What have you done to your MK 7 today ?

[kalimon]

Great post as usual Mr Ex
I have driven vans for years including my current Transit 280 2.2 common rail diesel 100bhp engine and a 6 speed gear box.
It has a huge roof rack laden with 5 ladders and a 650 litre water in the back. It also has 2 steel hose reels with 100m of hose pipe plus lots of other stuff.
It carries me and two passengers up the Irwell valley on the M60 at 85mph when traffic permits.
You can't beat a good van

Err, thanks! 

There was an article on the BBC website (well, I was a bit bored at work and had exhausted the forums) from 1st Central insurance saying that white van drivers were actually amongst the "safest" and accountants were amongst the worst for car insurance claims.

Going back to your private plate: What does Kalimon mean then? I did google it (at work) but it didn't come up with any useful martial arts suggestions.

I put over 3 ton of tiles in a VW Caddy and it was lower than any air ride car I have ever seen, don't think it was ever the same again.

True what you say about power not everything when it comes to fun. After getting burnt by an Abarth in my wife's GTi I decided to have a drive in one. Standard car is 180bhp but God was it fun, absolutely loved it.

I'd love to run something like that or a JCW or maybe even a chipped Cooper SD as a fun car.
Trouble is, like most of us on here, every time it comes to short listing cars it comes back to a Golf GTI/D/R as the Golf is 'about the right size', just about affordable when taking into account decent resale, the cabin is a pleasant place to sit, it has nice styling touches and is a sort of happy medium between what you'd want as a fun car and need as a family car (plus image for those on here who wear suits - not too flashy and not too trashy).

Kali is a Filipino martial art. My Kali instructor is from Leigh, Greater Manchester. They don't say 'man' in Leigh, they say 'mon'.
After practising the art for a good few years I was deemed good enough to be called a 'Kalimon'.
I know, it's ridiculous but it's stuck. Most nicknames have very strange beginnings

[AntGTD]

Gave the Golf its first clean. Only had 3ish hours to spare so only managed to clay, wax and seal the wheels. When i have a spare day i'll be giving it a deep clean but with a house move coming it that might not happen until July 

[Exonian]

Kali is a Filipino martial art. My Kali instructor is from Leigh, Greater Manchester. They don't say 'man' in Leigh, they say 'mon'.
After practising the art for a good few years I was deemed good enough to be called a 'Kalimon'.
I know, it's ridiculous but it's stuck. Most nicknames have very strange beginnings

Ahh, now it makes sense!
Both my lads are karate black belts but when I asked them if they knew what Kalimon was I got blank looks.
Mind you I get that a lot. It's an age thing!

[Mk7-GTD]

I put over 3 ton of tiles in a VW Caddy and it was lower than any air ride car I have ever seen, don't think it was ever the same again.

True what you say about power not everything when it comes to fun. After getting burnt by an Abarth in my wife's GTi I decided to have a drive in one. Standard car is 180bhp but God was it fun, absolutely loved it.

I'd love to run something like that or a JCW or maybe even a chipped Cooper SD as a fun car.
Trouble is, like most of us on here, every time it comes to short listing cars it comes back to a Golf GTI/D/R as the Golf is 'about the right size', just about affordable when taking into account decent resale, the cabin is a pleasant place to sit, it has nice styling touches and is a sort of happy medium between what you'd want as a fun car and need as a family car (plus image for those on here who wear suits - not too flashy and not too trashy).
[/quote]

The Mini wouldn't interest me(but I say that having not driven one) but the Abarth really did. The noise it made even standard was great, Sabelt seats, brembo brakes, small and light. The steering wasn't all that though.

[Booth11]

Had to nip to the Trafford centre this morning and managed to park correctly
Correct parking at the Trafford centre. 

Perfect.  But sadly it's not how you/we park, but how the other stupid t**ts park.  You can be as careful as you like then some clueless/brainless/thoughtless idiot comes along.........

Yep.  I'm still bitter and twisted about my door ding. 

