On the way back home from the X^6's yesterday, the clutch failed with a
bnag. More unwanted chaos!

I managed to get the car into a pub carp ark by timing two sets of
traffic lights to perfection in second gear.

The AA came out within the hour. I had the clutch replaced at a York
garage about three months ago. He said that on a 'rescue' he was limited
to 12 miles, otherwise it becomes a 'recovery' and has to be booked
differently. He asked me how long I had been with the AA. I told him on
my first call out they came on a BSA 600cc side-valve motorbike and sidecar!

Ah well he said, York isn't much more than 12 miles. We'll get away with
it. (It was actually about 20 miles.)

Got a phone call from said garage today. When they renewed the clutch
they fitted a new slave cylinder. But now the master cylinder had
exploded! The end cap had broken off!

So more expense. I asked whether the master cylinder was a genuine Fiat
part. He didn't think so. I have insisted he fits a genuine part,
otherwise I'll be wondering how far I get before it goes again.

In fact we were very lucky. The day before we returned up the A1(M) from
Grantham, and that involved a three mile tail back for single lane
roadworks over a bridge. If it had gone then, it would have been
embarrassing!

Tone

Hymermut <tone@email.com> wrote in news:ujijdc$sog8$1@dont-email.me:

> On the way back home from the X^6's yesterday, the clutch failed with
> a bnag. More unwanted chaos!

At least it left you in no doubt as to the problem.

> In fact we were very lucky. The day before we returned up the A1(M)
> from Grantham, and that involved a three mile tail back for single
> lane roadworks over a bridge. If it had gone then, it would have been
> embarrassing!

I suspect that some of the motorists behind you might have been a tad
irritated.

--
Peter
-----

On Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:46:52 +0000, Hymermut <tone@email.com> wrote:

>On the way back home from the X^6's yesterday, the clutch failed with a
>bnag. More unwanted chaos!
>
>I managed to get the car into a pub carp ark by timing two sets of
>traffic lights to perfection in second gear.
>
>The AA came out within the hour. I had the clutch replaced at a York
>garage about three months ago. He said that on a 'rescue' he was limited
>to 12 miles, otherwise it becomes a 'recovery' and has to be booked
>differently. He asked me how long I had been with the AA. I told him on
>my first call out they came on a BSA 600cc side-valve motorbike and sidecar!
>
>Ah well he said, York isn't much more than 12 miles. We'll get away with
>it. (It was actually about 20 miles.)
>
>Got a phone call from said garage today. When they renewed the clutch
>they fitted a new slave cylinder. But now the master cylinder had
>exploded! The end cap had broken off!
>
>So more expense. I asked whether the master cylinder was a genuine Fiat
>part. He didn't think so. I have insisted he fits a genuine part,
>otherwise I'll be wondering how far I get before it goes again.
>
>In fact we were very lucky. The day before we returned up the A1(M) from
>Grantham, and that involved a three mile tail back for single lane
>roadworks over a bridge. If it had gone then, it would have been
>embarrassing!
>
>Tone

re : AA CAA here in Canada
When I've been tempted by their glossy mailings, with super-duper
introductory deals for annual memberships .. I think back over my
45 + years of driving and remember about 2 or 3 times when
I _might_ have used their services - and quickly file the papers
with the other junk mail.
John T.

hubops@ccanoemail.com writes:

> re : AA CAA here in Canada
>
> When I've been tempted by their glossy mailings, with super-duper
> introductory deals for annual memberships .. I think back over my
> 45 + years of driving and remember about 2 or 3 times when
> I _might_ have used their services - and quickly file the papers
> with the other junk mail.

I've always asserted that you should go anywhere prepared to walk
home. And I've always carried a come-along, chain, cable,
toolbox. shovel, axe etc. I've winched my VW/truck/Land Rover out of
ditches, streams, mud and snowbanks. I even hammered a pointy pry bar
16" into the surface of a frozen gravel road to act as an anchor
because there were no trees close enough to winch the Land Rover from
where it teetered on two diagonally opposed wheels on the brink of a
deep ditch.

But I'm the same age a Tone (so 65 years of driving) and while I still
split a year's firewood by hand, I can't be sure -- even moderately
confident -- that I can still do all that other stuff. Not even sure
I can change a 16" tire on my truck by the roadside singlehanded.
Thinking I should hook up with CAA now that I've finally succumbed to
the 21st c. and have a cell phone with which to call them.

Ho hum. More bother.

