Thought Vivaro to be a Vaux/Renault/Nissan colab though? not PSA.

Mines got parts on its with Renault on them other bits with Nissan on them and most have Vauxhall on them. But it could just be mine as I got it off a specialist so he could have just rebuilt it with whatever bits off other vans he had knocking about as he breaks Vivaro/Trafics/Primastar

Like has been said, Vivaros are British built apart from the high tops as they wont go under the roof at Luton :roll:

The Trafic is built in France along with the high top vivaros and I don’t know where the Primastar is built.

Build quality panel wise is no where near a VW, panel gaps bigger etc and they are not without their problems, Timing chains and belts can snap, despite what you are told they DO need changing.

Injectors can give up and they also just stuck in the head and need special equipment to get them out then need coding to the ECU. Brake discs all around about 80-90 k depending on the use.

As an idea, I got a 2010 Vivaro base model, 150k for £4000 with a recon engine in it as the timing chain had snapped previously, all new injectors and an unlimited milage guarantee for 12 months on the engine.

The engine is Nissan based and kicks out 115 bhp, but mines got a bit more power :wink:

As the RS got door speakers or just the central dash one ?

I wouldn’t want to be chopping the panels about they are worth a fortune. Pretty sure the Mk2 Escort ( not RS ) I had only had a dash top speaker.

I take it the spoiler is already on or are you thinking of getting one ?

Reason I ask is a guy near me has a Transporter with a rear spoiler with cut outs in it so that a normal rack can still attach to the top of the tailgate.

The cut outs allow the straps through.

Keep the peace either way, do something about the grass as suggested, or take some of your side away so you can swing over your side.

Like I’ve said, I’d be wary of such a tight space as if someone parks near the damaged grass, you can’t get out easily.

If anyone did park on the right, how would you get out if there was cars parked opposite ?

I’ve a situation were I’ve a drive at the back of my house but I’ve double gates on it. Despite 2 massive keep clear signs and a dropped kerb, morons still park across it. I’ve resorted to parking the van across when the cars in the drive or I’m out in it and vice – versa.

Bit of a faff, but means I can get to work and it keeps an extra space free in the street.

Simmy – wrong.
Caddy Maxi Life is M1 and classed as an estate car as are the other manufacturers variants.
It is not just about the body shape – it’s more about the seating/windows that changes the classification as a previous thread(argument) on here proved.

I wasn’t aware of M1 & N1 before, all I knew was the same bodyshell had car limits.

Another STW learning curve :-)

Been discussed before

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/speed-limits-and-insurance-for-citroen-dispach

To have the higher limit, it has to be the EXACT same bodyshell as a car, so Fiesta van, Corsa van etc

Anything that is just a Van like a Connect or Caddy has lower limits.

No one really bothers though and, like has been said, doing 50 mph on a NSL single carriageway will sometimes have an artic pushing you. The artics should be doing 40……in England anyway.

I’ve just remembered using part of the TPT around Sale water park to get to a school in Northenden last year.

Mainly decentish paths etc but one part right next to the River Mersey was like a tractor had gone down and the path was on the ruts. Would be fine if dry, but was awful in the mud.

The Liverpool section can be covered in glass in parts. After that towards Southport is old Railway, bit mucky and puddly after rain.

Tomorrow I have a workforce planning day…

In Bolton.

I will let you know Bolton is on the up. The new Bus / Rail interchange is due to open, we now have a Town Centre cinema and some nice restaurants under the shopping centre.

We even have a pub named after a local taxi company ( I mean WTF !?!?!?!? )

All this next to the multi storey which was closed due to structural defects which some bloke is converting to shops !?!?!?! The boarded up shops, clubs, taxi ranks restaurants and when the council has meetings, there are protests outside to get rid of the leader.

Even Cash Converters has gone. If you go along the A666, admire the clean look as they closed it for 12.hours to clean the verges and filled 4 Transit Tippers with all the rubbish 8O

Get in, stay as little time as possible, then leave. It’s horrible.

There is a really rough housing estate near me, the kind were Jeremy Kyle sends his team to look for guests.

I was teaching a young lad on there who really shouldn’t have lived on that estate as he worked and didn’t have a neck or face tattoo.

JW’s were knocking on doors on the estate. At 9 am on a Saturday……

We left before the action kicked off.

He has missed a Blue Plaque that’s near me.

Very interesting though

Edit – that other site has as well……

I live near the Ironman UK course, this involves the road being shut from 6 am to 9.30 am on a Sunday morning.

Signs go up weeks in advance and its in something like its tenth year.

It’s good fun seeing the carnage. Most of the time it’s security of the type you see at festivals etc who haven’t got a clue where they are and how to direct motorists around the closure. I don’t mind helping out directing people as the signs are always pathetic.

