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

Nice, that was pretty quick really

I'll definitely use Jesse Streeter again, top notch.

They fit! Michelin Pilot Sport 4s going on this Saturday morning.

Going to have a look at this a week today with a mate. Doubt it’ll last until then. Ticks all the boxes - m sport, manual, m57, low miles, reasonable price and relatively local.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196618237828

Very smart, from what I see they don't need a refurb and even the centre caps look OK. :)

Fuck yeah.

Just paid £500 for a 2012 Passat service and MOT. Service included oil, filter and check over and was £167.39 Inc VAT (ie very minor)

Asked them to fit new wiper blades (me being lazy/busy) and this cost £63.58 for the parts, again Inc VAT.

I'm not going to quibble it as been a few days now, but I feel like the price for the wipers before VAT was 2x the cost online. Potentially not taking the VAT off before charging customers?

Anyway, just a rant. I am popping back this morning as my undertray has come loose and wasn't like that before

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Just standard lazy tax innit. It’s annoying for sure. Any consumables will be spenny from the garage.

Exactly. Wipers are the inner tubes of car maintenance. There's always a big markup.

I've done my own wipers for years, ever since Googling and seeing how cheap the best bosch ones are on europcarparts vs what everyone else will charge.

It's literally pushing the blade in one direction and sliding it out the other way.

Potentially not taking the VAT off before charging customers?

nope. just shafting people who are too lazy to change their own wipers

If anyone can recommend somewhere that will do tracking and the droplinks in one go near me in SE26 that would be grand, I fear halfords and kwik fit.

It's always a happy day when a new set of BBS come in to your life.

I'm currently on the lookout for a nice set of RM012 that are reasonably priced.

brrm brrm! looks nice.

Just to add to this, I paid £44.96 + VAT = £53.96 for oil I can buy online for £28.99. They've got to me making 4X on the oil alone given the size of the drum they're buying in bulk. Expect and would want them to make a margin to cover overheads and make money but that's significant!

Have done my own oil etc before but just at the moment thought I'd allow myself the luxury of letting them do the wipers

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Audi 80 update

I’ve been drilling out the bolt with a view to get a tap in. I’d got to the point where I was aiming to get the bolt removing using an easy out, but for some reason they wouldn’t bite.

I have an uncle that is great with cars and he managed to put over yesterday, he thinks we’re good to go for getting a new bolt or a stud in there.

Big sigh of relief from me as I think it can be saved.

Just hope it’s still available by Thursday - I have a sneaking suspicion it’ll be gone by the weekend.

Wait till you find out what the multiplier mark-up is on a teabag!

Often good tyre shops will offer proper 4 wheel tracking, but they won't do general mechnical work.

I had our car serviced at the place on Dartmouth Road who seemed like honest guys. I know there's a place in Brockley that offers 4 wheel tracking but I've not used them. Wheelpower I think. You could always ask them about the drop links too.

Yeah I used those guys on Dartmouth Road!
They offered to do the drop links but not the tracking.. Wheelpower. Will look at them.

Look up mannol oil on eBay from the carriage company. Much better oil than Spartan and g force ;)

Also look up the price of an oil filter, if you can see the brand and see the markup on them.

Finally be a woman to be really ripped off.

Going to look great I reckon.

Still thinking about your brakes. Might just have air stuck in the abs pump or worst case, something up with the master cylinder.

I put MTEC rotors on my R53 and thought they were pretty good and good value... not sure if it would be a faff / not affordable to get them down under?

Sexeh....

I tested them again this afternoon all the way from Bob Jane T-Marts to my in-law's place, maybe they feel better now, I dunno.

Was looking at new pads and rotors and the internet seems to think Bendix are the best choice in Straya, what do you think?

🍆💦