish ones (blue flag, white background, same size characters) but have a different font which is pretty distinctive. It is designed for easy identification and less chance of being misinterpreted as a different number/letter.

The plates also have 2 stickers for safety test and registration seal.


Because the German font is within regulation sizes for Ireland, there’s nothing illegal about having German font plates as long as the spacing is correct, and it has the county name at the top etc.

If someone puts fake test/registration stickers on, then the plate is not legal anymore, same with leaving out the county name, or the heiphens between the year/county/number

MetzgerMeister

Brian Scan wrote: »

I've seen references to German plates in the Motors thread before. What are they, and why might it be considered strange to see them on a Duster or an i40?

German plates:



Usually made up for (illegal) use on German cars in Ireland. Dacia and Hyundai aren't German.

Brian Scan

Truckermal wrote: »

Speaking of which I seen a Duster and a i40 sporting German plates lately...:rolleyes:

colm_mcm wrote: »

German number plates use a similar style to Irish ones (blue flag, white background, same size characters) but have a different font which is pretty distinctive. It is designed for easy identification and less chance of being misinterpreted as a different number/letter.

Thanks, Colm.

OSI

OSI wrote: »

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

For a period they were a bit of a scene fad for drivers of cars made by German manufacturers as a sort homage to their origins and because many thought they looked better. It's considered strange on the likes of a Hyundai or Dacia because neither brand has any connection to Germany, so the typical reason of the plates being an homage to the brands homeland is meaningless.

I think they look daft as fook on Skoda too, Skoda being a VAG brand of course.

Brian Scan

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

German plates:



Usually made up for (illegal) use on German cars in Ireland. Dacia and Hyundai aren't German.

OSI wrote: »

They're number plates done in a style similar to that of the number plates used in Germany, eg:



For a period they were a bit of a scene fad for drivers of cars made by German manufacturers as a sort homage to their origins and because many thought they looked better. It's considered strange on the likes of a Hyundai or Dacia because neither brand has any connection to Germany, so the typical reason of the plates being an homage to the brands homeland is meaningless.

Thanks for that.

I'm amused by the fact that the thought police think they should only be used on cars of German origin, almost as if all German cars were designed round the plates.

MetzgerMeister

Brian Scan wrote: »

Thanks for that.

I'm amused by the fact that the thought police think they should only be used on cars of German origin, almost as if all German cars were designed round the plates.

No, the Gardai (and the law) say that anything other than standard Irish plates are illegal in Ireland.

Brian Scan

Brian Scan wrote: »

Thanks for that.

I'm amused by the fact that the thought police think they should only be used on cars of German origin, almost as if all German cars were designed round the plates.

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

No, the Gardai (and the law) say that anything other than standard Irish plates are illegal in Ireland.

I think he's on about folk who think (thought police ) they are daft on anything but German makes, as opposed to the actual AGS.

MetzgerMeister

Augeo wrote: »

I think he's on about folk who think (thought police ) they are daft on anything but German makes, as opposed to the actual AGS.

Ah yesh...I shees it now :pac:

colm_mcm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

No, the Gardai (and the law) say that anything other than standard Irish plates are illegal in Ireland.

Once the plate meets the standards laid out with regards spacing etc it’s legal. There’s no standard plate as such.

Midnight_EG

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

No, the Gardai (and the law) say that anything other than standard Irish plates are illegal in Ireland.

Except there is no standard plate, only dimensions that must be adhered to :cool:

Carpentry

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Except there is no standard plate, only dimensions that must be adhered to :cool:

So the standard goes as :

3 letters IRL with 12 yellow stars above them on blue background - illegal if not on the plate

Dashes between year - county - reg number, illegal if not on the plate

County name in Irish on top of the plate, illegal if not on the plate

Any other markings, signs, etc. illegal if ON the plate



You can read it all here, just scroll down to the plate section.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1992/si/318/made/en/print

Brian Scan

Augeo wrote: »

I think he's on about folk who think (thought police ) they are daft on anything but German makes, as opposed to the actual AGS.

I see there have been quite a few threads on the German plates question before. Apologies for resurrecting the topic.

Wailin

Not feeling the love for my fancy new plates....(haughty sniff).

