Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts

Sunday, 29 May 2011

Busy Times

Quite a lot has been happening over the last couple of weeks.

Last weekend I was looking at cars with a view to buying one. Runner up in the process was a magnificent 1996 Lexus LS400. Painted very dark green with the slightly tacky option of gold badges the LS was in many ways superb. Smooth, quiet, comfortable you can see how Lexus came from nowhere to become a genuine contender alongside Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes. For me, however, there was a sense that something with more driver involvement would be better. That said, I may go after another LS400 next time I buy a car. As for what I’ve chosen this time, you’ll have to wait and see.

This week I was able to catch up on my quota of new cars for the year. It also allowed me to drive not one but three cars I’ve admired since my childhood. Simply remembering what was what could take a while so bear with me.

Yesterday I finally got round to changing the oil in my bike. Having done oil changes on cars there didn’t seem to be anything to fear by doing the same on the bike. Clearance to remove the drain bolt with my drip tray in place was lacking until I removed the lower side body panel. There is nothing quite like taking your bike apart to appreciate how well it was put together. In particular I was impressed by the design of the captive nuts that should never work loose. Even more impressively, everything went back together as easily as it had come apart and there is now fresh oil inside the engine, good for another couple of thousand miles of riding.

Finally, today I’m off to see some drag racing at Santa Pod. It has been a while since my last taste of quarter mile action and I’m looking forward to it. Pictures will follow, no doubt.

Friday, 19 October 2007

More thoughts from my travels

Spending time in my Citroën BX this week left me feeling somewhat uneasy. Using a 20-year old car every day was always going to be a risky business and it isn’t that something has gone wrong rather a sneaking feeling that something isn’t quite right. Maybe the tickover wasn’t as steady, the throttle response less sharp and the vibrations more pronounced.

So I find myself contemplating my position and it isn’t great. Maybe my car just needs a service or maybe this is the beginning of the end. Do I spend money (which I don’t have) on the Citroën or save the money for an eventual replacement?

Contemplation of a new car is the best part of the exercise. I know what I want; something taught, purposeful, well made. Above all I want something with decent steering; the problem with the BX is the soft, rubbery steering. What I want is another Honda Prelude, maybe a Legend coupe or 4WS Accord; maybe a hydractive Citroën XM or Xantia; an Alfa Romeo 164; I even caught myself admiring a Vauxhall Carlton 3000GSI. Of course there is potentially a vast gulf between what I want and what I can afford.