lexi1

Actually now starting to get a very positive responce now from the guys on the BMW forum. After now typing out the differences between the IS and the 3 series and adding a couple of pics of my old car a lot of them are actually starting to agree with my views. All in all they no, like it or not the IS200 offers a much superior package to the rediculously priced, no toys included bland 3 series. There are 3/4 hardcore BMW disciples who now seem to be quietly leaving the debate as they no they are fighting a losing battle and i am now becoming quite suprised that the majority seem to be prasing the Lexus range and actually running down there own Marque. It appears not all BMW drivers are :tsktsk: after all.

Is anyone still following this thread on the BMW forum, think i will have to let it go now guys or run the risk of being banned. Will anyone still talk to a banished BMW driver on this forum if i am hung, drawn and quarterd. I can add some Lexus style lights to my 5 and pretend cant i.

they are no more biased towards BMW than you guys are being towards Lexus.

Lookup any post on here where someone comes and asks a similar question - and read EXACTLY the same comments.

its a BMW forum, they own BMWs - its a natural bias.

this is a Lexus forum - we own Lexus - the same bias exists here

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Even though i am now a BMW owner i still dislike the majority of BMW drivers. Not all, but the majority are so far up there own backsides it amazes me, they really think they are are head and shoulders above the rest. Although my 5 series is a craking car i would not rate it any higher than a Lexus in any field and when my brother in law decides to sell is RX300 ( he will sell it to me for trade price) or the values drop on the new GS i will be back. BMW's are good car's, i think it is the owners that give them a bad name and as for a 3 series they are now more common than Mondeos.

http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/viewtopic....er=asc&start=25

Ok fellas, long time no chat. As i needed a bigger car for the expanding family i decided on a BMW 525i Sport. Just thought you would all like to no, even though i am now a BMW owner i am still fighting the Lexus corner on the BMW forums. Even though i love my 5 series I think my next car will have to be a new GS or RX400 so i can get back on a decent forum with members who talk sense.

I bought the centurion pro77dvd package with multi region player and 2no 7" widescreen tvsfor £180. I then installed it all in my Jeep for the kids. I then bought 2 tv headrest mounts from centurion at a price of £18 pound a piece. cut out rear console and headrests to happily fit dvd player and tvs, hid all wires through seats and finally connected audio to my vehicles speakers. I have never attempted anything like this before and not blowing my own trumpet but believe it could not have been done any better if i paid the £450 asked by sextons for the proffesional install not including dvd &screens.

Overal total price £180 unit and tvs

£36 headreast mounts

£18 fm modulater

total £234

Apparently since i have done mine a few of my mates have attempted to do the same but are now unable to buy a suitable headrest mount as centurion have now slightly changed the design of the tv and no longer supply mounts to suit. lf anyone would like to attempt this just make sure you buy a kit with the silver screens ( mounting plate available). All newly made models will have black screens (no mounting kit available.

Before someone posts USELESS WITHOUT PICS. I wwill get some up hopefully later today.

The Passion of Chri.st

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Yep, suprisingly that one got me too.

Had some young chav slam his door into mine a while back while i was sat in the car. Got out, checked mine for damage lucky there was none. Calmly kicked off his wing mirror and stared straight at him waiting for reply. Looked like he was going to cry, sat back in his car, more careful with door this time and drove off.

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Ha ha :D Just read this!! Like you're style!! Ever thought of anger management classes?

Thats quality mate!!

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No need for anger management mate, as i said 'CALMLY' kicked off his wing mirror.

Had some young chav slam his door into mine a while back while i was sat in the car. Got out, checked mine for damage lucky there was none. Calmly kicked off his wing mirror and stared straight at him waiting for reply. Looked like he was going to cry, sat back in his car, more careful with door this time and drove off.

No more than £30 quid mate.

No1

Nice one, make sure you stick at it, its an excellent trade.

I would never park in a disabled bay full stop .and i totaly disagree with the parent and child spaces ,i have two girls aged 5 & 7 and thier legs work fine .why should we be able to have bigger spaces that are ALWAYS nearer the entrance just because we have kids .and to be honest why take a kid in a pushchair with you to asda's .surely it is easier to wait for your partner to come home and one of you have the sproggs while the other do,s the shopping ,i mean it aint like a day out at chessington is it although i think some familys treat it that why .makes me laugh when you see mum and dad and three kids all walking around the supermarket just to buy some food .totaly unnessacary in my book

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So what your saying is, i should park in a normal space with a baby who cant even crawl yet, undo her from the car seat through a partly opened door because of restricted space and then drag her by one hand through the gap of the door and the car body, and no i am not being stupid, when parked in normal spaces gaps can quite literally be this tight. Also you say you have two girls aged 5 and 7, thats fine. What about the people with 3, 4 or more children, dont you think a young mother posssibly on her own with baby in hand, and trying to also control 2, 3 toddlers should have to walk further than nessasary, maybe have to cross a couple of roads in strong winds, rain, ice, etc. I would agree that maybe they should be called parents and baby spaces and i do appreciate the concern that we all have for the possible damage to our cars, but the bottom line is these bays are there for a reason.

