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

The little sporty one?

If one of those small things pm me a number and I'll talk you through the engine issues.

Try connecting one or the other wire and see which one works/sounds best.

I don't understand that left speaker at all. It's got two filters, which would be normal for a speaker with a built-in tweeter, but they're both the same value and type of filter, and your other photo shows it's a simple speaker with one cone. And I don't understand why it's got two separate inputs.

My random guess is that one of the two wires comes from something other than the stereo.

I'm confused, as I have no idea why the speaker is wired for four inputs while the speaker looks like that.

Do you have access to a wiring diagram for the stereo, as I'd be wary of altering the wiring without knowing what the signals are from the head unit or amp.
Do any of the aftermarket car speaker makers have a speaker to go in there. That way you can see if other models have speakers like that.

Shamefully just the pulse fortwo, not the cool little roadster :/ but I may still be in touch tomorrow as I quite like those and may have a lead on a cheapish one. Probably a total turd though.

Price a rebuild engine inc new turbo and manifolds. I got one free in France as the engine was fucked (common) due to poor servicing not replacing all 6 spark plugs.

Excuse to go full barabus.

A couple more newbie car-owner questions - my new (to me) Honda Civic Tourer is due it's MOT (expires 3rd Oct):

• my assumption is i just book its new MOT for the day before the expiry? Nothing I'm missing there?
  
• RE servicing, it is ~8 years old and has had an annual service (stamped in book) every year. Despite no issues whatsoever during my ownership (and low mileage, ~5k), I guess to help maintain value for eventual resale it would be stupid not to have it serviced annually? Pennies are tight with newborn and mat leave etc, but for the same reason I also want a car that can be relied upon, so can only imagine servicing will be recommended.
  
• Half the stamps in the book are main dealership service centers. Does anyone have a strong view on the value (to resale) of maintaining this during my ownership, vs local recommended garage? Looking into it, Dundalk Motors (recommended here a few pages back) would charge ~£280 for MOT and 'full' service (which is actually their median offering, between 'interim' and 'major'). Any idea how this is likely to compare to dealership service center? they don't give prices on their website, for some reason....
  
  

Thanks in advance and sorry for such basic questions.
cheers

You can get it MOT’d up to a month earlier and keep the same end date for next year. I wouldn’t leave it until the day before personally.

Yes get serviced - it will help resale but also keep the car more reliable which is probably important if you’ve just had a new baby (congrats btw!)

I wouldn’t bother with main dealer for an 8 year old car especially if previous owners haven’t. You won’t make the money back in resale and it’s useful to have a relationship with a local garage for bits and bobs down the line.

my assumption is i just book its new MOT for the day before the expiry? Nothing I'm missing there?

You can book it up to a month in advance, which is what I tend to do. I'm sure there's a logical reason for why, but in reality its feeling like I'm getting 13 months of motoring for the price of 12 😂

Nice one, thanks both, that seems sensible and is what I will be doing!

Cheers

Yeah if it fails, you're not meant to drive it unless it's to or from the garage, regardless of the original MOT anniversary. So it doesn't really matter. You could wait till the day after it expires.

I'm looking for an image of a Civic EF being tuned at the side of a Japanese race course - the man is using a computer rather than a laptop to tune it, another guy wears stone washed jeans and adidas trainers nearby. Someone may be smoking a fag.

I think I seen it in this thread. Can anyone help?

Nevermind

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If it's a "major" rather than "dangerous" fail you can drive it home while you consider your options (or DIY it if it's something simple).

If you book it for the last day and you have to cancel for e.g. a family emergency, you're a bit stuffed. Especially if it's the kind you need the car for several days for.

Don't let this distract you from the fact that Hector is going to be running three Honda civics with spoon engines

If you have an easily accessible Halfords, it might be worth looking at their Motoring Club packages which give discount codes and free / cheap MOT. https://www.halfords.com/motoring-club.html

I used to have the basic then for this year upgraded to the £50 premium as I buy things from Halfords (oil for my car & motorbike, tools, etc.). Overall in a year the extra 10% covers the extra £20 difference vs a £30 MOT.

Also, always do a pre-MOT check at home:https://www.halfords.com/motoring/how-to-guides/pre-mot-check.html
Silly to fail on a brake light or something.

Can you use this sort of trolly jack on a drive with an incline to lift a car?

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Yes, just chock the wheels.

Oh will the jack fit under the car?

Not a fan of Halfords, as a trade card holder you can get better deals for parts and online than in-store. Yet collection is in store

Handbrake on, in gear, chocked wheels then anything is possible.

Service it to the book schedule, not an arbitrary one, at a good independent. That might be annual, but also longer.

Yup, it's annual, the service I've booked at a recommended independent will keep to the prescribed schedule 👍🏽

Oil changes are more frequent for lower mileages.

Cambelts are time and mileage. Which ever comes first.

Also gearbox oil is a sealed for life while I change that when I buy a car, if I can.

Also see what brand filters the place use. If they use the cheap ecp brand I'd avoid them

Also payday10 knocks a bit more off

.

Thanks, no we will be able to find it using one single term of your superb description of recollection.