Sylvester

Thanks for the 'constructive' comments.... Hve read manual but it is not exactly conclusive .. 'Nissan recommends that infants or small children be seated in the child restraint system.' errrr what 'child restraint system' ? I think it should read 'a' rather than 'the' as it then goes on to say you should choose an appropriate one... The Airbag can not be disabled without taking the car to Nissan and dealers often don't do it because it diables a safety device on the car and while you as the current owner/user might want it done then next person may not and they not know its been done etc... certainly Toyota would not disable Mrs Corrolla airbag. All I need to do now is get some kind of anti child protection for the inside of the car.....

Investigating transporting my 3 year old daughter in the Zed. Obviously using front facing child seat. Official advise is to avoid putting in fron seat if possible if active airbag but we have no choice. Also advises find out how far the passenger airbag extends when deployed to check it wont hit child - anyone know ? Anyone do it ? Any thoughts ? Thanks

Work was done by local Toyota dealership who have excellent reputation and we have used for 6 years and always been impressed with ( but of course there is always change ). Yes car is kept outside and has been for 5 years so could be corroded I guess. As I said work was done before I became aware of it so had no chance to discuss/look at discs myself. Maybe the wife just drives like a maniac when I am not in the car..

Mrs just had her 5 year old 1.6L Toyota Corolla serviced and they told her that not only the front brake pads needed replacing but also the discs. Happened before I got the chance to ask questions. The car has done only £26K. Apart from the rare times that I get to drive it for a couple of miles with just me in the car ( when it gets thrashed a bit to clear the cobwebs ) it is driven by the Mrs. She is NOT a fast driver or a hard braker. Most miles have been in town and for the last 2.5 years most miles have been with a baby in the car so driven even more carefully! I was surprised that the discs would need replacing on such a car given the lowish mileage - am I wrong ? How long would we expect Zed discs to last ( I know depends on usage but relative to a BAU car.. ) ?

Idiots like that should be locked up for 10 years....

Welcome to the club!

Hi Guys, thought you might be interested in some ramblings on my visit on Sunday to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. No piccies or details cos I aint into that kinda stuff - just a flavour in case you are thinking of going in the future. Anybody else who went who can add more please feel free. First time I have been and must say I was very impressed. Went with the Mrs and our 2.5 year old daughter so mobility and speed and activities I could get done were restricted but even so a great day. Random highlights.... Most spine tingling - Ferrari F1 being driven up the hill at full bore - no posing just flat out... ok so we only saw it for a second or 2 and heard it for a second or so longer but what a sound and what speed. Could not have been more than 50 feet away. The look of shock and awe on the crowds faces was mirrored by our own...stunning Lump in the throat moments - 1) standing 5 feet from Ayton's JPS F1 car as it went through its engine warming cycle. Richard Burns stand. RIP guys. Most draw dropping moment - Mrs saying she really liked the immaculate Scooby RB320 on the RB stand - she normally hates scoobies.... maybe I could get one to replace the Zed after all.... ( need to transport daughter sooner or later ) Funniest moment - wheel coming off Eddie Cheevers old F1 car..... Most boring time - the 30 mins it took to get Eddie Cheevers car off the hill.... Spookiest experience - standing underneath the land rover display - perhaps 150 foot tall structure of laticwork of metal beams with 5 or 6 landrovers appearing to drive up it vertically ( and upside down ). looking up at a landy 150 foot directly above your head with its lights facing down... gulp... OMG moment - watching the trials bike rider driving on the ROOF of Goodwood house - some multi world champion... nutter! Saddest comment heard - a dad complaining that his son only saw the Ferrari for a few seconds - I think he missed the point... the other 5 or 6 F1 cars did the stop/start/burn out/bouncing off rev limiter stuff - having one of them volunterring to go full blast was a great idea. And you can look at the cars as long as you want in the paddock! Hats off to - Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button for driving their F1 cars ( something tells me test cars.... ) up the hill - plus the other drivers - think they were mainly test drivers although I think Gene was there as well. ( No DC I dont think ). Derek Bell drove something too...( sorry just soooo many cars ( and bikes ) of all types and ages you loose track and just enjoy it all Saddest sight - the social parasites pestering poor Foggy for autogrpahs as he made his way to lunch. We picniced 10 feet from the entrance to where the bike riders were lunching ( by accident ) so he walked right past us... actually saw a grown man punch the air when he got a scribbled signature... loser.... Biggest disappointment - how quiet the red arrows were compared to the cars - literally could not hear them as the older F1 cars returned to their paddock... god them cars are loud ( and lovely ). Absolutely amazed by the access you had to all the cars and people - it was only the F1 cars that had little ropes across them - the rest were open to look at / touch even! Oh and nice cars in the car park including an orange zed ( too far away for details ). There was a black 350Z GT race car that went up the hill - my little girl would not believe it was the same car as Daddy's when she saw it in the paddock ( mainly cos it was black and mine is gunmetal - lol ) but she it probably right that there are few if any components the same. All in all an exceptionally enjoyable day very well organised. Programmes seemed a rip off at £12 but you got a radio to listen into the commentary included ( did not buy one though - happy just to soak up the atmosphere). If you go with youngsters definitely take them some ear defenders though. Only concern is the safety aspect - you are only seperated from cars travelling 100mph plus (?) by some straw bales and wooden posts. And some of those cars are old and prone to breaking. Yes its a great thrill but I reckon its only a matter of time before someone loses it big time and someone ( many perhaps ) get killed. ( You are warned before you go in thats its dangerous so its at your own risk.. Traffic in and out was fine - very short queues at 10 am and 3:30pm - good signs directing you there and good marshalling. Food a total rip off - take a picnic like we did. The car park is a LONG walk from the entrance though so you will need to carry it ( or take a pram like we did - ideal! ) At the end of the day we were knackered and had lots more to see but not the energy or time .... little girl was most upset and kept saying 'Daddy - I want to see more cars'... little petrolheaded angel I am sure I have missed loads of highlights we saw and I know we missed perhaps half of what was on show but there is always next year.....