I would never park in a disabled bay (unless I had a disabled person in the car with badge etc.............(As a matter of fact I think we should adopt the American way of dealing with offenders for this.....remove ppls licences))

But I often use parent/child parking..................and before anyone complains, I shop pretty late when there are loads of slots still avail.

I would say though, that if I did have to shop during more busy hours, I would still be very tempted to park in one of these slots as they just don’t make spaces big enough for modern cars, and its not as if the shop will pay for damage done to vehicles in stupidly small spaces.

Aren’t parent/child spots more of a privilege, than anything else?

I see too many STUPID ppl who don’t give a toss for others property!

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I have three children aged 5, 3, and 0 and NO, parent and child spaces are not a privilage. When you are trying to take out three children you cannot just open the door slightly they have to be opened fully, it is more than likely the people denting cars in the main car park are the parents who cant get in a parent and child spot and have to open there doors fully into yours. Bare this in mind. If you were in a wheelchair and could not park in a disabled spot because they were all taken by people who 9 times out of 10 are too lazy to walk a couple of extra feet, wouldnt you be tempted to accidently scrape your wheelchair all along the side of that nice car which shouldnt be there, like wise a pram or trolley carrying children can be pretty damaging too. I have in the passed blocked in people illegaly parked and gone on my 1 hour shop. When i come back you normally find some idiot sat in car, normally a young kid who has just run in for a packet of fags, not happy but not complaining because the :tsktsk: hole no's he shouldnt be there and looking at the smoke coming from my ears probably thinks he better off saying nothing.

thanks for the info - unfortunatley i dont know anyone in the trade - so thats a hinderence... but we'll see...

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Just shop around mate and dont except your first quote. There are some right rip off merchants out there and i can honestly say from experience generally the more they charge the worse the workmanship and after service. Funnily enough i done some work yesterday for an elderly guy who was charged £2800 to swap over a boiler. Same boiler, same place, he was told the boiler was £2000 in fact it can be bought for just over £450. The robber who charged him done a duff job, left no number and didnt even warrant it up. He called me to put it right, he nearly died when he found out i would have done the same job under 1K.

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well, since your not that far from me - I might call you for a quote...

and if i need electrics doing, there is always Barrie ;)

Just need a builder now :D

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Mate i will happily guide you on prices you should be paying. I work for a building company so i can give you an idea on what you should be paying for virtually anything building related.

thanks for the info - unfortunatley i dont know anyone in the trade - so thats a hinderence... but we'll see...

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Just shop around mate and dont except your first quote. There are some right rip off merchants out there and i can honestly say from experience generally the more they charge the worse the workmanship and after service. Funnily enough i done some work yesterday for an elderly guy who was charged £2800 to swap over a boiler. Same boiler, same place, he was told the boiler was £2000 in fact it can be bought for just over £450. The robber who charged him done a duff job, left no number and didnt even warrant it up. He called me to put it right, he nearly died when he found out i would have done the same job under 1K.

Mate, as long as you are pretty handy or no people that are, you should have no problem at all getting your house up to scratch for under £20k. In my first house i ripped down every ceiling replastered every wall fitted a new bathroom kitchen and central heating for under 10K. Admitedtlly i am a plumber by trade but as a guide this is what i think you should be looking at based on prices i would charge and mates of mine in other trades.

Price of kitchen + £1000 to fit which should include plumbing and electrics

Price of boiler and rads £1000 to £1500 for material i.e. boiler, 8 rads, pipework, valves etc + £1500 to install

Price of bathroom + £400/£500 to install

This should cover your your main costs. I no there will be other members now screaming you must be joking i paid x amount for this and x amount for that. Believe me, these prices can be met and not by cowboys. Seriously, you should be able to build a house from ground up with 50k.

Well thankyou very much!  My wife is a disabled driver. And on many occasions when we have gone shopping in her car we cannot get to park in the "disabled bay" because other people who are NOT disabled are parked there. Usually because it is nearer the entrance and they don't have to walk far on there 2 good legs!!!!  But to park there because your car may not get scratched then that is okay!

I am not disabled and I like to look after my car but I do NOT park in DISABLED or Mother & baby Places. They are there for a good reason. For badge holders.

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Back you up there mate, really :tsktsk: me off when people park in disabled or family parking spots who shouldnt. Should be clamped or towed.

A brief history lesson. Consider these facts:

Britain came pretty close to losing the Battle of Britain in August 1940. It was only through a change in Nazi tactics that the RAF survived. There are many books on the subject.

