gjm

Looks great and I really like the idea, but as Connor said possibly more useful for keys and the like. The little hole suggests that could be a target market... The GPS idea also sounds good but a 2 week battery life isn't ideal. People go on holiday for longer than that (apparently).

She's a good driver, too. Significantly quicker than any of the (previous) TG team and about 10th fastest ever 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car'. Remember the lap? JC told her she was 0.3s faster than Jay Kay... Pissed Jay Kay off no end - he asked for another go but was turned down. And she drives a Maserati. Which makes her all right in my book.

Thanks.

Do you have a part number for the bearing? Ta.

I've been looking for suspension for my Merc. I can buy a set of Koni Str.T shocks and H&R springs, shipped from Germany, tax paid, for less than a local supplier can buy them in. The issue is economy of scale. Dealers here will buy from wholesalers in Germany or the US. If we want something even slightly unusual, it'll be a special order, possibly part of a $10k order placed every 2 or 3 months. There are wholesalers in Europe and the US buying up to $100k of parts per week... The discounts go to the big buyers, not to us in NZ. I'm very seriously considering this. KW shocks, Vogtland springs. Good kit but not something I'd considered (being bred on a diet of Koni, Bilstein, Leda and so on). Price is agreeable and being supplied locally, any issues are dealt with locally.

Thanks Olaf.

The plans for a car for Miss M continue to be developed. Her latest idea? A Porsche 924. Handles well and in 2.0 guise, doesn't have too much power for a new driver. She's planning ahead, y'see - in 30 years time she wants to be able to say she learned to drive in a Porsche, and never drove anything else.

How much? Bear in mind that good new tyres may not be all that much more.

Pale Ales aren't bad over here. Good George IPA is nice, but perhaps a little strong. Ben Middlemiss 'Hodgson' is decent. But the range of 'real' ale isn't here, yet, imo. There's a superb depth of knowledge that hasn't yet translated to excellent brews.

We're only going for two weeks, but yeah... That seems to be the plan! Full English breakfast, sir?

Just adding things to my list for when we head over there... And real beer. NZ does have some nice beer, but it is different to the British stuff.

Lol I was a couple of cars back. I thought one of the cars in front of me was going to ram the not-so-Swift at one point...

It was alongside a frickin' lorry - not even one with a trailer - for the entire time!!! (Lorry in left hand lane, not-so-Swift in the right hand lane.) I suspect the lorry driver was having a good laugh.

It should GTF out of the way! Slow down a little, speed up a little... Don't the drivers realise they've been alongside the same vehicle for over 20km???!!! If they used their mirrors they'd see a queue of traffic so long it disappears from view!

Why do Suzuki not-so-Swifts need to sit in the outside lane at exactly the same speed as the car they have managed to catch up with? Bottom of the Bombay Hills all the way to the start of the slight incline after Hampton Downs... At between 89 and 92km/h. Aaargh! Grrr... Kill...

I have an older SnapOn one that I've not used - if it is of interest I have no doubt we could come to some arrangement.

That's no KitKat, no sirree... Sooo much better!

And I thought the test in Egypt was easy... At least you had to actually drive the vehicle, even if it was only in a straight line forwards, and then back again!

Ron - can we summarise by saying driving standards in NZ are pretty low? If ticketing vehicles travelling a few km over the limit wasn't so profitable, we might see more emphasis on prosecution for 'driving without due care and attention', or similar.

I think this pretty much sums it up. Border bods are interested in MAF regulations and illegal import/smuggling, and not so concerned with trademark or copyright infringement especially in small, personal use quantities.

Fair 'nuf. I'd seen something about BC coilovers, and even mention of H&R but have no idea of prices. Compressed springs (I don't like the idea. but that obviously doesn't mean it isn't viable) will likely be the cheapest option; certainly worth investigating the price of custom springs. Maybe even something progressive? Other solutions will be available - LEDA (if they are still trading under their original ethos) would custom build anything.

There was stuff on the TV news this morning about someone being banged up for killing a small girl while driving on the wrong side of the road - the driver was (I think, I didn't really watch it) from overseas. The usual diatribe about train was trotted out. It's entirely possible that some people coming to NZ for a hols, and driving a car, do not speak English. (Hell, there's enough people living here that don't so why should visitors be different?) Let's also bear in mind that the vast majority of NZ is not covered by any form of public transport, so if you want to move around you need to use a car. You drive on the left in the UK. The rest of Europe drives on the right. There is continual everyday transfer of traffic across the English Channel. If it can be dealt with there, why not here?

Keith at George Stocks told me they can get Vogtlands. I thought coilovers were available for the E31? Although a (very) quick squint around t'web suggests variations in suspension on the different models. Dunno.

Tunnocks are yum. My mother-in-law has already bought some for me, so they'll be waiting when we get there. Changed the recipe at the factory in the UK? Nooooo.....! I know Sanitarium have messed around with it to make it more palatable to the stereotypical Kiwi sweet(er) tooth, but not the original. Please say it isn't true!

As we'll be heading to and from the UK in the near future, I thought I'd check on the situation with bringing some British food back. Typically, it's OK... However, Sanitarium who licensed production of Marmite n NZ in 1908, have sought to prevent the import of British Marmite (first manufactured in Burton-on-Trent in 1902) on the grounds of Trademark infringement. This restriction has been expanded to include very similar products manufactured under the Marmite brand but with a different name, including Ma'amite. NZ Marmite contains sugar and caramel, not found in UK Marmite. The base ingredients, while originally the same, are also now subtly different. Frankly, it seems Unilever (now owners of Marmite) have a case against Sanitarium for misrepresentation! I think the restrictions apply typically to mass importation of UK Marmite, and not to a couple of sealed jars in luggage. All the same, it seems odd to be prohibited from importing something similar, yet fundamentally different to a NZ-sourced product.