nlau1

The new one is being aimed at the Ferrari 458 Italia, a little bit more than £15,000 i think...

Hi Kip, I thought Panther was taken over by Ssangyong? Its good to hear that British engineering is still going strong none the less. I agree with the idea of 4 turning wheels being bad although the reason for 4 front wheels did reduce lift at the front. IIRC Williams and even Ferrari toyed with the idea of 6 wheelers but had the 4 wheels on the rear instead.

Also look up the Panther 6 from the 70's or 80's

Car control should definitely be part of the driving test. The scope of our UK driving test is so narrow its unbelievable. Basically we are taught how to drive under perfect conditions with the car in full control. Why not utilise a skidpan or gravel tracks to teach car control and what to do to regain control of the vehicle in certain conditions. I've heard of driving tests being cancelled due to the weather conditions we've been having lately. That says it all really, if these provisional drivers aren't considered to be well equipped enough to do a test in these conditions then they'll have a cat in hells chance when they do get their licence.

Kev, The guy was filming from an upstairs window with the woman down in the street right outside his house. She was trying to drive her car up onto her drive and was struggling to get any traction in a 1-series. He was just there with his phone laughing?! Tool. I think you've expanded on the subject really well and you're right about the initiative. In extreme conditions like this people should be using their common sense an initiative a bit more. So many times I've seen people thrashing their cars in 1st gear trying to pull away in these conditions, if they'd done a bit of research (or had been taught in driving lessons) they'd know that there are easier and more efficient ways to drive in snowy conditions. I think as a nation, we're just not prepared for the extreme weather conditions, be it hot or cold.

I think its to easy for us on a motoring forum to take this p!ss out of your average joe (with minimal motoring knowledge) in situations like this. For starters, the guy videoing it could have offered to help. I mean, nobody is an expert at everything and I'm sure some of us have made a complete mess of something in our lives! Personally, I think our British driving test is highly flawed and lacks a lot in terms of teaching us to understand the car and how it works. How much of your knowledge in cars is from the driving lessons/test rather than being self taught through interest?

+1 Kinda looks like most modified Corrado's you see Stateside apart from the stripped interior

Thanks for the discount code Lee

I have Bosch Super Plus blades and bent the standard wiper arms and they work as well as any wipers on new cars

Interesting perspective Andy, and sounds like a decent job you have!

Well I guess they're cheap for a reason then!!

Hey guys, Has anybody had any experience of the Mazda RX-8? This car just won't leave me alone! Just been looking at them on Autotrader and £4k will get a decent 50k mile 231bhp version with FSH and the come fully loaded too! I understand that some of you may not like the lack of torque from the Rotary engine but I'm a big fan of high revving N/A engines (previous car was EP3 Type-R). I was really tempted a few years ago when they were going for about £9k (and subsequently everytime I've been on the lookout for a new car) but was always put off by the potential running costs. But now at under £4k it seems like an awesome bargain! The itch is getting stronger and its going to have to scratched at some point!!

TODA Racing did a slightly downturned exhaust for the Civic range. Doesn't look bad on a Civic, kinda JDM

Hopefully this quick Photoshop diagram will explain things... Fig.1 is how a camera (or a pair of eyes) would view a car in side view. Fig.2 is how a proper blueprint or technical drawing is represented. As you've probably noticed, a picture of a car always looks more dynamic than the blueprint elevations because of this very reason. Shorter overhangs etc. Also, the general lighting and the way the 'volume' of a car is represented to the naked eye will always inevitably make a photograph more dynamic. The technical drawing is only representing the proportion and outlines of panels on a car in a certain view and not the volume (which makes up such a large amount of how we interpret cars (or any object for that matter). Hope this helps! I've just graduated from an automotive design degree so feel free to pick my brains about this kinda thing!

Hi mate, if you want to be accurate then you'll need a technical drawing like this... http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprint ... n_corrado/ Taking measurements from a side view picture is never accurate as there is always the perspective factor to take into account hence why overhangs look so long in technical drawings

Hahahaha

Can't beat some RWD shenanigans in my view!

$80, so works out to about £45 for the pair

Just a heads up guys, The mirrors are back in stock at DDI if anyone is looking for them! Just ordered myself a pair and I'll update in my members gallery thread when they arrive!

Na, you want to get a Blackberry one mate :grin: They're the bestest :lol: +1 for Blackberry! :clap:

If you use 2k lacquer then I reckon you can leave it a few days before rubbing down, but 1k lacquer or rattle can lacquer then definitely a few weeks otherwise it'll just sink again after you've sanded and rubbed it down

Could be a number of reasons for this, try changing the suspension bushes as these normally cause play in suspension components. What wheels do you have on your car? Big wheels and low profile tyres are always bad news for tramlining

When it comes to the lacquer, don't worry if you get any runs or hazing or even orange peel. You can almost always sort that kind of thing out with 1500-2000 grit sandpaper and rubbing compound after it's fully cured. Just make sure you put the coats of paint on lightly and give layers enough time become tacky before the next coat. Also, is it metallic or flat paint?

Keep them silver for the OEM+ look, not a fan of dark wheels

Wouldn't recommend rattle cans or any 1k paint. 2k primer, paint and lacquer will cure faster and harder which means you'll be able to work through the painting process quicker. Rattle can paint and lacquer can take weeks to properly "settle" or harden so you can flat back and rub down with rubbing compound and weeks later the paint and lacquer will still be settling and sinking and you'll see the sanding marks again. PS 2k paint is quite toxic so a spray booth or ventilation is highly recommended! Also, if your car is metallic then do not rub down the paint before lacquer as it can change the colour once the lacquer is on.