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Read somewhere that a jet wash was a) the best way to keep winter salt off a car underside and a good way to get grime out from under the wheel arches. However a) It can get water into places where water ought not to go. I have heard it can damage tyres. Any thoughts? On point a), I recently arrived at an un-named garage to take a test drive, only to be told that they had just hosed the car down and now couldn't get it started. Bit of a deal-breaker that.

I think I saw a Favorit estate operating as a taxi in Lincoln a few weeks ago.

@What time/mileage intervals should the cambelt on the 1.6 engine be replaced?

I guess they'd have made a few RHD; I think they drove on the left in Czechoslovakia up to 1938.

Sorry, make that Him. My English teacher would turn in her.... and my French teacher would turn in her acute.

I live in constant fear that God will strike me down for not believing in him.

The thing that annoys me right now is that I've either got to take a day off work this week (possibly a busy week) or wait until Saturday (dealer is a small family run operation and hasn't much space to hold an extra vehicle and they've been patient and friendly throughout) so I'm either letting down work or letting down the dealer, even though it's not my fault.

Slightly emotional right now over my old Felicia; never really got the chance to say goodbye, take final pics etc, as I had to drive it from Nottm to Wigan on Friday through horrible traffic, not knowing if I'd get to the dealers in time. Deep down, I know I didn't treat it as well as I should have done in it's last year. Yes, she cut out at times, but she only once failed to start in 65k miles (on a misty seafront) and must feel so abandoned, wondering how shallow I must be, leaving her for that "tart" with its 1.6 engine and its alloy wheels....anyone can see its had a facelift. Mind you, I probably only feel like that because I can't pick up the new one until at least Tuesday, or later, depending on work commitments (insurance issues, as dealt with in another cathartic post). I should have at least removed a badge to hang up in the toilet (family tradition, to amuse my nephew).

Offering the option of a speedier delivery makes sense to me. Anyway this morning, I received the new insurance cert in the post (1st class, which was a little odd, as 2 different people on 2 different days had said that they went 2nd class.....). Too late to get to dealer in time to get to the post office. Dealer meanwhile received a letter advising that the old car's insurance expires today.... but no docs re the new car. Sounds as if the insurance company either hadn't sent anything out, or had send out 2nd class, then sent something out in a panic to try to cover themselves. They won't say anything, of course.

Didn't you have a notorious rogue postman in your part of the world (kept thousands of letters in his attic for no apparent reason)? Vaguely remember a news story from a year or two back.

It is a big, well established insurance name.

Should have picked up my new car today (T Reg Felly). Arranged to buy, rang up insurance to do the switch, quote ok. Several days later, neither dealer nor myself have received insurance doc, so can't tax the new car. Turns out they posted them out SECOND CLASS. Won't do anything about it because A) "May take up to 5 working days" (ie WILL TAKE AT LEAST 5 WORKING DAYS IF POSTED 2ND CLASS) AND THEY ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO TELL ME HOW THEY WOULD SORT IT OUT IF NOT RECEIVED UNTIL LONGER THAN FIVE WORKING DAYS UNTIL I HAVE WAITED MORE THAN 5 WORKING DAYS It's the weekend (was it really the weekend already this morning?) so today doesn't count towards the 5 and they couldn't have done anything this morning even if they had wanted to and even if they had been able to do something they wouldn't have been able to do it until Tuesday. Is it really usual practice to send out docs second class WITHOUT EXCEPTION, EVEN IF I EXPLAIN THE TIMESCALE (not that they told me at the time that they would go out 2nd class), or is it merely because I was foolish enough to accept a quote from my existing insurance company rather than switching every 5 minutes? (NB this from a company rated highly in the survey in this Wk's Auto Express; neither I nor my father had ever had any problems before.) I wouldn't have minded having to wait 10 days to pick up my car if that was the way of things, if we had to fill out 100 forms and get a doctor and a solicitor and a psychiatrist to certify I was a fit and proper person to drive this car, would drive it carefully, check the oil regularly, not cut anybody up, not tailgate nor use my car to flaunt my political or religious or sporting affliations etc, but something as penny pinching as posting 2nd class........ Thanks guys; you've just saved me 10p on my premium! To the customer service assistant who had to listen to me today; we will never meet and you were doing your job in a professional manner and I doubt our conversation was a very pleasant experience for you either. SORRY. Will cut down on the caffeine, promise.

Got a Felicia from them 3 years ago. Was the only pre-facelift one on the forecourt and Mr Newsome gave me plenty of his time. Have been back for services, MOT etc and always a good service, never a sense of "Oh it's just an old Felicia". Will buy my Fabia Vrs from them when I win the lottery!

Ok, I should have worked this out in all the years I've been driving....... :confused: We live on a steep slope, so can't check the oil levels at home. Is a gentle slope ok, or should it be billiard table flat? How long after switching engine off is optimum? Does it depend on how long you have been driving before switiching off? eg1- stop at service station, fill up, pay, then check oil. eg2- park at relative's (flat drive), go to bed, check in morning c 12 hours after driving eg3- drive for 5 mins to nearest flat ground then check straight away eg4- back into the road (c1:10 inclination) then check immediately Does it depend on whether the inclination is lengthways or side to side?

Ta.

Very unlikely, I know.... My tax disc detached itself from the windscreen and nearly slipped down the gap in front of the dashboard. If it had slipped down, or if I'd dropped the envelope down a manhole on leaving the post office or had a similar Mr Bean moment, what would DVLA advise? Presume I'd have to be off road until they stopped laughing and sent out the appropriate form. Guess they wouldn't have a form for this at the local post office.

How DO they work? Do they apply a standard multiplier (given the driver's history, postcode etc, if grp 4 times by x, if grp 6 times by y etc)? Does it depend on whether third party or comp? Are the calculations in the public domain, i.e is there a website where we could find out that e.g. all other things being equal grp 6 = grp 4 x 1.5, grp 19 = grp 6 x squillions etc? Or if not exact percentages are there any general rules of thumb?

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Hello Looking to replace my long serving (110k miles) Felicia GLi. Looking at a 1.4 MPI Fabia How does the Fabia compare weight and space wise; how is the peformance/economy cf a Felicia 1.3 MPI? Does it have chain or belt drive?

Is there a "Fulham fans who drive Skodas" page? Will be good to get down to the Cottage again, although as now I'm Notts based I'll probably have to restrict myself to a few away games in the north and midlands this year. I did 20k miles in my Felicia last year as it is. Far cry from my days of living 20 min walk from the Cottage.

Thanks for the help guys. Very useful.

My father is considering a 2nd hand Octavia (early, as budget around 5k) or possibly a Fabia. Any advice on engines to go for? or avoid? He's a fairly high mileage driver, not overly concerned with performance, but not a slowcoach either. Might consider a diesel, but concerned about putting petrol in it in error. (I have a Felicia 1.3, so I can't really help him on this.)