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

I got the autoglym one just bc it was quite cheap and easy to get from Halfords, it’s ok. Should have probably got the gtechniq stuff have heard good things and use some of their other stuff.

Clicked over into the 996’s 2nd hundred thousand miles last night on a nice moonlit spin, saw a nice 964 too.

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Where are your legs?

I was getting a few bits off eBay (including VRS branded centre caps for the wheels) so grabbed some ceramic stuff and also a gloss black touch up paint just in case.

After a couple of years behind the camera at Formula G, decided I'd enter the last 2 rounds of the year to give it a try.

Saturday: i fucked my first qualifying run and then the "demon" coolant hose at the back of the engine decided to get a hole in it so that was my day ended.

Sunday: Just couldn't get any grip, the car was sliding everywhere which was slow and untidy. Felt like I was fighting the steering wheel the whole time rather than being in control and smooth.

Was really really fun though, if anyone's interested in some cheap grass roots motorsport

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It’s a big car but it’s not as wide as modern cars. The blue Silver Spur we did last year was much larger.

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I'd like to report a rare insurance double win...my iQ annual premium has gone down from £280 to £202 and last year my insurance company forgot to ask for 2/3 payments (on a different car) and they've agreed to not pursue it!

Intensive Car Unit in Southend did my E30 Touring, great job, just remember Bodyshop days are like dog years multiply them by seven :D

https://www.intensivecarunit.co.uk/

G=Techniq C4 excellent stuff

My three. 1996 Maserati Ghibli 2.8 twin turbo GT, 1999 Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0 24v Busso, 1996 Jag 4.0 straight 6 with supercharger. All beasts in their own way.

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Things I saw at the weekend - Toyota Camry Super Touring Car

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So cool. Not exactly granny spec Camry

Unreal from an engineering point of view - engine pushed so far back and down that the drive shafts are in front of the engine, about 30mm under the inlet manifold

I've been seriously thinking about having my van (2019 Dispatch diesel 115hp) remapped (stage 1 only).
Insurance co. are ok with it as long as it's not adding over 25% extra hp.

A tuner I'm speaking with also recommended an AdBlue delete ("cos they always end up breaking").

Anyone done either of those on their van?
Any reason not to?

Not a van (BMW G31 540i) but as someone with a stage 1, it has been a pain to insure even though we checked first with our insurer and they said it would be ok

Why would you even consider deleting Adblue and massively increasing the amount of NOx you’d be spewing straight into human lungs?

There are very good reasons for Adblue, DPF etc being fitted to diesels. Please don’t be the kind of person that removes them.

Cos van can supposedly continue to vroom vroom for reduced maintenance costs and everyone else's lungs and health can get to fuck, obvs.

I'll definitely check other insurance providers so I have a back up in case they suddenly change their mind.
Good to know

Automatic MOT Fail if detected.

My old van was pre AdBlue. Was a VW T5.1 with DPF. The previous owner had the DPF removed and remap. I had to bribe my MOT tester to pass it every year. The amount of black smoke it kicked out sometimes was horrific. I thought not having to worry about DPF hassle was great to begin with, that wore off pretty quick when overtaken by hassle of getting MOT's, and also general guilt of emissions.

The van was written off in a collision a year ago, and was replaced with a newer T6 Euro6 van with AdBlue Sytem. I would in no way consider attempting to alter the emissions systems at all after previous experience.

Also, as far as I'm aware just stopping the AdBlue system does not mean you wont get DPF issues down the line, as you will still have a DPF. AdBlue just assists with the burning off of carbon at high temps inside the DPF, it doesn't replace the physical DPF unit in the exhaust system. If anything i would assume having just the AdBlue function deleted would just end up making DPF issues down the line more likely as your DPF unit will be designed to work in conjunction with AdBlue*

*I am not a mechanic

I would imagine most of us old gits survived a seatbelt-free childhood because:

C) If you didn't you couldn't post here to talk about it.

Things I saw at the weekend - Toyota Camry Super Touring Car and Napoleon Dynamite

Sweet looking car.

D) I am posting this from beyond the grave (can't be long anyway).

loving the maserati there dude. looks great

*also not a mechanic (as you've guessed)

I'll speak to my friend who services and does the MOT on my van.
This delete thing probably not a great idea.
Having a modern van smells much nicer than my old one to be fair. Viva ulez.

Your commitment to financial uncertainty is commendable.

Adblue is a NOx-reduction system, separate to the DPF.