What made you UNHAPPY today!

[ChrisJ]

Went to go out tonight - and discovered I have a puncture on the nearside rear - bugger. Re-inflated it, but going by the hiss, it is losing air

[Bazza 907]

Sold one of my Lotus's today. Sad to see it go but the new owner seems very happy. It's gone to a good home.

[silverfrost]

Bad news Barry ,  which one did you let go of 

[D.no]

The brain-dead automotive equivalent of mouth breathing shufflers who use obliviousness as a default state-of-being to get them through their waking hours. And, more pertinently, their commute to and from the premises of whatever unfortunate and short-sighted employer who saw fit to empower them with a task worth paying for. I finally understand the origins and thinking behind the "Speed kills" brainwashing campaign: On the evidence of my drive home this evening a huge proportion of the "driving" population, who presumably somehow managed to fluke a pass on their driving test at the 127th attempt, have difficulty with such unfathomable multi-tasks as moving their right foot at the same time as managing any kind of coordinated motor-skills that result in hand movements: Any kind of speed, any at all, is not going to end well for them. And I can only assume they've now figured this out from experience, and are using their last ounce of intellect to ensure it doesn't happen again by not doing speed. Well, not strictly true, walking pace can just about be processed, but not with enough spare capacity to allow any use of the indicators.

Mr angry and disillusioned needs a glass of wine....

Sorry for the rant, but you did ask!

[Bibs]

8.3 out of 10, not a bad rant!

4 hours ago, Bazza 907 said:

Sold one of my Lotus's today. Sad to see it go but the new owner seems very happy. It's gone to a good home.

Never thought I'd see the day! 

[johnpwalsh]

Both cars out to be cleaned today in preparation for tomorrows run and it's digging down bloody snow. Grrr. Ah well and excuse to fix the heater in Wendy's little M100 turbo. Replacement heater control valve from a Jaguar XJ. So far fitted a set of proper Elan wheels rather than the race jobs that was on her when I bought it. Rear clam and front bumper and vallance resprayed. Door locks replaced. Rear break calipers replaced. brake master cylinder replaced. Only central locking to sort out, but who needs a car to lock when it's a soft top. 

Anyone want a set of after market wheels with as new tyres for a Lotus Elan complete with nearly new Toyo Proxes tires.

[comem47]

Well actually it's not me that's sad but I feel for the people in NY that have an EZPass for toll booths. According to my local TV weather lady evidently they are updating the system and sending out everyone a new pass in a foil lined pouch. They include an SASE and they expect you to mail back your old pass. No instructions other than send it back (not that you must re-use the original foil bag). People are finding out they are getting billed for all the tollbooths the old passes go through while riding in the mail truck on the way back (I'm really surprised that can happen inside a metal truck). Anyway the state is claiming people should have known better even though they weren't explicitly instructed/warned and people have to pay the charges. If this were April 1st I'd suspect we were being put on.    

Edited May 3, 2016 by comem47

[Bibs]

@Moxie are you aware of this? I'm sure you told me something like it when I was over at yours?

[molemot]

Was grovelling under my beastie bolting the lump back in. After much frustration, I found that...although the vehicle seems to be built with metric fasteners...the gearbox mounting bolts are 7/16", and that's why the metric nuts wouldn't fit....found one of the original nuts, but the second has fallen through the usual wormhole in spacetime....so I have to try to find some 7/16" Nylocs.... I wonder who made the decision to bolt in the French Citroen gearbox with Imperial fasteners....and why??!

[mayevora]

Last 3 weeks

1 Clutch kit and duel mass flywheel 

Then back on the road 3-4 days

1 rear-end shunt - Into body shop new wraparound rear bumper.

Then back on the road 3-4 days

1 blown Turbo

Then back on the road 3-4 days

1 knackered wheel bearing

Then back on the road 3-4 days

Today - Alternator stops charging battery

 

 

4th hire car in a month. ☹️

 

 

[s4simon]

... And none of this would not have happened if you kept the Esprit's...  :-)

[mayevora]

 

You are most likely correct lol,  but this is all on the daily works car not the Lotus. Some weeks it just feels like you can't earn it fast enough

Edited May 5, 2016 by mayesprit

[USAndretti42]

Unhappy that I couldn't make it to Brooklands yesterday.  Looked like a fantastic event

[Moxie]

On 5/3/2016 at 08:16, Bibs said:

@Moxie are you aware of this? I'm sure you told me something like it when I was over at yours?

Not only is Bob's description of the absurdity of the whole thing dead-on, but twice in the past month when I've hit the toll booths on the RFK Bridge on my way from Jackson Heights to Judith's in Washington Heights (you and I took that drive together in the Evora before we got our picnic basket and headed to Ohio), the entire EZ-Pass system went down. Every damn lane just froze for about 40 minutes. The whole system sucks. They have the tech to make it a high-speed passthrough--like 50mph instead of 5mph--because they've done it on I-684, so I'm not sure why they don't do it everywhere. I guess it's just too congested within the city limits. Even better, on the Manhattan/Bronx tolls, you just drive through, they take a photo of your license plate, run OCR on the image, and charge your account.

[Moxie]

On 4/23/2016 at 09:33, johnpwalsh said:

John,

I'm not sure how this is possible, but I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a yellow S3 NA, but that is absolutely gorgeous. As much as I love the S1 above all else for cumulative reasons, I think the S3 NA has the most beautiful lines of all the G-Esprits. That's a real stunner.

