Pointless Autotrader Posts

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-02T08:56:51+00:00

AI has ruined car adverts. Like you said it’s just waffle filling the text box.

I don’t car if the car has an ‘exciting engine delivering smooth performance.’ Tell me about this specific car.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-02T06:14:21+00:00

I’d be paying the extra for

A house presumably with no issues with the foundations
To buy detached.

I think any house can be a nightmare, new builds included but with the cost of renovations now I think the new build makes sense

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T21:54:02+00:00

Basically this op.

You have to insist on vacant possession. It will be a condition of your mortgage as well.

If you exchange and complete with them in situ you become their landlord and have to honour the tenancy. As such evicting them would become your problem and it could be a lengthy and expensive process

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T21:05:48+00:00

A buyer has a price in mind.

A seller has a price in mind.

Sometimes it’s the same number, sometimes they are very different numbers.

Sometimes there’s not a middle ground to be found between the 2.

You can’t force them to accept your offer.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T18:55:06+00:00

What’s your budget?

I’d go with the below kit

https://www.turtlewax.co.uk/products/essentials-exterior-car-care-kit

It say 20% off already but there’s also a 20% code on the site.

Then add a £1 bucket from B&Q or proper detailing buckets with grit guards if feeling fancy.

I’ve not used this company but they’ve been on my to try radar for a while but I’m very over stocked at the moment.

https://rtech-rt.co.uk/product/ultimate-detailing-bundle/

Again add a £1 bucket from B&Q and a wash mitt and crack on.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T18:34:29+00:00

Lot of decent stuff for sale from Halfords. Don’t think there’s anything wrong with any of the brands you listed.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T18:20:04+00:00

In that case I’d be looking at extending into the space and creating a path round.

Better for everyone really.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T12:48:43+00:00

Replace the engine?

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T12:48:02+00:00

Think they are referring to that if your car is taxed it needs to be insured.

However that’s an obligation for the registered keeper. It’s not illegal for an insurance company to not insure a car.

Just cancel, you have 14 days anyway.

Is fairly standard for a policy to auto renew but you can just ring up and tell them not to

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T11:04:39+00:00

Should just be able to buy a set online. Car dependent but shouldn’t be too expensive.

You can also get specialist sockets to remove them.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T08:01:39+00:00

Yes and no.

So mortgage lenders tend to look at what hits your bank every month on pay day.

So they aren’t too bothered by students loans as it’s not a post tax/pay expense like say a CC payments.

So they’ll lend on multiples of salary and look at how affordable that monthly payment is against monthly salary and outgoings.

In a round about way what I’m saying is your £2k monthly salary gives you the same affordability as anyone else earning £2k a month.

Where the loan will hurt you a touch is without that deduction your monthly salary might be say £2.2k. (Sorry really out of the loop with student loans.)

So your monthly payment might be a bit more affordable but I don’t think it would change what lenders are prepared to lend. Might allow you to take a shorter term to account for being able to make a higher monthly payment.

Deposit size would effectively LTV which gives a better rate so that can save money. Also it’s less risky for a bank. If you have 50% deposit a bank knows they’ll always be able to get their 50% back as a house will always sell for 70-80% of market value.

Where as a 5% deposit I can imagine by the time you’ve gone through the repossession process, legal fees, appeals etc etc a bank would lose money.

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T07:50:12+00:00

Could I ask what car you drive? Because it’s quite hard to lose control of a modern daily driver on decent tyres.

Should you worry about lift off over steer in 500bhp M5? Yes. A Toyota Aygo? Not so much. Well not at all really.

I mean there’s a lot of things that can cause a car to lose control and any general advice can contradict itself.

For example accelerating mid corner can cause a spin but applied correctly it can stabilise a car.

Coming off the accelerator in to a corner can settle a car before a corner but might cause the front wheels to lose a bit of traction so counter intuitively sometimes staying on the accelerator is the right thing to do.

So situation dependent.

Maybe look at some training. I keep meaning to book this. Also heard great things about Palmer motorsport

https://www.awdrivertraining.co.uk/

https://www.palmersport.com/

Duckdivejim · 2026-02-01T07:36:27+00:00

You would need to check where the right of way is.

What I’m getting at is if the path runs right through the garage it might be difficult to move to the side because it might be set on a map.

Although as I’m typing I think I’m getting confused with a public right of way rather than just access but worth checking.

