What made you UNHAPPY today!

[Barrykearley]

Steel has been a mare due to hs2 - and the same for aggregates and cement. 

[Colin P]

2 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Don’t look at copper prices then 😳

Oh great the pi£)(:y Scum will start stripping vacant industrial units again.  

[Barrykearley]

Scrap is at a fantastic price currently @Colin P

[windymiller]

took down some old electrical equipment all cast iron, dc starter unit ancient v heavy so put an angle grinder through the feet and pulled it to floor to see oil pouring out everywhere and it was too heavy to lift back up 🙄 i guess the label on the front that stated "oil fill level" should of given me a clue !!! 😒

[Barrykearley]

Be careful some of that electrical oil filler stuff is full of some really nasty chemicals.

[windymiller]

god knows what it was luckily we sell fiine wood shavings and soaked it all up with that 🙄

 

Where the age, condition or method or operation of the switchgear results in a significant risk (see ID para 5), appropriate enforcement action may be necessary. Under such circumstances FCGs should be consulted at an early stage. When enforcement action is taken, the NIG covering that sector and FOD C2, Room 708 Daniel House, Bootle, should be informed.

 

bloody hell good job ive removed it all 🙄

[Barrykearley]

We’ve actually struggled to even dispose of the stuff legally before - it’s a pain in the ass

[thebartman]

Doesn't Asbestos dust soak it all up rather nicely? 🤔

[Mysterae]

On 11/07/2021 at 19:25, Barrykearley said:

Steel has been a mare due to hs2 - and the same for aggregates and cement. 

Due to the increasing costs of materials, most notably steel, I've made the decision to postpone my garage build until next year. All the suppliers that I have contacted for quotes have emailed to say they have put their prices up by 20% which is bad enough, but since the erection costs are a percentage of the build that cost goes up by 20% too. Looking at a price jump of £5k, and that's not including any increase in the cost of concrete and other bits.

Hopefully prices will go back to something resembling normality Q2 next year but I hear it'll take longer, if ever.

[Alfa2Evora]

As it was my day off and the sun was splitting the pavements, a blast around the countryside was definitely required.

What was definitely NOT required was for the clutch pedal to drop to the floor after a few miles, . I managed to nurse it home by keeping gear changes to a minimum and flicking the pedal up with my foot. Looks like the master cylinder which was replaced about 3 years back has failed again, . 

I've only just put the front end back together after the styling mods, but at least it will all come apart again far easier than it did a few weeks ago.

I'm not even going to bother trying to source an OE one. They're still/again on back order from the factory and the last time the only one that could be tracked down anywhere came from a dealer in the U.S. so I might as well go back Stateside and order up the uprated version from Wilwood.

[C8RKH]

@Alfa2Evorareally sorry to hear this and hope you get back onthe road soon. After such a lovely transformation I'd be biting my own off for not being able to drive it. It does look stunning Dave...  After red, your blue and oyster is the best colour combo for an Evora, closely followed by Mono Sodium Glutamate with the red interior

[windymiller]

britain to follow eu in banning small garages from being able to use parts that are not manufacturers branded parts in 2023 !!!! wtf 

[dave excell]

Keeps VAG in profit !!

[ramjet]

17 minutes ago, windymiller said:

britain to follow eu in banning small garages from being able to use parts that are not manufacturers branded parts in 2023 !!!! wtf 

Surely that has to be against some commercial law somewhere! There are some times that a non-branded part is as good as the original, just doesn't come with a silly price tag.

So much for competition.

[C8RKH]

You are dealing with the EU so please don't try to use logic or commercial sense in your arguments.

The fact is that the current block exemption rules in the EU (that UK committed to comply with under the Brexit deal) are due to expire in 2023. So this is a planned event and right now, the consultation is starting, so nothing has been agreed.  This is the usual positioning and spin from the various interested parties and it could well be that the EU simply decides to "rollover" the current block exemption for another x years. Remember, it will hit EU citizens very hard in the pockets so will not be a popular thing to lose anywhere in Europe. So who knows, maybe common sense will prevail.

