For those interested in old cars.

[Dunsignalling]

5 minutes ago, Nick C said:

It's the one going onto the A303 Eastbound that's the really dangerous one, and the close proximity of the bridge means that it'd be difficult to fix. 

 

Fortunately, I only use the interchange to get from the A303 eastbound onto the A34 (northwards more often than southbound), and onto the A303 westbound, from either direction.

 

[Reorte]

17 minutes ago, Nick C said:

It's the one going onto the A303 Eastbound that's the really dangerous one, and the close proximity of the bridge means that it'd be difficult to fix. 

At least my "favourite" dangerous junction's changed, M6(N) J34. That was a very tight turn on to the motorway, right on to a bridge (with no hard shoulder), and no acceleration lane. Cars having to stop was common. As part of the Heysham link road that's all changed to remove that nasty bit of road.

[monkeysarefun]

One reason for buying an automatic...!

 

https://www.carsguide.com.au/oversteer/this-hq-monaros-auto-transmission-casing-saved-an-entire-family-66872

[Kickstart]

On 18/12/2023 at 16:46, Northmoor said:

 

Of course the focus on achieving high MPG figures with family cars is all about marketing; anyone who actually calculates all their car's running costs (or just drives an old car that isn't depreciating), knows that fuel makes up a small proportion of running costs.  It has always amazed me how much people are prepared to spend to save a much smaller amount; borrowing £200/month for a new, more efficient car, to save less than £20/month seems to make financial logic to many, but not me.

 

Very much so. My car I bought when it was about 7 years old, but with 21k. Now done over a 120k. Even if worthless now the depreciation would be at most the £7k I paid for it. Buying a new car I would have lost that and more in a couple of years.

 

Newer version of the MX5 would maybe save me 20% (being generous) on fuel. Over the 100k that would maybe be a saving of £4k. Which is probably less than the depreciation of just driving it off the forecourt.

 

On 19/12/2023 at 08:56, Hobby said:

Ah, the old auto vs manual debate, nothing like it!

 

In the old days of 3 speed autos vs 4 and 5 speed manuals there was really only one sensible choice, the manual, but now? A modern 7 speed auto is as economical as a manual version of the same car and is often quicker on acceleration, so those two arguments are out of the window.

 

 

For fuel economy, often not. For a manual the gear change points, etc, for the fuel consumption tests, etc, are specified. On an auto they are up to the car. Hence for an auto it is easy to tweak the gear changes to minimise fuel consumption on the tests. In the real world the auto is unlikely to be better, and often worse as it has a significant amount of extra weight to carry around.

 

All the best

 

Katy

 

[Oldddudders]

20 hours ago, Northmoor said:

One of the most dangerous junctions around here IME, with little to no acceleration lane before joining the carriageway.  It would be just about safe if you were joining a 30mph road, but isn't nearly acceptable for a 70mph DC.  I am amazed there aren't more RTAs there.

How right you are! Accelerating off the final roundabout to join the A34 southbound, I found I needed to come to a stand as there were two HGVs bearing down on me. The leading one was even slightly across the white line into the acceleration lane! 

[Nick C]

14 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

How right you are! Accelerating off the final roundabout to join the A34 southbound, I found I needed to come to a stand as there were two HGVs bearing down on me. The leading one was even slightly across the white line into the acceleration lane! 

For future reference, you can avoid that slip by continuing down the A30 through Sutton Scotney, and joining the A34 at the next junction south. Similarly, the A303 eastbound one can be avoided by using the old A30 to join at Micheldever Station.

[Hobby]

29 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

 

For fuel economy, often not. For a manual the gear change points, etc, for the fuel consumption tests, etc, are specified. On an auto they are up to the car. Hence for an auto it is easy to tweak the gear changes to minimise fuel consumption on the tests. In the real world the auto is unlikely to be better, and often worse as it has a significant amount of extra weight to carry around.

 

For modern gearboxes such as the VAG dsg gearboxes there is very little difference between manual and auto mpg in real world driving. Check out the real mpg websites to see. My old car was a Golf estate with the 7 speed dsg, according to the Honest John website the difference was only 1mpg.

