Ah Kayak you have got a cracker there although you realise you have a dog bred from possibly the two most intelligent breeds. I think you’re going to be very busy for the next decade. It’s like having an intelligent lurcher. I’m very jealous.

Sounds to me like the supports for the catalytic converter matrix have corroded and the matrix has partially collapsed. If you can get a 2nd hand one from a scrappy then maybe. Parts roulette is not a good way to go for any old car. Trade it in for a 1.6 petrol Focus.

Why has it been MOT tested after 1 yr?
2017 should be the first MOT year no?
So it’s been a commercial vehicle then.
Walk away. It’s also a Peugeot.

Well I have to say I’ve never had a bad Ford. I’ve had a fiesta, Focus and Mondeo. (The Mk3 Mondeo diesel 130Tdci Estate is probably the best car I’ve ever owned and the one I regret selling the most.) They have been amongst the best handling, most comfortable and reliable motors I’ve had. Infinitely more reliable than any of the so called prestige German motors I have had the misfortune to repair repeatedly. I’ve never known anybody have PTSD over a car manufacturer before and I’ve owned Peugeots.

Estates can do everything an SUV can do only better, cheaper, faster with more usable space and better handling. Did I mention they are also easier to put your bikes on.

“Starmer doesn’t need to be proactive in any way”

With that thought process do Labour even deserve to win the next election with Starmer?

It’s easy when in opposition to just highlight when somebody does something wrong especially Boris. That’s not enough for me. That’s why Labour will lose again with that attitude. People need to know what he’s about, his passions, what is he trying to achieve, a long term vision. He’s not going to win just because he isn’t Boris.

I agree but it’s not the world we live in unfortunately.

I’m sorry but I’m not one of these people who thinks that sitting back and waiting for this car crash government to possibly implode is what leading a strong opposition is about. I know what he was in the past, I know he seems articulate and has a certain level of intelligence hence his former profession. I still don’t know what drives him, where he wants the party to go etc. He is devoid of character for me and unfortunately that is very important for the electorate as a whole.

The best I’ve had was a Saab 900 T16 Aero that was on 258k when it had to go. The front window pillars were starting to go so I sold it to somebody who was going to strip the dash and screen out to fix them. Mechanically it was sound. It’s now concourse and his pride and joy. Still on the original engine although I think he put a new clutch in.

Any decent luthier should have a helicoil kit for that size thread. They must strip fairly regularly. Should be an easy fix.

I mainly ride my 29er as a go anywhere gravel bike. 20-30 milers during the week and maybe a longer one at weekends. I stopped riding for a bit to put a gravel drive in for extra parking. I thought I wouldn’t loose any fitness doing hard manual labour, all I did was wreck my hands and back and boy have I struggled on the bike for the first few rides back, only missed a months worth of riding. Getting back into it now just. Give it time.

Even more impressive when you find out he was a bass player and took up the electric guitar when he heard Clapton play.

We do at work amongst other things Ultrasonic testing via a subcontractor. It’s £50 minimum order charge. Maybe a bit cheaper if you don’t require a testing cert. Personally for piece of mind they’d be going in the bin if they were mine. I don’t bounce as well as I used to.

15mins! Ah you’re right maybe 30mins. Still it’s not a bad commute. In the Autumn sun as you reach the outskirts of Perth the trees look amazing. I’ll never tire of that view.

Wife is from Newport (amazing views of Dundee at night) over the river, she then moved to Invergowrie for work (Ninewells.) She loves the place and would move back tomorrow. If I had to go back with her my choice would be Perth 15mins along the A90. It’s has a totally different feel to Dundee, it’s much more central, feels more cosmopolitan if that’s even a thing!

Ps. The A90 has had all the side exits/entries now changed to up and over/under slip roads so your chance of survival has increased dramatically.

I have tried for so long to justify a gravel bike over a lightweight 29er with semi slicks/ gravel tyres. I just can’t get away with drop bars. Flat bars for me with a lightweight fork just to take the buzz of my old wrists is a compromise I’m willing to make weight wise. Most of my riding these days is cycle way, bridle way, three ply tarmac and the odd sneaky bit of footpath. I can make 30-40 mile loops with very little road work around County Durham I love being able to go anywhere on a ride if needed. The fork and stability of a MTB allow this.

Best Stairway solo out there by a country mile. Nice little improv at the end.