> John T.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

On 21/11/2023 17:04, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
> re : AA CAA here in Canada
> When I've been tempted by their glossy mailings, with super-duper
> introductory deals for annual memberships .. I think back over my
> 45 + years of driving and remember about 2 or 3 times when
> I_might_ have used their services - and quickly file the papers
> with the other junk mail.
> John T.

Last time I had to call then out they took almost six hours to get to
me. I vowed them to give them the elbow, but this recent call-out has
restored my faith in the AA. The driver was really helpful, going well
out of his way to give me a lift home once we'd dropped off the car at
the garage.

Since then Fiat UK supplied the wrong part, and the right part is having
to come from Italy, so no car for a couple of weeks. I could have a
cheaper non-Fiat master cylinder fitted, but I'd be nervous about how
far I'd get before that failed.

I do have the Hymer here should I need wheels urgently.

Tone

On 2023-11-25, Hymermut <tone@email.com> wrote:
> On 21/11/2023 17:04, hubops@ccanoemail.com wrote:
>> re : AA CAA here in Canada
>> When I've been tempted by their glossy mailings, with super-duper
>> introductory deals for annual memberships .. I think back over my
>> 45 + years of driving and remember about 2 or 3 times when
>> I_might_ have used their services - and quickly file the papers
>> with the other junk mail.
>> John T.
>
> Last time I had to call then out they took almost six hours to get to
> me. I vowed them to give them the elbow, but this recent call-out has
> restored my faith in the AA. The driver was really helpful, going well
> out of his way to give me a lift home once we'd dropped off the car at
> the garage.
>
> Since then Fiat UK supplied the wrong part, and the right part is having
> to come from Italy, so no car for a couple of weeks. I could have a
> cheaper non-Fiat master cylinder fitted, but I'd be nervous about how
> far I'd get before that failed.
>
> I do have the Hymer here should I need wheels urgently.
>
> Tone

My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
hand to the spare parts department.

--
greymausg@mail.com
Death to the Influencers, hung, drawn and quartered is more than they deserve.
BringBack(Bonking)Boris..

On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:

> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
> hand to the spare parts department.
>
>
Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.

As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
option anyway.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 25/11/2023 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>
>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>
>>
> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>
> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
> option anyway.
>

My days of jbexing with spanners is long over.

Promble now is finding jbexers who are up to my expected standard.

Tone

On 25-Nov-23 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>
>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>
>>
> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>
> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
> option anyway.
>
I unforget the daze of driving a British Leyland car, where the fitted
parts were whatever they could get their hands on in the factory that
day/week/month.
Hence taking off the dead bit and carrying it to the dealer/motor factor
etc. was the only way of getting things sorted.

That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 25/11/2023 19:19, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 25-Nov-23 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
>> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>>
>>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
>>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>>
>>>
>> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>>
>> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
>> option anyway.
>>
> I unforget the daze of driving a British Leyland car, where the fitted
> parts were whatever they could get their hands on in the factory that
> day/week/month.
> Hence taking off the dead bit and carrying it to the dealer/motor factor
> etc. was the only way of getting things sorted.
>
> That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
> brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.
>
Those days are long gone, and the guy in the brown coat (Now much more
likely to be a T-shirt and jeans) now needs your registration number to
find the wrong part number. They can't even sell you a battery if you
don't have that, and have the battery with you.

I have great fun getting parts for the Landie, as it's not on any of the
computers. Luckily, my preferred parts dealer is an enthusiast and has
all the old parts books and the software to translate the old nunbers to
the new ones.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On Sat, 25 Nov 2023 19:19:36 +0000
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:

> That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
> brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.

The one who looks over the piece you've brought in with a strange
glint in his eye and sucks his teeth before telling you just how fperjrq
you are.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
Host: Beautiful Theory meet Inconvenient Fact
Obit: Beautiful Theory died today of factual inconsistency

On 25/11/2023 19:19, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 25-Nov-23 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
>> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>>
>>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in your
>>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>>
>>>
>> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>>
>> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
>> option anyway.
>>
> I unforget the daze of driving a British Leyland car, where the fitted
> parts were whatever they could get their hands on in the factory that
> day/week/month.
> Hence taking off the dead bit and carrying it to the dealer/motor factor
> etc. was the only way of getting things sorted.
>
> That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
> brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.
>

In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the identical part.

That doesn't seem to happen any more.

