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Spaff

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Posts posted by Spaff

  3. Towing question

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    10 hours ago, CelicaDan94 said:

    I passed my test in 2013. And I the only things I can drive is a car (so not a pick up but I can a 4x4) and up to a 125cc motorcycle. I'm not allowed to drive anything considered a truck or a van and I'm also not allowed to tow.

    Back of licence codes I have are AM and B

    Double check there license is ok to tow. Alot of people have been caught out by the rule change due to parents thinking they know the law.

    Sent from my Redmi Note 9S using Tapatalk
     

    2013 for me too mate. I'd double check the van thing though? Only applies to LGVs I believe, and according to this you should be able to tow a small trailer.

     

    9 hours ago, _Chris_ said:

    The question is one better determined by looking at the government guidance. You licence should state what you are allowed to drive.

     

    My memory is that from 1997, you were only allowed to tow tiny trailers (200Kg or 400Kg from memory) without taking a separate trailer test, however:

     

    https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car

     

     

    NOTE - MAM includes what the vehicle / trailer is rated to carry, not the actual weight. i.e. an empty transit is stil 3500Kg. This is the spanner in the works.

     

    A trailer rated to carry a 1.5 tonne car (Celica) is likely to have a MAM of at least 2.5 Tonnes to include the trailer.

     

    Since, almost universally, a tow car must weigh at least as much as the trailer gross weight, this would leave you needing a total weight of at least 5 tonnes.

     

    I think there is a small loophole in that some 4x4 / landrovers are classed as agricultural vehicles which have different rules, however they may also require a different licence category.

     

    There is potentially another option of using an A frame such that the towed Celica becomes a trailer and will therefore just be 1.5 Tonnes. This would require it to be a braked trailer, and therefore you would need to find a way to splice a trailer braking mechanism (done from the tow hitch) to the car brakes.  This could potentially be a mechanical mechanism (cable) from tow hitch to brake pedal, or it could be a hydraulic master cyclinder at the tow hitch plumbed into the braking system, neither of which would be an easy option to do in a professional manner.

     

    Be aware the police are quite hot on towing regulations these daya and stops into checkpoints are fairly frequent (I've been pulled in a couple of times). Penalties for being over-weight or not in accordance with licence are huge (potentially licence losing).

     

    The best option is to do a towing course / test as it's a one off and will be useful for the rest of your life. To be fair, there is a lot to learn which us oldies have had to learn the hard way. Thankfully in my case, I've erred on the cautions side so have never come a cropper from my mistakes, just soiled a few clothes.

     

    Thanks Chris, really helpful detailed response!

     

    You are correct, the 3500kg confused me into thinking the actual laden weight but another snippet from the gov site confirms this:

     

    You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer is not more than 3,500kg

     

    So yeah probably wouldn't even be able to tow the empty trailer!

     

    Worth taking the test or hiring a flatbed I suppose :D

     

     

  4. Towing question

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    Thinking of starting to tow the Celica about as it's going to need a fair bit of work over the next few weeks and months. Totally new to this and wanted to check my understanding with my children's driving licence:

     

    If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can:

    • Drive a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
    • Tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

     

    So with that in mind, hypothetically:

     

    Tow car weight - 1750kg

    Fuel - 100kg

    Driver - 100kg

    Celica - 1200kg

    = 3150kg

     

    So for this to work without doing the extra test, the trailer would need to be 350kg - right? So highly unlikely?

     

     

  14. Summer Tyre vs All Season Trye, What Works For You?

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    On the Celica I have Advan AD08R's for summer use just put Michelin Pilot Sport 4's on the second set of wheels which are fantastic in wet and dry - really impressed.

     

    On my daily Astra the OEM tyres are these:

    https://www.blackcircles.com/tyres/brands/michelin/energy-saver

     

    Insane longevity, 42k miles and I'm just about to replace the fronts. Great all round grip, perfect for a sensibly driven car

    MSDT Race Developments updates

    in MSDT 01/09/2021

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Dtracer said:

    Some delays but some progress:

     

    50mm thick duel pass core. 38% more heat decimation capacity than an upgrade standard Mishimoto. Slightly shorter in height than a standard to allow for the cold air feed to the ITB’s

     

    2x 238mm slimline SPAL fans will be added today along with the ducting/shrouding.

    Hopefully be finished today. 

     

     

    667DA91F-D8B5-46B0-8CF8-C8058B454CC2.jpeg

    B13C6843-9083-4348-A4AF-198E6DB276F9.jpeg

    656418BE-F968-40CF-AD37-90826FF14DA8.jpeg

    741171FD-9805-4A02-983F-9D3977F2A764.jpeg

    0E6D63F1-FA36-4DF8-AC0A-B48265DFE8B4.jpeg

    Thats some cracking fab work, how is it mounted, have you retained the bottom rubber seat things?

     

    Would the shroud you're having made fit on a mishimoto rad? 

  18. Alloy Wheel Refurbishing - recommendations??

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    8 hours ago, biggles933 said:

    Thanks very much for that . Yeah I paid Pristine £111 per wheel - I could have got them done cheaper, but I wanted a proper job doing.... 

    Just had a quick look on their website - look a decent outfit.......but I am up North, so too far away :( 

    Ah that's a shame, I just assumed you'd be near Milton Keynes from your first post!

     

    Any pics of how yours look now?

  22. what have you done to your celica today...

    in General Celica Discussion

    Posted

    On 24/06/2019 at 18:39, Master flex said:

    Parted ex-ed him. :(

     

    then I saw 3 gen 7's; a 140 and 2 GT's. I flashed them still thinking I was driving mine.

     

    On the way home it took me 35 minutes to get from the M60 Stockport pyramid roundabout onto the slip road (that doesn't include the time spent crawling to the roundabout). I wouldn't have wished that on the old boy; but it kind of reminded me how bad the traffic is to actually enjoy the 190. I couldn't even get the space to hit lift over 19 miles. :cry:

    20190624_183258.jpg

     

    Farewell:

     

     

    IMG-20190420-WA0003.jpg

    Shame mate, what's the replacement?

    MSDT Race Developments updates

    in MSDT 01/09/2021

    Posted

    On 17/06/2019 at 10:24, Dtracer said:

    Cosworth head gasket to reduce the CR down to 12.7

     

    Wonder if this would help me as a cheaper solution to low comp pistons 

     

    Best of luck with the teardown and fingers crossed its only a sensor issue and nothing major! 

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