Car D.I.Y.

[sevenfourate]

Decided after chatting with the wife today: the MX-5 is too good of a car to sell. So going to upsize and upgrade the wife’s car instead and keep the little Mazda . Looks like we’ll probably end up getting her a Mazda CX-5. Big enough for Airport luggage and bikes when needed.

Meanwhile I’ve today bought slightly uprated Mintex discs and pads all round for the MX-5 (Not sure it’s ever had any - and it’s now on 36k). And new rubber (Not quite as Summer focused 🤦‍♂️) for all 4 corners…..

Will fit brakes myself. Tyres I definitely won’t 🤣🤣

 

[fossyant]

Those tyres are fine. Mine have just starte

Decided after chatting with the wife today: the MX-5 is too good of a car to sell. So going to upsize and upgrade the wife’s car instead and keep the little Mazda . Looks like we’ll probably end up getting her a Mazda CX-5. Big enough for Airport luggage and bikes when needed.

Meanwhile I’ve today bought slightly uprated Mintex discs and pads all round for the MX-5 (Not sure it’s ever had any - and it’s now on 36k). And new rubber (Not quite as Summer focused 🤦‍♂️) for all 4 corners…..

Will fit brakes myself. Tyres I definitely won’t 🤣🤣

Good call.

 

[rockyroller]

fine tuning my inflation. I think I have it right for local roads. I'll add a few psi for highway trips

 

[Jameshow]

Oh dear. Looks less superficial and more structural per-se compared to mine. Glad to hear they are no longer……👍

***After Googling “Michelin Pilot Sport cracking’ and looking at a few pictures - it appears likely mine have succumbed to what most would call a ‘cold tear’.

Derived from what is primarily a heavily Sumner based tyre; being used all year round (Supposedly they are prone to this perhaps sub 7 degrees C .But obviously much more pronounced and likely the colder it gets)….and when cold outside: the tyre isn’t able to flex / move / absorb - when subject to load / shear forces: and instead literally tears.

Borne from a wide-ranging U.K. climate and an owner who uses one set of tyres right through (***Car / tyres were really good as such in the snow tbf 😎).

We live and learn…….

How old were the tyres?

Michelin are well known for cracking esp motorhome tyres.

 

[rockyroller]

Decided after chatting with the wife today: the MX-5 is too good of a car to sell. So going to upsize and upgrade the wife’s car instead and keep the little Mazda . Looks like we’ll probably end up getting her a Mazda CX-5. Big enough for Airport luggage and bikes when needed.

Meanwhile I’ve today bought slightly uprated Mintex discs and pads all round for the MX-5 (Not sure it’s ever had any - and it’s now on 36k). And new rubber (Not quite as Summer focused 🤦‍♂️) for all 4 corners…..

Will fit brakes myself. Tyres I definitely won’t 🤣🤣

might as well since you take such good care of it
Mazda CX5 was on my short list but couldn't find one I could afford, w/ low miles
but I'm not crazy about their infotainment system controls. reviewers say they are intuitive, but not for me. Wifey is very happy w/ her 2018 Mazda3. it's a little low to the ground for me & I prefer the roominess of the CX5

 

[sevenfourate]

might as well since you take such good care of it
Mazda CX5 was on my short list but couldn't find one I could afford, w/ low miles
but I'm not crazy about their infotainment system controls. reviewers say they are intuitive, but not for me. Wifey is very happy w/ her 2018 Mazda3. it's a little low to the ground for me & I prefer the roominess of the CX5

Know what you’re saying. Many with high miles around ! Looks like for maybe around £13k we should be able to fund a 2016/17/18 with around 40k if we’re lucky. They aren’t 10 a penny mind…..

Just looking for some reliability, bit of comfort - but generally more room. I’d say sitting here the infotainment system don’t and won’t bother me one iota. And as it won’t even be my car…..if it happens….. that’s likely to be true. ***If I can actually stop myself moaning the occasional time I might use it remains to be seen 🤣

 

[sevenfourate]

Discs, pads and tyres on the way. So I’ve mixed Black and Silver Smoothrite paint this Morning: to achieve the colour Grey I’ll be painting the brake disc bells pre fitment.

And going to do oil and filter change, a refresh of my trusted higher boil point brake fluid at same time - along with new chrome wheel nuts I already had and was waiting until no more salt on the roads before swapping……

Should be it for a while 🙏

 

[Fastpedaller]

What's the date on the tyres? You've used them 18 months, but how old were they when they were fitted? I was about to buy new tyres a few weeks ago and when I looked (before they were fitted, fortunately) I saw they were 2 years old (although never been used). They weren't at 2021 prices either (I think I'd have still not bought them), so I went elsewhere and theirs were only 6 weeks old.

 

[Drago]

Fitted a "Don't cut me up you tool because I've a dashcam and will grass you to the dibble post haste" sticker on the rear of the 2008 today. Feel safer already.

 

[CXRAndy]

Fitted a "Don't cut me up you tool because I've a dashcam and will grass you to the dibble post haste" sticker on the rear of the 2008 today. Feel safer already.

I had a 360° cameras magnetic sign made up.

The difference in other drivers behaviour was astonishing.

They would rush up, tailgate then drop back. Overtakes were more considered, less dangerous too

Now with Tesla's it's all inbuilt, I've reported loads of dangerous manoeuvres.

Very few police forces actually act upon videos. London Metropolitan seem to do, odd situation, seen as they recruit criminals into their force

 

[rogerzilla]

I did the serpentine belt on the MX-5. Not too bad - the worst bit was removing the battery box for access, since the battery leads are attached to it using fiendish barbed plastic clips.

Here it is just before putting the battery box back.

 

[Jody]

Sodding drop links knocking on mine again having replaced them only 6 months ago.

Doesn't matter what brand, they just don't last.

 

[rogerzilla]

Sodding drop links knocking on mine again having replaced them only 6 months ago.

Doesn't matter what brand, they just don't last.

They seem to be the first thing that goes baggy on most cars. I think it's speed humps.

 

[fossyant]

They seem to be the first thing that goes baggy on most cars. I think it's speed humps.

They either fail sharpish, or last ages.

 

[Drago]

I had a 360° cameras magnetic sign made up.

The difference in other drivers behaviour was astonishing.

They would rush up, tailgate then drop back. Overtakes were more considered, less dangerous too

Now with Tesla's it's all inbuilt, I've reported loads of dangerous manoeuvres.

Very few police forces actually act upon videos. London Metropolitan seem to do, odd situation, seen as they recruit criminals into their force

I've only grassed three. Two (a lorry in the outside lane of the motorway, and a car overtaking twice on a solid white line) were gifted £200 FPN's, one was no action taken.

Ironically the NFA was, IMHO, the worst. A lorry pulling out on me as I was overtaking on the motorway and nearly crushing me against the van overtaking me in L3. I've taken less than that to court successfully, but the farce concerned was TVP and they couldn't find their own bumholes if you gave them a mirror on a stick so I'm not remotely surprised. It's probably sour grapes for me transferring out of them to Northants back in 2002.