Tone

On 25-Nov-23 22:39, Hymermut wrote:
> On 25/11/2023 19:19, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 25-Nov-23 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
>>> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>>>
>>>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in
>>>> your
>>>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>>>
>>> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
>>> option anyway.
>>>
>> I unforget the daze of driving a British Leyland car, where the fitted
>> parts were whatever they could get their hands on in the factory that
>> day/week/month.
>> Hence taking off the dead bit and carrying it to the dealer/motor
>> factor etc. was the only way of getting things sorted.
>>
>> That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
>> brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.
>>
>
> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the identical
> part.
>
> That doesn't seem to happen any more.

I'd disunforgotten that. One of the best reasons for having a 'common
as muck' car that'd been around for a few years.

--
Sam Plusnet

In article <W9x8N.4327$ccK4.1873@fx06.ams1>, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com>
on Sun, 26 Nov 2023 at 01:27:17 awoke Nicholas from his slumbers and
wrote
>On 25-Nov-23 22:39, Hymermut wrote:
>> On 25/11/2023 19:19, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>>> On 25-Nov-23 14:43, John Williamson wrote:
>>>> On 25/11/2023 14:24, maus wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> My way of replacing spare parts that fail. Bring the failed part in
>>>>> your
>>>>> hand to the spare parts department.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Who then misread the parts list, and get the wrong part. BTDT,GTTS.
>>>>
>>>> As ArTone was not the one taking the part off, he didn't have that
>>>> option anyway.
>>>>
>>> I unforget the daze of driving a British Leyland car, where the fitted
>>> parts were whatever they could get their hands on in the factory that
>>> day/week/month.
>>> Hence taking off the dead bit and carrying it to the dealer/motor
>>> factor etc. was the only way of getting things sorted.
>>>
>>> That was also the days when the bloke behind the counter, wearing a
>>> brown coat, knew all the arcane stuff that went into all sorts of cars.
>>>
>>
>> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
>> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the identical
>> part.
>>
>> That doesn't seem to happen any more.
>
>I'd disunforgotten that. One of the best reasons for having a 'common
>as muck' car that'd been around for a few years.
>
OTOH perhaps a 'common as muck' car that'd been around for a few years'
may not be as safe as a more recent car. I give you a Citroen Two
Horses, which may also be more polluting.

--
0sterc@tcher -

"Où sont les neiges d'antan?"

Hymermut wrote:

> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the
> identical part. That doesn't seem to happen any more.

It's going/gone online, there are companies who take written-off cars,
drain them, strip them down, photograph and catalogue the parts, box and
crate them, stick them on shelves in robotwarehouses and list them on
ebay as certified for next day delivery ...

Generally here
<https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_7118694781>

Specifically here, Fiat brake master cylinders
<https://www.ebay.co.uk/e/motors/cr-brakes-brake-parts?Brand=Fiat&rt=nc&_kwdomcat=33559&_bkw=master>

Jonny Smith (ex Fifth Gear off the telly) got a tour round one of the
big firms, Charles Trent Ltd, quite interesting
<https://youtu.be/pnh1PRBQOPc>

On Sat, 25 Nov 2023 22:39:57 +0000
Hymermut <tone@email.com> wrote:

> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the identical
> part.
>
> That doesn't seem to happen any more.

Oh it does although the safety elves have delegated the removal of
parts to the staff - who IME will sometimes take you round to help identify
the right bit) so the days of clambering up the stack of cars to get at the
needed bit are gone (almost).

There seem to be fewer, but larger breakers which saves a lot of
driving around - hereabouts there's essentially only one but they've never
failed me.

It's even been modernised by the intertubes wherein there are
wibbles that do the part finding (I'll bet they get it wrong often enough)
and talking to breakers who extract parts and post them to you.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
Host: Beautiful Theory meet Inconvenient Fact
Obit: Beautiful Theory died today of factual inconsistency

On Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:36:03 +0000,
Nicholas D. Richards <nicholas@salmiron.com> wrote:
> OTOH perhaps a 'common as muck' car that'd been around for a few years'
> may not be as safe as a more recent car.

Very true. Newer cars are more reliable, less polluting,
easier to drive.

Older cars tend to be easier to work on though.

> I give you a Citroen Two Horses, which may also be more
> polluting.

There are three cars that I have owned and loved:

The Citroed 2CV

LWB Series 2 Landrover

Nissan Leaf

Note that the 2CV and Landrover both had crank handles so
you could get them started with minimal battery, or a broken
electric starter.

