Car advice

[Thistle_do_nicely]

On 18/09/2019 at 23:36, RandomGuy. said:

Remap, "tune", whatever you want to call it. Just ups the power its got. 

Mines went from 220bhp to ~300bhp for £500.

I'm looking at S4 Avants just now. Start off at 333, and a remap takes them to ~450. So, so, appealing.

I was toying with asking this a few months ago in the thread, might as well now.

I've got a 1.6 petrol Astra (115bhp i think, no turbo) estate that I own outright, 15 plate - I like it and have had no issues beyond normal wear and tear over about 19,000 miles of use, but whenever I've been doing a bit of fantasy shopping for my next car I've always been looking at stuff that's got a bit more power to it. Doesn't help that any of the newer Astra's I've looked at are all 1.4 turbos with about 150bhp either.

Is it relatively painless to do or do you need to start faffing about with the suspension and brakes along with the engine? Wouldn't be doing it myself I should hasten to add, would probably get as far as popping the bonnet before going "oh yeah that's right I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing".

I'd be alright with a relatively low increase in engine power ideally up to the range of what I'd be looking at for a trade in anyway. Currently got about £2k set aside purely for my next car, was planning on doing a trade in by about August of next year - genuinely quite curious as to whether I might be better off going down the pimp my ride route minus the impractical extras (HD TV set up in the car's boot etc.) with the cash.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

I was toying with asking this a few months ago in the thread, might as well now.
I've got a 1.6 petrol Astra (115bhp i think, no turbo) estate that I own outright, 15 plate - I like it and have had no issues beyond normal wear and tear over about 19,000 miles of use, but whenever I've been doing a bit of fantasy shopping for my next car I've always been looking at stuff that's got a bit more power to it. Doesn't help that any of the newer Astra's I've looked at are all 1.4 turbos with about 150bhp either.
Is it relatively painless to do or do you need to start faffing about with the suspension and brakes along with the engine? Wouldn't be doing it myself I should hasten to add, would probably get as far as popping the bonnet before going "oh yeah that's right I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing".
I'd be alright with a relatively low increase in engine power ideally up to the range of what I'd be looking at for a trade in anyway. Currently got about £2k set aside purely for my next car, was planning on doing a trade in by about August of next year - genuinely quite curious as to whether I might be better off going down the pimp my ride route minus the impractical extras (HD TV set up in the car's boot etc.) with the cash.

TBH it's not worth it IMO for a engine like that.

[Thistle_do_nicely]

3 minutes ago, UsedToGoToCentralPark said:

14 minutes ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

I was toying with asking this a few months ago in the thread, might as well now.
I've got a 1.6 petrol Astra (115bhp i think, no turbo) estate that I own outright, 15 plate - I like it and have had no issues beyond normal wear and tear over about 19,000 miles of use, but whenever I've been doing a bit of fantasy shopping for my next car I've always been looking at stuff that's got a bit more power to it. Doesn't help that any of the newer Astra's I've looked at are all 1.4 turbos with about 150bhp either.
Is it relatively painless to do or do you need to start faffing about with the suspension and brakes along with the engine? Wouldn't be doing it myself I should hasten to add, would probably get as far as popping the bonnet before going "oh yeah that's right I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing".
I'd be alright with a relatively low increase in engine power ideally up to the range of what I'd be looking at for a trade in anyway. Currently got about £2k set aside purely for my next car, was planning on doing a trade in by about August of next year - genuinely quite curious as to whether I might be better off going down the pimp my ride route minus the impractical extras (HD TV set up in the car's boot etc.) with the cash.

TBH it's not worth it IMO for a engine like that.

yeah was just having an idle wee look, seems like there's very limited options.

Meh, can make do - will probably be back in the thread when I'm looking to trade it in. See you about this time next year!

Edited September 22, 2019 by Thistle_do_nicely

[jimmy boo]

1 minute ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

yeah was just having an idle wee look, seems like there's very limited options.

Meh, can make do - will probably be back in the thread when I'm looking to trade it in. See you about this time next year!

Central Park is probably correct but if you've not already done so i'd check out modifying websites and forums to see what you could expect to gain for whatever budget. Remapping is a bit of a minefield and i've read on the Subaru forums of so called competent mappers who mess up and cost owners mega money to put their cars right. This guy is very highly regarded but not sure if he'd do other makes but should give you a rough guide.....

http://www.afpsubaru.co.uk/

[The_Kincardine]

22 minutes ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

I was toying with asking this a few months ago in the thread, might as well now.

I've got a 1.6 petrol Astra (115bhp i think, no turbo) estate that I own outright, 15 plate - I like it and have had no issues beyond normal wear and tear over about 19,000 miles of use, but whenever I've been doing a bit of fantasy shopping for my next car I've always been looking at stuff that's got a bit more power to it. Doesn't help that any of the newer Astra's I've looked at are all 1.4 turbos with about 150bhp either.

I've got a 1.6 Golf but rented a 1.4T Astra for a trip to Motherwell earlier in the year and it's actually a lovely car.  Much more supple and with more poke than my car has.

Would I spend money on 'chipping' my car?  Would I trade it in for something with more power?  Nah.  It's just transport.  My car owes me nothing and I have dozens of other ways to spend money rather than on a car.

[johnnydun]

1 minute ago, MixuFixit said:

Looked up replacing a front bearing assuming it was about as straightforward as it was on my old car...

Safe to say I'm paying a professional to do this!

