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

...out of sintered titanium, for max wallet hammering.

.....and I still have some spare sticky pads, 3 weeks on and the rear number plate has yet to hurl itself lemming-like from the Z4.

I would need to cut off the four mounting towers in order to use your sticky pads, which I think sounds like more work than fixing the correct mounting points.

hmmm
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volvo/850/volvo-850-2-3-r-5dr/8981574

It is me getting confused, as I edited. The DTM car was the v.6 and running at over 400 bhp. Think the Italian and Spanish were the same.

Feels odd that the alfa won in the UK with a with a fiat engine. But the release of the silverstone special edition only won one season in touring car as it was called then? That car caused alot of controversy, partly becasue of the aero pack. Still, taking an 1800 engine, lengthening the stroke and using the fiat/lancia head turned round so air intake at the front. The 95 wide bodied car didn't have the success of the 94 season in 95.

Auto..

Most touring cars/saloon cars take the whole 'production car' basis and throw it out of the window. I'm not suggesting for a moment that the DTM car shared much if anything with the 155 Joe Blogs could buy but as they are "based" on the road car I'd notch that up as success for the model. Therefore I'd say that the 155 was a successful race car in the same way that the Sierra (RS500/XR4/Sapphire), 3 Series (M3, 320IS) etc were.

Ah, I see. How about filling existing mounting towers with Araldite, drilling small guide holes and using self tappers?

I think that that would likely be roughly the same amount of work as fitting the brass inserts, which I would suggest would do a better job.

My bodge would take me about 3 mins plus drying time for the Araldite before drilling. I have all that is necessary to hand. Your fix is indubitably more professional. I am a born bodger, you are quite the opposite! Other bodges would be to use self tappers and washers behind the plate to replicate the height of the towers, or a gentle angle grinding of the towers and my pads.... (tongue firmly in cheek).

I still have my doubts about how long these brass inserts will stay snug in the plastic without some sort of bonding?

As you wind a bolt in the knurled section expands to grip the material you inserted it in.

You can also drill the hole for them slightly under size and push them in with a soldering iron so that the plastic melts locally into the knurled section if you’re so inclined

Mk5 and Mk6 golf estates are solid, avoid the 1.6 petrol, it's ancient, slow and thirsty. Get a of diesel (1.9) over a cr any day , have heard and had to deal with nothing but grief and fiddly problems with the 1.6 and 2.0 Cr TDI. They are also not very efficient compared to the older engine.

If you want petrol civic hatchback or wagon are prob best buys out there right now. Focus and astra with petrol engines are ok too.

Wouldn't a rivnut or a grommet screw be easier?

My free wheels, the great thing is that it's already hail damaged so as long as my mate (who is giving me it) can get away from his newborn and the toddler we will be stormchasing the shit out of south east Queensland in a couple of months time...

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And it's fucking black... 🖤

Dont they have a 2.3 4 cylinder, about 170hp? It's boring but it's better than the tiny engines we get in UK.

Later Mazda 3 hatch are a good city car, 4% less plastcy than a yaris ;)

V50 vs V70?

Specifically D5 R-design variants. Which one to go for?

I don't imagine it has that much grunt, will find out in the fullness of time tho'... Gloriously ignorant about everything at the moment, mileage, cubic capacity, mpg, etc...

As long as it fucking goes, I'll be happy...

Completely different cars. If you need the space, go for the v70, if not the v50?

Don't quote me on this, but I think the v70 is a volvo-volvo, and the v50 is more of a ford-volvo?

Rattle can the wheels black. Siiick mate.
On a serious note, if you're going to go storm chasing, save up for good tyres.

V50 is a ford focus with a Volvo styling . That's not a bad thing, the focus of that shape drove nice, esp b road twisties, just needed to have nicer build quality which Volvo brought some of to the table. It's the old V40 that's a total dullard (mitsubishi no charisma I think was the basis for it, reliable but super dull).

With the d5 and a manual that's a nice combination. Not a fan of either of the ford diesels 1.6 and 2.0 read anything I've ever moaned about them before or ask the internet.

V70 is much more Volvo but still obviously influenced by ford. Good motorway barge that will go for along time without needing expensive things (clutch, wheel bearings, drive train etc), they are designed to do around 200k on those components, whereas most family cars around 120-140k

Thanks for the synopsis! I had a feeling that was going to be the general feeling on it, V50 looks like a nice car but not the full on barge experience of the V70!

Is anyone an Audi expert? Trying to answer a button related question for my cousin who is looking at an S5, he wants to know why some have the buttons down by the gearstick surround and some have them on the centre console.

Internet suggests a few things but they all seem to be wrong, eg B&O upgrade moves buttons to gearstick surround but I know that's false because my mum's A4 has it like that and she doesn't have the B&O upgrade.

That's the "disable indicators" button

Minky?