Change of topic. Anyone change brake shoes on rear drum brakes? Is it handy? I did the front discs and pads on the Jimny, rear shoes need to be done next.

Carpentry

Wailin wrote: »

Not feeling the love for my fancy new plates....(haughty sniff).

Change of topic. Anyone change brake shoes on rear drum brakes? Is it handy? I did the front discs and pads on the Jimny, rear shoes need to be done next.

I feel it for ya

ba_barabus

New (to us) car time, going is the 2010 Megane dci which I really liked and in comes a 132 Rav4.

Hopefully the days of a fecked back and a baby with concussion from hitting the roof are behind us.

kirving

I always get a laugh out of German plates.

Paying homage to the car's roots is funny these days, since so much of it is built in Romania, Hungary, Poland and other low cost countries.

ba_barabus

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I always get a laugh out of German plates.

Paying homage to the car's roots is funny these days, since so much of it is built in Romania, Hungary, Poland and other low cost countries.

It annoys me when they're put on the wrong car though. I hate seeing them on Jags for example.

colm_mcm

Anybody notice the use of salesman videos for garages on the likes of Facebook. Arm waving, shouting, that sort of thing?

Is there some company doing these videos for them (lots have drone footage etc)

Midnight_EG

ba_barabus wrote: »

It annoys me when they're put on the wrong car though. I hate seeing them on Jags for example.

You'd be fairly annoyed if you go to Germany then :O :pac:

R.O.R

colm_mcm wrote: »

Anybody notice the use of salesman videos for garages on the likes of Facebook. Arm waving, shouting, that sort of thing?

Is there some company doing these videos for them (lots have drone footage etc)

There was an ad a couple of years ago that went viral, with a salesman shouting and being ridiculous. Was pretty successful as an ad, and I presume it's copying that.

I think it was a Cork SEAT dealer, but not 100% sure.

ofcork

That was Finbarr galvins in bandon a lot of garages have copied since.

punisher5112

ba_barabus wrote: »

New (to us) car time, going is the 2010 Megane dci which I really liked and in comes a 132 Rav4.

Hopefully the days of a fecked back and a baby with concussion from hitting the roof are behind us.

Have exactly same issue, I have to get in a special way not to nock myself out.

Toyotafanboi

Big day in the Golf yesterday and not only because it was 16 degrees at 8am :pac:

CIP4

I may have slightly kinda bought a new car

Even after all the mortgage talk Infairness this is the longest I ever spent looking as I was looking on and off since January. Being honest I didn't have much intention of buying anything the end of the weekend was just sick of the whole progress and dealing with garages but then one fell into place with me getting a fairly ok deal on it so I am happy.

While it won't be the fanciest car I have ever owned think it will be the funnest.

carsfan2

You’ll have to tell us more than that!
Come on. What’s the deal?

I think the a4 is the funnest so far....not hard to beat really in the fun dept :pac:

CIP4

carsfan2 wrote: »

You’ll have to tell us more than that!
Come on. What’s the deal?

Predictably enough Golf GTI PP 245BHP DSG. At one point or another I went between S3, Golf R / GTI and Leon Cupra.

I think the GTI really is the best all rounder it can do the just get me to my destination as quietly uneventfully as possible as well as being able to drive it on and have fun and everything in between. It doesn't have the power of the other but I think it has plenty all the same.

My Dad had a Mk7 golf van 1.6tdi for about 4 years and its hard to put your finger on it but while it was literally bottom spec and engine as the range goes there was always just something really nice about it that other cars didn't have.

Lately I just kept thinking I can't go through my whole 20s without owning a proper hot hatch. Seems to be genuinely getting difficult to get nice newer hot hatches which I am putting down to the boom and fear that they will soon be gone well in current petrol engine form anyway. Most seem to be flying out as quickly as they are being traded in not just the Golf but all of them. That didnt help when trying to buy one.

carsfan2

Great choice.
Are you getting a brand new car from stock or used?
What's the spec?

CIP4

carsfan2 wrote: »

Great choice.
Are you getting a brand new car from stock or used?
What's the spec?