--
The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with faith to
fight for it. - Aneurin Bevan

On Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:42:22 +0000
Tease'n'Seize <tease-and-seize@invalid> wrote:

> It's going/gone online, there are companies who take written-off cars,
> drain them, strip them down, photograph and catalogue the parts, box and
> crate them, stick them on shelves in robotwarehouses and list them on
> ebay as certified for next day delivery ...

I did not realise it had gone that far - I'm still at the breaker
brokers stage. That's efficient and should keep the parts in much better
condition than leaving them in place piled up outside until needed.
Probably uses a lot less land TAAAW.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
Host: Beautiful Theory meet Inconvenient Fact
Obit: Beautiful Theory died today of factual inconsistency

On 26/11/2023 11:07, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
> On Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:42:22 +0000
> Tease'n'Seize <tease-and-seize@invalid> wrote:
>
>> It's going/gone online, there are companies who take written-off cars,
>> drain them, strip them down, photograph and catalogue the parts, box and
>> crate them, stick them on shelves in robotwarehouses and list them on
>> ebay as certified for next day delivery ...
>
> I did not realise it had gone that far - I'm still at the breaker
> brokers stage. That's efficient and should keep the parts in much better
> condition than leaving them in place piled up outside until needed.
> Probably uses a lot less land TAAAW.
>
It also makes it easier for the breaker to comply with pollution and
health and safety laws. The first thing they have to do now when they
take a car in is drain *all* the fluids for safe disposal.

It also stops the losses when people damage items getting the one they
want off, and pocketing small items. Stopping these losses probably pays
for the labour they use, and clean parts on the shelf are worth more to
the buyers than dirty ones at the top of a pile of cars.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:

> I did not realise it had gone that far - I'm still at the breaker
> brokers stage.

Given that the breakers buy the written-off cars from insewerants and
now the inserwerants buy the parts back for authorised repairs, it
wouldn't surprise me if the insewerants eventually ohl the breakers.

On 26/11/2023 10:42, Tease'n'Seize wrote:
> Hymermut wrote:
>
>> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
>> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the
>> identical part. That doesn't seem to happen any more.
>
> It's going/gone online, there are companies who take written-off cars,
> drain them, strip them down, photograph and catalogue the parts, box and
> crate them, stick them on shelves in robotwarehouses and list them on
> ebay as certified for next day delivery ...
>
> Generally here
> <https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_7118694781>
>
> Specifically here, Fiat brake master cylinders
> <https://www.ebay.co.uk/e/motors/cr-brakes-brake-parts?Brand=Fiat&rt=nc&_kwdomcat=33559&_bkw=master>
>
> Jonny Smith (ex Fifth Gear off the telly) got a tour round one of the
> big firms, Charles Trent Ltd, quite interesting
> <https://youtu.be/pnh1PRBQOPc>

Thanks for this.

Tone

In article <slrnum6ao5.3ruqn.julian@n6are.com>, Julian Macassey
<julian@n6are.com> on Sun, 26 Nov 2023 at 11:24:53 awoke Nicholas from
his slumbers and wrote
>On Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:36:03 +0000,
>Nicholas D. Richards <nicholas@salmiron.com> wrote:
>> OTOH perhaps a 'common as muck' car that'd been around for a few years'
>> may not be as safe as a more recent car.
>
> Very true. Newer cars are more reliable,

Not necessarily true, by the time the Citroen Two Horses became obsolete
the faults had been knocked out of them. In addition the Friday
afternoon car will have been turned into a new Chelsea Tractor by now.

New designs might have some nasty 'features' not yet known to the
manufacturer.

> less polluting,
>easier to drive.
>
> Older cars tend to be easier to work on though.
>
>> I give you a Citroen Two Horses, which may also be more
>> polluting.
>
> There are three cars that I have owned and loved:
>
> The Citroed 2CV
>
> LWB Series 2 Landrover
>
> Nissan Leaf
>
> Note that the 2CV and Landrover both had crank handles so
>you could get them started with minimal battery, or a broken
>electric starter.
>

An oddity I recently discovered about the Hawker Hurricane. It was
usually started by power drawn from a battery cart, which was
disconnected after the engine was running. It could be started from its
own 24 volt accumulator. I would think this would knacker the battery if
started that way very often.

The third option was to use a crank handle of which there were two
stored on each side of the cockpit. There were holes in the cowling
cowling, low and towards rear, on the port and starboard side.