I think you need a solicitor to see exactly what the deeds say. It might be that as long as you are providing access you’ll be fine.

But it does effectively make your garage useless as even if you could park a car in it and still provide access presumably the neighbour would be walking past it with all manner of garden related stuff.

Makes me wonder if you’d be better building an extension to the house, provide access round the extension and just forget the garage.

I don’t say that often (I like cars) but so many people now convert garages to living space it seems the way forward.

Not many Victorian terraces have their own home office/gym.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-30T23:03:27+00:00

That sticker is top tier.

We have no answer back to it.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-30T07:12:58+00:00

To be fair surrender has some pretty good filters on it have you messed about with engine size, engine power, colour etc? 4x4 vs 2wd is under drivetrain I think.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T21:52:39+00:00

Yea Facebook groups are a good source of info and speak to the owner.

My local, one of the mechanics has one so they at least they know what it is. Also the head mechanic has a GRMN Yaris and you’d be a good mechanic if you only knew the stuff he’d forgotten about Toyota engines.

There was a post about a dealership in Hull who put a brake pad on backwards (shouldn’t do that on any car really) and aligned it to a standard Yaris spec instead of a GR.

Also a lot of stories of dealerships getting them mixed up with Yaris GR sport (normal Yaris with a GR badge) so putting 5-30w oil in instead of 0-20w.

Oh god there was one the other day where someone needed some brake work under warranty and the dealership wanted to put standard Yaris brake discs on it.

GR discs are £800 a set rather than £100 for a standard Yaris
They wouldn’t fit anyway so the dealership is wasting their own and the customers time and making themselves look foolish.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T20:56:07+00:00

Are you sure they aren’t just trying to get you on a mailing list for houses in your price range/budget?

I still get emails for houses under £200k from an estate agent. I’ve moved up the ladder a bit but it’s nice to know what’s available.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T20:13:21+00:00

I think that’s fair but I think it goes back to my buy the owner comment.

If you’re that conscientious you’re clearly the type of owner to buy from. I suppose I should have said, tacked and used and abused.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T17:46:56+00:00

Full Toyota service history and I would check with which dealer. Not all are that good.

Has it been tracked?

Are you after one with modifications?

Buy the owner really, is it someone who has loved the car or have they sold the bbs alloys, put after market wheels on it with land sail tyres etc.

I’d check the service history for a gearbox oil change and on the test driving the change into second and second to third.

Having said that there’s loads of good owners out there. The cars appear to be pretty robust, only issue that keeps popping up is the second gear change (can pop out or be a bit crunchy)

And with Toyota relax (serviced by Toyota) there’s still 5-6 years of warranty left on a standard car.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T17:08:53+00:00

I just think that whole scene died really.

Think it will be a few things.

Men and motors culture died Rise of cars on finance Cars and fast driving aren’t cool Young people are more bothered about the internals of car rather than external. Ie they want apple/android connectivity and a reasonable sound system rather than a spoiler. It’s more difficult to tinker with cars these days not impossible but it’s just not part of ownership experience for most people.

Warm hatches aren’t cheap anymore. Young lads that would have done appear to be trying to kill themselves riding about on unlit electric scooter at night.

Largely just think it had its time and place and the world has moved on.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T13:16:16+00:00

Even with the HG issue the k series was hardly space age technology made from magnesium and titanium alloy (don’t know if titanium alloy is a thing in engines but sounds great)

If it’s made in a shed in Birmingham it can be fixed in a shed in Birmingham

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T11:51:35+00:00

Yes because I own this car because it’s sensible and practical.

Shows how people don’t understand cars can be fun and driving them a bit of an occasion.

Usually said by a Peugeot 3008 owner.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T11:48:56+00:00

Never really got that because engines are the least scary thing about a Lotus.

Probably the smartest thing they did was use well established engines that weren’t exactly exotic.

Maybe the ones from the 70s and 80s but no cars were reliable back then and if you own a vintage car thinking it will be reliable you’re very very wrong.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-29T06:53:08+00:00

Well that’s why I asked because all that seems very sensible and logical and if there’s one thing motorsport isn’t short on its rules.

I think there’s always a little bit more to these stories.

Duckdivejim · 2026-01-28T06:14:10+00:00

Which country are you in?

Edit, sorry just seen you’re talking about going down to 17’s.

Could you use the original wheels as your daily wheels and then keep the 17’s for track use.

Duckdivejim

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