had ham

Looks great - it all comes to he who waits!

saga update... (apologies to Martinmac he knows this story) So I had selected a 911 C4 which was due last Friday until they rang on the Wednesday to say that it was not coming back to the depot for some reason, and would I accept a Merc SLK for a few days until it returned. I just want my Z fixed and back home, so said yes. So fella turns up with the Merc on a truck and drops off an '08 SLK280. I check it over for scrapes and bumps (there are of course many), sign the delivery doc and off he goes with my Z on the truck. It is only later that I subsequently find out that the tax only runs until Feb 28th (Sat evening!). Cue much more on the telephone to the useless muppets at Kindertons. It turns out they have actually taxed it, but posted the new disc to the previous client . They say 'don't worry about it, if you get a ticket from a parkie or something, just send it to us'. I truly can't be arsed with them anymore, and since it looks like my Z will be back on Friday, I don't have the time to wait/swap for the 911 for only a day or so of use, I'm now driving around in a girls car with no tax. To cap it all, the car is absolutely hateful. Plastic, rattly crap. The autobox has a life of it's own and is SLOW. It handles like a boat and did I say the interior is plasticy?. If ever anyone suggests you use Kinmdertons for accident management - run a mile. No, actually, run two.

I think rather it's Ellesmere port, GM/Vauxhall up in Merseyside. the owners of the other plants in the UK with the exception of Ford (BMW, Nissan, Toyota, VW, etc) have some cash reserves which mean cash-driven closure is unlikely. GM are up the creek and very nearly in Chapter 11 - without an additional US Govt loan they'll be there in a month at best.

The snow came down heavily last Thursday night. My journey from the local train station is normally15 mins accross country to my little rural village, up and down a number of hills. There had been no salting or ploughing, so arriving off the train from work at 7.30 I was greeted with a snow bound zed. I drove, somewhat precariously, out of that village and started making my way home. After about an hour I reached the turn-off from the main road onto the road to my village. It was under 4+ inches of snow and for me it was a feather-the-clutch 2nd/3rd gear 10 mph drive. There were some high headlights about 20 yards back, keeping a distance. When I reached the first hill, the zed was stuffed - even with traction control off it was not moving. Cue VERY glamerous lady and her equally stunning and very well dressed teenage daughter jumping out of their Range Rover behind (we were the only two cars on the road) with a shovel, and they proceeded to dig/push until I got moving again. They then said they could see I was struggling in that 'lovely sports car' and that they would follow me the remaining 3 miles to the vaillage to ensure if I got stuck, they could help. And they did, 4 times. Neither would take the wheel whilst I dug/pushed instead, and by the time I got home an hour later they were covered in sludge, snow, etc. They then helped me get the car on the drive, would not accept any thanks or tell me where they lived (so I could send some flowers or something) and then jumped back in their Rangey and roared (it was a V8SC) off with a smile and a wave. Despite the @*!# journey home I arrived inside with a very warm feeling and a large smile. I have put a notice up in the village shop thanking them in the hope they'll notice. Talking to the chaps in the pub it seems the family live in an old manor house at the edge of the village and are worth a fair few bob (not sure why that is at all relevent). And another thing - I ALLWAYS stop and ask women/old folk if they want a hand when they have luggage/pushchairs on trains/tubes...amazing how many have said 'that's the first time anyone ever offered'

Stew, you're right BMW could probably make (probably often do) a 520d cost the same as a 350Z, but that would include decent alloys, Sat Nav, Leather, etc - none of which this had. However, what kind of idiot thinks a 170bhp, diesel, four door saloon, that is a BMW with (stained) cloth seats, with bald tyres and an interior smelling like something I'd get myself into trouble for describing is 'like for like' with a 2 week-old 350Z? As you say above, service in this day and age is typically deplorable

Hello mate, just noticed you're from Yarm... Spent many a boozy night in the Tall Trees back in the day - is that still open?

It's not the insurance company - who have been magnificent throughout - it's the accident managment company they have appointed who are the complete muppets.... Step forward Kindertons..... utter, complete, incompetant nobs. A 520d for gawds sake..... And according to the job sheet they were going to charge the poor lady's insurance company £167/day for it!!!!!! How companies like this exist is beyond me. Hateful, hateful, hateful...

now there's a thought..... I just don't think I can do it -I have too much mechanical sympathy irrespective of where the car comes from.... But I think a 911tt might be fun for a couple of weeks....

