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

Well the ODB dongle finally arrived - posted from Singapore, and the fucking thing doesn't work. Fuck all happens when you plug it in. It's supposed to connect with wifi, but nothing comes up in the wifi menu.

I don't know why I fucking bother.

Fucking cunt cunt cunt cunt CUNT.

Have you tried turning it off and on? :-)

always like the renault 5 turbo

want me to nip over with the micra and a win and android phone?

I'll try it tomorrow with a laptop. I suspect they've sent me a fucking Bluetooth one instead of wifi. Either that or it just doesn't work. I didn't notice any lights coming on

Completely unrelated to an MX5, but a Pug mechanic back in aus who used to race an old 205 gti ran 15 x7's with 195's - said they were less squirmy and and more progressive and did not recommend 205 width tyres - which would annoy people with OCD.

Hideous, ugly, common, blinging swagmobiles driven by people from TOWIE. Suffice to say that unlike Amy Childs I am not WELL JEL. Nothing that a Range Rover should be: understated, classy, look good pulling a horse box.

Still, at least they're good off road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ShJZnH3flQ

Plus there are those wedge shaped ones that look like someone drove a normal one under a low bridge.

I don't really like any modern cars though so you can ignore me.

Modern ones use a few electronics to make them off road. That BMW nicked....

Original ones aren't that nice. SD1 interior in a higher up vehicle.

The obvious difference apart from being up higher up is that in an actual SD1 you're driving an SD1.

Which is unfortunate.

I'd probably rather have a Landy to be honest. Or really an XJS but there's nowhere to put bikes.

Speaking of which, very nice. Is it a 110 or a 130? What are you going to put in the back?

Why? SD1 are brilliant. v8 of course.

Brilliant unless you rate build quality, handling or good looks.

SD1s fucking rock. The handling on them was great, despite the live axle, and they looked fabulous. As for build quality late ones are better made than early ones but Lucas electrical connectors let them down. My 1986 2300 was a fuckton more reliable than my 1990 Mercedes, though for perceived quality like switches and materials and nice little design touches the Mercedes wiped the floor with it

Thanks dude! It's a 110. It's going to be lugging my street food set up around town. With the added capability of dealing with washed out festivals!

Have you owned one, or driven one?

You are correct when you say SD1s rock. They are brilliant, the handling was great, even with the live axle a little more live as rust attacked it. What was the cost difference between the merc and the Rover?

I'd challenge you to find anything that's as good to drive on and off road as a Range Rover, some of the technology they have on them is incredible - JLR can't be blamed for who can afford to buy them!

Keep an eye on not going over the maximum tow weight. If you want it to plod around muddy fields no road bias tyres help alot but are very noisy on the road and wear quicker.

You want these...

General Grabber AT2

Oh and max tow weight on a Defender is 3500kg so should be more than adequate for most things!

Are better

Transit tow weight is more!

It will be spending most of the time on Tarmac, no real off roading for now. Have a roof rack on order at the mo, don't want to be towing around London.

I want those wheels!!

A Transit can't legally tow 3500kg AFAIK

@SlowRichie you want these wheels

Land Rover Sawtooth alloys

To be fair , that's more about the inadequate tyres , any car with those non-mud or even non all terrain tyres would do the same

For me? Rover was free, the Merc was £800. The Merc then cost me over £4k in repairs and maintenance. The Rover cost me less than £1000.
For the original owner the Rover was something like £12,000 in 1987. The Merc cost the original owner more than £40,000 in 1990. So it had a right to be in a different league quality-wise.
I enjoyed owning both, but thinking about it now, I'd rather have another SD1 than another W124.

I got the OBD thing to talk to my laptop. I was right, the fuckers sent me a bluetooth one instead of the wifi one I ordered.
Anyway 2 codes relating to the left and right post-cat oxygen sensors. As the idea of them both failing at the same time is bullshit I have cleared the codes and I'll see if they return. I've read that there is a technical service bulletin relating to the engine management software having a bug that causes these codes, and it might need a software update.