[Doug Ashley]

Hmm, the source here is a CEO of one spares business talking to The Telegraph.

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/lifestyle/cars/car-repair-bills-could-jump-ps100-a-year-under-new-garage-regulations-3318152

Has anyone (including the media...) actually read the consultation documents?

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SWD(2021)112&lang=en

"Article 101(1) of the Treaty prohibits agreements between undertakings and concerted practices that restrict competition, unless, in accordance with Article 101(3) of the Treaty, they contribute to improving the production or distribution of goods or to promoting technical or economic progress, while allowing consumers a fair share of the resulting benefits."

"Preventing the foreclosure of spare parts suppliers

In its 2009 Communication, the Commission observed that there were often large differences in price between parts sold or resold by a motor vehicle manufacturer and alternative brands of parts. The availability of alternatives brought considerable benefits to consumers, in terms of both choice and price. Thus, the Commission considered it necessary to protect spare parts manufacturers’ access to the motor vehicle aftermarkets, in particular through the identification of three hardcore clauses in the MVBER, thereby ensuring that competing brands of spare parts continued to be available. this objective continues to be relevant."

In other words, the EU is trying to protect competition in the sector and protect consumers, hence the original exemption which they state is still relevant for this aspect.  Much of their regulation is about consumer protection. 

As C8RKH says, nothing has actually been agreed yet.  But if we've learned only one thing over the last couple of decades, the media loves an opportunity to kick the EU while they're just following due process..

 

[Mysterae]

I wonder how that "law" would work in this scenario - I wanted the transmission oil in my 640d replaced. The EXACT SAME ZF pan filter oil kit supplied from ZF was around £300 but the BMW mark-up if they supplied it was £1,200. That didn't include fitting. I know they make money on parts but that's taking the pi$$. If I bought the parts and they fitted them which they said they would do, but wouldn't guarantee the parts for the job. The exact same parts from ZF. 

[C8RKH]

58 minutes ago, Doug Ashley said:

Has anyone (including the media...) actually read the consultation documents?

Hence my response and saying it was the usual positioning and spin from interested parties - in this case the independents getting their lobbying in early

 

[Doug Ashley]

Yes, sorry I was commenting more on the article itself and the media more generally.  Sadly there is money to be made just setting up a one-sided story perpetuating the 'us vs. them' mentality that they want to spread, rather than bothering to put it in proper context.  Completely agree with your post (other than the first sentence of course 😉).

[Barrykearley]

3 hours ago, Doug Ashley said:

But if we've learned only one thing over the last couple of decades, the media loves an opportunity to kick the EU while they're just following due process

Not once in the last 5 years have I seen a single bbc article that has “kicked” the EU. Most are simply articles of lavishing affection and ass kissing.

[Doug Ashley]

I'd love to see an example of the BBC lavishing affection on the EU.

They don't particularly take part in the kicking of the EU, but in recent years they do seem to either avoid or bury negative coverage of the government.

You know the ones I'm actually referring to - Express, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Spectator, Sun and so on.

[Barrykearley]

Auction terms completion was supposed to be today.

buyer hasn’t completed 🤬- I need to issue a 10 working day demand and wait it out until his deposit is ours - gladly we can charge interest in the mean time. All very annoying since his funds had been proven and it would now seem he is seeking mortgage finance. This was an unconditional sale with tenants insitu.

why are folks such dicks.

[Jobster]

unhappy? The message fro Lotus factory that even they could not provide me with a simple caliper to hub bolt as in attached pic (A132W2048F). Back order delivery probably 3 weeks !!

[Giniw]

In the meantime, couldn't you use another bolt of the same grade? (although I am not sure if the grade can be read on these? 8.8? Higher?)

[Jobster]

9 hours ago, Giniw said:

In the meantime, couldn't you use another bolt of the same grade? (although I am not sure if the grade can be read on these? 8.8? Higher?)

That's what I have been trying but to no avail yet. Seems to be pretty Lotus specific/not used a lot elsewhere.