Car ownership - a rant

msmancunia

vermin wrote:

Seriously chaps, what did your fathers teach you if not how to change a tyre?

I remember with great fondness my first rudimentary car-care lesson from the old man. One day, back in 1983, my Dad went to Belgium. The next evening, he returned home with an interstellar rocketship, or at least that's what it looked like. It was actually a brand new Renault, but I was young and it was dark. (He must have been an early example of the grey importer.) Anyway, the next morning he excitedly woke me to tell me to come and learn about cars. We then spent the rest of that day taking all the doors, wheels, exhaust, lights, seats, dashboard, interior trim and other bits and bobs off, and laying them out in the garden, like a giant mechano set. It was brilliant! The reason? Twofold: First to waxoil everything and second, he wanted to take the whole thing apart and reassemble it himself because he didn't trust those European types to put a car together properly. Mum was delighted.

That's a brill story

My dad taught me how to do it when I'd got a puncture driving back from my first boyfriend's after he dumped me. Made me a drink, gave me a hug, dried my tears, and then taught me how to change a wheel. Even though he died a long time ago, every time I have to change a wheel I think about that day and smile.

gtvlusso

I remember when my mum found the head from my Suzuki GS1000 motorbike heating up in the oven.....

I was heating it up to loosen the valve seats and followers.

I was thrown out of the house about a month later. :shock:

veronese68

msmancunia wrote:

My dad taught me how to do it when I'd got a puncture driving back from my first boyfriend's after he dumped me. Made me a drink, gave me a hug, dried my tears, and then taught me how to change a wheel. Even though he died a long time ago, every time I have to change a wheel I think about that day and smile.

That's a nice story too. That's how I'd like to be remembered by my kids, just not for a while yet.

slowsider

fossyant wrote:

Leave him alone. TBH, finding the jacking point is a piece of **** - it's usually marked, and you can see the indentations on the sil - that's where it goes. There is also a re-inforced section by it. .

From the sound of it, the OP has an indentation on the sill. And the re-inforced section is just beside it

graeme_s-2

slowsider wrote:

fossyant wrote:

Leave him alone. TBH, finding the jacking point is a piece of **** - it's usually marked, and you can see the indentations on the sil - that's where it goes. There is also a re-inforced section by it. .

From the sound of it, the OP has an indentation on the sill. And the re-inforced section is just beside it

Yeah - it should be really easy to find next time!

It doesn't look as bad as I thought it might. Unless you were really looking for it, or crouching down, I don't think you'd notice it.

essex-commuter

Graeme_S wrote:

It doesn't look as bad as I thought it might. Unless you were really looking for it, or crouching down, I don't think you'd notice it.

But you I'm afraid, will see it every time you walk past. Or is it just me that does that with a scratch on the car or a chip on the bike or a mark on the wall at home....

suzyb

davis wrote:

This morning one of the lads called a one of the marketing droids to let her know her car tyre was flat. She wandered over and started yammering on (there really is no other way of putting it) about cars. As I happen to have a bunch of tools, trolley jack and (car) puncture repair kit and an electric pump with me today (drove in, I know) I was going to offer to help if required.
When she bleated "I'll just call the AA; that's what they're for" I stopped and gave up. It's the attitude that annoys me; if you drive a car you should be able* to change a wheel, in my book. Now some poor AA mechanic gets to be treated like staff because she simply won't countenance the idea of the most basic understanding of something she spends probably 2 hours per day driving.

*: Not including those physically unable to do so.

Glad you included that last line. Whilst there is no physical disability stopping me from changing a tyre I am just not stong enough so would have to call for assistance.

I do know how to change one though although strangely I can't remember actually being taught how.

Ben6899

suzyb wrote:

Glad you included that last line. Whilst there is no physical disability stopping me from changing a tyre I am just not stong enough so would have to call for assistance.

You use the jack to lift the car...

wgwarburton

Ben6899 wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Glad you included that last line. Whilst there is no physical disability stopping me from changing a tyre I am just not stong enough so would have to call for assistance.

You use the jack to lift the car...

If you've got one... I got a puncture in my car* in roadworks on the M6 a while back and found I didn't have a jack, so I looked around and found a long piece of timber (one of those indented ones used to stack lengths of pipe) and used it to lift the front axle in order to get the wheel on & off.

Please cross-ref to the "Things a Man can do" thread.

Cheers,
W.
*It was a Citroen Ami, so may not actually count as a Car...in my defence I was a Student at the time, and I did have to replace a cylinder head to take ownership.

suzyb

Ben6899 wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Glad you included that last line. Whilst there is no physical disability stopping me from changing a tyre I am just not stong enough so would have to call for assistance.

You use the jack to lift the car...

That's the bit I would be able to do (afaik the jack is designed so you are not taking the entire load yourself *). I'm not strong enough to lift the wheel, not to get it out of / into the boot.

I would probably have a go at changing the wheel...I'd need to have a go as I'm not a member of any breakdown service myself. But there is a good chance I would end up having to call father to come help me. But that's what fathers are for isn't it.

* I can't remember the proper term

Applespider

I got taught at school how to do it - my father wouldn't have had a clue. In that month post-6th year examples and before term ended, we got taught stuff like touch-typing and basic car maintenance.

slowsider

Applespider wrote:

. In that month post-6th year examples and before term ended, we got taught stuff like touch-typing and basic car maintenance.

Which of them has proved to be more useful ?

twist83

Women and cars... What a subject.

She has a BMW 1 Series which she uses for work (Estate Agent) this is pretty much funded by myself short of fuel which she claims back anyway. She is pretty good at spotting mechanical issues to give her due.