Not to my knowledge but from your sig you may be new to the car and its second hand so maybe the previous owner installed PIAA Silicone wipers as many of us did in the past. These have a similar effect to rainex as they leave a layer of silicone on the windscreen when used.

Congrats mate - was there couple of years ago. Still got the Zed cos after a year I still could not part with the Zed and we found we were surviving with the Mrs Corrolla for family outings and me with the Zed for work/fun on my own. Plans to increase family means the Zed will have to go soon - been through the same list as you. Latest one to get added is the new Focus RS ( if not in a hurry might be worth waiting for ). The costs of things like this and the Golf R32 are horrible nowadayys though ( petrol and tax ) R26/GTi better for costs but either ugly or boring and slowish. Trouble is the Zed is just sooo good looking and goes soooooo well and sounds soooooo nice its really hard to replace it with something practical that gets anywhere near it on these fronts.

No real nickname but I have taught my 2 year old daughter to call it a Ferrari and that's what she tells everyone that I drive Wife always referred to previous Toyota Celica as the 'Silly Car' ( say it, it makes sense )

For first 18 months washed it about once every 10 days on average and waxed every 3 months or so. Since baby arrived hardly have any time to myself at weekends so now gets washed every coulple of months and waxed probably once a year... very depressing - looking after the car ( as opposed to driving it ) was a fair bit of the fun of owning it... thank god I went for gunmetal so the dirt is hidden best...

Thanks for the input guys - will make me look very knowledgeable in front of the inlaws...

Inlaws looking to buy car ( 3 years old ) with about £15K on the clock and know that the vast majority of the miles are round town AND short journeys ( journeys of less than 3 miles twice a day on many days of the year ). Car has been serviced every year. What kind of bad things could this kind of regular but short trip driving do to a car ( other than give low mpg! ) ?

Would be useful if the unread posts could be sorted by date/time within Forum so that when you have a load to go through and you are not fussed by one or more forum you don't have to wade through those items. Or can you already do this and I haven't worked it out ?

Only just seen this topic... could have written most of the first post myself as looking at hot hatches to replace the Zed so I can transport little one(s). Managing to keep the zed until number 2 arrives Agree with so much of what was said. I would maybe be looking at new rather than a year or so old but the same things apply. I can get away with only 2 doors so I'm waiting to see what the new Scirrocco (sp) looks like in the flesh. Another factor is the dreaded car tax ... 2litre turbo's seem to be the best compromise in terms of performance and CO2 emissions at the moment. New Focus would be interesting but its bound to have high CO2 given what the ST already kicks out. I guess if I had to decide today it would be a GTI.... But maybe ask me tomorrow and it would be the madder megane in bright yellow ( not sure about those stickers though ). See one at work car park every day and think... yeah ... but those residuals suck and its a bit boy racerish ( in yellow anyway ) and quality not up to much.... oh so its the golf then... God this process sucks when you love your current car so much and you are having to change cos you HAVE to not cos you WANT to....