[Kickstart]

1 hour ago, Hobby said:

 

For modern gearboxes such as the VAG dsg gearboxes there is very little difference between manual and auto mpg in real world driving. Check out the real mpg websites to see. My old car was a Golf estate with the 7 speed dsg, according to the Honest John website the difference was only 1mpg.

 

Yes with a DSG. There you just have the extra weight.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Hobby]

Which makes little difference, 30kg against a total weight of near 2000kg, 1.5%.

 

Other modern non VAG gearboxes give similar results and they're a damn sight more relaxing in everyday driving conditions!

[monkeysarefun]

Furthest distance in top gear in one journey: Darwin to Uluru (Ayers Rock)  - 2000km. 20 hours, broken into 4 bouts of  5 hours of  driving,  with half an hours rest / driver change/refuelling/eating etc  between bouts. No towns, obstacles or unplanned stoppages , basically 2000km in top gear due to minimal breaks. 

 

 

Driving Sydney to Perth, although almost 4000km, that seemed shorter for some reason, probably because there were more places  of interest to stop off along the way? Took 4 days in total but I'd do that again over the NT trip if given a choice. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Hobby]

No chance of that over here! Lucky to get 50 miles without some sort of obstacle.

[Rugd1022]

As well as perusing '60s Jag saloons of late I've been reminiscing rather wistfully (again) about the Rover P5Bs and P6s I owned between 2006 and 2015, this is partly brought on by the sight of a mate's immaculate P6 3500S, and seeing a particular P5B Coupe for sale on carandclassic.com which I knew quite well as a nipper back in the '70s, as it was first registered less than a mile from where I sit typing this and lived hereabouts for seventeen years. It'll no doubt haunt me until someone comes along and buys it but in the meantime it's got me looking at all the period imagery once more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It'll all end in tears...!

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Rugd1022

[MJI]

2 hours ago, Kickstart said:

 

Yes with a DSG. There you just have the extra weight.

 

All the best

 

Katy

What is the mpg of a DSG?

 

I have cone across playing up ones

 

I know it is a lot less than a good torque converter epicyclic box.

[MJI]

P6 3500 is a nice car

[Hobby]

22 minutes ago, MJI said:

What is the mpg of a DSG?

 

I dont think Katy has had any of the latest ones for any decent time but I've had three. Golf estates:  1.6tdi 55mpg, 2.0tdi 52mpg and now an Octavia 1.0Tsi 50mpg. All measured using Fuelly over 3 years/40k and not guesswork brim to brim like most people think is accurate. Previously a 1.9tdi Roomster manual, 55mpg. As I said pretty much no difference. I could get much more, when driving in Germany this year the Octavia was doing 60+, but much of my local work is town which brings down the average.

Edited December 20, 2023 by Hobby

[monkeysarefun]

 

 

 

The BLMC  racing Rover came down here and was driven by Jim Smith (who passed away earlier this year). 

 

 

 

 

The car was memorable due to the cartoon Camel cigarette advertising on the side -  it was a different age!

 

 

( I don't want to be "That guy" but to make it competitive down under the Rover motor got turfed for a Holden  480BHP V8...)

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[MJI]

38 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

I dont think Katy has had any of the latest ones for any decent time but I've had three. Golf estates:  1.6tdi 55mpg, 2.0tdi 52mpg and now an Octavia 1.0Tsi 50mpg. All measured using Fuelly over 3 years/40k and not guesswork brim to brim like most people think is accurate. Previously a 1.9tdi Roomster manual, 55mpg. As I said pretty much no difference. I could get much more, when driving in Germany this year the Octavia was doing 60+, but much of my local work is town which brings down the average.

 

Gearbox stats wtih G and I have heard so much bad news about DSG, even read how to kill one in 5 minutes

[Hobby]

I think most of us could kill any gearbox in 5 mins if we wanted to, but what's the point. In normal use they are as reliable as any other, I have known taxi ones that were still going after 250k so not sure what point you are trying to make.