Best ones are the old dear who was a WRVS volunteer at the hospital thinking I would give her money for petrol as the diversion would be another few miles and a woman in a BMW convertable who refused to turn round as it would involve driving on the motorway. She parked up for 40 minutes when she could have gone on the motorway around the closure in 5 mins.

I’ve the width of the pavement between my front door and getting mowed down by a Aldi truck and I’m on a set of traffic lights.

I’m used to it and I can’t cope with quiet. When I had new A rated Windows fitted they reduced the noise quite dramatically and I couldn’t sleep for 2 days :oops:

Evans (in store) will price match Wiggle/CRC, usually more valuable than 10%.

You can also ring their call centre, place your order and pay over the phone for click and collect and they will price match.

Often easier than potentially going instore to deal with someone who hasn’t got a clue how price match works and to find they don’t have the item in stock.

OMG a Mk3 Cortina! Yesss!

That Cortina got me a ride in a Police Car when I was 8

One night it got nicked and dumped in Salford, police found it, came and took Mum and Me up to go and collect it. Mum was upset so a Bobby drove it back and we got a lift back in the Police car. I’m sure the Police car was a Escort Xr3i

I remember the car having a new ignition barrel then mum scrubbed it with bleach as she felt it was dirty after being nicked.

Mag Burner, here’s me looking my usual happy self

Replaced by this which I still have

Or get a Vivaro from 2006 onwards with the 2.0 dci Nissan engine

No cam belt to go wrong then.

The timing chains on these can strip / snap.

Mine had a recon engine because it stripped on the previous owner. Vauxhall reckon the chains never need replacing but the guy I bought mine off is seeing an average of 2 a week snapped. He reckons to change them at 100k as its not expensive to do.

I don’t know anything about Scudo’s etc but just want to echo what has been said about the Fords, they rot like mad.

I’ve seen 11 plate Transits with surface rust on Chassis legs.

A lot better filmed than TGT

Matt seems to tie everyone together but can someone just handcuff them all ? The hand movements when talking were annoying but Matts clapping was just unneeded.

Let’s hope it develops. Much better without Chris on it.

A big plus for a slow van is that you mellow and stop giving a shit about folk holding you up.

I’ve adapted to this way of thinking since I had the Escort van with all of 69bhp. Overtaking took a lot of planning and joining motorways on uphill sliproads was character building. The clutch started slipping on it ( last thing you need with 69 bhp ) the diesel tank was leaking but the worst part was the rust was getting the chassis rails so it had to go.

Now got a Vivaro 115 bhp and it feels well fast after the Escort but I still take it easy and mainly stick with the LGV’s on the motorway. Think I’ve done too much rushing about when I was a white van man to get involved in the 80 mph fight for position in lane 3. Nice having the acceleration of the Vivaro going uphill though.

Going back to insurance, mine is due in May so I’ve been looking but just putting April in the comparison site. Coming back at about £625 with 3 years no claims but they are taking into consideration 20+ on my car. Obviously going to look around, but my car is about £420 per year on insurance as a Driving School car….

Van insurance is expensive. I think they all think you are doing foreigners disposing of waste etc as numerous times I’ve been asked by insurance do I need it for work and when I say no they ask ” why do you need a van then ? ” well it’s easier to get dirty bikes in, wet Labrador in and all that stuff is not going into my car as it has to be kept really clean at all times.

Born 1977

I can’t remember what bike I had, but it had stabilisers when I was about 4, took the stabilisers off when I got better at balance and I remember sticking lolly sticks in the brakes to rub on the spokes to make a motorbike sound and going down the terrace street where my Nan lived side by side with one of the other lads pretending we were the 2 cops off that American programme Chips.

Then got a Mag Burner when I was about 8 but didn’t use it much as I was on a main road at home so took it to my nans were it was quieter. Then got a MTB in 1988 for my birthday, Raleigh Team ATB copy from the sports shop in the market street as other kids were getting mountain bikes.

Rode that thing everywhere. But it then went into retirement when I started driving and I never touched it for 12 years or it lived in the corner of nans kitchen.

10 years ago, a mate needed a bike to ride to work so I offered the old Raleigh. The tyres were flat so I pushed it down to Tesco to pump the tyres up with the airline, rode it back and it nearly killed me. Those years of not doing any exercise had taken its toll. Still got the Raleigh, covered up in the spare room.

About 2010, I got a old MTB, off my mate and we started pottering around the streets just to get a bit healthier. I got into it and we decided to get better bikes and it’s taken off from there.

I don’t get out as much as I’d like, but I’ve got various bikes now and have qualified as a Cycke Instructor so it is a big part of my life.

