I know those roads well, but only in my Defender. We do a Mountain Marathon every year in the Lakes and we stay up there for a week to do some hiking, so we always stay at what used to be the Fish Hotel, now called the Buttermere Court Hotel in Buttermere, but because of all the gear we need we can’t use the 5. Great pics. 
Where? Sorry had to say that 
. That’s not far from us, so a very old joke around here. 
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Ho Hum!!
Well we were there in Ware
- Sometimes you laugh so much at these ancient jokes, it really Herts
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Went to Ipswich to test drive a 25th Anniversary. It’s been on the forecourt of a local retailer for a couple of months.
I first looked at it on Monday. 55k miles, two owners. Mazda service history. Not perfect, couple of marks on the rear bumper that had been poorly repaired, front tow eye cover was not a match to the bumper - but I am aware of the colour’s notoriety.
When going through the paperwork, I found a phone number for the previous keeper. I made contact and he was happy to speak to me. He had owned the car since 2021. Sold it because he was not using it and wanted to buy a piano! He told me the car had no known issues.
I raised a couple of things. On the MOT before last (Mazda, Newbury), there were advisories for a ‘slightly bucked front wheel’, and three of four shock absorbers were misting oil. The last MOT was clean. I asked if those items had been sorted. He said no. He wan’t sure the garage wasn’t trying it on. The car had been treated with Dinitrol after he bought it and felt that might be the ‘misting oil’. He had MOT’d it at a local garage in Wiltshire, prior to selling it.
My strategy was to have a test drive, and then try and haggle on the price due to the buckled wheel (having found out that a new one is £305). Initial thoughts were positive - being the Anniversary, it has all the toys. Started out on slower roads. After a while, having built speed up to around 60, it suddenly felt as though I had a puncture. Vibration through the cabin and steering wheel. I pulled over but all tyres looked ok. Moved off again and took the car onto the A14. Once I hit 60+, the vibration came back. Dropped the speed and it went. Strangely, built the speed up again at it was fine. Didn’t repeat the issue for the ten miles back to the retailer.
Now I’m thinking if it was a buckled wheel it would be an issue all the time. Not really sure what it could be to present in such an intermittent way.
Back at the retailer, I relayed the issue I had experience and was met with total indifference. Best he could come up with was I had probably picked up a stone in a tyre. Nah. In no way am I a mechanic, but I do know that it wasn’t a stone.
No concern expressed that I was reporting a problem with a car they were trying to sell. Also, absolutely no willingness to negotiate on price.
Best it stay there a bit longer then………
If of interest, on Autotrader, offered for sale by Hammond, Ipswich.
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We bought a used Volvo from the local Volvo main dealer and I complained on having vibrations at speed. It was only sold with a 3 month warranty , which is worth pish. It went back to them and they said they found nothing wrong. We started loosing faith in it, as the vibration was really bad. We took it to an alloy wheel refurbishment place and they found 3 wheels were out of shape. We sold it to another Volvo dealer for a nearly new car and told the other dealers the issue but because it was a ‘cheapy’ they showed no interest, but they lost a sale of another Volvo…
Could have been flat spotted tyres if it’s been standing for some time. Flat spots of this type do/can recover from driving.
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Been around Yorkshire Moors and Dales this week - passed 105,000 miles in my NC. Pics from Rosedale Bank Top on the moors plus Ribblehead (wet, cold and very windy), Buttertubs, Hawes (after the rain) and Semerwater in the Dales.
(upload://gClor9tRMfkdsCsrToVSqgAFXfP.jpeg)
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I was in Hawes in my Sport Black a couple of weeks ago and it rained all week.
The river in Gayle didn’t get as bad as your picture though, but it does flood there.
A few photos from the Mach 1 stages rally yesterday at Campbeltown airport.
Nice to see Paul and Charlie Mathewson from Bangers and cash there!
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I spent a few weeks thereon detachment when it was RAF Machrihanish back in the 80’s.
School holidays here and my ten year old Grandson is staying. I’m the only car enthusiast in his family so like to give him some exposure to proper motoring when I can - a short blast round the neighbourhood also provided another photo op!
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Cadwell Park to watch some Caterham’s going at it… good close racing and a few incidents added in to the mix…
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Don’t think I’d have used that supermarket. Sardinesville
Early morning run out to Pule Hill , love this time of day , no traffic and just the sound of a racingbeat sound track and nature . I did disturb some Woolly ladies near the top of the hill 
.
Spot the MX5
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Met up with Solent for an evening at Port Solent. Lots of admirers looking at the cars parked by the waterfront.
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Felt the need for some MX5 therapy today so despite the day starting out wet and cold we headed off. We seldom have the hood up but 10ºC and occasional rain did not seem conducive to topless motoring. First we headed north to stop at a local cafe for coffee and a sticky bun, then we decided that the weather looked much better to the South! So we headed back towards home and on down the Coast where we stopped so my wife could get us an ice cream while I got the hood down and dragged the jackets out the boot. Weather just got better from there so returned home the long way with the hood down.
The first part of the drive gave me an opportunity for a top-up shot which is a very rare thing.
By the time we had got our ice creams it was a balmy 13ºC, and to celebrate a young lady was taking a dip near where we parked!
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Yesterday drove to Abingdon airfield for a driving experience day with Car Chase Heroes.
Got my hands on a Porsche Cayman,'66 Mustang,V8 Capri and a General Lee.
4 1/2 hour drive home thanks to M4 closure
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