 

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/car-buying/167114/what-is-a-dsg-gearbox-should-i-buy-a-car-with-one#:~:text=Are DSG gearboxes reliable%3F,in older higher-mileage vehicles.

Edited December 20, 2023 by Hobby

[alastairq]

Enlighten me please, O! Owners of motorcars made this century....what is a DSG gearbox?

 

To be more precise, is the DSG an epicyclic gearbox?

Does it have a torque converter? [Or a fluid-driven flywheel?]

Or is it internally more like a manual gearbox in gear layout? Does it have a clutch[es] between it and the engine? [Both of which are controlled by ECUs, rather than by a hoomin?}

 

Is it chain driven? [Like Frazer-Nash?}

Would I like it?

[alastairq]

I've managed around 125 miles in top gear in my Dellow....on a [camping] trip with some motorcycling chums from work.....{I had no motorcycle, the Dellow being the nearest thing I could muster...no roof,twitchy handling, but could out corner any of their big motorcycles on very tight, twisty, across-the-moors lanes....

 

It only has 3 gears, mind......and the driving position is so cramped that actually, wilfully, changing gear has to be planned down to the last detail...so the gears are best left alone when on a long run...It'll pull top gear from walking pace....

I once knew an old Harley owner [old Harley, but he'll be old by now as well]....with a sidevalve Vee twin engine, and advance/retard lever on the handle bars....He would leave it in top gear in town, merely using the clutch, and playing with the A/R lever when pulling away from traffic lights, etc ...Phunk phunk phunk, sounded a bit like a Field Marshall....

Edited December 20, 2023 by alastairq

[MJI]

2 hours ago, Hobby said:

I think most of us could kill any gearbox in 5 mins if we wanted to, but what's the point. In normal use they are as reliable as any other, I have known taxi ones that were still going after 250k so not sure what point you are trying to make.

 

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/car-buying/167114/what-is-a-dsg-gearbox-should-i-buy-a-car-with-one#:~:text=Are DSG gearboxes reliable%3F,in older higher-mileage vehicles.

By all accounts reverse up a slope slowly while towing, something trivial with a tc type, something done a lot with my last car.

[MJI]

27 minutes ago, alastairq said:

Enlighten me please, O! Owners of motorcars made this century....what is a DSG gearbox?

 

To be more precise, is the DSG an epicyclic gearbox?

Does it have a torque converter? [Or a fluid-driven flywheel?]

Or is it internally more like a manual gearbox in gear layout? Does it have a clutch[es] between it and the engine? [Both of which are controlled by ECUs, rather than by a hoomin?}

 

Is it chain driven? [Like Frazer-Nash?}

Would I like it?

3 shaft box with sycromesh gears a clutch on each pair. If driven like a tc auto the clutches will fail.

[Hobby]

13 hours ago, alastairq said:

Enlighten me please, O! Owners of motorcars made this century....what is a DSG gearbox?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-shift_gearbox

 

As you don't like anything else modern when it comes to cars, Alastair, I'd say "No!", you wouldn't like it!! ;)

 

Thanks, for the clarification, MJI, so for 99.9% of owners there wouldn't be an issue! Re towing with them this thread on a caravan forum is quite useful as there's more than one version and it seems only one is to be avoided:

 

https://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/134123-vw-dsg-auto-and-towing/

Edited December 21, 2023 by Hobby

[MJI]

27 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-shift_gearbox

 

As you don't like anything else modern when it comes to cars, Alastair, I'd say "No!", you wouldn't like it!! ;)

 

Thanks, for the clarification, MJI, so for 99.9% of owners there wouldn't be an issue! Re towing with them this thread on a caravan forum is quite useful as there's more than one version and it seems only one is to be avoided:

 

https://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/134123-vw-dsg-auto-and-towing/

There is also the experience of works previous bosses car, an audi, one boss hated it, the other eventually disliked it.

 

Both now have tc autos of own cars since tax changes made own use of cars ok again.

[MJI]

Also i have been spoilt by owning 3 cars with GM autos from pre Peugeot days.

 

When GM designed and made their own cars.

 

I have a similar lament to monkeysarefun.