I used to sell Saab’s years ago and must have drove every model that was produced in the 80’s and 90’s

Can’t speak for the later models as I’d got out of it in 2002 but some of the older ones were ace.

Favourites were 9-3 Viggan, 9000 Aero and I had a T16 s that had been specced in the 80’s by Mohammed what’s his name from Harrods for one of his managers.

Had the 9000 Aero upto 147 mph on a ” private ” section of the M5 😀

I will thirdly recommend Trevor at TK autos. Top bloke.

CFH, Do those have Testosterone in them as it would help the beard grow quicker 😉

Just done 20 miles on the hard tail, just mixture of cycle paths etc nothing spectacular.

Baselayer, 2 shirts, thin jumper, coat, Under helmet cap but only just got warm when climbing.

Freezing but at least I’ve been out.

Cheers guys, yeah that’s it.

2 years to get a letter to me.

I’m not as worried now.

I’ve got a mate in Blackpool so I go regular and don’t even notice the Tower, Beach etc as it part of my life.

I’m only 25 mins away in the car on a good day.

It is popular. Like has been said, the traffic going can be awful and I agree with what has been said above about the place. I went last weekend with my other mate, his wife and kids to the illuminations.

It really is a split between families and the above pictures of stag and hen do’s. My advice :-

Don’t Drive through unless it’s a Weekday and not in School Holidays. I’ve been through in 30 mins in the past weekday night in term time.

If you want to avoid the above scene, keep the sea side of the tram tracks.

If you get a tram, it can get like a sardine tin. It was awful the other night and I asked the conductor what the passenger limit was and just replied ” as many as we can get in….”

Kids should experience it but more than once it can get samey

Only small vans I’m familiar with are Ford Connects etc. If you buy one of those at that price, buy a MIG welder as well 😉

Joking apart, look for rust on sills and rotted brake pipes.

Engines, with timing belt changes, will go forever but the rest of the van will fall apart.

Are you looking for Bangernomics at that price ? I bought an old van a couple of years ago as I didn’t know how much I would use it but I wouldn’t be without one now. So much easier for loads of things than a car. I’m now looking to get something newer now as mine is really on its last legs now but I’ve had a couple of years out of it.

Cheers might give it a try. Mines not been too bad since I worked out that red on the internal ” switches ” means on 😳

How do you go back to 2.7 ?

I’ve no idea personally, but one of my students told me his wife’s car, a VW Tiguan, takes about 2 lt

There should be a tank in the boot on the left hand side.

Once left Warrington at around 11.45 am and got back to depot in Bolton at 4pm. Normally takes about 20 mins but was stuck on the M60 due to a car transporter being on fire.

Had a load of brand new MG rover 200 and 400’s on the back so it wasn’t totally bad news 😀

Fuel tanks with very little fuel in make a very loud bang 😯

Yeah I got it wrong in my first post, mine are Dunlop blue response, not Goodyear.

When my car was owned by the leasing company, they fitted the cheapest tyres possible. This would result in a severe lack of grip in the wet.

I’m a Driving Instructor so hardly race around anymore but they were really dodgy.

I had a student who was a bit quick on the clutch and, in the rain, he managed to wheel spin down our local high street after waiting behind a bus then pulling out to pass it 😯 not good for public relations that……

Changed to Goodyear blue response and it’s like a new car now, even the students who are really quick on the clutch can’t wheelspin it.

People think I’m always off as they see me during the day, they forget I may have been at work overnight and only up to walk the dog. They also forget that I work at least 12 hour shifts so work less days per week.

I get that a lot but people just tend to ask ” keeping busy ” well yeah, just because I’m out with the Dog at 9 am Monday morning doesn’t mean I’m not busy or I’m a lazy so and so, it’s just that I’m finishing tonight at 9pm so I’m not starting till lunch.

As an outsider, going into schools one day a week, it looks like a brilliant profession, but all the above posts would put me off attempting to be a school teacher.

