Angus

Good plan, Steven, though it's possibly an even better idea to change belts before you go, and take the old ones in the boot as spares just in case ... I usually spend about a month thinking of everything that may need sorted on the car before we go to Europe - listening for clunks and rattles and so on. All worked nicely this year, apart from the dreaded 75/ZT CDT standard problem of running out of fuel even though you've got half a tank left. Happened to us right at Ferrybridge Services on the way down to Dover. Kept it no less than 3/8 full after that, and no further problems. With the Celicas, the only problems we ever had were cooling ones ... duff fan relay causing overheats when not on the motorway for 3 days in my first 185, then a pinhole in the radiator in the middle of Budapest another time in a 182. Oh, and a dead keyfob battery in Budapest another time. Angus

Forget Satnav - get an AA Europe large format map book thing for cheap down the discount book shop. It's easy to find your way in Europe as long as you know what the next big town/city is and you plan to stick to motorways. Signposting is generally excellent. Angus

Bulbs isn't actually a legal requirement, I don't think - though you can be nicked if you have a bulb out on your car (which is why people carry spares). Best advice - route through Luxembourg if you can. Petrol there is a lot cheaper than anywhere else. In France in particular, go to supermarkets for petrol. They're much cheaper. Germany is pretty expensive all over for fuel. The Netherlands is even worse. As for the car, check your cooling system. Any signs of weakness in the radiator, change it our before you go. Check all the usual stuff - suspension components, driveshafts, condition of tyres. Much easier to fix before you go than try and haggle with some German garage! Note that they drive on the wrong side of the road once you get off the ferry. You get used to it in about 5 minutes, once you've got past the first roundabout and figured out which way to go round it. Just follow what everyone else is doing. It's a good idea to keep your headlights on when out of built-up areas - this is a legal requirement in some countries, and a good idea anyway. Insurance - check your policy. Most Fully Comp ones will cover you in EU countries to a minimum standard (3rd Party) so you don't need to buy additional cover unless you want Fully Comp cover abroad. If you're only insured 3rd Party here, you may have to buy additional cover for the period abroad. Some countries require purchase of a sticker for using their motorways (e.g. Austria, Switz, Hungary, Czech), but not Germany (where they have loads of roadworks) or Belgium. French toll roads ("Peage") are quite expensive, but you may manage to avoid all charges if heading to Poland. Take a bit of a toolkit with you - spanners/sockets in the usual sizes, screwdrivers, pair of pliers and some cable ties and a roll of gaffa tape. These can prove invaluable! Angus

^^^^ This. ^^^^ And this. Where the theoretical increased fuel consumption is related to having the windows open, therefore causing more drag. If the a/c system is properly charged and functional, any extra fuel it may cause to be used is pretty negligible. Angus

I just got a set of Nexens on the MG after much discussion at the 75&ZT club. Previously had mixed Chinese tyres on it, causing Indy to drive through a hedge a couple of weeks ago in the wet. The difference with the Nexens is nothing short of astounding. £385 for the set, fitted at a local garage through Tyretraders.com. Angus

This is unlikely to be the case. Sorry, can't help cos don't know much about Gen 7s. I'm sure someone will advise, though ... Angus

Alternatively, when your 182's radiator springs a hairpin leak in the middle of Budapest in rush hour. Thank God for Radweld. Angus

It was indeed me, and funnily enough I had used a bottle of K-Seal in a desperate attempt to deny to myself that my HG was blowing. Using this stuff potentially causes more problems than it might cure ... Cleaned ... that stuff was rock solid and needed to be chipped out with a sharp screwdriver ... (Alan ... particularly the 1800, I believe ... ) Angus

Apology accepted. Now go and wash your eyes out. Angus

Chocolate eclair for me, please. Angus

MoT Testing Guide says (note bold italic bits): Sounds a bit subjective, so could depend on the tester. Angus

My toy car was happily accepted for a while (so that I could participate in the thread), but it's been booted a couple of times recently so I'm taking the huff and not going to claim that as a valid entry. Some other fecker can get their car beside a copper. Angus

Taken in the days when my little Celica was allowed to be "My Celica" for the purposes of this thread ... Angus

Would the limiter not use the same signal as the speedo, though? So it would cut when the speedo reached 112? That's been the case on every limited car I've had ... get above 110 on the speedo and it pops its clogs. No idea why it would cut out at a reading of 124, though. Angus

Suspension bushes, too. Anything around the running gear, when it comes down to it! It gets put under stress when braking, so anything that's not kosher is going to start complaining. Angus

Oh well. I was going to do it, but there you go. If anyone does do this, they should bear in mind that the photo will be re-posted in every possible thread thereafter, much like dublet in his sandals. Angus

Spanner in the works - I had a similar thing and new discs didn't sort it. Turned out to be a slightly bent driveshaft! So, although discs is the most likely cause, bear in mind that a multitude of things, from sticky calipers to shot or loose struts can give a similar effect. Angus

Ha! He didn't say "Celica". I'm off to find one of Indy's bras ... Angus

Right, can in the tank now along with £40 of V-Power. This stuff better be good, at a rate of 40 times the cost of an equivalent amount of Irn Bru! Angus

You didn't manage to flog him that engine too while you were at it, no? Angus

Sounds to me like it probably is a wheel bearing ... sometimes you won't get movement in the wheel if it's just starting to get dodgy. Try spinning the wheels on either side of the axle and see if you notice a difference in sound. Again, could be a CV that's not totally shagged to the point of knocking yet. In other words, same as you already know. Angus

Hmm. As you all know, I am loathe to part with money - especially 20 quid all in one go. But I would do if I thought this stuff would perk up the car a bit. Shall I go for it? Angus

I took the "VTEC This" one to mean that you would actually like someone to install a VTEC system in your car. Angus

I like them too. Would quite happily have one. Not this Wendy O Williams RIP, then, of the Plasmatics and renowned for chainsawing things and blowing up cars on stage? Angus

"I am having sell my totyota celica quickly, due to my new baby making an earlier than expected arrival." Part of this sentence may not be true. Angus