So the sorry tale gets worse... I pay a few bob extra on my insurance to ensure I get a 'like for like' replacement car and the full support of an accident services company in the event of an accident/damage and my car has to be off the road. I logged my claim, they called, and arranged to pick my car up and drop the 'like for like' courtesy car off at my house this morning. So I canned all my client visits for a day working from my home office. At 9.30 I get a call saying the driver can't find the house (in very broken English). He's a mile away. I give him very clear instructions (i.e do a u-turn and keep driving for a mile, we're on the right). At 10.15 he turns up saying he couldn't find us. It gets worse. He turns up (yes, remember that term 'like for like') in a black BMW 5 series 2.0 litre diesel in utter poverty spec. With stains all over the cloth seats and totally bald tyres . I tell him I'm ahem, 'a trifle diss-chuffed' with this. I then ask him when the transporter will arrive. He then tells me it won't, and that he will drive my car to the body shop. Ah, riiiight, so an Eastern European chappy turns up (whom I've never, ever, met before)in a tramper BMW, and he has no ID nor Drivers licence on his person, and dumps it on my drive (with afore mentioned stains and bald tyres) and drives off in my pristine 3 week-old 350Z - IN THE SNOW. Erm, no, perhaps not matey. I have to say he was a touch embarrased by the heap he was trying to foist on me and the fact his company had had a problem with the truck. He was actually a nice chap once he stopped being frightened by this raging idiot in front of him. He then hands me his 'job sheet' to show me his office number so I could re-direct my ire in an alternative direction. It is at this point that I notice that instead of taking my car to the Nissan bodyshop - as per my direction when making the arrangements, he is actually trying to take it to some back-street body-shop 25 miles away. The returns. To cut a long (and I'm sorry, I've gone on waaaay too long) story short. 1 hour of calls later and they have come round to my way of thinking. 1. It will be repaired by Nissan main dealer body shop. 2. A lorry is coming next week to pick it up. 3. They are e-mailing me the complete list of ALL cars on their list (up to 911 TTs) from which I can choose any car to use for the duration - by way of apology. Oh, and Eastern European matey had a cup of tea, a nice chat, and took the tramper BMW back to his depot..........65 miles away in SW London!!!!!

naaah, she was very sweet. And she said "oooh, that IS a nice car". So I will let her off. ok fair enough, reduce it to threatening phone calls in the middle of the night

You are clearly quite right. But it happened at 11.50 and I had to meet a number of friends in The Bull at noon before we all came back to mine to watch Spurs/Arsenal. By the time we'd had a 'couple' of, ahem, 'swifties', I couldn't find the camera. And then it got dark. I shall endeavour to take some tomorrow.

naaah, she was very sweet. And she said "oooh, that IS a nice car". So I will let her off.

.......Said the rather pleasant older lady as she strolled into the village shop this morning (whilst I was getting the Sunday paps)..... ......."because i've just driven into it"..... 2 weeks old, now needs a new wing, bonnet, grille, bumper. She was very pleasant though, and could have driven off I guess.

I'm new here mate so don't know you - but best wishes to you and your dad. Stay strong. They make them tough up there - keep the faith.

Hope you've got an understanding boss fella!

San An I suspect? I love Ibiza, Ibiza Town especially, very pretty Island. I had a couple of 'lads holidays' there back in the day - mostly drinking & shagging - and a little bit of . Both times we stayed in a block of apartments just round the corner from the Cafe Del Mar which was an unknown out of the way place in those days. How times change....

Jealousy will get me nowhere. I believe I'm off to NYC on Monday for three days of probably very boring meetings. Great city though!

All this bloody snow got me wishing for some sunshine, so to cheer ourselves up, family HH went and booked a villa in Dalyan, Turkey last night for two weeks in July/August. Anyone else got plans for some sun or indeed any break this year?

When I got my last new 350 (06), Nissan kindly sent me a Z key ring as well as a copy of the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel directory. Does anyone happen to know if they still send key rings out with new 350s- or do I have to fork out myself this time (last one went west after a year or so)?

Picked it up this morning and it works like a dream, so thanks for the advice much appreciated!

£17000 to Joe Public That is one hell of a lot of car for £17K! More space than a Disco and £27K cheaper spec for spec! Mind you, my salesman tells me more 'normal' pricing will resume when stocks are gone. He's actually sold 19 cars this month - including 3 'Long Way Down' special edition Patrols - one of his best months ever and by far and away his best January ever - every single car (apart from one new Murano?!?!) are the current 'special offers'...

Done, good luck fella, Leukaemia a bit close to home....

Well I spoke to my salesman (who has been a star throughout the buying process) first thing, and he said he'd ring me back once he'd investigated. Called me back after an hour telling me they had ordered the bluetooth adaptor and that it would be ready to collect tomorrow (Sat) from 10AM onwards - seems they don't often come with the cars for some reason... Anyway, I should be ready to talk in-car from Sunday. Uniquely, dealing with this fella has been a pleasure and has restored my faith in a dealer which hasn't done too well in the past. I shall be dropping a bottle of wine off for him to say thanks.....

Well I normally change the family car every two years or so - but it looks like we'll be running this fecker into the ground! I always opted for PCPs as it made it easy to change cars frequently and monthly costs were kept lowish. The step change in RVs means that's out of the window......for me and many others I'd imagine!

Ford KA- cheap as chips, great to drive despite being somewhat tardy - you can hoon without risk of the licence heading West, and there is no car on the road cheaper to insure/maintain. Loads out there too!