dr_mat

You call that a "hefty bill"? :roll:

Yeah we're getting bored now. ;)

My local VW dealer charges nearer (well exactly, actually) £80 + VAT / hr ..

Ah, life is cheap out in the boondocks, isn't it?!

THIRTY quid an hour? Bargain mate! well you can work out what my estimate was gonna be...

The biggest factor is the labour rate - if they charge £60/hr + VAT then the above estimate is way out, but if they charge only £25 + VAT (I'm sure such places DO exist, somewhere?!!) then it's equally ridiculous.. Give us a clue!!

Ok, my estimate (Reading specialist rates): suspension strip + refit 5 hours front disks/pads 2 hours full service including plugs 3 hours plus parts so maybe 10 hours plus parts = about £450 + parts? parts would be maybe 240 for the suspension kit, plus 50 for all the top mounts, plus £40 for platinum plugs, 25 for oil+filter, erm.. front disks 80 plus pads another 20 total comes to... 450 + 455 = £905 ? You could argue that I've overestimated the times for these jobs, but then these are figures I've heard quoted elsewhere... For genuine VW prices add 100% to the labour!!

I'm guessing there's a specific reason for asking this question... what is it then?

First things first - make sure that BOTH hoses to the top and bottom of your rad are getting hot. If they aren't, swap the thermostat straight away. It's cheaper and easier than swapping a blocked radiator! No need to pull the front end off really (unless you WANT to of course!).

Yeah, as I said - if your temp is actually, genuinely hitting 110 degrees you WILL blow holes in EVERY part one by one, till they're all NEW and then you'll start again! Fix the overheating problem, and the leaks will magically go away!!

100 degrees is only normal if you're stuck in traffic. If you're moving through the air you should see less than 90 degrees in all but the most exceptional circumstances. My VR's water temp hasn't gone above 100 degrees in over a year now, no matter how long you sit stationary, or how hard you work the engine...

Its not grey at all - it's clearly legal, but only if your father doesn't leave the car somewhere on the public road... Driving it off your drive, around for a bit, and then back onto your drive (or some other private piece of land) is perfectly legal.

Yep, it was a nice fit. Certainly it fit in your car better than it fit in my dining room!

I wondered where that went...

I've already GOT a VR6, why would I want to downgrade? Uh oh, why did I say that? ;)

"Why should I buy a G60" because it'll stop this bl**dy thread from spiralling out of control on vaguely related rubbish, that's why!

I'm not surprised it's blowing all the coolant out if you're hitting 110 degrees! You need to work out why it's getting so HOT in the first place - excess heat causes excess pressure which will blow seals all over the place! You need to check that the water is circulating correctly, that both pumps are working properly, that there's no air locks and that the thermostat is working ok. Easiest way to do that is to use your hands! Find out if all parts of the radiator are getting hot - the most likely cause is a blocked/broken thermostat. If the water is circulating succesfully, then your next assumption is that the fans aren't coming on. Do the fans ever come on?

Jeezus who set this one off again?! Lock it, quick, mods! ;)

So in other words I was right and you were .... right? ;) So you're legally covered while you're driving, but when you're not driving it the car must not be left on a public road.. Impractical, but ultimately legal! :)

I understand what you're saying, but I think the legal requirement is simply for third party cover - as long as you can show your policy states that *you*, the driver, have 3rd party cover for driving *that car* then that's enough. I *do* think it wouldn't be something you'd want to do on a regular basis, but on an occasional basis I'm pretty sure this would be fine.

I am prepared to admit I might be wrong, and I'm sure your insurance company wouldn't like it if you were habitually driving another car under this "third party" cover section, and I know that you need to present an insurance cert when you get tax, BUT assuming the car has valid tax and MOT (perhaps the owner's insurance expired and wasn't renewed?), I can't see why this cover wouldn't be legal. Maybe different policies have different wording, but mine has always seemed very clear and simple about this. I could be wrong, but until someone has actually rung an insurer and asked I'm assuming that section of my policy document isn't "economical with the truth". ;)

Yep, that's what "Third Party" cover MEANS! You can sue them if they try and back out of it!

Of course, but for example I have TP only cover listed explicitly on my policy. That means I can completely legally drive someone else's car, with their consent. No ifs, buts, maybes, completely legally. It has to be someone else's car, and I have to have their explicit permission to be driving it, but there's no restriction on this cover so I don't see what the problem should be. There's no requirement that anyone else hold an insurance policy explicitly covering that car anywhere on my documentation. I mean by all means consult your insurance company if you're concerned, but there ya go.

The G60 was meant to plug a gap at the TOP of the range of Corrados. The VR engine wasn't ready when the Corrado came out, so it was G60 or nowt, as far as the "ultimate performance" model was concerned. They stopped making it when the VR was released. Can you imagine VW managing to sell even the few Corrados they did, if the fastest "sports" car in the range was the 1.8 16v with a blistering 136bhp in a 1.2 tonne car? I doubt it!

The car doesn't have to be covered - that's your (and the car's owner's) risk. But you have a legal requirement to have 3rd party cover, which is what you *will* have based on your own policy for driving other people's cars. (Note that it has to be owned by someone else - if it's just your own second car, it doesn't count.) Of course, if you have an accident when out and it's only 3rd party your insurance will cover damage to other cars and legal issues like pedestrians and so on, but you're gonna have to pay up for the damage to the car itself. The only requirement (AFAIK) is for the *driver* to have insurance - the law doesn't give two hoots who is covering the risk of damage to the *car* itself.