Please do your homework regarding Mazda Diesels. They did not use the same engine as the Mondeo did. Ford used Peugeot/Ford engines. The Mazda diesels at the price point you’re looking at were a disaster. Check Honest Johns website. The petrols were far superior.

Cars without DPF

Just been watching more immigrants crossing the channel during the good weather. What shocked me most was every man had a life jacket. Not one of the women had one.

For me keeping relatively quiet and letting this car crash of coronavirus take it’s toll on the current administration isn’t enough, I want to know what he is planning to do and how he is going to organise it and fund it, not just keep highlighting how badly BoJo’s decision making is. Let’s face it any one of us could do that. He needs to stand up and be counted before I’ll see him as anything other than an opportunist politician.

Dunstanburgh at Sunset

Loved the fact he never carried cash. In Ireland he would always buy the first round of drinks by cheque knowing full well they would never cash them. There are pubs all over Ireland with a framed cheque on the wall from Jack.

They probably won’t bother you if the access they are using is away from any social areas of the garden. If you want shot of them spray some ant powder around the access point. They will carry it into the nest, job done.

The Thing 1982. John Carpenter. Fantastically shot horror, not gory as such just really really scary. The husky scene is terrifying. The blood testing scene is even more terrifying. Great film.

Seems to be positive feedback about Michelin DH22’s. I’ve never tried Michelin tyres yet but may give them a try in something XC orientated.

I would echo what others have said. The BMW ZF8 box is sublime. Mrs Inbred has one on her X1 25D. It uses the sat nav to anticipate the terrain and changes gear to suit. It’s certainly smoother than any Twin Clutch jobby we tried. We had a DSG in her previous car (DQ200) and it was for ever changing up when we approached roundabouts. It’s a quick change no doubt but not always the right gear and a bit jerky. Just our experience, maybe the bigger DSG boxes are better at the price range you’re looking at.

As soon as a team starts using wealthy talentless drivers who pay for their seats they are doomed to fail.

I think you’re all being a bit optimistic about what will happen. Private individual goes back to home town so family can help with childcare due to parents showing signs of possible Covid 19. This is how it will be spun. This man is not a politician or even a civil servant. He doesn’t give a monkeys what anybody thinks either. Even if he is sacked as an advisor (doubt that will happen no matter how much the press and the opposition push) how are you going to get Boris not to adhere to his advice?
Boris you must not speak to Dominic in class he’s been a very naughty boy! This man thrives on this sort of stuff, he won’t give a stuff.

I may get flamed for this but IT specialists how ever useful are not Engineers in my book. Engineers make things that people want to buy. IT helps Engineers make things that people want to buy.

Watch Clapton A life in 12 bars. Not so sure he was racist, he didn’t like most people. A really troubled individual who once he’d left Cream became for me irrelevant. Peter Green was the boy.

Smiths MIPS metallic gravy.

Had a 1.8 petrol Mk1 Focus Estate and a Mk3 Mondeo 130 TDCi. Both ace cars, very reliable and cheap as chips to fix.

Fantastic dogs, we had a Chocolate bitch. Very obedient, brilliant with kids and our two cats. Would quite happily eat herself to death if given the opportunity. Exercise and stimulation is a must. If you can go for a working dog and don’t worry too much about breed line. A slimmer slighter build is the one to go for.

Only Singletrack could have a thread like this! Okay possibly Mumsnet as well.

EBC bar end.

Bought these in a rush about 5 yrs ago. They are so comfy with a large range of options to rest your hands. They just work and are such good value.

Common sense should prevail. I dragged myself out of bed at 5.45am this morning. Bowl of Porridge then out by 6.30am. 20 mile loop back in the house by 8.30ish. Mixture of road, bridleway and cycleways. Passed one other rider while I was out. It’s actually quieter on the roads than the cycleways!

As above stovetop and a frother. Never use the aeropress now I have a stovetop.

Flipping Bangers on Blaze. Great TV with two really genuine nice mates trying to make money restoring older modern classics. Bless em don’t think they’ve made a profit yet but great to watch.

Jamj74 a friend of ours was born with a reversed heart. He had several operations as a child and eventually it led to him having heart failure and the need to have a heart and lung transplant. He lives in Kent but the surgery was done in the Freeman in Newcastle as they had done the original work when he was a child. His care has been excellent and he now lives a pretty normal life. If you are the least bit unsure about the care you have received start asking some serious questions to your surgical team and if in doubt ask for a second opinion. Good luck we are all routing for you.