However she has reversed into a Pillar (with parking sensors) which was then fixed, then 2 weeks later she drives into a Pillar taking of a massive portion of the paint on the front bumper in a space she parks in every day :roll:

The car never gets cleaned or hoovered out. That is down to me half the time.

Short time ago I bought a BMW M3 and she used it for the day. It came back missing the paint of the front bumper AGAIN due to a lack of attention and care. Needless to say I hit the roof.

We have had 3 bumpers respayed at a cost nearly touching £600 in the past 1-2 months.

gtvlusso

Based on the above:

A friend of my wife's has a very wealthy husband. She is a Surry housewife, does not and never has worked and generally drives around in a very big automatic 4 x 4.

Anyway, We are over at their place for a weekend. Said Surrey and myself go out to buy booze, she decides to take her husbands BMW M3 it is a manual gearbox version....After the 30th time she stalls it, she asks me to drive.

It is only when we get back that her husbands asks why she took his car? She states it is because her 4 x 4 has something wrong with it.

Both myself and her husband head outside for a look; Entire front quarter is smashed in, flat tyre and most of the body work is trashed down the left side (left side of car is parked next to a low wall, that now has familir black paint on it.......Thats right, she smashed her own car up in the driveway of her own house.

**I was leter informed that the only reason she had an automatic was because her license was for automatic only.....


Jeez...

adam0bmx0

I'd like to think im a dab handy with the spanner, have done pretty much everything on my own cars, from stripping down and re-fitting brakes, coilvovers, turbo chargers, exhaust systems and sound systems then all the usual servicing items. Also built my current bike from the frame up.

Anyway to continue the gf/car stories, mine has managed to crash or been crashed into with 2 of her cars in the past.

1st was a 1998 5-door Honda Civic, drivers door and front wing got hit and caved in. So I bought a door and wing in the same colour then set about stripping the old door down of all componenets, electric window system and central locking etc, fitted to the new door, then fitted this all to the car, saved her a penny or two.

Next was her cherished Eunos Roadster (Mazda mx5) which she had a head on in, luckily wasn't hurt as it was a slow country lane bump round a blind corner.

The result;



Starting to strip down;



Had to remove a fair amount of the inlet side of the engine, inlet manifold, fuel injectors + rail etc, also removed the air-con system (pump, rad, pipework) while I was at it as it didn't work and who really needs it in a convertable?

I did check all was straight, no suspension arms/chassis rails etc were affected, had 4 wheel allignment done after too just to make sure.

The doner part;



This was then welded to the front end I trimmed back on her mx5, bought some 2nd hand body parts in the same colour, rust protected it all, painted and re-fitted, don't have any after pics but again, kept her going for another year in the car trouble free.

She has been good though and bought me stuff as a result of the time and effort i've put in to her cars over the years, fixing/servicing etc so it's not all one way, and I enjoy it too, so win win.

Ben6899

suzyb wrote:

I'm not strong enough to lift the wheel, not to get it out of / into the boot.

What on earth do you drive? How big are the wheels?

suzyb

Ben6899 wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I'm not strong enough to lift the wheel, not to get it out of / into the boot.

What on earth do you drive? How big are the wheels?

What you should be asking is...how weak are you? The answer would be very (can't even manage a single press up ).

I might be able to get the spare wheel out as it's starting high and lifting down but having to lift the flat up to get it in the boot is debatable, especially after the effort of changing the wheel.

Frankly I'm surprised I'm not dead yet. Guess I'm still just a bit young for the inevitable heart attack.

kelsen

adam0bmx0 wrote:

I am the alpha male on this forum. Don't even think about trying to outdo me with your poxy little achievements over in the 'The 'Things a man should be able to do' Thread' thread!

Chapeau!

Big_Paul

gtvlusso wrote:

I remember when my mum found the head from my Suzuki GS1000 motorbike heating up in the oven.....

I was heating it up to loosen the valve seats and followers.

I was thrown out of the house about a month later. :shock:

My mother was similarly unimpressed upon returning home to find me rebuilding a YPVS engine in the living room..... :roll:

My missus has a 1 year old Fabia, some pillock clipped the wing mirror so it needed new glass and the two casing replaced, she was going to shell out for Skoda to fit a new one, bringing the parts home to me never crossed her mind. The Fabia she had before that was a bit of a lemon, at least a dozen trips to the dealer in three years, over the same three years I had a succession of bangers that I spent nothing on, selling each for the purchase price, so when she signed for a new car, I could have strangled her. I've given up on cars, they're just rolling money pits.

FWIW a friend once got a flat in a new Ka, the old one, she couldn't get the spare out so I went up to help, the cradle must have been tightened with an air gun as it took me to use a 3 foot breaker bar to loosen it, and I'm not a small chap by any means, no way was an average lady going to move it.

essex-commuter

Ms EC: "How much do you love me?"
Me: Why what have you done now?"

A regluar conversation starter I'm afraid.

asprilla

For the last two weeks the puncture warning light has been coming on every few days in the car so of an evening I've been taking the car to the garage and inflating the tyres.

The compressor at the garage (both of them) has been showing minimal pressure loss and so I've assumed it is a sensor issue.

Today BMW have told my wife there is nothing wrong with the tyres or the pressure sensors.

Grrrrrr.

okgo

Runflats are total shit, get rid. They ruin the cars ride and are just problems.

mudcow007

just been told the steering pump is going to cost £700ex vat ex fitting

even with mates rates this is going to be a pricey one....

asprilla

okgo wrote:

Runflats are total shoot, get rid. They ruin the cars ride and are just problems.

I meant to when I last had all four corners done, but events conspired against me.

With regards to the ride, I hear people say that but I'd want to compare mine to someone's without run flats first as I can't see anything wrong with the ride now. I think I might make a bigger difference on profiles higher than 45.