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

The weight thing is a joke, if people were concerned about weight look at all the stuff that is carted around in the car.

Am also concerned about fuel evap on my motor bikes that sit there for ages doing nothing. The fuel seems to go off and go to gum easier and blocks up carbs and jets. Especially as some bikes plastic tanks have issues with modern petrol.

Also so many people in London want to race to the next light to sit their engine ticking over when they could have driven gently and had a more mechanically sympathetic ride.

Wonder how many people have changed their driving style. Wonder there has been any effect on pollution levels.

Went out early this morning and managed to also fill with momentum 99, which is about 7p cheaper than what Shell charge for standard E10.

People definitely hypermiling on the A406 earlier. There were little rows of cars all doing steady speeds in the middle lane instead of the usual style of just all over the place and undertaking etc.

Also less broom broom noises round the endz.

People definitely hypermiling on the A406 earlier.

I drove 40 miles up the M11 the other night slipstreaming a Portugese HGV. That is, ahem, somewhat out of character. The air definitely turned blue when the fucker braked, too.

Wonder how many people have changed their driving style. Wonder there has been any effect on pollution levels.

Wife's Polo has a digital estimate of current mpg, does make me drive a little more conservatively I must admit. Doesn't do a good a job as working out just how little of an impact driving another 10-15% faster makes on the overall journey time though. Found the same with cycling to work when I was in London to be fair.

When our Mazda3 got T-boned we were on our way to see my OH's nonna on the Sunshine Coast, I'd filled up at Costco the night before... $70 down the toilet, this pissed me off almost as much as losing the car...

That's a good point. What happens to all that perfectly good fuel when cars get written off?

I use. Then read that it was more economical to do ¾. So unless there's a long drive tend to keep it around ¾. Also we have quite a few cheap fuel stations so will often only do enough to safely get to one of those.

Also on the lack of super unleaded, you can buy your own additives. I don't use my motorbike much since covid so chuck some in every now and then to stop the fuel going nasty.

Just by luck a day or two before the crisis struck I filled all the way up.

Someone in the process definitely blags it.

It goes in the tanks of the blokes at the recovery yard, saw it going on when I went to collect a car of mine which had been stolen. They do have to drain all fluids tbf.

The weight thing is srs business for boy racers, in Abarthland removing the rear seats ('rear seat delete') is inexplicably popular, I think it saves about 30kg.

17mpg is interestingly lower than mine- I get 23mpg with bikes on the roof and around 28 without, with an additional half litre displacement. Wonder if it’s a higher compression ratio or more modern engine management? Of course, you have two more cylinders- but smaller engine over all.

Attwood's Lusso goes under hammer....

Find me a prettier car. #change my mind.

but smaller engine over all.

Burn.

Fwiw I also try and fill up in the morning as I once read cold fuel is more dense.

TBH now its ridiculous I even worry about this stuff given how much child no2's car seat weighs and all the spare kids clothes, favourite stones, socks and other misc. shit.

17mpg is interestingly lower than mine- I get 23mpg with bikes on the roof and around 28 without, with an additional half litre displacement. Wonder if it’s a higher compression ratio or more modern engine management? Of course, you have two more cylinders- but smaller engine over all.

Two turbos probably don't help things. Or 4WD. I suspect it's significantly down to driving style though. I managed nearly 30mpg crawling home at a steady 55mph the other night.

I prefer the 250SWB myself. The Lusso looks a bit saggy at both ends in my book.

Burn.

Moah powah though, thanks to the turbos. And much easier to get moah powah with a remap, thanks to the turbos. Speaking of which, I'm becoming increasingly convinced the oil seals on the turbos are on their way out. In which case hybrid turbos and a Stage 2 remap with new exhaust could be on the cards. But only after it's had new pads and discs all round.

That's a good point. What happens to all that perfectly good fuel when cars get written off?

I used to repossess abandoned and untaxed vehicles for Lewisham council when I were a littlun. The chap who ran the (independent) scrapping yard was well set for fuel when the tanker Dr ver protests happened, let's put it like that. I don't think he was legally allowed to resell it though, I think a special license is required for that.

I assume most of the diesel he recovered just fed his mini fleet of tow trucks and cranes.

Mine doesn’t have the 4wd, but it does have two turbochargers. 550bhp/720Nm, which I think is around about the same as yours?

Where will you end up? ~800bhp?

Google says 1200 is possible.

Makes sense.

Recommended not-shit tyre inflator jobbie? Everything on Amazon all looks equally unreliable.

For lots of things Amazon is filled with shipped directly from China landfill electronics.

Searching for bike lights deffo highlights this. Try searching more reliable shops like screwfix or Halfords.

572bhp when it left the factory.

Where will you end up? ~800bhp?

Hybrid turbos, Stage 2 remap and new exhaust should be about 850-870bhp. Above 900bhp the transmission needs uprating, which gets seriously expensive very quickly.