22-04-2014, 05:08 PM
Cars: we've been owning & driving various Vauxhall 'Astras' for several years now. The 1.4 litre 8-valve petrol hatchback (there were three) were all reliable run-abouts, although you wouldn't like one if you were used to getting about in a hurry. (So one will not appeal to Audi drivers!) The 1.6 litre 8-valve petrol 'Sport' hatchback was, in reality, an over-bored version of the 1.4. Yes, it had a lot more 'go' than the 1.4. And it broke down more often, too: I wouldn't have another. The 1.6 litre 16-valve 'Ecotec' petrol estate was a solid & reliable work-horse - which we sold this year with 150k miles on the clock. It had the original clutch. For everyday maintenance, I found all of those 'Astras' relatively easy to work on.
But now we have a 1.6 litre 8-valve (I think it's 8-valve) diesel hatchback. (Lady Skywave's car). When I lift the bonnet up, I haven't the faintest idea what I'm looking at! O.K., I recognise the battery, the brake fluid reservoir, the radiator (the bits of it that I can actually see) - and things like that - but there is so much crammed into such a small space and so much plumbing everywhere, I just sadly shake my head, sigh and think "Uh-huh: maintenance = a garage job." But there are two things going for this car: fuel cost and vehicle licence cost: both substantially less than the petrol equivalent. It's just a shame that Vauxhall got it completely wrong where they fitted the LCD clock & radio / cd player display: the daylight from the windows blanks the display completely. It needs to be positioned lower down on the centre console.
As I said, with this diesel-engined car, I lift up the bonnet, look - and sigh. It's times like that when I recall my first car: a Ford 'Anglia' 998 cc. - as frequently seen in episodes of 'Heartbeat' on the T.V. Now they might have not been the ultimate in travelling luxury, but they were very easy to maintain, reasonably reliable and would happily 'do' over 70 m.p.h. all day (err, so I am reliably informed, officer!). Only one real drawback with the 'Anglia': it's voracious appetite for rust!
Modern cars: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Al.
But now we have a 1.6 litre 8-valve (I think it's 8-valve) diesel hatchback. (Lady Skywave's car). When I lift the bonnet up, I haven't the faintest idea what I'm looking at! O.K., I recognise the battery, the brake fluid reservoir, the radiator (the bits of it that I can actually see) - and things like that - but there is so much crammed into such a small space and so much plumbing everywhere, I just sadly shake my head, sigh and think "Uh-huh: maintenance = a garage job." But there are two things going for this car: fuel cost and vehicle licence cost: both substantially less than the petrol equivalent. It's just a shame that Vauxhall got it completely wrong where they fitted the LCD clock & radio / cd player display: the daylight from the windows blanks the display completely. It needs to be positioned lower down on the centre console.
As I said, with this diesel-engined car, I lift up the bonnet, look - and sigh. It's times like that when I recall my first car: a Ford 'Anglia' 998 cc. - as frequently seen in episodes of 'Heartbeat' on the T.V. Now they might have not been the ultimate in travelling luxury, but they were very easy to maintain, reasonably reliable and would happily 'do' over 70 m.p.h. all day (err, so I am reliably informed, officer!). Only one real drawback with the 'Anglia': it's voracious appetite for rust!
Modern cars: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Al.
