ChasR
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As if by magic, Nigel has replied to a thread in the group that I mentioned. In short, the guy got stung on the way back in, via the French Customs officers. A link to the thread is here, and here is what Nigel had to say. It may be worth pinning this detail in the 'helpful' section etc. www.facebook.com/groups/Trackstormers/permalink/4493624877471523/Apologies for the long post, but I believe it covers most of the questions you have. I've posted this before and is a summary of my understanding after speaking with the UK Carnet team. UK customs by email and in person and customs in Rotterdam in person and by email.
If you are just driving your road registered, taxed, MOT and insured track car you don`t need a Carnet. If you are trailering your road registered, taxed, MOT and insured track car you don`t need a Carnet. If you are transporting your car that is not road registered (ie no V5) you do need a carnet If you are trailering your road registered car and are carrying spares, you do need a Carnet. If you are trailering your non road registered car and are carrying spares, you do need a Carnet.
I crossed into Europe several times in 2022. The first from Hull to Rotterdam in April. My friend crossed the day before and he had a long argument with Customs after they pulled him to one side saying he needed a Carnet for his car on the trailer and he almost missed the ferry. I crossed the next day and wasn`t stopped.
This inconsistency is one of the biggest frustrations with the whole process. Some people will share an example of when they were stopped and turned away from the port where others have made many crossings with zero issues.
When we returned from the trip in April, my friend was pulled to one side at Passport control as the head of Customs at Hull had put a note on his details and they came in on Saturday morning specifically to talk to him to explain the actual rules and whether he did or did not need a Carnet as the customs officers themselves had given differing advice. They gave him copies of the UK Government website explaining that he should have had a Carnet and next time, if he crossed with the same load he would not be allowed to cross.
That sounds very clearcut, but then I spoke to someone else who crossed on the same ferry 2 weeks later and he was never questioned by customs. This is probably the largest cause of conflicting information online. I`ve seen it myself in several Facebook groups where someone will ask if they need a Carnet as they are towing their non road legal track car with spares, a person will explain that according to the rules they do need one, but then loads of others jump on and say they have never been stopped.
Returning in July there was an E36 and tyre rack parked up at the ferry terminal in Hull. When I asked about it, customs told me the owner didn't have the necessary paperwork and as a result could cancel his journey or leave the trailer behind and collect upon his return (which is why they'd left the trailer and carried on without it)
After the issues in April I purchased a Carnet so I wouldn`t have any worries on future crossings. I made further crossings on the Eurotunnel in July then Hull to Rotterdam in September and in both cases I wasn`t challenged about having a Carnet and quite honestly, if I didn`t have one I wouldn`t have been stopped.
That is a risk and it`s up to you if you decide to travel without one. If I was towing a road registered car with a few spares, I wouldn't bother.
If you do decide to get one, it`s around £520 for 12 months and as many crossings as you need. You get it from a chamber of commerce, you have to list ALL the spares you are taking. Regarding the trailer registration, Europe is a bit different to us, their trailers have their own numberplate. To avoid issues, I registered the trailer on the government website, bought a numberplate (it's a specific rectangular one). £35 and it's easier than explaining in the UK you don't need a trailer registration.
Overkill I agree, but for a one off fee for someone who goes 3 or 4 times a year , it seemed a no brainer.