Aye by the time you have bought pullers etc.. it would probably work out the same price. I think they are an interference fit too, so would probably require heat to remove it.

[Thistle_do_nicely]

not much of an advice post but tbh this seems the most appropriate thread for it - currently got a 19 plate Ford Focus as a hire car while mine is due to go into the garage. Been a cracking drive so far and would heartily recommend it. Weird getting used to the electric parking brake, stop-start engine, contactless key and the like though. First car I've had with a wee touchscreen on the console too, which is growing on me.

[D.A.F.C]

Has anyone used black circles before? What’s it like for booking appointments? 

[johnnydun]

1 minute ago, D.A.F.C said:

Has anyone used black circles before? What’s it like for booking appointments? 

I have used them a couple of times over the years. They just book you in at a local garage that signed up to represent them but the prices through black circles are cheaper. Usually within a day or two you get an appointment.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

Has anyone used black circles before? What’s it like for booking appointments? 

Give the garage a call direct, they might be able to do it even cheaper but I have used them previously and it all worked fine.

[RH33]

8 hours ago, D.A.F.C said:

Has anyone used black circles before? What’s it like for booking appointments? 

Yup, no issues with them. Tyres done next day.

[JamesP_81]

Used them last week, paid for the mobile fitters who did it while I was at work, easy peasy.

This. I used them for 4 new tyres, mobile guy cost about an extra fiver, came to the house and was done in half an hour. Decent tyres ( think they are black circles own 'budget brand') miles better than a typical budget tyre and about half the price of the equivalent pirelli etc.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

Another option if you have a local garage who will fit tyres you supply is wait until Ebay have a code as places like mytyres often take part and the discounted prices are often much cheaper than you can get locally or via black circles.

[Herman Hessian]

have got a big old VW toerag 4x4 (which is fucking great) and being running it on BFG Urban Terrain tyres for the last couple of years (absolutely the finest road tyres I've ever had - very highly recommended !)

However, have just moved (even deeper) in to the countryside, and my daily commute is now along badly maintained country lanes - all potholes and raggedy arse, rough tarmac edges where folk pull on to the verge/in to the hedge to avoid oncoming tractors, cows and the like (including - obviously - irresponsible old twats coming at them in big old VW toerags).

BFG's need a change and I want something more substantial - with strengthened side walls to better take a battering off the  road edges - anyone got any recommendations ?

looking at Cooper Discoverer AT3/4S at the moment (235/65/17) - hundred quid each, fitted - don't seem too bad ???

[Andy Dufresne]

Bought a cheap runner from a dealer a few weeks back only to discover it had previously been written off twice by insurance companies,phoned the guy up as he never told us.

I gave him 3 opinions,1 a full refund,2 the difference in the value of the car or trading standards.

He was being a dick at 1st but changed hod tune when he out of the blue got an offer on the car as he never took the advert off Facebook Marketplace.

He however didn't know the offer came from my father in law,we got a £1000 back as he thought the car was sold for £1300.

 

[ICTJohnboy]

8 minutes ago, keithgy said:

Bought a cheap runner from a dealer a few weeks back only to discover it had previously been written off twice by insurance companies,phoned the guy up as he never told us.

I gave him 3 opinions,1 a full refund,2 the difference in the value of the car or trading standards.

He was being a dick at 1st but changed hod tune when he out of the blue got an offer on the car as he never took the advert off Facebook Marketplace.

He however didn't know the offer came from my father in law,we got a £1000 back as he thought the car was sold for £1300.

 

 

I'm a wee bit slow nowadays.....

Did you come to an arrangement with your father in law to submit a fake offer for the car and did the dealer accept it without "seeing the colour of his money"...? 

You got £1000 back for the car which he thought he had re-sold for £1300?

So did you finish up getting this car for £300 or is it back with the dealer?

[Andy Dufresne]

4 minutes ago, ICTJohnboy said:

 

I'm a wee bit slow nowadays.....

Did you come to an arrangement with your father in law to submit a fake offer for the car and did the dealer accept it without "seeing the colour of his money"...? 

You got £1000 back for the car which he thought he had re-sold for £1300?

So did you finish up getting this car for £300 or is it back with the dealer?

My father in law messaged him offering £1300 unseen,he came and collected the car and gave us our money back thinking he had sold it for £300 more.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

My father in law messaged him offering £1300 unseen,he came and collected the car and gave us our money back thinking he had sold it for £300 more.

Well played.

[Ron Aldo]

Most likely already been asked but I'm a lazy b*****d and can't be bothered trawling through the entire thread.

Anyway, I made an online enquiry about a car a few days ago and i'm going to the dealership today to discuss it further. Fairly sure that I'll end up buying the car but ideally I would want to negotiate on the price a bit. Is the sticker price full and final or would I be able to, essentially, make the dealership an offer?

I've had a look on Google and it seems dealerships can be open to negotiating but was just looking to see if anyone had any experience of this.

[die hard doonhamer]

43 minutes ago, Ron Aldo said:

Most likely already been asked but I'm a lazy b*****d and can't be bothered trawling through the entire thread.

Anyway, I made an online enquiry about a car a few days ago and i'm going to the dealership today to discuss it further. Fairly sure that I'll end up buying the car but ideally I would want to negotiate on the price a bit. Is the sticker price full and final or would I be able to, essentially, make the dealership an offer?

I've had a look on Google and it seems dealerships can be open to negotiating but was just looking to see if anyone had any experience of this.

Negotiate them down as much as you can today, then tell them it's still too much and walk out. You'll likely get a call a few hours later with a better price still.