For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660783
110K- barely run -in :lol: As I said, seems like someone doesn't like you. Have a couple of friends in the Limousin who converted their RHD's onto the French register. As I said, and others hinted, The factory would paint/ undercoat the underside. the argument to leave the metal bare and unprotected is ridiculous.

I agree the "hide it all with a thick snot of underseal" is not what's required, but a good power-wash off should dislodge all loose rust. spray on fertan to convert the surface. when treated and dry, spray with chassis black. car should be good for another 10 years.

change your testing station!

Look at your own costings..... It would be almost as cheap to drive back home , last holiday of the year, do remedial work in UK , drive back first holiday of the next year. the value of the vehicle is what it would cost to replace there, not what you paid / could sell for here. I think you should spend a bit of time or someone's going to rape your wallet. (unless it really is a rot-box, in which case, scrap it there or bring it back for an easier mot and sell it here! :D
Beware the later generation of Land-Cruiser with the big telly-screen up-front. an absolute travesty of the name and lineage. 3-year old with heat-shields rotted out, aircon pipes similar...alty has a 1-way clutch in the pulley (failed)....a real "keep it dry and clean" Chelsea Tractor. about as butch as Larry Grayson :D
By Big Dex
#1660796
I take on board much of what you say, but I am pretty categorical that bringing it back to the UK is not going to happen again... If I were to sell it, it’s worth more down there as an mot failure than it is as an mot pass in Britain. It also costs around £1200 and 40 hours of travel to bring it to england and back to southern France again, so even if worth £2k in Britain (it isn’t), I’d sooner give it away in France!

Can it be readily fixed in France? I have found none of the undercoating companies that we have here in France; I’d be happy to spend up to around £500 on it; beyond that I’d rather sell it cheap down there for around £2k, and take something else from Britain (potentially a newer RAV4 if nothing better comes up, but it’s not that good in snow.... but get the undercarriage treated first).
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660806
Flog the thing in France and buy something in France.

From experience I found that the continental locals suck their teeth as loud when it comes to fixing UK cars as I found the other way around when I first took up residence in the UK. And some parts are specific LHD/RHD (and not just the obvious ones) which makes casual repairs a headache.
By Big Dex
#1660811
I have considered this, and whilst I accept the pros; the cons are considerable:

I prefer RHD cars, even when driving on the right.

I struggle to justify paying €12k for a £5k car! I do however accept that in France, it’s a €12k car.
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660812
Big Dex wrote:I have considered this, and whilst I accept the pros; the cons are considerable:

I prefer RHD cars, even when driving on the right.

I struggle to justify paying €12k for a £5k car! I do however accept that in France, it’s a €12k car.


I can see your preference for RHD but on smaller roads the benefit of sitting on the LH is considerable.

And yes second hand cars are dearer on the continent, never yet managed to find a pukka LHD deal in the UK there are some specialists but they charge specialist prices too. Will be interesting to see what the prices in the UK will do past 29/3. In the adjustment phase it may be interesting to buy something in the UK. Base prices may come down.
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660816
@Big Dex I just checked the "POH" for my CR-V, which is a 2005/6 model - one of the last of the ones that look like a Range Rover which shrank in the wash, not the newer "Jelly Mould" shaped one.

Towing limits are 600kg unbraked, 1200kg single axle braked, 1500kg multi-axle braked. There's also a 100kg maximum vertical load on the towbar for standard European model vehicles.

So that may or may not meet your requirements, but it sounds like it should in most circumstances.

G
By rogerb
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660824
Perhaps an MOT/tax exempt land rover might fit your needs, UK register etc? Do the French have something similar (EU regs and all that)
Probably reasons why not ............................
R
By Big Dex
#1660825
It might roger; challenge being finding a UK insurer who permits more than 90 days abroad. There is one... but it’s Saga, and I don’t meet their eligibility criteria (about which I am not overly upset!). And of course, landrovers are sh!te imho... especially if they need to be driven 1000 miles.

But other than that... perfect!
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
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By Rob P
#1660843
Apologies as it's late at night and I can't be bothered to do the necessary Googling, but Dacia Dusters are cheaper than chips, should be fully covered for after sales in France being basically a Renault sub-brand, can be had in 4x4, and have such weak residuals that you should be able to buy a four year old one with the loose change from down the back of your sofa.

Rob P
By Big Dex
#1660866
I never get the rear wheel rims wet, but reverse until the rear tyres are in around 3”. Any further in makes the stern of the boat is floating; further out and power-loading (using the boats engine to push it onto the trailer) risks a prop strike; but I know what you’re getting at! I do my best to avoid it.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1660885
Mate (the PPL i used to go on jollies with) decided to try sailing.....he bought a 17 foot pocket-yacht. We devised sloping guides for the bilge-keels and plug-in guide-posts to aim the boat. several lengths of 2" box were arranged with a spigot one end ....one had a towball one end, another, a coupling. thus an extension pole could be assembled in minutes at the desired launch-site. worked really well. joints were pinned together with a single 5/16 bolt drill vertically and you just drop in, nut not needed!

I'd second Dacia, now the terrible 3 rd world rubber has been eliminated from bushes and hoses.
#1661000
I currently have aMercedes CLK320 cabriolet in stock that has scraped the left door and rear wing along a gate post. The wealthy lady owner couldn’t be bothered to fix it and so has asked me to sell it. It’s 2004, two owners, full service history and still drives perfectly.
£1000 as is or £2000 repaired. Not recorded.
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By Rob P
#1661008
Aren't MB of a certain age notorious for rotting, and is that particular CLK one of the amazingly rare 4WD versions?

Rob P