I suspect I should not be surprised, I have seen film of other single
engined aircraft of the period be started this way. Crank starting a
Lancaster, anyone?
--
0sterc@tcher -

"Où sont les neiges d'antan?"

On 26-Nov-23 16:28, Nicholas D. Richards wrote:
> In article <slrnum6ao5.3ruqn.julian@n6are.com>, Julian Macassey
> <julian@n6are.com> on Sun, 26 Nov 2023 at 11:24:53 awoke Nicholas from
> his slumbers and wrote
>> On Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:36:03 +0000,
>> Nicholas D. Richards <nicholas@salmiron.com> wrote:
>>> OTOH perhaps a 'common as muck' car that'd been around for a few years'
>>> may not be as safe as a more recent car.
>>
>> Very true. Newer cars are more reliable,
>
> Not necessarily true, by the time the Citroen Two Horses became obsolete
> the faults had been knocked out of them. In addition the Friday
> afternoon car will have been turned into a new Chelsea Tractor by now.
>
> New designs might have some nasty 'features' not yet known to the
> manufacturer.
>
>> less polluting,
>> easier to drive.
>>
>> Older cars tend to be easier to work on though.
>>
>>> I give you a Citroen Two Horses, which may also be more
>>> polluting.
>>
>> There are three cars that I have owned and loved:
>>
>> The Citroed 2CV
>>
>> LWB Series 2 Landrover
>>
>> Nissan Leaf
>>
>> Note that the 2CV and Landrover both had crank handles so
>> you could get them started with minimal battery, or a broken
>> electric starter.
>>
>
> An oddity I recently discovered about the Hawker Hurricane. It was
> usually started by power drawn from a battery cart, which was
> disconnected after the engine was running. It could be started from its
> own 24 volt accumulator. I would think this would knacker the battery if
> started that way very often.
>
> The third option was to use a crank handle of which there were two
> stored on each side of the cockpit. There were holes in the cowling
> cowling, low and towards rear, on the port and starboard side.
>
> I suspect I should not be surprised, I have seen film of other single
> engined aircraft of the period be started this way. Crank starting a
> Lancaster, anyone?

Four ground crew, each cranking one engine?
They were Merlins like in the Hurricane - but a bit further off the
ground, so out of reach without a gantry or step ladder.

P.S. Not sure if, having started one engine, that would provide the
power to spin up the others.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 26/11/2023 16:28, Nicholas D. Richards wrote:

> The third option was to use a crank handle of which there were two
> stored on each side of the cockpit. There were holes in the cowling
> cowling, low and towards rear, on the port and starboard side.

Not a Hurricane, but worth a look, I goove:-

Youtube - Swordfish LS326 hand crank start, taxi and take-off at RNAS
Yeovilton. 3:28; SFJ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAqGfHlY0fU

--
Regards,
Andrew.

On 26/11/2023 13:18, Hymermut wrote:
> On 26/11/2023 10:42, Tease'n'Seize wrote:
>> Hymermut wrote:
>>
>>> In my day I would have taken the part off, gone to one of several
>>> breakers in the area, found a similar model, and removed the
>>> identical part. That doesn't seem to happen any more.
>>
>> It's going/gone online, there are companies who take written-off cars,
>> drain them, strip them down, photograph and catalogue the parts, box
>> and crate them, stick them on shelves in robotwarehouses and list them
>> on ebay as certified for next day delivery ...
>>
>> Generally here
>> <https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_7118694781>
>>
>> Specifically here, Fiat brake master cylinders
>> <https://www.ebay.co.uk/e/motors/cr-brakes-brake-parts?Brand=Fiat&rt=nc&_kwdomcat=33559&_bkw=master>
>>
>> Jonny Smith (ex Fifth Gear off the telly) got a tour round one of the
>> big firms, Charles Trent Ltd, quite interesting
>> <https://youtu.be/pnh1PRBQOPc>
>
> Thanks for this.
>
> Tone

I was tempted. But I would still be wondering how long before that one
fails. The mechanic at the garage settled it. He won't fit a second-hand
part anyway.

If I was able to maintain the car messen, I'd do it, but I ain't any
more. I need reliability now.

It had crossed my mind that I could fit the cheaper second-hand part and
sell the car. Then maybe buy a VW T25 camper with tow bar. I've had some
VW campers in the past and loved 'em. But no. Having two campers on the
road is just silly, if not greedy!

Tone