- Matt

[hyteck9]

So I asked my dealer for an update on the 400 since it is now May.  He said he would check..  nothing happened..  crickets chirping at best...  days go buy..   a week..   nearly 2 weeks.  So I email him again and tell him I want 90% of my not small deposit back since there is no known delivery date.  Suddenly he is all fire and flare!!  His manager and district manager are going to jump in too and get me more info.  Long story short...  Lotus USA calls me directly and tells me "I am a valued customer."   That's it.  Nothing else.  Zero actual information.  So now I am sad.   I took my 90% deposit and used it for a down payment  on another toy for this year's driving season...  but it isn't the same.  I am still sad.  I never should have sold my EspritV8 on a hope and a promise of something better.  *sigh*  

[mdw]

My dear wife chucking £25 worth of unleaded into a 1.6 tdi fabia and driving 6 miles.   Green flag coming to flush it tomorrow morning.  As its a CR diesel engine I may well be crying tomorrow..................a lot.

[s4simon]

I watched the Fifth Gear episode on youtube where they put diesel in petrol cars and vice versa, drove them around for a bit and then put the proper fuel back in them.  After a few miles everything was back to normal.  No damage and no worries.  Scare mongering from auto mechanics I think.

[andydclements]

Mostly matters whether the seals can withstand the petrol, had to check it out for a customer once (he'd put 1/2 tank of petrol in a transit) and, the Ford dealership said all fine for 50%, more and it may struggle to run (ignition temp of petrol is too high to ignite under compression), it may just put out white smoke. The petrol does offer less lubrication for the internal components of the fuel delivery system.

[ramjet]

Unhappy was months ago when I was made redundant.

Now, I am just totally fed up.

I am fed up with HR people that don't get back to you even when there system says they will. They have a job, why should they worry about anyone trying to get one.

I am fed up with putting in resumes as I am starting to doubt that I am as good as what I think I am, at my job.

I am fed up with "It was out of you and one other person, but the other person interviewed better." WTF does that mean?

I am fed up with HR people that will not tell you what you lacked or were insufficient in, in case you are taping the call to try and sue them.

I am fed up with HR people that don't get back to you to let you know you have been unsuccessful due to the number of applicants they receive. It's your job. Do it. (I WISH I had the opportunity to do it)

I am fed up with now applying anywhere in Australia and thinking about having to move again as Victoria seems to be on a slide to nowhere.

 

I suppose the fact that I have to tell companies that I am off to Europe at the start of July for 6 weeks is a problem, but if you haven't had someone lately, is it really going to hurt to wait if I'm good enough?

Vent finished.

Sorry.

[johnpwalsh]

Michael. Vent as much as you like mate. Looks like I may be in a similar position in a few weeks time. Worked my ass off for the last 9 years and it means sod all. And I turned a lss making devision into a huge profit maker. Seems the fact that I dont have a degree in business, I dont qualify for the job I have been doing for the past 18 months. Strange as the previous two managers, highly educated and qualified people, did nothing but lose money and claim huge bonuses and salaries for their efforts, while I elected to keep my salary as it was for 18 months to turn the place arround, did what I said I would do and now looks like a qualified gent is to take over.

[theelanman]

HR depts. in companies don't exist anymore so recruitment is left up to 15year old 'executives' who know soooo much......

theyre all full of shi!! and they just want to collect CVs and send them in on mass and hope one stick......

if you throw enough at them some things got to stick

I hate them..........back in the day the guys who were recruiters knew you and the jobs youd do....and only put you in if they were certain to get you in....now the kids are running it......and theyre all giving them selves fancy titles......after 2 weeks in the job it appears you can expect to be a minimum of senior exec manager........

John, no one respects it when we work our knackers off.......its just expected.....and theyre not that bothered....

 

[C8RKH]

I often get asked in interviews why I have changed companies frequently. I tell them honestly that there is no loyalty from companies to staff so why do they expect to be loyal? I then back it up by saying I'm good at, and enjoy, turning stuff around. So hire me if you have a problem, let me fix it, but once fixed the chances are I'll look for another problem to fix and if there isn't one internally I'll find one externally. I think half the battle is knowing what you're really good at, and makes you tick, and being able to articukate how that translates into value to them were they are now helps.

My worst nightmare woukd be a job in tge same office doing the same thing every day. A lot of people tgrive on tgat and do very well. Not for me.

Good luck with your search Ramjet, never give up and don't let the buggers get you down.

@John, my experience tells me that when my new manager arrives and they brag about an MBA it's time to duck and get out as invariably the place is going to go to ratshit.

Is it coincidence that over the last 30 years we have seen a significant rise in the number of MBA holders in top jobs, at the same time as we have had one crisis after another, ponzi schemes, earning misrepresentations, legislative breaches and sharp business practices. It's all about spreadsheets and how to manipulate them these days, good and ethical business practices, investing in staff, long term plannibg. Meh. Don't get me started and on that soap box.

[johnpwalsh]

Yep, your right Andy. I am old school, give me the problem and let me fix it. Think on your feet while doing a ballancing act and make sure you have a contingency plan. Make sure you can back your suggestions and acts by fact, The fact can be proven, the solution worked and the figures then spoke for themselves. going from 44k per month to 260k, with an average 44% net profit margin kind of proved that. Just got to wait and see how the wind blows in a couple of weeks time.

 

Hacked off.

[C8RKH]

I hear your pain John, I really do.  So much these days is about "internal stakeholder" management - when I started work, we called it brown nosing!  Most of the time the results achieved are second in value to how the face fits.

Best of luck mate, hope they see sense.

 

Oh, and let's hope the business schools keep out churning these MBA's as that way, there will always be plenty of problems for us to move on to and fix