dings.

[bigyagi]

jeez, is it just me, or do i maybe have a target painted on the cars rear? just a half an hour ago, returning home, and yet again, completely at a stop, at traffic lights, some idiot bangs into me. not like last time though, but just enough to make the car move a little. to make matters worse, the first thing out off this guys mouth, is that he is sorry he bumped me, but his brakes are a little "soft"!!! what kind of an idiot drives with his car in this condition?? anyhoo, no damage to me, and only his lic plate, and plastic surround damaged. but, i told him i was reporting him. he"s all bent out of shape, and offering all kinds of money, then trying to threaten me, like that will work! i try to make him understand, that what would have happened, had a kid ran out in front of him, or something like that! knowing his brakes were shot, i'm not prepared to let him carry on with such a ****ty vehicle. good job i was in a good mood today, or i may well have been typing this from local constabulary "hotel".
cant believe it! this is the third time, i have been rear-ended , while stopped at lights!
funny, all this just after reading AF JUVATs post about some 944 owners not keeping up with essential repairs etc.
in the U.K, after your car is over 3 years old, you have to obtain a yearly m.o.t test, that is basically the same as the safety check here, but to keep your car on the road, and in good condition, it must pass, every year!
sad to say, but this vehicle looked only less than 5 years old!
well, i hope the local lads catch up with him soon, before he does seriously injury to someone, and i dont feel bad at all about my actions.
bob. vent, vent!

[PhillysMostWntd]

wow that sucks to hear, good idea on reporting him, its not hard to get your car in for a tune up every 3 months, some people are lazy and cheap basically.. but your cars fine right? what kind of car was he driving?

[944cabby]

So how often do your cars have a "safety check" in the states then?Who does them the garages?

[Dantilla]

Safety check? Never heard of them around here. If it moves under it's own power, it's legal.

Scary, huh?

[herdman]

PhillysMostWntd --- You're in Ogden. Cool It's good to find out someone else in Utah likes great cars and not just pickuptrucks. What have you heard about Larry H. Millers new road course in Tooele?

[bigyagi]

944 cabby, in this part of canada, when you buy a vehicle {secondhand}, you have to get it safety checked, which is basically just like the mot test, then you are done! never need to take it in again. only when you sell it on, does the safety check come into play, and as you can imagine, there are some scary vehicles on the road!!
phillysmostwntd, car is ok. he was driving pontiac grand prix. last may, returning from a weekend in chicago{great party town!} while stopped at lights, waiting for traffic to stop, so i could make a left turn, a girl who was intently talking on her cell phone, decided to try and launch me thru the junction. she actually shoved the car about 3 feet forward. i thought for sure its a write off, but only a small dent at strenghened rear corner, and torn "porsche" decal. the rubber impact pad took the brunt, and as she hit, she turned the wheel, and done a broadside. her car, a buick le sabre, was written off !! i wish i had taken a pic. the driver door would not open, the front wing, was all dented in, and the hood was crumpled, and lights all gone!. i had mine all checked out for frame damage etc, and no probs. quite a tough little car, but if she had hit me direct on, it would have been curtains. still, thats the 3rd time i have been rear-ended, and i'm getting really pi$$ed about it now.
bob.

[livewirevoodoo]

All I had to do to register my 18 year old car last year is pay a registration fee. That and some back car taxes from a Geo Storm I had back in '96 that finally caught up with me (D'Oh).

I think if my 944 previously had an out of state registration there would have been an inspection, but because both buyer & seller were from the same state all I had to do was show bill of sale, insurance coverage, and pay $85.

[944cabby]

So, if you go and buy a second-hand car and have an accident in it because it's unroadworthy how do you stand legally?Do traffic police pay much attention to vehicles - over here i've been stopped on occassions and had tyres, lights checked etc.

[bigyagi]

the problem is that once you have bought the vehicle, and had the safety check done, and passed, you can drive the car for ever, if you like, with no other safety check ever again! so you can imagine there are some people who will drive a car to destruction, or certainly, drive with potentially serious defects, and unless something serious happens, will quite merrily, drive a car with brakes that hardly stop you, suspension that makes your car bounce for 100 yards, after going over a bump, and the list goes on. one time over in detroit, i saw a car with no front wings, and the bonnet was folded back half way, you could see the entire engine! plus, two huge cracks on the windscreen, no driver side window, and duct tape holding the boot together. funny thing, is that cars like that are not uncommon! could you imagine seeing something like that on the road in the u.k?
the scariest thing i ever saw, was a couple guys pulling a boat, and the trailer hitch was almost coming away from its attachment posts. coupled with the sides of the truck were all rusted away, and were actually "flapping", as the truck went over bumps in the road!!! i honestly could visualise the truck going left, and the boat going right on!
some scary $hit going on over here with vehicles, especially in certain areas. there is no catchment point at all, like with the yearly m.o.t test. i know its a PITA, but it keeps death traps off the road.
my old triumph vitesse failed once because of rust at the wheel arches!!! brakes, steering, suspension all ok, but a small area of rust made it fail? seriously though, it can be scary, as there are a lot of old bangers, on the road, just because they start and run! people will only use them for running locally etc, but what happens when a kid runs out or something like that, and the brake lines etc have never been looked at in 20 years?? the list goes on.
my original post, i vented at a guy who tagged me, and all the time smiling, quite calmly told me that his brakes were "soft"?? this car was only a couple years old, so draw your own conclusions, about older , beat up cars. i'm not saying all cars/owners are like that, but when you see a car that looks like it should be in the breakers yard, not outside of it, then give it a by
bob.

[Panzer909]

Originally posted by livewirevoodoo
All I had to do to register my 18 year old car last year is pay a registration fee..............

...............I think if my 944 previously had an out of state registration there would have been an inspection, but because both buyer & seller were from the same state all I had to do was show bill of sale, insurance coverage, and pay $85.

Whoa - really? Here in PA, we have an across-the-board annual inspecion which sees just about EVERYTHING looked at with a microscope. Heck, just a few months ago when my Bimmer was up, they found a few "deteriorated bushings" in the suspension (according to them ) which had to be replaced. Knowing how the game is played, I told them to just give me the car and I'd take care of it myself & bring it back in. That way, they'll think twice about your car "needing"stuff next year. Ridiculous? Absolutely.

[PhillysMostWntd]

Originally posted by herdman
PhillysMostWntd --- You're in Ogden. Cool It's good to find out someone else in Utah likes great cars and not just pickuptrucks. What have you heard about Larry H. Millers new road course in Tooele?

herdman, LOCAL!?, i thought i was the only one in utah who didnt want a truck or a civic, i hear its not rumors, but when it is completed (soon i hope, probably not) i cant wait, i hear its going to have drag strip, auto-x track and a nascar circle, where are you located?

[herdman]

I'm in Provo. Raised in So. Cal. and thats why I'm in to cars so much. My wife puts up with my cars, God Bless her. And my kids take after me. I had a small engine fire in my 924S and I'm in the process of replacing wires, vac. lines ect. Whats going on with your 84 944?

[Moneyguy1]

Here in AZ, you have an annual tailpipe inspection, no mechanical inspection. And, this has to be done prior to renewing your tags, leaving someone like me a little behind since I was rebuilding the fuel system when the tags expired. So, I have just left it sitting. Maybe some day in the future Iwill find out how to get around this very silly and primitive registration system.

[silencer88]

Here in NJ they inspect every little thing in our cars down the the suspension and emissions. The older a car is, the more often is has to be inspected. My '84 944 goes once a year.