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ChasR
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Posts: 10,199
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Oct 26, 2023 19:43:48 GMT
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Some suggestions assume I am not driving say a 1941 Wolseley, no standard head unit. No radio at all. Those ciggie lighter FM transmitters are FTW in a car with an FM radio. I've been using those for years very happily. Now phones don't have headphone jacks the "use a cassette adapter" and "aux in" things are no good any more. They do Bluetooth versions of those which work reasonably. My dad uses one of those for the Saab, but of course, it has a headunit already, which I suppose is what you're looking not to do. You can now get Amps which have Bluetooth connectivity. They're not cheap, but they look reasonable. For me, the MTX unit would be my pick, with the controller. The MTX: www.raysmith.co.uk/products/hidden-audio-bluetooth-amplifier-secret-stereo-1The CCS item: www.classiccarstereo.co.uk/shop/classic-car-stereos/autosound-classic-car-stereo/hidden-bluetooth-amplifier/In the Merc W108, I tried a few things, with varied results, but overall, reasonable, to good, but they did all involve a headunit, albeit of various flavours, including: -£13 Cheap Classic headunit -An Alpine SQ item, with a rare Parrot Bluetooth iPod box option -A Retrosound DAB, all singing all dancing item -Blaupunkt's Bremen 80s unit (That was in the S124 230TE, but it still made for a handy comparison). I doubt the above is what you want by any means however. In theory, another way around it would be to get a Bluetooth Handsfree kit, wire it away somewhere, and then have most of the control off the phone. I used this kit with a Becker Mexico Pro headunit back in the day, and it was fine and sounded well. It wasn't that pricey back then however (I think it was £65). I'm sure I did use it without a headunit back in the day, so this may be an option for you. These devices work by interrupting the car's sound via a 'patch'/interruption lead, meaning it has its own amplifier built into the device. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354075720582?epid=2254503034&hash=item52708ebb86:g:4QsAAOSwVRRijNp2&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0LdP%2BenU2YnaiPf1abfCNQHnmSrTD%2BLAL31Ka0lhWJCpNt5dASstfVt54XLj1KN2edX0b9OJaC1WwQNeaGjow6JhgYv%2BkVPq5GKxknajsOfIQkFf1Rr%2Fcq5ffhw2ePgHfWGjOX8IaBdGHxKSRetsKBoBc8MFXD%2FRC8q%2FCrw6lUtuf9wADtbZrycDuBujbsVZxga1Q5ZR6uNcQ4bFvkvtCUaHpqeI7Uhg6WwuJgwtfgwGgT9qTZ3Z%2B9dvS4vZRB1%2Bxpb14egkXc2PDvb%2FfAe2DuE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_DZjdjtYgAlmost all of the above however, were better than the portable Bluetooth music boxes, which until now, included : -a JBL Flip -Denon Envaya ; I still have this. This was as close as acceptable to the above choices, but no cigar. It also wasn't the best value in a car.
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2023 19:51:03 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Oct 26, 2023 19:28:49 GMT
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What he said.
Folks transport seats to OEMs, as a built up unit (y).
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ChasR
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Oct 26, 2023 19:26:38 GMT
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Hi Adam,
I can put you in touch with someone who rebuilds bikes, and bike engines. He's based in Kenilworth and Coventry, if that is any good to you?
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ChasR
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Oct 26, 2023 19:23:09 GMT
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Honestly? Pretty busy!
Work has been mental, and I think I may take a break from the corperate life, or at least move to somewhere less political/overworked. That may be a movement within the company, or even away from it, as a couple of folks are advising me to do. I suppose it's a shame when you don't mind the folks you work with, but something has to change. Not being able to sleep well/remaining wired etc. isn't right.
But as for other things, it's been fine.
The M3 went out for one of its few drives before I take it off the road, and rectify some things. I need to update the thread as I've made some changes on that lately, and enjoying another chapter with the car. The bike thread also needs updating, as I've acquired another one, for a specific task, which is not commuting on it.
I've also been helping a mate sort out a Mk4 Golf R32. But that tale can wait for a while
I went to the very last Fargo meet yesterday, with a few mates. Despite being quite shattered, I got some pics, and admired a few cool cars. These included a:
-VW Puma -E36 Alpina B3 3.2 -A VW T2 Bay Window with a 1.9 PD 130BHP engine conversion, along with an IRS conversion on the rear -A 911 Carrera RS, or at least what we thought was a replica -Several Mk2 Golfs, including a G60 -An R107 on Lorinsers -Generally, a crowded, but very well catered for event, right on my doorstep.
Photos will come soon in here.
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ChasR
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Oct 26, 2023 19:09:36 GMT
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If you are towing a car that is not road legal you are currently supposed to have a CARNET. Some people have been getting away with it, but expect a long delay if you are pulled for a search without one. If the car you are towing is road registered you will be fine. This, as the TLDR broadly speaking, but tools and spares can change that dynamic. I've only done it myself once with a mate, without a Carnet, but that was just a car, and a one off. But in the trackday world, where folks have had track cars, even with an MOT and Reg etc. but with tools, folks have got away with it. But some haven't, and it's down to the interpretation of whoever is at the docks. I.e are you a trader etc. or taking things across you should be declaring, and they suspect it. It's worth joining Track Time on Facebook, and seeking out a chap called Nigel Pinder, who is pinderwagen on here, but I don't think he comes on here much anymore. He has done the trip to Europe several times a year, for years, with a variety of folks. He himself has a Carnet, purely to avoid the hassle. He has a road registered car, with tools, and tyres etc. If it's a business venture however, you need a Carnet, and I wouldn't even bother taking things with you. A mate, colleague and an ex-mag journo bod I know barely take over many spares like oil etc. as it's simply not worth the hassle of declaring things, and risk getting caught for them if they don't. After all, they have day jobs at the end of the day which don't revolve around declaring things.
