Duncan

Hi Oil only around the thread area is not much of a concern. What you should look for is oil on the electrode. Oil on the electrode means that you could have a broken oil ring. However, oil can also get into the combustion chamber through faulty valve seals. So identify the problem first. There is a simple way to check this.....start the engine, bring it to operating temperature and then watch the exhaust. If a constant steady stream of blue smoke comes out, then you have a broken oil ring. If there is no constant stream of blue smoke, but only does so when reving after a short period idle, then it's most likely the valve seals. On the other hand, black soot on the elctrode is caused by unbernt fuel in the chamber. However, thick traffic running can also cause this. If the problem is not oil, then do a engine tune up and then do a outstation run at a constant speed. This should clean out the system. Then check the plugs. Cheers

It's up already. Please check article in the main page.

Hi Good topic Pila! Most cars these days come with a basic tool kit. But these are the basic tools I carry.... 1. 13, 12, 8 Spanners (for most common nuts and bolts) 2. Shifting Spanner 3. Phillips Screw Driver 4. Flat Screw Driver 5. Set of good pliers 6. Flash Light (torch) 7. Warning reflective triangles. 8. Fire extinguisher. 9. Rechargeable "jump start". (as mentioned by Pila). 10. Accurate tyre pressure gauge (never trust the gauges found at petrol stations) 11. Tyre valve key 12. Puncture repair kit (for the off-roading types) 13. Letherman type multi tool (invaluable) 14. Tow rope (never know when u will need one). 15. First aid kit 16. Set of Wheel-stops (don't have to look for bricks/stone to secure the car from rolling when changing a flat. Especially on those up hill roads) Cheers

Hi I don't live in SL, so can't answer your question. I recently bought a 1956 Beetle and got most of the needed spares on e-Bay. This helped me to finish the project. Which model is yours? Mine does about 8km/L. Cheers

Gas is the most ideal and they are not as expensive as they used to be. Coils last a long time. No need to change them. Only serious abuse can cause coils to break. But then, any abuse of this kind will not leave much of the other parts of the vehicle in good condition either. Don't worry about the coils. What kind of a vehicle is it?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PILA!!!!!!!!!!

It's only a matter of time before the Indian's make a strong mark on the global market. 10 years ago they were unheard of internationally. Today they are where the Japs were in the 60's. Given time, they will be strong contenders.

Hi there Can't comment on the pricing as I do not live there. But, anything over 200,000km you must be careful. It's not just engine wear and tear you should look at. Rather, over all wear and tear. More specially in countries where a vehicle spends more time in congested traffic, the wear and tear is much higher, compared to a vehicle that does the same amount of milage on the open roads and consistant speeds.

Any Beetle collectors out there ? Please give me some info on the 1959 VW Beetle. I am mostly looking for personal experiences. Other info I can find on the net. Thanks.

Utter insult to legendary cars!!!!

Hi Dilesh Well.....I am not much of a McLaren Fan. My two teams are Ferrari and Toyota and my two drivers are Ice Man and Massa. Having said that, I do support some of the other teams and drivers to a certain extent. Couldn't stand JV, thank god he is history. But overall F1 has gone from boring to exciting. I got a feeling next year would be great. Also looking forward to David Richards' new team in F1 2007.

To me this one one of the best seasons in a long time. Sad to see MS retire though. He still has what it takes to be a champion. But the most impressive performer in this race to me was Sato and the Super Aguri car. For a team that hardly existed until a few weeks before the start of the season, they have done darn well!!

The eBay thing is another one i belive. I just hope they are not starting a trend !!!!! ....better be nice to my wife

A very upset wife decided to take revenge on her cheating husband by hitting him where it hurts the most. The SA businessman had been surprised, in fact rather horrified, to find out that his Ferrari Modena (his favourite in the collection) had been sold by his wife for USD25. Yeah thats right......US Dollars Twenty Five !!! Now imagine that!! This happened several years ago. Not sure as to what happened between the husband and the wife there after.

Hey everyone Almost all of us should have at least a cell phone with camera feature, if not a proper SLR. So when during your daily travels, if you see a funny moment, take a picture and send it to [email protected] MADZ can create a separate pics album for these. Try to keep the pics motoring related. But exceptional non-motoring related pics will also be accepted. Looking forward to what you guys come up with. By the way, it does not matter where on the planet you live or where the pic(s) was taken to submit your entry. Cheers

An elderly gentleman went to the local drug store and asked the pharmacist for Viagra. The pharmacist said, 'That's no problem. How many do you want?' The man answered, 'Just a few, maybe 4, but cut each one in 4 pieces.' The pharmacist said 'That won't do you any good.' The elderly gentleman said 'That's all right. I don't need them for sex anymore, as I'm over 80 years old. I just want it to stick out far enough so I don't wee on my shoes'

Thanks!! I am keeping my fingres crossed in hope. The car needs a lot of work as it had been abandoned for quite sometime. But thats the fun part....rebuilding. Will keep you posted.

Hey....congrats!!! A new car, whether b/new or used, is always a pleasure. It's like falling in love all over again. Enjoy the ride and look after your steed.

Went for an auction today and put in a bid for a 67 Chev Corvette stingray. From the looks of things, I just might get it. But then this would mean that I have my Mustang to finish rebuilding (which seems to take for ever) and then this. I guess for the next couple years my weekends are taken up. But them again, what a pleasure !!

.......what was the world's first production turbo charged car? easy

TWIN, Bi - both the same. However, if it is stated that they are sequential turbos, then one turbo for low revs and the other for higher revs. This is mainly to eliminate turbo lag which is quite inherent in most turbo motors, though the technology has improved over the years.

......and I thought it was only me with bad luck. Now I feel much better.

Schu brought down to earth The smoky blow-up that caused Michael Schumacher’s retirement from the Japanese Grand Prix and all but extinguished his world title chances wasn’t the only technical problem that the Ferrari driver encountered last Sunday. Schumacher, who had planned to leave Suzuka and fly straight to Spain for this week’s test at Jerez, was reportedly stranded at the airport in Nagoya after a problem was detected with his private plane. Instead he boarded a commercial flight out of the country, sharing the first class cabin with Ferrari’s technical director Jean Todt and carrying his crash helmet as hand luggage. Speaking to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Schumacher stressed that he still considered the Jerez test a priority even though he has publicly conceded the drivers’ title to Renault rival Fernando Alonso. “If this test was important for [the season finale in] Brazil then I don’t see why it should not still be, even if I consider my own championship chances virtually finished. “There is still a lot to play for in the constructors’, and I want to give the maximum right up to the end for Ferrari. “No problem, I will go [to the test].”

It was sad, but thats racing. What I admired the most is MS's deplomacy even after such a blow. He has given up his hopes and now concentrating on the manufacturer's title. When told that there is still a chance of a win if FA does not finish the next race, MS had not wanted to win that way. Well it is an end to a wonderful era. In my opinion MS was the driving force behind F1, but now we must look to the next seasons and see who will take the place of MS. As much as FA is a darn good driver I don't think he has the overall maturity to be a driving force behind F1, nor does Kimi. We will have to wait and see. Sad to see MS go, but at the sametime excited about the new season and what it has in store for us enthusiasts.

Alonso is a great driver, but he should stop winging and get on with the job!