[Booth11]

One decides that after 9 months now is the time to see what the ECO setting does.
And what are my findings you may ask? Not that anybody here really cares but my findings are that the ECO button makes the car crap to drive and the thing still didn't make 30mpg for the journey (computer figures, not measured).
Great. That was a waste of about six quid's worth of fuel and an hour of my life.

Well, Mr Ex, I'm glad you took the time (in addition to the wasted hour of your life) to post this info.  Because I have never tried Eco, and now I never will.  You've saved me wasting several minutes of my life and a few £'s of fuel. 

[Exonian]

One decides that after 9 months now is the time to see what the ECO setting does.
And what are my findings you may ask? Not that anybody here really cares but my findings are that the ECO button makes the car crap to drive and the thing still didn't make 30mpg for the journey (computer figures, not measured).
Great. That was a waste of about six quid's worth of fuel and an hour of my life.

Well, Mr Ex, I'm glad you took the time (in addition to the wasted hour of your life) to post this info.  Because I have never tried Eco, and now I never will.  You've saved me wasting several minutes of my life and a few £'s of fuel. 

How's your holiday going? 

Seriously, if there was ever a way to disguise any latent hidden horsepower this was it.
It's like wheeling out a race winning carbon fibre bicycle, letting a few too many PSI out of the tyres, slacking off the chain set and loosening the gear cables before heading out for a Sunday ride. 
The fuel economy was still crap and the only way I can think it could be justified as an "economical" setting is in that you'd rather leave it at home and drive something else!! 

[Booth11]

One decides that after 9 months now is the time to see what the ECO setting does.
And what are my findings you may ask? Not that anybody here really cares but my findings are that the ECO button makes the car crap to drive and the thing still didn't make 30mpg for the journey (computer figures, not measured).
Great. That was a waste of about six quid's worth of fuel and an hour of my life.

Well, Mr Ex, I'm glad you took the time (in addition to the wasted hour of your life) to post this info.  Because I have never tried Eco, and now I never will.  You've saved me wasting several minutes of my life and a few £'s of fuel. 

How's your holiday going? 

Seriously, if there was ever a way to disguise any latent hidden horsepower this was it.
It's like wheeling out a race winning carbon fibre bicycle, letting a few too many PSI out of the tyres, slacking off the chain set and loosening the gear cables before heading out for a Sunday ride. 
The fuel economy was still crap and the only way I can think it could be justified as an "economical" setting is in that you'd rather leave it at home and drive something else!! 

Holiday ok - arrived last night - bloody freezing it is, lol.  Well ok, it's warmer than UK but a chilly wind off the ocean!

Haha, the carbon bike analogy is a good one and has an added relevance to me.  We have a very nice carbon fibre road bike which me and my better half share.  Coming from a cycling background, I am incapable of riding a bike unless my feet are clipped in to the pedals. HWMBO on the other hand came late to the joys of cycling and can't get on with clipless pedals so he insists on swapping them for bog standard ones.   How to ruin a good bike!  And this is why he's not allowed to drive the R. 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your reasoning behind the description of Eco - you can't get much more economical than never turning the ignition on, lol.  On the other hand it's a bit of a waste of £30k plus!

[Snooze]

Drove in to bush. Scratch down drivers door :-(

 
Will it polish out?

Yes booth, only a light scratch. Washed her yesterday to assess the full damage, but too scared to look!

[Snooze]

Had my Michelin Pilot Alpin winter tyres swapped over to 4 brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4's. 





They are a revelation. I've only done 10 miles on them so far but the reduced road noise, the ride comfort, the response and the grip are exceptional! I'm scrubbing them in for a couple of hundred miles before driving hard on them, but half throttle acceleration is smooth and effortless where the Bridgestones would have been spinning up and tramping.

If I ever buy a car with Bridgestones as standard, I'll be budgeting to swap them before I collect the car.

Over the coming weeks I'll also be fitting new discs and pads all round (Brembo items), and giving it it's spring detail. I'll be hoping to refinish the hubs and calipers too if I can find the time.

Cannot wait to ditch my bridgestones. My fronts are getting low now, yay!