craigowl

How d'ye get that nasty weal on ye' bum, Butterfly? :)

"Temperature Mean temperatures during winter (Dec/Jan/Feb) were close to 2.0C above average across the British Isles, except over Ireland where the anomaly was closer to +1C. All three months were warmer than average, with January being especially mild. According to the Met Office, in England it was the fourth warmest winter on the Central England Temperature (CET)series; the south of England has recorded its warmest ever winter. Not surprisingly, the incidence of frost was below normal, and on many days during the stations in England and Wales, in particular, reached 10C or more. The Met Office noted that the 12 months ending February 2007 has been the warmest period in the last 348 years on the CET, with a mean temperature of 11.23C." (From the Climatological Observers Link[COL] bulletin for March 2007, recieved today. COL is part of the UK's Royal Meteorological Society.) The UK has one of the longest, if not the longest, climatological datasets in the world, and having worked for many years with people who use it, I am afraid it is on the cards that global warming IS happening during the period we are living in. I have had a personal interest in the climate of the UK - particularly Scotland - for over 40 years, and can confirm that we are living in a climatic period that is unprecedented in my lifetime. There is no conspiracy from UK government scientists on this - it is clear to me that they are loyal to the science, not politicians. I have the same disappointment as others in that I drive only a couple of thousand miles per annum in the type of car I have waited years for, but we cannot deny that most of the world's climate is not changing. Whether restricting peoples driving will make any significant difference at all, though, I am not yet convinced.

Re car tax and emissions/engine size. I blame my mistake on the wife - she worked in the Post Office and confused me! :oops:

£175 tax paid last month for a VR6. It is based on emissions not engine size, as someone else has said.

mic_VR - Air coming in at level of towing eye will be hotter than a foot above it on sunny days. Air at tarmac level can be around 50C in summer.

Think others on forum have bought this one. Good price. Mine came from ECP and was quite a lot dearer but I think it is Beru, too.

Not knocking most postmen, G60SC_Stoney. :salute: Our two or three regulars are great, and I see them a lot since I retired and have a blether. However, it seems to be common knowledge that a criminal element has infiltrated, say the sorting offices, e.g. in a big way, particularly "down south".

Certainly appreciate what you guys do. Have always got Sprinter OK when issued. Do not think I would make a great big offensive fuss if I did not receive one. So many ungrateful people about and so many devious parasites working for organisations that used to be the envy of the world. Sincere regards to all CCGB volunteers. I am sure this will be echoed many times today.

Yep - same no. as mine. A flattish blue job I got in September last year. Price £5.75 incl VAT.

You young fellas have it easy! :wink: Our first new cars had no underseal or wheel arch inserts. Result? - You had to do it yourself or pay the garage to do it before delivery. You can imagine how much care some of the stealers will have taken to do this! Wheel arch inserts were more difficult. I made my own on about 3 cars. I did this after noticing that you could scoop several huge handfuls of, presumably, salt-laden mud from forward of the wheel - up around the headlight. It was common to see cars with a brown ring of rust coming through around the headlight. Also, you could stick your finger through the paintwork on top of the wheel arch if you noticed a bubble in the paint. This, for example in our 3-YEAR OLD Austin 1100. The sill also collapsed on jacking up the car at that age as water and mud filled sills and drain holes became blocked. Now you know why people went off British cars and Fiats, etc. and why reasonably well off people (not us) bought a brand new car every two years. No pre-reg bargains in those days either. Rant over!

In warm weather, all the waxy or tarry fluids flow easier, both out of the dispensing/spraying container and on the cars surfaces. In the inside cavities like doors, the waxoyl, or similar will creep over every bit of metal it is in contact with. The warmer the better, I would say. Protect your floor and drive from excess runoff, though.

You do not want a recent version really - I may be pointed out in Edinburgh by you ReekieVR and arrested. Looking extremely stupid or drunk/high, or both seems to be the norm, on here so here is one of me in 1965 before I had the lobotomy. I had found this stick in a peat bog and the feeling that I was really a shamen swept over me. PS Maybe this piture should be on the thread "Time for a new head."?

OK - you asked for it. Here I am at about 22 in the enchanted forest where the fairies live. I was shooting an ad for those menthol Consulate fags. I waited for ages but no fairies turned up.

So you'll support Newcastle, too, then, Walesy? :ignore: Apologies you bonny lads - I lurv you really! Blame it on stereotypical thinking!

Looks like a great deal of nice car you got for the money, vwchick. 8) Have fun.

? Dunno, Mave. What's that all about then?

Silicon has been mentioned, of course. THE FOLLOWING MAY BE WORTH KNOWING, GUYS. A Prof. or engineer on BBC radio Scotland this morning said that mechanics/technicians were always advised to be careful with the use of silicon lubricant sprays when working under the bonnet. Had not heard this before - I have these sprays but have probably never let it anywhere near where it could be drawn into engine. I tend to use it in door locks, etc.

Can just happen through age and dirt. Once you have had it happen, you will find yourself checking the temperature of all four wheels regularly after a run for the rest of your motoring life!

jk83 Hopefully your S3 will sell better at this time of year than did my lad's. He advertised his - similar to yours in age, mileage, colour, Rec leather but without your extras - through the depths of autumn and winter for months without luck. He ended up having to bring price down, to £11.5 k-ish, I believe, but this brought a guy up from London by air and a deal was done. Almost certainly, more potential buyers in your part of the world - good luck!

Got mine from ecp in aug 2006. (Bosch - 68.15 incl VAT) ecp number 201440740 VAG 251965561B

What a nightmare, Lippy! The stories on here from a relatively small community of car owners show on what an appalling scale crime and mindless vandalism have become in our country. Anyway, as Kev says, best thing is to move on quickly. Cars are replaceable (in general terms) and now you can look forward to selecting something else and planning what to do. Good luck, and best regards!

$hit! What rotten luck. And they tell us car crime is going down in some parts! Any political party that will be the toughest, or have the most constructive policy to stem the flow of crime by the parasites in our nation must get a mountain of votes from the public this time.

New plastic is hopefully not going to be so brittle for another few years! Clearly, a 10-year old component with plastic parts seems to be very fragile on these cars. On my own car, the coilpack, the heater matrix and the headlight switch have all been replaced because brittle plastic which had been subjected to heat over a ten year period had failed.

Thanks for that, you both. VR6Will. PM sent.

Local garage broke my old heater matrix pipe (plastic, brittle - he says most are metal) when fitting Samco hoses. They got me new matrix and I paid £45 plus VAt. What a cheek VAG have!