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1

General Discussion Area / Re: Appointment

« on: 12 October 2021, 07:40:08 »

I had a moderate heart attack in June last year. Was transferred from Southport Hospital, to LHC at Broad green, 2 days later. Arrived at about 11 am, was given lunch, and a couple of admin checks, and then at 3 pm was having a single sent fitted. I was allowed to go home at about 6pm (once they were sure my wrist wouldn't bleed out)
For some reason all my other arteries in my heart were clear and Just one furred up. I had to go back to A&E a week later, because my heart beat was 38 bpm. They took me off the beta blockers. And it went back up to 50 bpm
My cholesterol was low too.
It's taken a year to get back to full health.

2

General Discussion Area / Re: Nat West Bank found guilty

« on: 12 October 2021, 07:30:23 »

This money laundering crap is a pain in the arse.
My wife is waiting for her share of her parents assets, and my son (an accountant) has been helpibgbjer set up various investments and accounts.
The money will come from a traceable UK bank account, with the solicitor into a joint account, where I am tasked with distributing it to her new accounts. On attempting to open a "Marcus" account, there is a question about where the money comes from.
They ticked inheritance.
It now requires death certificate, copy of will, and a letter from.the solicitor. 
We don't have these and asking the Executor to obtain them is apparently too much stress for him. The solicitor is an arse anyway. I told him, not to deal with the firm he used, because I've had dealings with them and they were uselessly ineffective.
Going back and attempting to tick a different box is apparently not possible.

3

General Discussion Area / Re: Help - it appears I have married a scouser

« on: 12 October 2021, 05:50:37 »

Yes - i understand they were nice areas back then but to be fair I do not have any idea about the current state of things there apart from the unfortunate Toxteth stuff.

Toxteth is up and coming.

4

General Car Chat / Re: My new car

« on: 29 August 2021, 06:13:53 »

Some 'performance' models have bigger brakes and smaller wheels won't fit.

I fitted mk3 cavalier GSi front brakes (15 inch wheel)  to a mk2 cavalier CalibrE once. (14 inch wheel) They fit..with a fag-paper gap to spare. 

5

General Car Chat / Re: My new car

« on: 29 August 2021, 06:07:28 »

I think the "massive alloys" AKA low profile tyres will do your head in ,and your back  over 75K 3 years  compared to the comfy motorised armchair that is the Omega 
i quite like astras though    we.ve 5 in the family

First thing I did with the 3.2 was swap the wheels 18 -17,, or was it 17 - 16, anyway it made for a more comfortable ride. I hate the ride in the Mondeo, wheels are too big, but I'm too mean to buy smaller as fitted to poverty spec models. Omega wheels plus tyres were readily avlbl back in the day. First thing the  3.2 buyer did was swap them back! Each to his own. 
Next car will be chosen solely on comfort, so recommendations from other old farts considered.

Not so clear cut on the Astra J.
New car has no spare wheel, which I can't live with.
I was initially wondering if the spare wheels I've got in the shed for the omega would do as a spare for the Astra and they won't.
But worse, the wheels off bigger engineed models have a different bolt pcd and centre bore size.

https://www.wheel-size.com/size/opel/astra/

On the plus side my wife's poverty spec 1.6 auto has wheels that fit my new car.
For some reason I seem to have 4 cavalier wheels on top of the garage roof. I know they fit my son's mk4 Astra, so that's probably why I kept them.

6

General Car Chat / Re: My new car

« on: 29 August 2021, 05:56:23 »

The Omega was doing you a favour. 80,s music was 99 % shite. 

At the actual time, it obviously decided to kill my love of Depeche Mode.
But it's fine with the Stone Roses and Echo and the Bunnymen. (Both tapes picked up in a charity shop for 10p each)

7

General Car Chat / Re: My new car

« on: 28 August 2021, 08:44:31 »

I think the "massive alloys" AKA low profile tyres will do your head in ,and your back  over 75K 3 years  compared to the comfy motorised armchair that is the Omega 
i quite like astras though    we.ve 5 in the family

The other car I seriously considered was an SLK.
But we've got a 2 seater convertible in the garage.

Given its the same fitment of wheel as the 16 inch steel wheels on wife's Astra, I wonder if she would notice.

I once had a mk4 Astra sport and that was a little hard, and the seats particularly firm. But worse was having a clutch and no cruise control.

I'm looking forward to the countryside part of my commute.  Uttoxeter to the A38 south of Burton on Trent. Some lovely long overtaking straights and a few interesting bends.
Once on the A38 it's cruise control on.  There's just a few too many round abouts.
The Friday afternoon bullshit going North on the M6 will be where the auto proves to be the right choice.

At one point i started looking at manuals, especially when you realise a VXR is the same price.
Yesterday was particularly bad/normal. 3 hours. Using the toll road would have cut out 50 mins of that. I only got cross once. That was when the omega, ripped my favourite 80s mix tape, into shreads. If you were on the M6 near the Walsall turn off, you woukd have seen me launch that tape out of the car window, in a fit of anger.  It made me feel better, but I apologise for the litter I left.  Had that tape since 1984. Recorded off the radio.

8

General Car Chat / Re: My new car

« on: 28 August 2021, 08:26:40 »

So. I needed a new daily driver. The 3.2 MV6 isn't goingnto cut it with my new commute.
I only had 3 requirements, provided by all the stakeholders.
Auto. Cruise. And very low miles.
To this I added, not as slow as a mk6 1.6 automatic Astra. LAnd no rust. And comfy. And good cross country.
So eventually, I'm buying an automatic Astra.
A 1.4 turbo auto. 65 plate. SRI trim. Massive alloys. Half leather trim. Appliance white.
It's going to be funny. Wifes got a poverty spec 11 plate 1.6 auto Astra in piss green.