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2023 19:12:48 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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2000 BMW E46 tourer ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Oct 26, 2023 18:29:01 GMT
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I'm probably out of touch, but here it goes.
I'd say around £600 as it is, with a ticket. The boot floor/RACP panel can be repaired in an MOT friendly manner, but that will still cost a couple of hundred quid, and split again ; there are various ways to fix them right (and there are levels of right). But it would be signficantly more than a few hundred pounds, that's for sure. But it is an estate, and estates, even smallish ones, do sell quickly, due to their practicality.
If it were ULEZ compliant, that would change things. With this car, it would need to be 6 months newer, on a Y plate, or newer.
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2023 18:29:48 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Hi Matt,
I'm close and pop into Stratford Upon Avon quite often, so I'm happy to pick these up.
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ChasR
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ChasR thanks for the input to be honest i don’t think there is anything wrong with the gearbox was more thinking if the 13/60 gearbox was an improvement over the original 1200 item. i can see i have bought the lowest powered car in the range so will definitely look into getting it running to its best ability. bodywork wise there are a few dings which i am not bothered about and the car will look better once washed and cut back and polished. the door bottoms are the only bit that will need sorting the rest is pretty good odd little touch up here and there no doubt. it’s had an alternator conversion too which is good and save carrying out this mod in the future. It was when you were referring to gearbox swaps to a later 'box. I was merely saying if you do it, go with a recon item, mainly as the syncros are weak in these 'boxes, albeit they are 'simple' to a gearbox rebuilder to rebuild.
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ChasR
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I've known of a couple of places to fit things that cheap, but not many these days, with the pool shrinking.
I'll sound like a broken record, but there are a few reasons for it:
-Overheads have skyrocketed. Folks moan about energy bills, but if you run a business, you'll be crying. Electric has gone up from 11p over a year ago to about £1 a kWh. I know a friend of mine struggled to even find a supplier for his new place last year, with many saying 'they'd not take on new customers'. He figured out it was cheaper to run his place on his generators and VAT paid diesel! (For him, that's not an option, and let's be honest, it's not really an option for anyone. I know for a PAS business, he can't even pass on his material costs to customers as much as he'd want to. If he didn't, he'd be a busy fool.
I work doing paints for an OEM, and our costs have doubled on materials, and tripled on overheads.
-Things have gone up in price. Cars have gone up, repairing them has gone up. Building materials are pricier too. -Mortgages across the board have gone up. Unless the place he's getting it off is bought outright, that cost can only be partially absorbed. The chap in my example about has two businesses within his complex. My friend hasn't put the price up, and is unsurprisingly, seen as the nicest guy on his road, compared to other Landlords, but he bought the premises recently.
Christ, my weekly shop is depressing, as is the cost of fixing things. My tyre fitter got the price of my tyre on the motorbike wrong. He didn't, but the price changed when I came to buy the tyre. It was a near 30% discount he gave me on the tyre, which I offered to pay him for. After all, he can't run his business on goodwill.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,199
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Lowering a 2003 diesel mondeo ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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As said, they are pigtailed. They may not be pigtailed from the top, so there may be scope to lower them via chopping a coil or two out. 60mm, however, is quite a drop, and on a stock damper, there won't be much travel left. Never, EVER, cut coil springs! I admit it's not my bag, but even key names back in the day chopped spring. Dave Vizard suggested it on Triumph saloons back in the day, and mentioned how you got a stiffer spring as well
