garethr

and spacers will take the offset even further away from the original Supra spec. of ET50.

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council site -- 13 May 2003 http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/db/enews/article.asp?Archive=Y&CatID=37&Art=922 I can't see anything about "volunteers employed to keep a steady speed of 70mph or less in the third lane of the motorway". I'd guess that the intention was to explain to following traffic just why the car in front was sticking to the 30 limit. EDIT: Hey, I do that! Can I have a sticker?

in the real world, the best deal you're likely to get is that someone will remove it for free.

greater efficiency = less throttle for the same speed?

True... although there's nothing to stop you sitting in the car while the turbo timer counts down....

Random story featuring car / cow interface (and a speed trap one for good measure) -- remember to duck if you ever hit one with a low car like a Supra.... In 1970 Mike Hailwood brought his yellow Iso Grifo to South Africa as his personal transport for the Springbok Series which included the Nine Hour at Kyalami. Cape Town and Johannesburg are about 900 miles apart and in those days there were no speed limits in South Africa on the open roads. Speed limits in cities and towns were and are between 30 and 40 mph. One day Mike left Cape Town to head to Jo'burg, a trip usually completed in 10 and half hours. The town of Beaufort West, in the middle of the desolate Karroo (not unlike parts of Arizona and Nevada) is 300 miles from Cape Town. As Mike drove out of the town on the outskirts he noticed a big black limo, a man with a gold chain around his neck (the Mayor), a traffic chief and others in the group. He then saw two black line across the road and being a motor cycle and car racer with quick reflexes realised that this was the official launch of Beaufort West's one and only Gatsometer. Mike got the revs up and as he got over the lines he got wheelspin and he told me with great glee that as he looked in the rear view mirror he saw the Gatso lines arcing trough the air like snakes in their final death throes! The spinning rear wheels had completely severed the lines! On a subsequent trip Mike was not so lucky. He and British driver, Peter Gethin, were also travelling from Cape Town to Jo'burg and they passed through the small town of Parys in the Orange Free State, about 70 miles south of Jo'burg. The name Parys means Paris in the Afrikaans language, one helluva stretch of the imagination! As Mike left the town in the Grifo he accelerated to about 100 mph up a hill and wrong place, wrong time three cows were crossing the road just over the brow. Mike hit the middle one smack dead centre and the large animal literally decapitated the Iso. The A-posts were severed flush with the fenders and the roof was peeled back like a tin can. Luckily Mike and Peter managed to duck but their foreheads were cut by flying glass. The poor moo was stone dead. Nicked from http://www.gt40s.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=27823

or maybe there are just too many CCTV cameras in Britain. If there is an afterlife, George Orwell must be telling everyone who'll listen "I told you so!"

The cases in the US were even worse. People spent years in jail (I think some of them are still locked up) after being accused of stuff that is, literally, incredible. A couple I can remember are Kelly Michaels and the McMartin School case.

That's a cock-up by the DVLA (unless it actually was new when it was imported). and it's 3 years, not 4, isn't it?

I read that as meaning that an approval mark is required for vehicles first used on or after 1st April 1986 if a reversing light is fitted. I don't see any requirement to fit one in the first place. I wonder if that means that all Japanese imports, strictly speaking, have illegal reversing lamps? it doesn't really matter anyway... I wouldn't want a car without them, I like to see where I'm reversing

Sorry to hear that, Tim. Hope you get a good price, at least. Your mum will have to keep an eye on the Soarer keys!

Reversing lamps are optional SCHEDULE 14 (Regulation 20) requirements relating to optional reversing lamps http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_19.htm#nsch14requirementrelatingoptionalreversinglamp

Newer than '96, assuming there's no "model report" available. As I understand it, however, come 2007 you'll be able to import a '97 and it will only need an MOT.... http://www.modelreports.com/faqs.html Q. Does the ten year rolling rule still apply after April 1st 1997? A. Yes it does. All vehicles 10 years or older do not need model reports or steering comparison reports. They are still straight to MOT.

Maybe there's confusion between UK cars and imports? A '93+ UK car would definitely have to go through the cat test.

If you HAVE to have spacers, I'd say make sure that they are proper spigotted ones, and TUV approved (but personally, I don't like them). Edit: And the wheels are now ET23 offset, which is a long way from ET50. like these: http://www.hrsprings.com

This is a quote from "Brake -- the road safety charity" http://www.brake.org.uk "We want the charge of careless driving to be dropped. At present, the Bill is proposing that the penalty for this charge – which is brought when a driver’s driving is thought to have fallen ‘below the standards of a careful and competent driver’ – is increased from £2,500 to £5,000. This charge is often brought when a driver’s standard of driving has caused a death or serious injury and the penalty, in this situation, is evidently offensively low. Instead, we want the charge of death by dangerous driving, or serious injury by dangerous driving (see above), to be brought in all cases where a driver’s driving has caused a death or serious injury." The government is proposing that there should be an offence of "causing death be careless driving". What do you think will happen when that charge is available?

WE might.... the courts might well call it "causing death by careless driving" and hand down a custodial sentence.

IIRC they had to move the Discovery tail light cluster because it was obscured by the spare wheel when the back door was open.

Signal Yellow GTXLR 2-litre in my Dad's case Just been watching a 2000E in "Life on Mars" on BBC1.

That's because the Cortina copied the "Coke-bottle" styling of the American muscle cars, but without the muscle The official Challenger page: http://www.dodge.com/dodge_life/news/autoshow_news/

Not that it means anything, but I just bought a Halfords HCB005 for the Soarer and it has the same post size as the Japanese (as in "fitted in Japan") battery which it replaced. EDIT: Just found this http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?t=35928 "It appears that some Supras, perhaps the later vvti ones, have small terminals so either you need a battery with small terminal posts, or replace the terminals with more ‘normal’ sized ones." EDIT again: Last I heard the Toyota battery for the Soarer (and maybe the Supra?) was £55, so it may be worth asking Mr T.

and they're making a right-hand drive Chrysler 300C, so maybe ........

Possibly, but the penalty for making a mistake is about to increase if you are unlucky enough to kill someone. Slide on ice, end up on the wrong side of the road, bury car in hedge, charged with careless driving, points and maximum fine of £2,500. Slide on ice, end up on the wrong side of the road, hit pedestrian / cyclist / motorcyclist causing fatal injuries, charged with causing death by careless driving, penalty up to 5 years in gaol. Pure luck is going to decide whether you end up inside.

From Jurgen's site: http://www.jm-imports.co.uk/otherpages/importprocess.html Grade S>6>5 - Brand new to perfect condition Grade 4.5 - very good condition Grade 4.0 - good condition Grade 3.5 - fair condition Grade 3 - average to poorer condition Grade 2 - spares/repair Grade 1 - modified vehicle Grade 0 / 0.1 / 0.2 - Accident repaired (see vehicle report for replaced parts) Grade R / R A - Accident repaired / with very clean repair - usually by the insurance companies

Found this on findit.co.uk (from November) http://findit.co.uk/pets/birds/268446.php http://www.rupert-fish.co.uk/interests/dove_breeding/FantailDoves.html http://www.angelfire.com/dc/fantail/home.html How about phoning one of the companies who supply white doves for weddings, funerals, etc.? Didn't realize that often they are actually white homing pigeons.