Protein pancakes and a Fats me up smoothie.

I’ve discovered the Lean in 15 book and, as a lazy single bloke, it now makes me appear to actually be cooking.

I’ve not been down there for a while but, like Jason said, that’s a bloody big drop now.

Bolton MRT are brill, they rescued my mates dog a few years back when he got clipped by a car up Rivington and ended stuck down an embankment.

Think we had about 3-4 land rovers, police, loads of MRT members and a vet.

My mates got a VW on PCP and has had the car 1 year now, he can give it back after another year as its on a 4 year term.

His wife is already eyeing up a more expensive car…..

I thought it was ” take a pizza free with you ”

Thanks for all the replies.

Hey simmy, nothing to add other than I hope all is well.

Not too bad mate, it’s just he was such a big character he filled the room and it just feels so empty now. Even the vet said we have lost a great character.

They have put it down to peritonitis possibly caused by a underlying stomach tumour. That’s without a PM, I’m not having him ripped apart.

Just keeping the other dogs active as they obviously know themselves what’s happened.

As an instructor, I always teach roundabouts by asking how to indicate, filling any gaps in their knowledge, but asking them why they need to indicate.

Most of them get it correct but I find that a have to constantly keep on top of them through lessons as most of them stop doing it correctly, especially when going straight on and turning right.

Had one student say to me yesterday ” no one else does so why should I ” 😯

Seems they either copy their mates or parents. People saying we only teach them to pass, I don’t I teach them to drive but I’m not sat there after they pass. We can only do so much to their attitude.

Regarding Traffic Police, I was talking to a Bobby last week who was covering Bolton and Bury. On his own. His base was Manchester.

That’s a massive area to cover and no doubt there are that many incidents he doesn’t get time to patrol.

About £280 for me depending on how many receipts I’ve lost and how much work is needed. I still do most of the entering up, put receipts in week order etc.

I’m useless with accounts. I’m still trying to work out how I payed for the bike I bought last year. Can’t find the proper receipt anywhere…..

Assuming there was no reason not to drive at the posted limit (e.g. traffic, weather, etc.) would you fail a driving test for sticking to 35mph on a 50mph road?

Failing to maintain appropriate speed is a fault. That includes driving at slow speed without good reason, not attempting to reach the limit, slowing down without good reason and making slow progress through teh gears (ie, accelerating slowly) Those all come under the same category, so if you get 3 faults for any combination of them you fail. (unless things have changed since I last looked it up)

Driving just under the speed limit all the time will add up, possibly a minor fault if doing say 25 in a 30 and if this happens 3-4 times then yes, it could be marked a serious.

Going 35 in a 50, for example on a bypass for a mile or two will be a serious just by itself. This is assuming that the road is clear, weather good etc and that the speed limit is achevable and safe.

Thanks again everyone.

Sat here now and there’s a big space were he used to sit next to me. My other Lab is confused so I’m going to take him for a big walk. My old mongrel, who’s about 17, keeps looking for him to come in.

I’ve hardly slept, not eaten much and have a splitting headache.

At the moment, the thought of replacing him is unthinkable, but the only thing that heals is time.

Never forget him.

Cheers lads

I’d nodded off on the settee, woke up and found him. Just panicked and tried CPR but was pointless really.

Going in a bit to drop him off to be cremated.

He’s gone 😥

Cheers mate, will certainly bear it in mind.

There is one local to me so I will see what my vet says tommorow all being well and speak about a referral.

Thanks lads.

He has just scared the **** out of me by jumping up and going into the kitchen for a drink. Thought he was just lying there but he jumped up.

He still Not good though.

Tom, what’s QSVH ? Google doesn’t bring anything up.

It’s an awful place

My Fiesta doesn’t have a temperature gauge so I’m guessing the OP’s Focus is the same.

They just tend to throw up faults on the display panel above the radio so it’s easy to not know its getting too hot.

Don’t know at what temperature the display will throw a warning up ? Hope it’s not like a oil warning light when it tends to come on when the damage is done.

