50 mpg..

[HarryMann]

Typo in there somewhere ... at 70-75 mpg

Did your Audi cost £800 12 years ago, and we do 70 ~ 75 a lot of the time too, but being 1 litre let it drop back on the hills

[ghost123uk]

Hi Geoff,

Borescope down the Micra sill...

hehe, not really https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Te ... inspection

Had a look at that in wiki but I don't get it.
How do you get a shot of the inside of a sill with a digi camera but no borescope on the lens ?

[HarryMann]

Aha!

Because the back or front half of the sill is often opened up fopr repair, or an end-capping is cut out for access and one is using the camera to get where the eye cannot easily get, you just have to make sure the flash goes down the hole, the lens and auto-focus device also are sufficiently within the aperture. It takes two or three shots sometimes, and is usually best to set to close-focus, even the cheap digis have that, somewhere in the menu system...

The beauty seems to be that you can peruse the situation at leisure later, and often see more specifics than when trying to screw eye into position or use a mirror (often distorts or prevents a light source being used simultaneously).

Idea is to not only inspect condition for possible repairs, but whether cleaning, raking, vacuuming out is working and treatments have got to the places that they should.

It's also why I can be a pain and annoy people by constantly stating that many of their anti-rust efforts in closed sections and structures are nothing like as effective as we would like to believe... for a start, the very first step is often skimped or missed altogether, a very thorough clean and drying out. More than just one hour to clean a single sill out properly, sometimes revealing what the owner doesn't (really) want revealed

[syncrosimon]

Did 600 miles in a day (twice) at sat nav 70 mph and achieved dead on 50 mpg with our 1998 Micra. Was very easy driving. I like the principle of getting the smallest car that you can make do with, rather than the largest you can afford. Chasing around in a small car is much more of a challenge, with more driver input required and in my opinion much more fun. I love small cars. The French were good at adopting the small car ethos, and up until recently you would only really see small cars in the countryside, whereas we Brits think that an X5 is clever. Doh.

[HarryMann]

The problem though Simon, today, is that large heavy and high cars have become very popular and predominate, especially in these parts. They have power everything and the drivers are often cacooned, insulated from the realities of those in less 'crash-resistant tanks'..

So they drive them very nonchalantly, can't steer* them with much precision, threaten those nearby driving small tin boxes, and couldn't avoid a collison if it required changing course immediately by more than 1 minute of arc...

Thus, despite being brought up on such small light efficient cars, I DO feel incredibly threatened a lot of the time...

esp as

* The current driving test seems to throw licences at anyone who can play the computer/memory game, and pays scant regard to proper handling, respect for and use of..

the most important thing in the car..

the bloody steering wheel, seemingly used as an accessory or hindrance to their comfort by most drivers under 30 or so... and many above.

This seriously reduces my enjoyment of owning and driving a small car today...

[syncrosimon]

Thus, despite being brought up on such small light efficient cars, I DO feel incredibly threatened a lot of the time...

That is a good point, and the main reason we went to a newer car with a better N-cap rating than the Micra. Defensive driving seems to be required in smaller older cars, which makes you focus more on driving, rather like motorcycling.

Our stalwart Kangoo has a 4 star rating, and is going to be up for sale in September. £1000 will secure the sale. High sills, air bags, traction control, abs, electronic brake distribution and 4 wheel drive makes her a very safe car. She will only do about 36mpg though.

Properly teaching someone to drive takes much longer than that required to pass your test. Mentoring is really needed.

[John Potter]

Sounds cheap for a 2002 Trekka...

I still prefer a larger vehicle, at least you start a bit further away from the crash.

[HarryMann]

I still prefer a larger vehicle, at least you start a bit further away from the crash.

Very true, but where does it all end...

Riding bike back down our (double parked) street just now, looked up to see if the river of yet another big black german thing had 'clocked' me, and couldn't even see a person through the tinted windscreen let alone the whites of their eyes (which I alwasy want to see to know I'm in their visual frame)..

Tinted screens, ridiculous and dangerous.. I WANT to see the flippin driver, not a load of reflections and darkness - don't care what the law is re: % tint etc, it's fundamentally wrong if you can't see the driver at a quick glance.

[syncrosimon]

It's fundamentally wrong if you can't see the driver at a quick glance.

You always want eye contact to see if the driver has spotted you. Failing that watch the front wheel, thats what some advanced driving courses suggest.

On a motorbike the eye contact thing is very important I have always felt( as it hurts more) On a bicycle the roads seem even more suicidal.

[mot falia]

Did 600 miles in a day (twice) at sat nav 70 mph and achieved dead on 50 mpg with our 1998 Micra. Was very easy driving. I like the principle of getting the smallest car that you can make do with, rather than the largest you can afford. Chasing around in a small car is much more of a challenge, with more driver input required and in my opinion much more fun. I love small cars. The French were good at adopting the small car ethos, and up until recently you would only really see small cars in the countryside, whereas we Brits think that an X5 is clever. Doh.

we have a 1.5 diesel citroen ax. i wouldn't change it for the world. 75 mpg. weighs as much as an empty crisp packet i keep on telling the kids its either run around in a gas gussler. or should i say look at its shiney paint. or go to the beach in the ax they pick the beach