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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went to view a Herald 1200 with my wife earlier last owner for 30 years, it’s old , it’s slow , but a good honest car. had a good look underneath and all clean no holes that i could see few bits on the body starting to show , mostly the bottom of the doors but nothing that cannot be fixed. here are some photos photos.app.goo.gl/qTr3492GjHmVicq2Ait hadn’t been started for a few months ,so after a few spins of the motor and a prime of the fuel pump and it soon burst into life it’s in need of a tune up as feels like it’s struggling to rev and something is holding it back so will be an interesting drive home of approx. 40 miles next week . no synchro on first !! is a 13/60 box a straight swap ? as he has one i can have, along with another 1200 engine. plan is a good clean of the interior , possibly all the interior panels taking out and some sort of anti rust treatment in all the unseen areas/voids. any recommendations for a product to use ? bilt hamber , etc ? need to investigate the gearbox cover as looking under the bonnet something doesn’t look right , looks like the original has collapsed and may need to replace with a fibreglass version. engine wise i’ll have a look at anything obvious that could be causing the rough running but will definitely be fitting some kind of electronic ignition . again anyone have experience of what’s best ? as i can see a complete distributor /coil/ lead/ plugs kit or just the drop in module . new seat belts . this was a condition from the wife , she doesn’t like the static belts and wants inertia belts front and rear so they will be bought new and installed. other than that will be a case of enjoying driving something that is so basic , not done that for 35 years!! then i can look into some change such as a set of wider steels and a suspension drop. any good classic car garages in the north west kent area or a good mobile mechanic just in case i need one in the future. Firsty, well done on getting a car. As you have noticed, it is quite a minefield, trying to get something reasonable at this price stage. I've seen folks get burned at higher price points! The other thing is, it's a great car to work on. The body gaps do get bad, mainly from work done on them structurally not being executed well. The body is in 3 pieces, and shimming them correctly is an exhausting and long process, which for the value of what Heralds are worth, simply isn't worth pursuing for many. You'll tend to see it done correctly on ground up restorations, but even they spend hours (sometimes days!) getting the fit and finish right. The Accuspark kits can be hit and miss, but they are a big upgrade over the points, and these days, more reliable than new points and condensors, so it's an upgrade I'd do for sure, while keeping the points gubbins in a bag, and in the glovebox. I'd also get a new dizzy, if the bob weights don't seem to be all that. It will help the running and power of the car more than you think, if the old dizzy is worn or stuck. This may explain the power issue as well. Gearboxes, I'd only go refurbished now. Yes, I know it's more cash than you want to spend, but it's simply my experience of single rail 'boxes. They -Have weak syncros so tend to wear, or at least they were very worn in a number of 1500 engined cars I had (all three of mine had a degree of wear in them, with some being worse across the gears than others; clutch hydraulics were fine) -3rd gear can have some 'woundering' when coming on-off throttle, meaning that the thrust bearings are shot. I think you can still get these rebuilt for less than £500. Mike Papworth is the man, albeit he is wrapping up operations slowly. He's in Coventry, which I know is a way away, but he does know the gearboxes very well. I'm happy to assist here if required (postage of the 'box, delivery to him, as I'm local to the area now) I may be suggesting pricey fixes but this is a much better way to buy a car. Bodywork now is scarily pricey ; even at work, the cost of paint has doubled, and gas ovens are far from cheap to run. A mate's outfit's electric went from 11p/kWh to £1.07. He had no choice but to take it last year, as other companies were not taking on new customers, or wanted more cash. Naturally, that cost has to be passed on somehow. The main thing is, to have fun (y).
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Sept 26, 2023 18:12:19 GMT
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Is there an update on this? I'm afraid so! The bike went to pastures anew! I had some fun with it, but at the time, I realised that I would never use the bike properly. That, and with the CG125, the Solex would be unlikely to be ever used!
However, the CG did remain. I did some work on that over time, but not much. It was actually a pretty good bike that.
The first big thing I did would be to have a detailer mate 'clean' the bike. We didn't mop it or anything, but we did clean it quite thoroughly. His cleaning techniques initially seemed harsh, but I'll say more later.
I would end up doing more stuff as well. But more until next time.
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ChasR
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Lowering a 2003 diesel mondeo ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Sept 23, 2023 7:31:58 GMT
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I'd guess he went with Bilstein or Sachs shocks.
The better fix is to get dampers with a shorter travel from the getgo. Something like Bilstein B8s would do the trick here.
