Wullie

Mine's a daily workhorse I'm afraid. Used by me, and when she demands, by the missus. I've used Volkswagens of various flavours from about 1980 and have found thet if you treat them precious they get annoyed and just want more attention. Use them every day and, like a happy little pussycat they just keep on going. A little care and attention in advance saves bigger problems later. Bought the C about 10 years go and done over 12,000 miles and never been off the road for more than a couple of days. On that note, it's a 1990 1.8 16 v without a sunroof or any other frills like MAF's or superchargers or factory immobilisers or coilpacks or any of the other complicated stuff that came later, so there is lot's less to go wrong. Simple, straightforward and goes quick enough to keep me happy. I love my little Corrado, and it doesn't have a name.

What I miss? Back in the day when a car had a starting handle. Battery flat, dig out the handle from the boot and pull it over, off you go. I even had a Mini with a starting handle that you opened the bonnet and used it vertically. Vacuum driven wipers that slowed down or stopped when you put the foot down to accelerate or go up hills. Several Minis that had marketable quantities of toadstolds growing out of the carpets because of the dampness caused by leaks from everywhere. Poking holes in the floor to let the water drain out. Wing mounted parking lights. The list goes on and on, but motoring was a love affair and I still have the bug. Greatest delight was thrashing an F36 Dennis pump escape with a straight 8 Rolls Royce engine. What a beatifull sound now lost to all the diesels that are in use now. Just like Corrados they had really crap lights and wipers.

Bear in mind that these are only provisional telephone quotes. When they come to finalise they find all sorts of reasons to knock a bit more off.

Keyslot horizontal, boot opens with central locking. Keyslot vertical, doesn't open with the central locking and has to be opened by turning the key clockwise. Tend to keep mine in the vertical position since some little :censored: 's popped the boot of a car in front of me in a traffic jam a few Christmases ago and did a runner with the contents.

Just noticed in the paper that a lorry load of Lego was hijacked in Kettering. Anyone on here?

Incredible. There are boxes of loose Lego in my house in addition to loads of kits as my grandson is into it. Built loads of Star Wars stuff from Star Destroyers downward plus a three foot high tower crane and God knows what else. It's brilliant stuff.

Got the rear wheels powder coated to match the fronts and stop the seepage round the rims, no more slow puncture. Just need two Sebring centre caps to finish them off. Anyone??

In my opinion when anyone is convicted of a crime the first part of any sentence should be a statement removing their so called human rights until their release date. Anyone entering your property should also be deemed to have left their right at the point of entry. This would also stop criminals claiming compensation for slopping out, a warder using a loud voice at night and disturbing their sleep, or my favourite, the prisoner who was awarded compensation as his leg was broken while trying to escape. A warder prevented his escape too vigourously. In this case there are so many unknows apart from im asking his wife to drive. Hypothetical question, is he a wife beater or bully to the extent that she would be afraid to say no? On the other hand did she willingly take on the responsibility. To many unknows for a resoned discussion but I do think it's a bit extreme.

I'm not sure about the barrel in the ignition switch or that end of it. However if you just want to have one key for the whole car it may be worth considering a new ignition barrel and then retumbling the door and boot locks to suit.

Did similar in the sixties with a roll of wallpaper, a packet of Solvite and a tin of varnish, Total cost was under a £1 at the time. If you got fed up you just stripped it and put on a different pattern.

Oversized, obtrusive and pointless spring to mind

Green one, not sure of the flavour but possibly VR6 on Elderslie Main Road heading towards Paisley. Turned off before I could get closer.

Sure the tyre isn't rubbing on something?

My cars white so I just sprayed it white to match the corrado badge. It looks good to me, but then it's me and my car.

As I mentioned in my post, although they credit me with 12 years, the discount is still only 75%, which is the same as for 5 years. I am old enough to see through the NCB bullshit. What used to amuse me was that I, at one time recieved an additional discount for being a Fire Brigade driver which meant, in effect, that because I drove a large red thing with an oversized engine like a maniac they gave me more off.

Just got my renewal in from eSure and it states that I have got 12 years no claims bonus. This entitles me to 75% discount. Looking through the rest of th guff you also get 75% for 5 years. The difference is if I have an accident. After 1 accident my discount only drops to 72%, 2 accidents in the period to 65%. Upshot of the whole jingbang is my premium is £173 plus £25 legal cover with £100 excess. It appears that different companies have very differnt rules. Another bonus I found was that when I was rear ended the replacement car was "of a similar type and class as the insured's." I was given a Bora 1.9 TDI instead of the usual marked Fiesta that the repairers normally supplied. I'll add that that was in 2000. Quite happy to remain with them.

Take pictures of the old one in situ and at each stage of the removal, and if like me you go for overkill mark the position of everything that may move.

Golfs or Passats in the scrap yard?

She threw a tantrum and spat off the rear exhaust exhaust rubber mount. The only replacement I could get in a hurry was for a Ford Fiesta. Fitted perfectly. Told the car it's staying until she behaves for at least a week then she'll get a nice new VAG one.

Congratulations. Now you have heat we will probably get a "Barbeque Summer"

As the head is off by the looks of things (or is that an old picture pour some paraffin into the ports on a cylinder where the valves are supposed to be closed. If the valves are not seating properly the paraffin will leak past the valve seats. I had a problem once when I had the head stripped for a while the hydraulic tappets seemed to freeze and held the valves open slightly all the time. My solution at the time was to fit new ones. If the head is on the car I suppose you could do something similar with the plugs out to see if anything leaks into the cylinders. Don't put the plugs back in until you've spun the engine to blow out the bores if anything has leaked by.

I get a few comments about the C but my biggest smile factor is when I turn off the main road there is a set of lights with a supermarket beside them, so I can sit and admire my car. I have been known to drive a bit slowly to catch them just as they go red. My wife has given up on me.

Like she doesn't know already. :D :lol: And Wulie, i'm quite impressed with your knowledge of these layby brothels. :lol: Stayed in a tiny village called La Milliere for a couple of months while working on a novel. Once the lay by lays get pointed out it's easy to spot them. Went on a wine buying trip down the Loire Valley and played spot the hooker on the country roads. I was really surprised how many (possibles) there were. When were you last in France Walesy

There was another one in Montfort L'Amaury as well. Only a 20 minute drive if the Rambuillet lay by is full. Or you could try the centre of the forest, plenty of lumberjack's roaming around there.

That reminds me of all the little camper vans in French lay bys. Mobile hookers plying their trade. The one close to Rambuillet must have been good as there was always a queue of cars behind her van every day when I passed.