406oc.co.uk

Spurred on by new-found enthusiasm induced by our meet I want to change my front bumper because its currently held on by cable ties (onto the passenger side wheelarch liner, which must also be replaced) and some glue. Its a bit embarrassing.

I saw this 406 being broken, in the right colour which I can visit on my way up to Salford next week.

So I'd like a bit of guidance on D9 front bumper replacement.
I've read Haynes (for D8) and the various posts on here --this on in particular, and my main questions are:
1. What tools (10mm spanners is it?).
2. The thing about getting the front lights out seems to be bollocks.
3. Is it held in place under the honeycomb grille by anything?
4. Do I need new wheelarch liner screws from the dealer?

Just found "FRONT BUMPER" and "FRONT WING" in ServiceBox

Round trip to Shrewsbury today -- for work so I got my foot down

Been cruising at 80--85. Computer says 41mpg, so that should be at least 50mpg actual, which I'm pretty happy with.

There's quite a lot of wind noise at these speeds, which I think is down to the gaps between the front doors and the door seal near the top of the windscreen. I think maybe I need the doors bending in a bit to seal tighter. I'm sure it didn't used to be that noisy.
I've noticed that the current fashion seems to be to have the doors fit under the roof (like the 407) rather than over the roof.

I still have some Wynn's Diesel Injector Cleaner in the system, and it's made such a difference. It feels much more responsive and capable; I don't dread hills any more.
Speaking of hills, I decided to come back via A458 to Bridgnorth, A442 to Kidderminster, and A449 Worcester, then cut the M5-M4 corner on the A417 & A419 -- and what brilliant roads they are

Couple of big hills where foot to the floor in 3rd is real fun, and I don't seem to be leaving a massive cloud of soot any more.
Up hill in fourth with foot to the floor has very much less effect, if indeed any at all
This reminded me of the Is having a fast car all it's cracked out to be? thread.
There was no shortage of even the most mundane iron that was far faster than me off the roundabouts (but not round the roundabouts) but what is the point?
It's true that, with the benefit of hindsight, I dearly wish I'd bought a 2.2 (or even a 110) back in 2005, but that's not the situation I' am (or was) in. I have a 90 that's lasted 6 years and has over 180k on it, has never let me down, is still going -- stronger than ever, and is simply a brilliant car, so I'm sticking with it.

On the down side, I've now got a rattle at 1300rpm which I think is a bearing running somewhere off the aux belt. Might let it develop a bit.
And when setting off if I put some revs on and let out the clutch quickly then I get a lot of juddering. (I normally let the clutch out with just a few revs and then accelerate.)

P.S. Audi drivers really are the worst. A3s on both occasions.

It's a noteworthy few weeks coming up: Friday is the 10th anniversary of it's build date, and I'll have put almost exactly 100,000 miles on it since I got it.

^^ See all the crap that I have time to think of when I'm alone in the car for eight hours

rwb wrote:P.S. Audi drivers really are the worst

Agreed, but with a noticeable increase in twattery from anyone driving a Vauxhall with a VXR badge on it, whether it's a Corsa, an Astra, or a Vectra. That VXR badge makes them think they're Ayrton f*cking Senna

My car was built ten years ago today!

Happy Birthday to the car!

I quite like having a fair amount of power, like you said coming off roundabouts or joining motorways I feel a bit safer having a good shove of power to get me away from all the other loons.

It's a good motor though the 90, more simple and hugely de-tuned it'll go on for evAr........

Maybe you could treat it to a re-map one day, I think you'd really enjoy that.

Welly wrote:Happy Birthday to the car!

I quite like having a fair amount of power, like you said coming off roundabouts or joining motorways I feel a bit safer having a good shove of power to get me away from all the other loons.

Maybe, he's out-guessed us welly. Perhaps we're the 'other loons', demonstrating our 'good shove of power', while Rich smiles quielty, thinking about how much he's saving in fuel, rubber, et al, and still gets the road to himself?

Bon anniversaire à ton 406.

Indeed, sometimes I wonder if people look at me in my seemingly ridiculous-to-run T5 and wonder whether I'm some sort of Caddish character or purely mentally challenged.......

Only managed to get 51mpg off that tank with having got my foot down.

Back to normal speed, this time down the M3:
(The computer normally under-reads by 10 to 12 mpg compared to brim-to brim, so that should be 65.

Whats your cruising speed? Mines usually ~65mph. Would love to just sit behind the lorries but get fustrated

Bailes1992 wrote:Whats your cruising speed? Mines usually ~65mph. Would love to just sit behind the lorries but get fustrated

Going up that hill you usually don't have a choice in doing 56. You could be doing a fair lick of speed at the start & by the time you get halfway, a couple of artics have decided to pull a half-assed overtaking manouevre slowing the traffic in the middle lane to below 50, & everybody that was in the middle lane just throws themselves into the 3rd lane at 55.

60 to 65 on this occasion, but on the two lane sections I just sat behind a wagon at 56. And that did feel rather slow after my outing to Shrewsbury.

That hill isn't as bad as it looks -- and it's nothing compared to the M40 High Wycombe and Stokenchurch hills

rwb wrote:
That hill isn't as bad as it looks -- and it's nothing compared to the M40 High Wycombe and Stokenchurch hills

I agree, I was on that hill friday on my way to and from Poole, and didn't lose speed, whereas that Stokenchurch hill, I definately lose speed on in the lorry

Went to Manchester the week before last. On the M6 at junction 8 (M5) I put exactly 100,000 miles on since I got the car, and rather pleasingly this was only about 5 miles from where I bought it from.

rwb wrote:Went to Manchester the week before last. On the M6 at junction 8 (M5) I put exactly 100,000 miles on since I got the car, and rather pleasingly this was only about 5 miles from where I bought it from.

ibet when you got out of Manchester,bet you thought thank **** for that, shite hole aint it,
100.ooo miles you havent done bad there,