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ChasR
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Sept 23, 2023 7:28:35 GMT
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It really does depend on the job. Certain tools can make or break the job, literally, like the DeWalt impact guns. Mine's come in handy, and broken a couple of things! All car jobs give me the dread lol. 100% this 1000% if it's the wife's car or my daily This! If it's the daily and it's dry/warm, it's not the end of the world, as I have two other vehicles (motorbike and car), along with a pushbike if push comes to shove. Estates are handy however! Well, the rears on these saabs are even easier. I pop one bolt off and the rear arm almost spits the spring out! The last set of springs the rears were a bit saggy - not these ones. Job complete - Quick tracking adjustment & i'm done! That's quite lucky! If the bolt had seized into the bush, you'd have been in for a world of pain. But it's a good example of doing a job you dread. Anyway, how about mine? 1) Merc W108 heater panel. My controls were broken when I bought the car. Everyone online said they are a nightmare to do. The reality? They are a little fiddly, yes, but a nightmare? Further from the truth. Spark plugs, especially the ones at the rear of the engine bay (mine was a 4.5) were worse to do. For a year, because of this, I lived with a car that steamed up in the rain, and was cold in the winter. The worst part? The heaters were magnificent! Very Mercedes like! I can still hear the burble of that car. 2) Saab 9-3 (YS3F) rear brake discs : You knew this would feature. Whoever designed the wanky setup on the rear should be shot. God knows why you need to remove a suspension bolt in order to make a brake disc carrier bolt accessible. Clearly, Saab thought this was wise. Yes, the Aeros don't need the carrier removing, but on a non-Aero, you are up turd creek without a paddle. If I didn't have the DeWalt, I'd have still been there now, or have done what the last guys before me did ; not change them. I put them off twice. Luckily, the bolt hadn't seized into the balljoint/bush. The handbrake calipers however, they were a different story. I actually did dread them as the issues unravelled, as shown here. Someone ended up with some scrap calipers after I cut them apart. Come to think of it, I hate most jobs on that car, as did my tame mechanic (Subframe dropping to change a PAS pipe anyone?) 3)BMW E91 rear springs and dampers. I dreaded changing the snapped spring on the E91. However, it went smoothly and the bolts played ball. The damper didn't when the bottom bit snapped off, but it had blown anyway, so it wasn't the end of the world. 4)E46 M3 valve clearances. Mine need doing again, and it's not a job I enjoy. They're simple to do, it's just if a shim decides to jump out of its retainer as you put them back in, which is easier said than done...
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Last Edit: Sept 23, 2023 7:29:22 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Posts: 10,199
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Lowering a 2003 diesel mondeo ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Sept 21, 2023 18:28:13 GMT
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As said, they are pigtailed. They may not be pigtailed from the top, so there may be scope to lower them via chopping a coil or two out.
60mm, however, is quite a drop, and on a stock damper, there won't be much travel left.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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cutting compound for 2 packChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Sept 16, 2023 15:38:22 GMT
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2000 is too fine. Do you have a shot of the orange peel?
If it were me, I'd start at 1200, and if the peel is awful, maybe even 800. I'd then work my way up to around 3000. With a 3M Trizact disc, and DA sander, I've got away with 1500 on orange peel, and brought it back well.
I'd then go two ways with the cutting compound
-3M Fast Cut Plus or Plus Extreme -A good detailing compound. Meguiars 105 is old hat now but still good, but their new replacement of this is pretty good whatever it's no. is. The Zviwwer (sp?) stuff is exceptional. I'd be going for this personally. The problem is you may end up chasing the car around with this compound.
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ChasR
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Sept 16, 2023 15:33:30 GMT
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Without mentioning a certain word, exporting things to the US to here became harder recently. We were with one ruleset before, and now we are with another.
A beer place I know used to import loads from the US, as it was bundled with European stuff as 'safe' gear. We now get bundled with any third nation. Zimbabwe, Egypt, Pakistan, you name it. As a result if anything on a pallet with other gear is stuck, their gear got stuck as well.
The sellers of the beer got curse word off as it could be months before things were resolved. Buyers over here were curse word as the produce could go off.
It will be one reason why things are much pricier. A company is not going to make it free for having more faff and curse word to deal with.
eBay do seem to somehow have nailed the shipping. When RockAuto ship the part, it will say that it's going to an eBay GSS centre. That's what happened when I shipped my clock out to Italy. I sent it to the GSS warehouse in the Midlands.
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Last Edit: Sept 16, 2023 15:34:06 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
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Sept 15, 2023 3:14:05 GMT
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They can be hit and miss. Oddly, where I am now, they are a hit.
The two near me before were bafflied with a number of forms, and simply claimed they couldn't be done (V111 for tax exemption for example).
The one I used to use for work were OK 80% of the time, but that was with experienced hands at the helm. The closure would affect us, unless the POs have a deal with VOSA.
I used to work in transport. In order to get certain trucks to qualify for discounts, and to allow them to be used abroad/in certain city centres, some had emissions certificates to state they were Euro 5 spec as opposed to Euro 4. These could not be taxed online, and could only be done at a PO. There were other exceptions too.
A shame the POs are closing down. The bigger shame is that the DVLA places shut down all of those years ago. They did make life easier.
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ChasR
RR Helper
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Club RR Member Number: 170
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Sept 14, 2023 12:34:09 GMT
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I may be able to help, being based around Coventry. PM me for more info
Otherwise, I know of a couple of places. Major Storage, which is run by Darren Langeveld, who runs Destination Nurburgring, should be able to help
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