I originally tried to either order one or get a new one from stock. There are none in stock and ordering one from the factory was a bit iffy with mk7.5 production soon ending. So seen an ad for one coming in in July on trade in 181 guy that owned it bought a TCR. So was kind of in talks with the salesman before it came in and once it came in managed to haggle a deal and snapped it up as if I didn’t buy it I am sure some one else would of by the end of the week.

Spec apart from the performance pack, it has technology pack, upgraded 19 inch Brescia alloys and a panoramic sunroof which I really wanted something with a sunroof as I have never had one. So it’s far from having every option on it but at the same time if I had been buying brand new there wouldn’t of been a whole lot more I would have added.

carsfan2

Well wear when you get it.
Look forward to some pictures.

GustavoFring

CIP4 wrote: »

I originally tried to either order one or get a new one from stock. There are none in stock and ordering one from the factory was a bit iffy with mk7.5 production soon ending. So seen an ad for one coming in in July on trade in 181 guy that owned it bought a TCR. So was kind of in talks with the salesman before it came in and once it came in managed to haggle a deal and snapped it up as if I didn’t buy it I am sure some one else would of by the end of the week.

Spec apart from the performance pack, it has technology pack, upgraded 19 inch Brescia alloys and a panoramic sunroof which I really wanted something with a sunroof as I have never had one. So it’s far from having every option on it but at the same time if I had been buying brand new there wouldn’t of been a whole lot more I would have added.

Tech pack, 19s and pano roof make that a very decent spec imo, well wear.

What colour?

Esel

CIP4 wrote: »

Being honest I didn't have much intention of buying anything...

CIP4

carsfan2 wrote: »

Well wear when you get it.
Look forward to some pictures.

Either Saturday or early next week.

GustavoFring wrote: »

Tech pack, 19s and pano roof make that a very decent spec imo, well wear.

What colour?

White. Which I think suits it really.

colm_mcm

Yaay. Best car choice you’ve ever made CIP.

ShadowHearth

Well gratz Cip, how long until you will start crying that it's not Audi and be on the hunt again.

colm_mcm

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well gratz Cip, how long until you will start crying that it's not Audi and be on the hunt again.

Shhhh - cheap GTI for someone

tossy

Well wear CIP great choice. Welcome to the mk7 club

Interslice

Well wear cip. I thought after all this search you were going to get a diesel A4. Fair play for being a bit adventurous!

vintagevrs

Nice one CIP. The white suits the GTI's red bits, and the sunroof sets them off well too.
Hope it works out.

Gwynplaine

Still undecided on a car. Have ruled out, Insignia, Mazda 6, S40. Still in contention : Avensis, Passat, Octavia, Mondeo. Have around 6k to spend. So would be a 2011 or 2012.
Any thoughts? Am leaning towards an Avensis, but the Octavia looks to be a similar car with better fuel economy (1.6 diesel).
Have a pain in my head looking at cars now. If I get stopped in the one I'm driving I'll be put off the road! 07 Saab 93.

ba_barabus

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Still undecided on a car. Have ruled out, Insignia, Mazda 6, S40. Still in contention : Avensis, Passat, Octavia, Mondeo. Have around 6k to spend. So would be a 2011 or 2012.
Any thoughts? Am leaning towards an Avensis, but the Octavia looks to be a similar car with better fuel economy (1.6 diesel).
Have a pain in my head looking at cars now. If I get stopped in the one I'm driving I'll be put off the road! 07 Saab 93.

Any links to the ads your looking at? They seek cheap but I'm admittedly not tuned in to prices right now.

Both of those cars can throw up expensive issues. I drive a 2013 Avensis and had to replace the injectors 12 months ago. Having said that I find it comfortable and spacious. I do a lot of long journeys and find it more comfortable than a colleagues Octavia. It'll come down to personal choice I'd think but would need to see the cars you're looking at.

Gwynplaine

What mileage was on it when you got injectors done? And how much?

ba_barabus

Gwynplaine wrote: »

What mileage was on it when you got injectors done? And how much?

It was on 120k kms. I had all 4 done and some other bits as it was under warranty. You could have them done 1 by 1 for about 400e.

With the 1.6TDI you'll get a egr failure and know all about it.

punisher5112

Stay clear of 1.6 bag and at least go 2.0.

Gwynplaine

punisher5112 wrote: »

Stay clear of 1.6 bag and at least go 2.0.

Why?