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

Bit spammy, but going to sell my 2007 LCI 530d if anyone is keen.

Just me, or does every part of the description scream "RUN AWAY!"

?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Transporter-T2-Crewcab-Pick-up-1979-Very-Rare-Right-Hand-Drive/263995950867?hash=item3d77628713:g:LR4AAOSwo3BbyI~I:rk:28:pf:0

I don't know, at least he's identified some problems with some level of honesty. You'd need to see it in daylight & take a trusted mechanic, and budget another 33 - 50% to fix it, nice truck though.

That's the glass half full opinion. Glass half empty is that it's much, much worse than he's letting on, but his description gives him cover to avoid a refund as he's said that it doesn't work in the description.

As you say, you'd need to take someone along who knew these backwards.

Maybe I was a bit hasty last night, re-reading it today.

I've wanted one of these since I was 18 or so, but I'm not entirely sure what I'd do with it.

Knowing me, I'd pour thousands of pounds into it to make it the best example I could, whilst driving it very little.

I do think it'd look cool with a TDF style big bike rack mounted on the bed.

I really like it. Very naively, wouldn't the major consideration be bodywork (of which there is, admittedly, an awful lot).

I assume that if it doesn't work, it can't be a massive problem in terms of parts or labour to get it going again.

@Dammit is it at all possible you could do the bare minimum to the VW and then just enjoy it? Doesn't look or sound that bad from the as.

[ insert a laughing gif of your choice here ]

I've wanted one of these since I was 18 or so, but I'm not entirely sure what I'd do with it.

Seriously though, you could always go and check it out with a mechanic. Then if it's a decent eg, tune the engine as the seller recommends to make sure it runs, and just put it into dry storage somewhere until you have a use.

Assuming the bottom doesn't fall out of the vintage car market the worst case is you sell it in 10yrs for what you paid for it having never used it.

I can relate, as I'd love one of these:

...but that's mainly because I have fond memories of working in a rain forest in Costa Rica, and driving up and down the river bed in one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Hilux-mk3-pickup/232976132627?hash=item363e75aa13:g:E~MAAOSw8KJbzi2f:rk:2:pf:0

#yplac tho

Neat storage ideas for in car fire extinguisher please

My specialist subject!

How big a fire extinguisher? Clue: anything less than 2 litres isn't worth having unless you have a ciggy you really need to extinguish in a hurry. Those little .5l ones are about as effective as wheezing gently on the flames.

Pah, they are there too look good first, and give you enough time to exit the car second.

You'll never put a proper vehicle fire out with a handheld I reckon.

(Mine are both 1Kg).

So what's the point in carrying extra weight then?

They should suppress a fire for long enough to get out of the car, ultimately that's all that matters.

They should also put out a small fire, but really it depends on both what's on fire and why it ignited as to whether you're going to be able to put it out.

Electrical fires have an annoying habit of re-igniting themselves, for e.g. like those really annoying birthday candles.

Electrical fires have an annoying habit of re-igniting themselves, for e.g. like those really annoying birthday candles.

A battery isolator is going to be a much better bet in that case.

Pah, they are there too look good first, and give you enough time to exit the car second.

If the fire's serious enough to prevent from opening the door and getting out then I can guarantee that a 1kg extinguisher is only going to make matters worse by slowing you down while you try to use it.

Fire extinguisher duel it is then

I demand satisfaction

Hmmm. Mine is 3 litres, but it's plumbed in. You'll need to sit in the driver's seat, or on top of the engine.

And while we're on the subject of fire extinguishers, A Funny Thing happened a while ago.

Back when I was living in London, I had a lock-up garage near Turnpike Lane tube station which I used as my workshop. A friend of mine known to one and all as 'Hoopy', who also lived in London, had at the time a very nice and very tweaked Caterham, with lots of carbon bits, a tuned 1.8 K-series with a DVA head, a Quaife slipper diff and an electrically-operated plumbed-in fire extinguisher. All very nice. He wanted to fit a new spangly SPA Designs tacho with built-in shift lights, so he came over to my lock-up to fit it and do a few bits of maintenance. He parked the car outside, and started work.

Since he was working on the back of the dashboard, and was quite a tall chap, he was lying in the car upside down, with his head down in the driver's footwell and his legs up the back of the driver's seat hooked over the roll bar. It looked a bit odd, and he was fairly well lodged into position, but he didn't have many options. While I was working away on my car (the Fury Blackbird) I heard him say 'That's odd.... There's two bare wires here.'

'I wonder if they should be connected'.

The next thing I knew there was this loud wailing sound and a slightly quieter hissing sound. I rushed outside to find Hoopy's legs sticking out of an increasingly large pile of foam. The two wires he'd tried connecting, on an experimental basis, had triggered the fire extinguisher, which was busily pumping out its contents over his legs and groin.

I did help him out eventually, but only after I'd stopped laughing. I gather his drive home was quite uncomfortable, especially with a six point harness.

Isn't the point of having an extinguisher so that you are allowed to go on track?