With complete control of the air, Hitler would have been free to invade Britain in September 1940. The British army would have collapsed within 3 weeks, as their equipment was left behind in France after the defeat in May.

With Britain defeated, Hitler does not need to fight campaigns in North Africa, the Mediterranean and in the Balkans in early 1941. The invasion of Russia goes ahead, as planned, in early May 1941, 6 weeks earlier than the actual events.

As a result, the panzers reach Moscow in early October 1941, unhindered by the Russian winter that stalled the actual events. The Russian government collapses and relocates to Sverdlosk, to the east of the Ural mountains. Stalin sues for peace and a line is drawn from the Arctic Ocean to the Caspian. Hitler now controls the oilfields around Baku that he so desperately needed.

So, Europe is totally under the control of the Nazis. And without a friendly aircraft carrier (in the land mass of the Britsh Isles), assistance from the USA would have been impossible.

Still not bothered about your vote? Tell it to one of the few remaining Spitfire or Hurricane pilots.

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I will back you up mate, your taking a lot of slack on this one. I am only 31 but fully appreciate what my grandfather and thousands like him fought and died for. So we, the next generation could live freely and in control of our own lives and not in fear of torture and death for expressing our opinions. In all honestly i cannot understand how anyone could not appreciate this and take the attitude of, i cant be bothered. This largely expressed attitude is partly why the country is in the mess it is. I no when it comes to politics, i would agree they all seem as bad as each other. But if everyone stood up and made there voice heard by voting, wouldnt you agreee the parties involved would then maybe start to think, woa maybe we need to actually do something while in power, otherwise we will be booted out next term instead of there attitudes now of, relax lads, line your pockets sod em, there too bloody stupid to vote and change things now.

I am not an expert mate, but the general impression given on the news, papers etc. is that it is more likely that house prices will steady, as they have, but a steep fall or bust is probably unlikely. I am sure they will be someone who works in this field and can advise you more. I was lucky, i reluctently mortgaged to the hilt, but it was 6 years ago and my house has more than doubled in that time. Its a shame hard working people cant buy a suitable house when the unemployed moan when there 4 bedders are too small.

Having been in the same boat myself recently i can confidently say you will not be able to sell your motor until the new plate as been assigned to it. This could take a couple of weeks. The only other option is to sell the car with the private plate on as i did in the end.

Sorry mate, doing well but not quite nationwide yet. Watch this space.

wish i could mate, already training someone up.

yep i hear what your saying,,perhaps if i had mentioned my intentions then it would be clearer as to where im coming from. the plan is to get the qualifications (the course by the way covers all that you mentioned) then work for someone else for a year before even thinking about going it alone. im under no illusion there.

besides, part of the nvq's will me to do on site work that i can document and have assessed, which is why id like to get work experence with someone before (ideally) working for some other company.

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Good man, anything i can help you with on the way, just ask.

Nice one mate, if your serious go for it. I will say though, now more than ever people are changing there jobs to plumbing and thinking after 6 mths training the money starts rolling in. This is not the case. When i done my apprentiship it was over 4 years and it it was 6 years before i was confident enough to start  running jobs for the company i work for and doing my own private work. Plumbing is an excellent trade and you can earn great money, i would recommend it to anyone who is serious, but dont expect to it to happen overnight. Good luck mate.

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thanks all..

lexi,, i think things have changed somewhat ince the apprentisip days,, did you know some of these training places offer at leat 6 interviews or even job placement at the end of the training (they have x amount of business's on there books)

if i go the working for myself route then the only problem i foresee is getting business,

i have already done some private jobs with a mate who is in british gas, and i am confident with using tools and the like so i dont see any of that as a problem and i hope to get some experience with a plumber (even if its working for next to nothing)

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Paul mate, i am only 31 and have been plumbing since i was 16. I have build up an excellent customer base, i am always booked up at leat 3 weeks in front of myself and have never had to advertise due to good word of mouth. I can honestly say mate if you think you will be any sort of plumber in 6 months, no matter how confident you are on the tools and regardless of what these 6 months schemes may promise unfortunately you have been seriously mislead. There are many different fields involved i.e sanitary, gas, lead work, guttering, drainage, heating etc. You may well pick up the very basics of plumbing in 6 months and no doubt if dedicated could be very good under supervision, but dont think you will be off working for yourself fitting heating systems etc and making good money in this short time. Is your freind in the gasboard knowlegable in all field or does he just deal with gas, if he is good in all fields i am sure he will back up what i say. As i said i am not trying to turn you off, infact if you are serious then i couldnt recommend the trade enough, i love my job and the money when competent is excellent, but honestly mate dont think it will all happen in 6 months. You will need at the very least 2 years site experience under supervision before you yourself will be happy to view, price and work on anything bigger than a basic bathroom swap. Good luck, hope you stick with it, you wont regret it.