Kickstart

Presume by the time that engine was available as the basic 2L, the MGB was too old to make it worthwhile to invest in fitting a new engine. Not sure if the O series would have been OK for sale in the USA, which might be an extra factor. By the time developed for the MG Maestro the MGB was out of production for 3 years. All the best Katy

Except for changing headlight bulbs! All the best Katy

Some promoted out of trouble! All the best Katy

A friend had one new 20 odd years ago and wote it off massively. The car is still around being rallied! All the best Katy

I saw a late Metro in York yesterday. Bit of a surprise. All the best Katy

Hi I hadn't seen this 2 part drama at the time, but found it yesterday. Based on the sinking of the Laconia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijoHGhSDSls All the best Katy

I was at secondary school in the 1980s mostly. We were taught the basics of a lathe / milling machine / etc, but also cooking and sewing (which they called home economics). If I need to I can paint, but it brings back stressful memories so I would rather leave things needing painting than do it myself. It is unlikely to be a skill that I need to employ in an emergency! One factor for me is that basic tech training aids in a mechanical understanding (as do a lot of traditional toys - whether Lego, modelling or any number of other things). These skills are needed for so many things in life that they are close to essential, and a kind of logic that will apply to many tasks. I can do a lot of car and bike things, and largely would prefer to spend the time doing this than spending much the same time dropping off and picking up a vehicle for someone else to do it. People might not want to do wheel changes on a car for a job, but I would massively prefer to do that at the side of the road than wait for a AA / RAC / etc van in a dodgy location whatever the weather (not long ago I surprised a young guy when I changed his wheel for him as he didn't know how to - even more so when I passed him a lump of broken spring that had caused the flat tyre!). All the best Katy

I might be getting confused with a pre emptive mod to the Smart Car at the same time, but didn't they change the tyre sizes to induce understeer? All the best Katy

Leather optional, person being eaten compulsory All the best Katy

Compulsory for an Alfa! All the best Katy

Down side of model railways, classic cars, toys, classic bikes, etc, as an investment is that you need to sell them to realise your profits. I have hoarding issues, so that isn’t going to happen! All the best Katy

As I understand it they are connected to the "off peak" output from the meter, hence switched by the meter. However whether the meters time is correct for the intended E7 hours is a separate question! But as it will be measuring the night rate based on the same time it isn't really your problem All the best Katy

Difficult to do. With supply, distribution and metering all done by different organisations, a supplier can't really send a signal over the distribution grid to control things. One reason why the idea of doing meter readings over the distribution network (which was feasable 30 odd years ago) was abandoned. How long that EV tariff can last I don't know, as I when I last looked up the wholesale prices that was below the night time wholesale prices. Plenty of electricity suppliers have already gone bust, and I doubt Octopus can continue with a loss making tariff for that long. All the best Katy

One company I worked at had a lorry turn up one weekend when they were having some refurbishments done. Lorry driver went to security and said they were there to collect the old computer equipment. Security let them, and they emptied one floor of the building of PCs. Mind you, company was part of a large group, and the overall owner was a bit over controlling, and only allowed 1 piece of paper on each desk, among various other quirks. Hence when he was coming there would be a mad panic to do things; this could include hiring a lorry to be loaded up with needed papers to be driven around until the boss went again. The bridge job of decorating when he was coming was amusing - open plan office with a walkway down the middle and pillars which would only be decorated on the 3 sides he would see while walking through. All the best Katy

For me, money is far from the biggest factor, as long as it is enough. Far more interested in what I am doing and the terms and conditions (holidays, etc). However taking a job for the interest in the work can mean that when the work changes it can be hard. All the best Katy

Recruitment guy at a place I worked at kept all the CVs he was sent. Then first check for any CV that came in was to check against previous ones - any qualifications mysteriously appearing and no chance of an interview All the best Katy

The first buyer might not care about the 5th buyer, but whether owner in 5 years time wants to put up with a higher chance of such a failure will impact the resale value. Given the number of lease / pcp deals on new cars then possibly a significant difference to the costs to the first owner. All the best Katy

My better half had this. But recently changed as they have realised with remote logins, and complex systems it would be relatively easy to avoid anything being caught by the 2 weeks break. All the best Katy

It is a pig of a job. Didn't help that the last time I had a bulb fail the new one lasted about 2 weeks (possible I touched it when putting it in - don't think I did but I can't be certain) , with the new one melting. I have fairly small hands and just about managed it from the engine bay, but think there was a compulsory blood sacrifice! Drivers side a bit more space, passenger side I think I loosened the mounts for the fuse box to wiggle it out of the way a bit. Just had to do the thermostat on mine. Which means taking off the throttle body. 3 bolts hold on the thermostat, one being hard to see and one being a pain to get a socket on (I just bought a set of 1/4" drive wobble drive extensions). Still need to get the system to bleed through (not helped with the battery just choosing now to die). All the best Katy

We considered buying one when we got the 222. Longer wheelbase which is a plus point (more warning of the back end letting go). Down side is a lot of unique parts which are harder to find. All the best Katy

To be honest, I was just easily distracted with the locks and figured out how easy they were to take to pieces. Further there are only 4 different wafers used so quite a limited number of combinations. The later Aprilias, Triumphs, etc, use a more modern Zadi key. These are a bit different to strip down. Ignition is more difficult but fuel cap, etc, easier, as once the lock barrel is out, prise off the cap from the top (crimped on) then there is a pin head visible - withdraw this and the wafers drop out. A lot of caravans use very similar locks, and a large lock set for a caravan it cheap. Might be a way to get a load of wafers spare to sort out a few more bikes to have matching keys for all their locks (one Aprilia I have has a different key for the seat, fuel cap and ignition - would be nice to have all match). I remember stories of cars being able to be opened by doing something to one of the front indicators. And another which would be started by taking out the light switch and connecting it the other way round. Flash fried trout! All the best Katy

Next job, take all your car and bike locks apart and sort them so they all use a matching key! A couple of months ago I took a load of old Zadi locks to pieces to get the wafers. Will sort out the seat and petrol caps to match on a couple if bikes (ignition switch is a rather heftier lock) All the best Katy

Think some of these systems work by comparing the resistance through the circuits. And 2 different makes of bulb can have enough difference in resistance to confuse things (does make me wonder whether the bulb warning system would ignore both bulbs being out!). When we had the BMW 3 series, I expected this to be the problem when the bulb warning light came on for the tail lights when they were working. Turned out instead to be a rather under specced and crunchy earth wire to one of the tail lights (terminal in the connector had melted). Bypassed the connector for the earth (which someone had already had to do on the other side) and the problem was resolved. My guess is that the max current is over that for the connector when everything is on (eg, someone sitting with the lights on, brakes on, fog lights on and indicator on). All the best Katy

Not an ECU, but a Triumph motorcycle we had a few years back went though several cdi units. When car hunting, instrument clusters having been changed (and not on the sly to hide the mileage) were not that uncommon - and I expect hideously expensive out of warranty. All the best Katy

Probably not, but also I wouldn't be happy if the model loco would only work with spare parts pre coded to that particular example of that model. Unfortunately while an individual component might fail rarely, there are a lot of items that can fail expensively so the chances for the vehicle add up. Probably back then easier to grab an engine and swap it in, than do the same for an ECU now (let alone seat control modules, body control modules, clocks, etc - some of which are delicate electronics then mounted in a low position at risk of water from a blocked sunroof drain or the like) Not claiming either is better, just that relatively easily things could be a LOT better now. All the best Katy