I used to love the look of the group B back in the 80’s

There was a guy called Stephen Timm whos family had a Ford dealership in Leigh and his everyday vehicle was a red RS200.

I wouldn’t swap my van for all the turbo nutter guff I’ve had over the years.

Same here, if I didn’t need a car for work, I would get rid of it.

Single, no kids and no plans to change that.

Driving instructor mainly, I’m also a Bikeability instructor but that’s quiet at the moment.

The driving instruction is the longest job I’ve done, coming upto 9 years now, and I still enjoy it. It’s hard work mentally thinking about how capable the student is, are they having a bad day, but the hardest thing is the other idiots on the road. Very satisfying when a student passes but it’s a lonely job as the students are not like having colleagues who you can moan to…..

I’m cutting my hours back a bit to get that work / life balance but it’s difficult to say no when someone rings up for lessons as it’s literally recommendations as it’s not something you do twice so there are no repeat customers.

Love the Bikeability as seeing the kids ” get ” riding a bike is fantastic.

I had a window fitted in my Van the other week by Preston Body Glass and one of their other companies is this one

http://www.prestoncampervans.com/

Don’t know rates etc as I’ve a van of my own, but they were sound lads with me.

Girls grow out of finding them funny. Boys don’t. Accordingly, women don’t find them funny, men do.

My mates missus laughs at our farting and farts like a bloke herself….

5 years old and 34,000 miles the car is beginning to show its age.

A guy I know has a 03 plate Yaris with 350,000 on it, another has just scrapped his 55 plate Micra with 250,000 on it as the interior was falling apart and the MOT needed loads of bushes etc and the car was worth £100.

My Fiesta is 4 year old with 113,000 on it.

Going back to your problems, like has been said, check the battery is correct. If I remember rightly from the Days I was massively into Car Stereo, the battery should be reading about 13-14 volts when the engine is running. If the power steering has any kind of hydraulic it will have a resivour somewhere, if it’s power steering on a motor the voltage could be affecting it.

Halfords have 15% off all workshop till Wednesday which takes the budget jump pack down to £34

http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/battery-chargers-jump-starters/phaze-4-in-1-jump-starter

Guessing BC will take another 10% off that as well

I’ve not but I leave them on vent most of the time

I can’t help you with any advice as my mate fitted mine for me. I still gave him his normal labour rate, but he got me all the stuff at trade and didn’t add anything on.

Cost me a few Lamb Vindallos though :wink:

All I can agree with the above is watch for extras etc like coloured door slabs, brown window frames etc as they can really bump the prices up.

At trade, I got 6 windows and 2 composite doors for about £3,500. I went for extras like brown frames, sash horns and green back door slab with white inside. My mate who fitted them got the same for his house, but in plain white, for about £800 less.

I knew I would pay more for mine, but it’s what I wanted and the house is late 1800’s so would have looked out of
Place with normal white Windows.

I’m in an extending lunch break due to having a driving test cancelled. Trees down, bins flying, debris on roads, traffic signals out.

Might stay off all day…..

Cracked the windscreen on my van whilst changing the wipers.
Lifted the wiper arm then caught it and it smashed into the screen.

I did this. If it helps, you won’t do it again…

Too right.

I have changed loads of wipers as I used to work in a garage but this one was a bit stuck and I lifted it clear then caught the end of the wiper arm with my jacket then smash.

Gonna be about £150 to replace but at least it’s passenger side and at the bottom of the screen so I may get away with it for a few weeks.

Cracked the windscreen on my van whilst changing the wipers.

Lifted the wiper arm then caught it and it smashed into the screen.

Annoying.

My mother in law got pinged for speeding in the way to her speed awareness course

I know of a bloke who rear ended the local speed camera van whilst they were both waiting to emerge onto the roundabout at the end of a slip road…..

Speed awareness courses will be scary as most people haven’t got a clue about anything.

£300 does seem unusual for a first offence.

OP, you mentioned that the office rang you so I’m assuming that you were in a. company vehicle. Could there have been a delay between the fine being issued and then tracking down who was driving which has pushed the money up ?

Life is definatly more fast paced these days but yeah, it is a lot easier to get things done.

I’m cutting my hours back.

Over the past 2 years it’s been none stop with more customers than any of us can handle. It’s been good money wise, but it’s getting to me now.

Averaging 10 hour days 5 days a week and a 6 hour at the weekend. Doesn’t sound too bad, but if I had a break it would easily add and hour to each day. Eating quickly between clients, not having chance to go to the loo is getting too much now and I just can’t spend anymore time away from home.

Just gonna knock it back 10 hours or so. It will still give me enough income, but also time to have a quick bike ride either morning or evening.

I’ve just renewed mums licence as she is 70 in May and it turned up within 3 days after doing it online and we just sent the old one back cut in 2