Well if anything, I’d be happier it is a dealer as, according to the links Matt OAB put up and what Hora had said, it’s a common problem.

I’d be seeing what they say and getting onto Ford customer relations about it. If it’s missed a recall or they know it’s a common fault, you may be able to come to some agreement.

As far as I know, most dealers are franchised so they won’t want Ford after them, I may be wrong though.

I’d still be down there first thing though….

No problem, think my head would be mashed if I’d just had that news.

It’s a difficult one as, the way I read it, they have had the car since Saturday so, without wanting to worry you just being realistic, yes it could be in bits now.

The problem is if it is in bits getting it somewhere else for another opinion. I would be tempted to get down to the garage in person first thing tommorow if you can and see what’s going on.

I can second the advice above about short engines etc

OP, which part of the country are you in ?

It’s gonna be a ecoboost. I didn’t know that engine went into a Focus so it may not be as straight forward as the old Zetec engines,

I’m guessing the car is at the garage now ?

Diesel ?

That’s a ridiculous quote for a Ford engine replacement.

What engine is it OP ?

Is it still running or has it cooked itself ?

I used to really hate heights, now I just hate them 😀

But joking apart, I have got more comfortable with them as it was a big phobia. I started by going up Blackpool Tower then standing on Scammonden Bridge over the M62 ( didn’t stay too long as I didn’t want anyone to call the cops thinking I was going to jump….)

When I was having work done it home I had a 3 teir full scaffold on the gable going to the pike and I eventually got the guts to go to the top. Hated it, panicked, sat on the boards with heartrate about 200 bpm. My mate was already on the teir rebuilding the chimney. He just said to me ” oh you’re here now ya big girl, now you’ve done it, go and put the kettle on and bring me brew here ”

I still hate ladders. Think it’s just my faith in me setting the thing up. When my mates been up the ladder I’m happy to go up but I just hate them.

I will get over it though. I’ve come this far.

My mum did it a while ago and she told me the court staff can be awkward.

They all got a lunch allowance and one lad on the jury went about 76p over his allowance and they came and looked for him to get the money. They didn’t even wait till the end of the day.

On mums case were a couple of really famous people, one being a TV presenter 😯

I parked at York station last year from about 10 am till 8 pm when the tour of Yorkshire was on and it was not too expensive.

Don’t know if they allow overnight parking.

Motorists who, when it’s raining, just turn the car off leaving the wipers in the middle of the screen.

possibly in pram

I may have, accidentally, bumped a wing mirror or 2 trying to get past them when pushing the pram..

I find you don’t need a pram to bash mirrors, my elbows are just the correct height…..

Parking can be awkward round mine, I’ve a couple of shops nearby and customers just dump their cars anywhere, even across my dropped kerb. Bit Victor Meldrew, but I’ve a car and a van so I’ve always got one parked across the dropped kerb when I’m out in the other, ensures I can get in my access and saves space on the street.

My mate lives on a street with terraced houses at one end, semi at the other and he has the only drive on the street on which he parks his van. He once parked his van outside his own house as he had another vehicle on his drive only for a day or two as the tax had run out and he was selling it.

Someone on his street got his mobile number of the side of his van, rang him on withheld number and roasted him for parking on the street 😯

Mental.

My brother was a driving instructor. Hated it. Worked 60-70 hours a week for very little money. I think he packed in and just went on the dole in the end because it paid better. Might sound good on paper, but after all the outlay and cancellations (after you’ve driven to them)… Etc. I don’t think it’s something you do for more money.

I agree with most of that.

It works for me but I’ve no kids, house is paid for so its more of a lifestyle for me. Would I have done it if I had ? No way, it’s too much of a risk.

Candy cigarettes
Car Rear window grilles
Additional spotlights on cars
” big ” slides in playgrounds
The pop man
Lookalike A Team vans
Clipper Cards
Flat caps
Green shield stamps
RAC / AA grille badges
Tax Discs