Yeah heard that is the case for Pompey too... what's that all about... ? Oh yeah - all those pompous arses who don't support either team and are just there because they have money.... gits.

Subscribe to both EVO and Autocar. Although EVO is good I'm starting to get a bit bored as most of the stuff they cover is so much out of my price bracket - don't get me wrong, its nice to dream and know what is out there but it just not that relevant to my real life parameters. There is a new magazine just started called 'Performance Car'...hmmm that sounds familiar..... looks aimed at the up to £40k ish market so much more relevant to me... Anyway, back on topic ( sorry ) - agree an online mag would be different and potentially exciting addition.... and good people involved.... but you can't beat a good mag in your hand.... ( or am I going off topic again.. )

Well I was wrong- we had not used up all our luck against Man U... we had a lot left to beat West Brom ... sorrry Lincolnbaggie. So Ian... bring in on! Play Up Pompey, Pompey Play Up!!!!!!!

Subject: Passport Application Dear Minister, I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops I am being asked to jump through. How is it that Bert Smith of T.V. Rentals Basingstoke has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a satellite dish from them back in 1994, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date? How come that nice West African immigrant chappy who comes round every Thursday night with his DVD rentals van can tell me every film or video I have had out since he started his business up eleven years ago, yet you still want me to remind you of my last three jobs, two of which were with contractors working for the government? How come the T.V. detector van can tell if my T.V. is on, what channel I am watching and whether I have paid my licence or not, and yet if I win the government run lottery they have no idea I have won or where I am and will keep the bloody money to themselves if I fail to claim in good time. Do you people do this by hand? You have my birth date on numerous files you hold on me, including the one with all the income tax forms I've filed for the past 30-odd years. It's on my health insurance card, my driver's licence, on the last four passports I've had, on all those stupid customs declaration forms I've had to fill out before being allowed off the planes and boats over the last 30 years, and all those insufferable census forms that are done every ten years and the electoral registration forms I have to complete, by law, every time our lords and masters are up for re-election. Would somebody please take note, once and for all, I was born in Maidenhead on the 4th of March 1957, my mother's name is Mary, her maiden name was Reynolds, my father's name is Robert, and I'd be absolutely astounded if that ever changed between now and the day I die! I apologise Minister. I'm obviously not myself this morning. But between you and me, I have simply had enough! You mail the application to my house, then you ask me for my address. What is going on? Do you have a gang of Neanderthals working there? Look at my damn picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? I don't want to activate the Fifth Reich for God's sake! I just want to go and park my weary backside on a sunny, sandy beach for a couple of week's well-earned rest away from all this crap. Well, I have to go now, because I have to go to back to Salisbury and get another copy of my birth certificate because you lost the last one. AND to the tune of 60 quid! What a racket THAT is!! Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day? But nooooo, that'd be too damn easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off, then find some tosser to confirm that it's really me on the goddamn picture - you know... the one where we're not allowed to smile in in case we look as if we are enjoying the process! Hey, you know why we can't smile? 'Cause we're totally jacked off! I served in the armed forces for more than 25 years including over ten years at the Ministry of Defence in London. I have had security clearances which allowed me to sit in the Cabinet Office, five seats away from the Prime Minister while he was being briefed on the first Gulf War and I have been doing volunteer work for the British Red Cross ever since I left the Services. However, I have to get someone 'important' to verify who I am -- you know, someone like my doctor... who, before he got his medical degree 6 months ago WAS LIVING IN PAKISTAN... Yours sincerely, An Irate British Citizen. One-Liners from the Edinburgh Festival I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat. - Marcus Brigstocke at the Assembly Rooms Cats have nine lives. Which makes them ideal for experimentation. - Jimmy Carr The right to bear arms is slightly less ludicrous than the right to arm bears. - Chris Addison at the Pleasance My dad is Irish and my mum is Iranian, which meant that we spent most of our family holidays in Customs. - Patrick Monahan at the Gilded Balloon The dodo died. Then Dodi died, Di died and Dando died... Dido must be sh*tting herself. - Colin & Fergus at the Pleasance My parents are from Glasgow which means they're incredibly hard, but I was never smacked as a child... well maybe one or two grams to get me to sleep at night. - Susan Murray at the Underbelly Is it fair to say that there'd be less litter in Britain if blind people were given pointed sticks? - Adam Bloom at the Pleasance My mum and dad are Scottish but they moved down to Wolverhampton when I was two, 'cause they wanted me to sound like a tw*t. - Susan Murray at the Underbelly You have to remember all the trivia that your girlfriend tells you, because eventually you get tested. She'll go: "What's my favourite flower?" And you murmur to yourself: "Sh*t, I wasn't listening... was it self-raising?" - Addy Van-Der-Borgh at the Assembly Rooms The world is a dangerous place; only yesterday I went into Boots and punched someone in the face. - Jeremy Limb, at the Trap I saw that show, 50 Things To Do Before You Die. I would have thought the obvious one was "Shout For Help". - Mark Watson, Rhod Gilbert at the Tron Got a phone call today to do a gig at a fire station. Went along. Turned out it was a hoax. - Adrian Poynton at the Pleasance Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be both a winner and a loser at the same time. - Demetri Martin at the Assembly Rooms A talking dog goes into a hardware store and says: "I'd like a job please". The hardware store owner says: "We don't hire dogs, why don't you go join the circus?" The dog replies: "What would the circus want with a plumber?" - Steven Alan Green at C34 It's easy to distract fat people. It's a piece of cake. - Chris Addison at the Pleasance If you're being chased by a police dog, try not to go through a tunnel, then on to a little seesaw, then jump through a hoop of fire. They're trained for that. - Milton Jones at the Unknown

