Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I have no idea.
Just spoke to insurers and they said no claim without an accident. This doesn't count as an accident.

It's with Bristol VW, and they say any non VW part is a no go.
Even if I was willing to sack off the warranty they said they arent allowed to fit aftermarket parts.

Have you got the Interlagos wheels? You can usually pick them up yourself on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-VW-Scirocco-18-Inch-Turbine-Interlagos-Alloy-Wheel-Rim-WHL4188-/351217415725?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item51c630762d

yep, they are similar to them. 19 inch R Line ones though.
I looked on ebay but couldn't figure out which were fakes.
Has to be genuine VW to maintain the warranty.

Exactly - I'd grab an alloy as per Souls eBay link and get your local KwikFit/whatever to fit a fresh tyre/s.

You can't possibly invalidate the warranty if you put exactly the same rim back on - I'm sure they can't make you buy it from the dealer, as with a tyre that's £1,000.

This one is genuine... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-SCIROCCO-PASSAT-CC-LUGANO-19INCH-R-LINE-GENUINE-SINGLE-ALLOY-WHEEL-X1-/301354349597?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item462a1e741d

Still quite spendy though.

Ouch. Reminds me why 19" wheels on a road car can >>>>>
Normally OEM wheels are manufactured to much higher standards than aftermarket rims, which adds a little to the cost. Kind of.
Also didn't realise you could void a warranty with aftermarket wheels even if they're the same spec as original.

EDIT - just had a look at the VW car configurator - how come to spec those wheels on a new car only costs £500 for the whole set? Spare parts rip off.

I had to get a fifth alloy for mine as the space saver wheel didn't fit over the brakes.

VW did a recent survey entitled 'How much do Dubbers spend on wheels for their cars' and the answers came back;

• Proper Old VW : Porsche or BBS rims - £3k
  
• Horrible 90s VW : Mercedes or Audi rims - £1k
  
• Newish VW : Lamborghini or Maserati rims - £6k-8k
  
  

So they readjusted their parts prices accordingly. I don't see the problem.

Have made contact with the company selling those refurb ones on ebay. Can have it with me tomorrow if I pay today.
Am picking my car up tonight with knackered wheel on, and will get quik fit or someone to change it over tomorrow.
What a massive PITA.

Shitter. Must have been a hell of a pothole.

@hoops why did you take the car to a VW dealer for a tyre bulge in the first place??

Get it back from the dealer with the fucked wheel, buy any wheel off eBay/VW forum and have the original one repaired. I bet it's not buckled enough to not be repaired by a proper wheel repair/refurb place. That will cost maybe £50. Flog the 2nd hand wheel on once you get your original one back.

Increasingly common now with big wheels and small tyres combined with British roads.

I like big tyres.

@nurseholliday
It went in to the local VW/Audi approved repair shop, as someone reversed into the other front wheel with their tow bar at work two weeks ago (I insisted on VW approved repair as they were footing the bill)... As they had it in the shop anyway for the wheel refurb and alignment check i got them to replace the dodge tyre with the bulge too as it was already with them, and this is when the spotted the buckle in the wheel.

Refurb'd wheel has been ordered now anyway, so will get that put on tomorrow. If a repair is possible on the damaged one, I'll get it done and sell on Ebay.... or just keep it for when the same thing inevitably happens to one of the other wheels.

The guy I spoke to who is supplying the refurbed wheel said he has been raking it in over the last two years for exactly this kind of thing.
Wheels are getting bigger and more expensive, and tyres are getting thinner, which is a mixture that is asking for trouble on our shitty roads.

Ah that makes more sense! Bad luck on the wheel front there.

There's quite a few places that can repair buckled wheels, if you've got some spare time, I'd look into it. If you only noticed there was an issue because of the tyre bulge it's going to be tiny. My friend has had wheels repaired that were flat from hitting kerbs at 50+ and wobbled at anything over 30, so yours should be easy.

Would you recognise this at a car boot sale?

Without the black pulley, stickers, and a snap bolted plate over the hole.

Eaton Supercharger? There's one in my mate's Caddy

Yeh, I'm guessing from a Mini?

Cock, though it would take longer to guess. Yep M45.

But not bad for a £10 at a carboot sale.

No idea what it is from, have yet to get those details. But hopefully will find out.

You picked up a brand new M45 for £10??

If it's a 5th gen with the teflon coated rotors (grey coating), they change hands for £300+ these days.

Don't think its brand new, pretty sure the charger has just been cleaned as it has no stickers on it. Also no idea what generation it is, will take it apart and see what condition it is in. Then either flog it (unlikely) or leave it in a box, in pieces for years as I want it to be freshly rebuilt for some project or another. These projects will develop and change over time and never be completed as funds, time and inspiration/momentum seem to disappear.

Wandering round car boots in the south east around orpinghell seems to net some interesting bits.

A lot of Mercedes 200 and 230 Kompressors with Eaton chargers in have seen the scrapyard in recent years. Usually through rust, but the superchargers also go - the bearings fail and then the impellers hit each other. Or so Wheeler Dealers showed me :-)

probably only 120 quid to fix then...