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

We bought our old Mini Cooper S Clubman for £10k, when the GF got T boned, it caused £5.5k’s worth of damage, and they fixed it instead of writing it off. Car was wonky as fuck when they finished the ‘repair’... I’m sure the chassis was bent. Door gaps were all over the shop. Got rid of it straight away. The dealer we part exed it with didn’t even look it over, just typed the reg into his computer and offered us £7.5k for it. Total madness.

Insurance makes no sense at all.

Good work. Have you got a load of paving slabs in the back though? Looks awfully low.

The back was much harder to lift so we ended up with a reverse drag rake

I have a wiring challenge - if I have a phone charger in the cigarette lighter socket then I have interference affecting the radio reception.

What does this mean? I cannot listen to Radio 4 whilst driving - a frightful situation.

Now, I suspect it's because the charger is a bit crap and is leaking into the ground circuit, which is shared by the radio.

If I wired in a USB socket (taking switched power from the fuse box, in the drivers footwell) would this be sufficient separation to stop this interference?

Possibly. Ground issues aside, RF interference from USB chargers is possible if the circuit is badly designed or the manufacturing quality is poor - try another charger (12v to USB outlet) first.

They're all really cheap crap though - I've been looking for one that says "actually properly tested", but striking out in the £6.99 - £12.99 world of fag lighter to USB chargers

Tried a Belkin/whatever’s on the Apple store site yet? You’d hope for at least cursory compliance there...

My experience of Belkin products is that they're all total shit. However, it's worth a go I suppose.

I have a spare double port Aukey one you're welcome to have/try. Bought a second after I thought I had lost the first. No interference in the Panda but that doesn't mean anything without testing the inferior Porsche I suppose.

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I saw that, but the back of the car looks really low. Lower than standard. Might just be a hoptical illusion though.

What does this mean? I cannot listen to Radio 4 whilst driving - a frightful situation

Stream from your phone, plug phone into the aux.

I feel a £1500 invoice coming

Do you have an aux connection to your phone in the stereo?

Stream radio 4 through that...

hoptical illusion

Now you've got me craving for craft beer! :)

The Elan approaches completion.

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Stream radio 4 through that...

That was my idea and will be billing him £900 (exc. VAT) for the consultation and advice.

I am not buying a dog and then wagging my own tail - the radio will work, it will not be a glorified speaker for my phone.

Why not?

Iplayer is digital so better quality and coverage anyway.

I have DAB in my car already but 95% of all the things I listen to in the car are from my phone.

https://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Radio-Ear-Defenders/40-9565?gclid=Cj0KCQjwx43ZBRCeARIsANzpzb-awRLLnatXyGKdggzQrlZ1t69aTfcBqRKVPWJtZxQom-3iETfZYBwaAp0UEALw_wcB

Just called the Mercedes garage to check on how that's going.

Garage: "I've got the list in front of me, not had the chance to price everything up yet"
Me: "Oh, can you give me a general idea"
Garage: "I'd prefer to get this all priced up first"
Me: "Oh"

No you're right it does look low (although in that picture, the handbrake is on making it a bit lower still). When my dad bought the car, it was standard but it did seem to sit quite low. We got longer, heavier springs from a 330D Estate which we fitted all around. Apparently on the front dampers, you can adjust the mounting point of the the damper which we did and it raised the front up a decent amount. This isn't an option for the back dampers so we need to investigate other ways of doing it. If we could get the back to match the front it would be way more capable.

Who would have thought a used V8 Mercedes could be expensive to service?

I NO RITE?

You missed "AMG" from your post btw.