Floydbax

Our economy is doing well DESPITE being in the EU, our trade within is decreasing annually. We are not allowed to trade freely with countries outside the EU under our own terms, only under EU rules. This stifles our trade. There are certain goods and services that we trade withing the EU that actually cost us more than they would do if we were allowed to buy them from either outside the EU or without EU price fixing. The fact that we continue to thrive comparitively is a testament to the fact we have got it right economically. I'm not talking about 'bullying' or deserving more clout because we are a net contributor but because our economic success is due to our economic models and our population following them. These other countries are indeed 'poorer' but they are so DESPITE many years of generous EU funding. It's their non-acceptance of having to change their economies that's their problem and they, as part of the 'club', form a united front against actually changing to do something about it. When I point to our standard of living deteriorating I'm employing a bit of the same artistic license as Osbourne when he is making his apocolyptic warnings of our economy's demise. As in guessing that we would have been better off than we currently are in my scenario and deducting the difference. Of course there's nobody that can tell the future, it's up to having faith. I have faith in the UK and her population and our resilience. I'm not scared of leaving this collapsing club who refuse to modernise. There were a few mentions recently about 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater'. I'd say that the bathwater is toxic and that baby is no longer a baby, it's a corrupt, cancer ridden old person who refuses to go and get treatment and will poison the rest of its body unless we force a cure on it or bury it. Then maybe we can start again with a new baby having learned from the mistakes of the past.

What makes you believe we pay such high levels of taxes? Spain a max of 50%, France goes up to 45%, Germany goes up to 45% all very much in line with us - then you look at the Scandinavian countries and they go up to a max of circa 60% http://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp As mentioned before we pay 6 days of government collected taxation to be in the largest tariff free trading bloc in the world - 6 days It's not the world's largest FREE trading Bloc, there are factors involved in the trade that make some things costlier than if it were a true 'free trade'. The figures for trade between the UK and Europe are shrinking and have been doing so since our joining. My point is that as the 5th largest economy in the world AND one of the few NET contributors in the EU our voice is often under represented, even though our economic records prove we are more capable than most of the others of making the right decisions. I resent having my money paid to our government in taxes being used to support other nations who refuse to comply with our representations, when our standard of living is deteriorating in comparable terms to other nations in similar situations.

In that as one of the few major net contributors to the EU, over a few decades we have had and continue to have so little influence in the actual running of this organisation that has no interest in running its economics in a properly balanced way. We are a net contributor because we as a country actually knuckle down and make our economy work, we are punished by the EU for this by the EU increasing our contribution towards the EU to help out those member states that refuse to take economic measures to make their economies work. I don't like having to pay high taxes, have our government HAVE to shrink the public sector, underfund the NHS, or a myriad of other factors to belong to a club that has no respect for the fact that we are successful because we take a hit in many ways and effectively punish us for our austerity.

Bl00dy H Pete, that's shocking reading!!!

but you miss the points. I missed the point? I used that wording because I was demonstrating an hypothetical situation. On your point about lack of planning, I don't think there's any talk about repealing the laws already in place and Cameron has already said he has no intention of leaving when we vote out. One would hope our leaders have at least had a little think and made some sort of back-up plan about how everything needed would be put in place, as that's their job. I do however suspect that in real life there's not going to be a lot that will change, hopefully only the stuff that doesn't work. This is a rather good (although very long - 35+ mins- I watched it instead of Top Gear last week ). It's a real life professor of economics being 'grilled' by the parliamentary select committee, the contents of this interview were kept rather quiet!

^ That's a completely arbitrary argument. IDK how long it took the EU to come to that bylaw, or how much it cost, or how much influence the UK had on it but the fact is that if we had not been in the EU I'm pretty sure our government would have created a similar law, probably better and more quickly, as they have done historically with all those employment laws that Corbyn was lauding the EU for, that actually we, the UK have led the world in!!

Yes Alex is still trading and looking after the Zed community as usual. Your Nissan dealer should be able to get one next-day delivery from the main depot, their parts policy is pretty quick!

It's quite a common part, lots of other Nissans use it. I had mine done at the dealer, no waiting time for the part to arrive.

Almost, he had him on the ropes then didn't ask the right questions, just let him stew a bit.