Hoping that Pompey will uphold the honour of the Premiership and wipe the floor with the lot of you Having said that I reckon we used up all our year's luck in the Man U game..!!

The boot thing is to do with shape rather than volume surely ? With the rear brace across the boot you loose some of the the flexibility (sic) of the whole boot area ( ie the area between the brace and the seats ) if you are trying to put in a single large item. I bet if you take the whole VOLUME the Zed is bigger, you just need squidgy bags - and preferably contents too. I always watch 5th Gear on Sky+ so I can FF through the crappy bits - usually takes me about 10 mins to watch the whole hour's worth... p.s. you all missed the point of last night's show which was the fit skiing girl!

More background... 45 in a 30 limit and killing someone should get prison regardless of mobile phone use imo - especially for a proven repeat offender. Noted in above police statement they did not say she was using mobile at the time of accident - just near to the time.. guess can't prove to the second..... From Yahoo A speeding driver has been jailed for four years after she hit and killed a teenage cyclist while sending a text message. Hotel manager Kiera Coultas, 25, was replying to a message on her mobile phone when she hit scaffolder Jordan Wickington, 19. The teenager, who was not wearing a cycle helmet, stopped at the traffic lights momentarily and went through them on red. Coultas admitted her BMW was doing 45mph in a 30mph limit when she drove across a junction in Southampton shortly after 7am on February 7 last year Coultas, who has a four-year-old daughter, did not see him because she was replying to a text message from her estranged husband, Southampton Crown Court heard. Mr Wickington, from Metley Abbey, Hampshire, died in hospital later that day. The court heard Coultas, from Hythe, in Hampshire, has received three fixed penalty tickets for speeding - two of the offences were committed on a road leading to the junction. She denied one count of dangerous driving but was found guilty by a jury. Judge Jeremy Burford QC sentenced her to four years in jail and disqualified her from driving for five years. He said: "The serious part of your conduct was that you were sending a text on your mobile phone having just received one." He added: "It occurred at precisely the worst time because you failed to see the cyclist who was crossing the road having gone through the red light and travelling as you were at 45mph you hit him and he suffered injuries from which he later died." He accepted the "shock and remorse" and "severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder" Coultas has suffered since the crash. Mr Burford said she would have to take an extended driving test following the five-year ban.

At least they are being honest when they say 'YOU WILL NOT GET A BETTER PERFORMANCE CAR FOR THIS VALUE!! '

What a class website - if only everyone had this view on life and business.... HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over The Netherlands. HEMA also has stores in Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany. In June of this year, HEMA was sold to British investment company Lion Capital. Take a look at HEMA's product page http://producten.hema.nl/ It's in Dutch and may take a few seconds to load - but just wait, give it 10-20 seconds and watch what happens. Turn up your sound.