As you come from 'Miseryside' how about a picture or three before it gets stolen.

The 3 places it will be parked are a cup de sac in Formby, where there are far more expensive cars, a main road in Uttoxeter, and the works car park in Aston, almost under Spagetti Junction.

Not wanting to be complacent, but, I can't see it.

9

General Discussion Area / Re: Interviews for jobs in lockdown

« on: 27 August 2021, 10:13:20 »

All I'll say on that is that the payments would otherwise buy alot of fuel, probably three tankfuls, before the extra 12-15 mpg makes a difference. 

If it is a15 mpg difference, then my payback on the price I'm paying with the miles I'm likely to do is 3 years.
Given that my omega has already done 238k needs quite a bit of work for the next MOT, I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't last another 3 years, which would add another 75k to the clock.
In my man maths I'm assuming that the car I've bought now has no value. But in 3 years it will still have 3 years use left in it.
However it all depends on the traffic.

10

General Car Chat / My new car

« on: 27 August 2021, 03:55:05 »

So. I needed a new daily driver. The 3.2 MV6 isn't goingnto cut it with my new commute.
I only had 3 requirements, provided by all the stakeholders.
Auto. Cruise. And very low miles.
To this I added, not as slow as a mk6 1.6 automatic Astra. LAnd no rust. And comfy. And good cross country.
So eventually, I'm buying an automatic Astra.
A 1.4 turbo auto. 65 plate. SRI trim. Massive alloys. Half leather trim. Appliance white.
It's going to be funny. Wifes got a poverty spec 11 plate 1.6 auto Astra in piss green.

11

General Discussion Area / Re: Interviews for jobs in lockdown

« on: 27 August 2021, 03:34:05 »

So, they decided (rightly) that the role wasn't right for me, but then contacted me 2 weeks ago, and asked me if I'd be interested in a different role. Come in and have a look at the around and discuss it, and if you like it, we can arrange interviews the following week. Didn't quite work out like that. Had a chat with the MD, my old boss, and 2 of his managers. Then a trip round the factory floor, and then he left me, with the 2 managers to have a chat.
Or interview ? Phones me on Saturday afternoon.
Job offer. Am I allowed to discuss money?
It's enough. More than I was expecting. Transferring from contracting via a LTD company to a permie PayE role, has some interesting tax implications. That it I'll pay more.
Now looking to side line the omega, into classic status and get something sensible for the stupid commute.

Today will be my 4th Day. I've done induction type things, and am starting to see the future unfold.
They are increasing headcount on factory floor by 20% over the next 4 months, and I'm involved in duplicating existing assembly lines.
They have good Covid procedures in place.
So far the commute in.the omega has been at 23 mpg. And I've placed a deposit on a 65 plate GTC astra 1.4 turbo auto with 36k on the clock.
Not sure what to do with omega. It needs some work and I haven't got the time. Hence I've put it up for sale.

12

General Discussion Area / Re: Proposed driving licence changes...

« on: 27 August 2021, 03:20:27 »

They are taught to pass a test, they then go on to learn to drive properly.  In my day we could pass a test and go on the motorway which is something we wernt taught to do at motorway speeds.

I think a lot of the sections need extra certificatin including pulling/reversing trailers and caravans.

That's not strictly true. What's the difference between 70mph on a two lane dual carriageway and 70mph on a two lane motorway?

The answer is very little. The signs are green and the dual carriageway will potentially have roundabouts, traffic lights and crossing traffic whereas the motorway has blue signs and slip road junctions.

Arguably motorways are easier to drive on than dual carriageways.

On the one hand motorways are safer, because hard shoulder. On the other hand dual carriageways are simpler because only lanes.
I taught my son to drive on motorways in a 998 mini.
And my daughter in a 1600 Bini Cooper.
And most of that involved teaching them.to accelerate on the slip road.

13

Cars for Sale & wanted / 3.2 mv6 for sale. £630. MERSEYSIDE OR Staffordshire.

« on: 27 August 2021, 03:11:36 »

https://autoshite.com/topic/46313-for-sale-218-bhp-train-%C2%A3cheep-make-me-an-offer-without-spares-package-roffle-possiblemiseryside-or-staffordshire/
Y REG omega MV6

3.2 V6

237K miles

Vague service history.

Short MOT.

It will need Wishbones for MOT.

It has a Stainless Jetex exhaust which is surprisingly quiet.

Is not currently leaking oil, or using coolant.

Had has in the last year. New Battery. New ancillary belt and tensioner.

Has Uniroyal rainsports all round.

Leather interior. With patina.

A.c. does not work.

Comes with the following in the boot

Crank sensor.

Other spares available at reasonable cost include.

Front discs, rear hand brake shoes, front pads.

PU front bushes

4 17 inch wheels.

A selection of cassette tapes.

Cam locking tool kit.

These things are about to hit classic status, but not at this mileage.

Can deliver North West or Midlands.

 

 

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14

General Discussion Area / Re: Why are women so theatrical?

« on: 08 August 2021, 08:09:12 »

Women. You can't live with them. And you can't kill them. Legally.

*that's a joke.

15

General Discussion Area / Re: Word Association.

« on: 08 August 2021, 08:02:22 »

Shower