About 19 minutes in when he picks up his Daihatsu thingy round the back of the auction house, there's a shot down the side of a black Zed And later on a very rare Zed car Then a 240 The he's gone and got a Toyota Celica 1600ST, thinking he's bought the desirable 1600GT D'oh

I think they probably do this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201293103176?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649 which I think's pretty cool

There's a lot more to it than that. Crappy cars like the Ital, Allegro, Princess, Maxi and strikes at car plants every few days were a big factor and when British Leyland did come up witjh a decent design like the Triumph Stag they screwed it up by putting in an engine that needed a rebuild every 30k. Pete Our trade suffered more in the 70's due to it's own stagnation when the Japanese industry (also propped up by the allies after WW2) which was more modern and was trading within UK without competitive import taxation due to agreements made by the allies with consideration towards rebuilding the defeated nations.

. read some of the links on wiki it will take you through this - I was there, I'm pretty old I remember it well, my father and grandfather were CEO's of the biggest car seat manufacturing business in the country until the influx of cheap reliable Japanese cars killed off the British car industry at the time. Trust me I know my stuff, an OND in Travel and Tourism Business Studies, an HND in European Business Studies and a degree in Business and Finance gained after returning to education after 10 years out in the workplace, 35 years ago mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_largest_historical_GDP Ahem, considering we are a small rainy rock off the coast of NE Europe we have consistently punched above our weight economically, both in and out of Europe. The Gerrman economy was underwritten by the allied victors after WW2. Our trade suffered more in the 70's due to it's own stagnation when the Japanese industry (also propped up by the allies after WW2) which was more modern and was trading within UK without competitive import taxation due to agreements made by the allies with consideration towards rebuilding the defeated nations.

Aye, a huge difference. It makes me sad for the coupe drivers who listen to their thousand pound exhaust systems through metal ear muffs The coupe does have opening windows you know Try leaving your hatch open and 'give it some' it's a lot different than just having the windows down

And the noise Has anyone mentioned the noise yet? My Zed with K+N HFC's and half-decent stainless full system makes an awesome sound ............... and without all that tin you can actually hear it, it's amazing

When I first got mine Brad, the guy I bought it off told me it never used any oil between services. I check my oil regularly and it was using a load, no smoke that I noticed though. The guys at my bro's Porsche tuners who have in the past built a few DE's and really know their stuff, reckon it was because the previous owners had 'driven Miss Daisy ' and the rings were not properly worn in until I'd got it (even at 66000Mls) and my driving style is coming from an FTO MIVEC which needs thrashing to the redline of 8300RPM to exploit it. Now the oil consumption has stablised to - not very much. I still redline it constantly and it uses less and less every 1000 miles. I hope this scenario is what's up with yours after all that time. effort and money

I do think UK would take a huge hit on trade in general with the US and Europe, Why, which country that we already buy and sell stuff to and who buy and sell stuff to us is going to risk economic suicide? That would be idiotic, as stupid as it is to assume that Europe is suddenly going to fall off the map!

Maserati 3500 GT Roadster is your man - Great looking/sounding car, saw one yesterday - great

Just saw the gunmetal in Knutty again today and .............................................. it's a 370Z not a 350Z No wonder he didn't wave The one up near my work is a 350 though, there's loads around here at the mo

I think Jet Pilot's over that way

It depends how anal you are about it. Mine is a wreck, if I was going to sell up then I'd get a new one fitted but it doesn't bother me being tatty as it's up when it's wet and down pretty much all the rest of the time. I have used https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00X597F0G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=32B70XP4Z9FZG&coliid=I1JR9WOBFZ0B32 either side of a pinhole or tear along with https://www.amazon.co.uk/Highlander-rt100-Stormseal-Adhesive-Clear/dp/B003YLEOR2/ref=pd_ys_c_rfy_1938353031_26?ie=UTF8&refRID=ET58P3SACX1GK660T8S4 this sandwiched inbetween. Works OK although I have to replace the side bits occasionally as the opening/closing creases the patch and it's so sticky it sticks to itself.

A quick google shows the discs are CCM Carbon Ceramic And yes those do look exotic http://www.astonmartin.com/en/cars/the-new-vanquish/vanquish-technical

Just to scare you even more, I spotted an Aston Martin DB9 today, and that had drilled discs on front and rear!What do they know about stopping from high speeds? Don't they use some exotic ceramic stuff to make them?

It's probably just as quick TBH just to get on the M6 at Sandbach, IDK if you have satnav but you take the 2nd right about a mile and a half out of Holmes Chapel after those big long wide corners and it brings you out almost opposite the sliproad.(Just after the black and white pub on the left Bear's Paw I think). Saw that grey one again yesterday at the lights by The Honey House, I guess he's too involved in concentrating on his driving to notice Edited for rubbish spelling LoL