Andy65

Chorleywood. Hertfordshire. House we’ve recently moved into had an old key safe screwed to a timber upright on the porch. We had no idea whether there was a key in it or not and previous owners/neighbours didn’t know the code. I don’t like those key safes anyway but hadn’t gotten around to moving it. Around 04:30 this morning I heard a couple of loud thumps vibrate through the house. For some reason I thought that it was somebody dumping stuff in the skip on my driveway (I am very protective of my skip) so I got up to look but saw nothing and went to bed. About 15 minutes later I thought heard something again and got up again (this decision making process was aided by my bursting bladder). Again I saw nothing. In the end I drifted off to sleep until I got up at 06:45 to find the front door wide open. I just closed the door, slightly confused. When my wife got up she noticed that the safety chain had been cut or broken AND there was a key in the outside of the lock, it was then that I looked at the key safe to find two big burr marks where it had been crow-barred off. Nothing had been taken - there were tools and multimeters in the hallway and money, phones and iPads in the lounge. I am renovating the place so maybe the creaky old floorboards in the hallway and the sound of me getting up was enough to put them off. Maybe they just couldn’t find the car keys. Around 01:30 the previous night the dog was going ballistic about something, perhaps that was a pre-run and the dog put them off. The dog was not with us last night. Conicidence? The police were called and the forensics were very helpful. I hope that the evidence they collected helps find the ***** who did this. I will be sleeping with one eye open tonight!

Has anybody got experience of removing a stuck locking bolt. The problem that I have is a combination of worn removal tool and churned up bolt head. I have got three out but the last one is stubborn. As soon as the tool starts to bite it just slips out of the bolt. These are the original VW ones that came with the car so there is an external bezel which turns preventing anything gripping the outside. I assume that VW will have a solution and I guess that there are private traders who offer this service. so, my questions are: Does anybody have a rough idea idea of cost for VW to remove it or the cost for a private trader. or another solution.

Welcome and congratulations on your R. I know what a Focus is, that just don’t get the three letters after it, eco? No idea!

I’ve just moved house. Most stuff is still packed in boxes. I’ve managed to find some of the detailing kit but now only seem to have one bucket. Worse than that, there doesn’t seem to be an outside tap! Should I fill the buckets from the sink? Get it Valeted? Or should I go to the local sanding station? yesterday I finished work a bit early. The missus thinks I was unpacking boxes. I was actually sealing my alloys. Well, they need doing so that I can replace the winter set!

A similar thing happened to me at the end of last year. I replaced both on the front axel for Michelin PS4s. I figured that the rubber is the only thing that keeps you in contact with the road so it’s worth changing both. Of course, a couple of months later I replace the rears as well. just make sure that whoever changes the tyre is careful no to damage those Prets.

Picked up my refurbished Prets this morning. Blew some Dragon’s Breath over them to remove the dust and dirt that had accumulated. All ready for a coating of G-Techniq Crystal Serum. They look so good that I’m considering leaving them off the car, perhaps display them in the lounge - less chance of damage!

Seems to be a lot of R lines about. I have a feeling that they have no idea what will happen when they race a proper R.

There’s not much that I dislike but: 1. The rusty disc issue 2. The stop/start cuts in far too early, i.e. when I’m still rolling to a stop. (Occasionally I forget to switch it off).

Agree completely, how can waving your hand in front of a screen can be easier than twizzling a knob! My R is a 66 plate - 2017 model. I was holding out for the MK 8 but it’s currently looking like I’ll be saving my money. The MK 8 looks like a Seat from the back, the front end has ‘the bulge’ and the headlights look too squinty. What with the emissions stuff, we don’t know the future of petrol cars - I could pay £30-£40k on car that nobody will want after 4-5years. I think that VW mastered the look of the Golf with the 7 and they don’t know where to go with the next model. I think I might just keep mine immaculate and give it some engine mods. I like it more than any other car I’ve owned.

Prets went in yesterday for a respray after damage caused by the people who fitted two PS4S tyres at the end of last year. The edge of the alloy has lacquer peeling off and there is a crease in one area where they levered the old tyre off. No wonder, they fitted them within 15-20 mins, bloody lashers. My usual guy doesn’t cause damage as proved by the ones he fitted for me last week to the rear. Still, by early next week I’ll have nice shiny Prets to coat with Crystal Serum and I can remove the winter alloys, if it warms up a bit. 😀

I was a bit miffed to think it may be the same colour. inadvertently put this in the modifying section. Oops!

On the way to work this morning I followed a Seat Leon (I think). I looked a very similar colour to the R’s Lapiz blue. Is this colour available on the Seat?

Is there any particular locking wheel nut/bolt that is better than another? Or are they all much of a muchness? I think that mine have been churned up and want to replace them when I put on the summer wheels.

I like this thread. It’s almost a grown-ups version of swapping football stickers. I can sit here looking at the pictures saying ‘got’, ‘got’, ‘got’, ‘need’ or ‘ooh, that looks good’.

Brasso and a bit of wire wool for me. https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/brasso-metal-polish-175ml?langId=44&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6IzP3OKD4gIVAbTtCh3fpAFXEAQYASABEgKYIvD_BwE&storeId=10151&krypto=ZolDyrscNDap6oyghPMejbGLe8EwEI7iIOl9cpWiquVSarMHfs4Myk08zqwrJaSQN6jtnffvf69wYyJwZpSBVASDNwe04542znomxKmCroizPDlV84ylx6DsU7Mp9BJiWiPBG8LzX1tUV8fVhV6M9Hse1wVRAsi5CbOy2CmgOWNXPmGR%2F9XSngvHw5JNtqFpVcQPg52A%2F3kvgVZrF9xkNt0sxEL5st4A9WlBJuztm1SB8pPhCM8Yha4jR9To9mqyXCHtzWey1E2Z0ZB4ueA3Spw3d2a1FwBuDqNne9cOftxR%2BQyUcelCRFFfGRum%2BrI3%2BkiH3YlK1jzWHWaZlHxy6DBVR6hh5ReVIoVT%2B%2B3TnVc%3D&ddkey=https%3Agb%2Fgroceries%2Fbrasso-metal-polish-175ml