Motoring Discussion > Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn Replies: 57

 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Falkirk Bairn
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-45964816

Perth - Low bridge & car transporter collide
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
That'll buff out with some T-Cut
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
The reporter thinks it is fixable to stating - tens of thousands of damage.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - smokie
You're reading things which aren't there Rob - damage usually has a value but that doesn't mean it's fixable.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - R.P.
www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/lorry-wedged-under-railway-bridge-15273402

This happened last couple of weeks. The driver was a foreign national. The signage is in imperial (like a lot around here) - The bridge has been removed now, which is a shame as work was ongoing to re-open the line. Farcical that we don't have metric signage
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
>>
>> This happened last couple of weeks. The driver was a foreign national.

Won't happen after Brexit!



>>The signage is in imperial (like a lot around here) - The bridge has been removed now, which
>> is a shame as work was ongoing to re-open the line. Farcical that we don't
>> have metric signage
>>

God man, do you want to be lynched!?

:-)
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Pat
>>Won't happen after Brexit!<<

Hopefully not because we should at least be using imperial signage in the UK instead of a mixture of Metric an Imperial as we do know and has been the reason for so many bridge strikes.

Foreign drivers, like this one, will know what to expect whereas we never know which we're going to find at the moment.

Incidentally, as Brexit is such a contentious subject wouldn't it be a good idea to keep it all in one thread and cut out the sarcasm?

Pat
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - CGNorwich
I understood the law to be that all new height and width restriction signs must be in metric and imperial measurements. Existing signs are being replaced on routine maintenance. I guess you could make an argument for speeding that up but in the current economic circumstances that’s not going to happen. Dual signage is the obvious and common sense answer. It is a pity that we were not more positive in the adoption of the metric system, we might now have a population who did not think in feet and inches but we are where we are.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
>> Incidentally, as Brexit is such a contentious subject wouldn't it be a good idea to
>> keep it all in one thread and cut out the sarcasm?

Get a life Pat - it was meant as a joke - hence the smiley!
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 02:01
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Pat
Yes, I always smile when I'm being sarcastic too:) But like many bad jokes it get's tedious when repeated everywhere.

>> If companies are not briefing foreign drivers on this stuff then I'd suggest VOSA/Traffic Commissioners should take an interest.<<

VOSA/Traffic Commissioners have no jurisdiction over foreign drivers other than to prosecute when they have done wrong.

Maybe we should start using Kilometers instead of miles too, That would at least mean our road network is truly metric and not just where it suits.

Hold on....we still drive on the left, that would have to change as well so how do we go about that one in an effort to get some consistency?

Pat

 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
I know, I know, I'm stalking you. The reality is I just got back with the children and I found this.

>>VOSA/Traffic Commissioners have no jurisdiction over foreign drivers other than to prosecute when they have done wrong.

Given that statement, you clearly do not understand the meaning of jurisdiction. i.e. "the official power to make legal decisions and judgements." Jurisdiction is EXACTLY the power to make compulsory laws and judge disobedience (prosecute).

>>Hold on....we still drive on the left, that would have to change as well

Driving on the left is imperial and you have to drive on the right to be metric?

That's going to come as a bit of a shock in Australia
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Pat
This is getting ridiculous.

>>
i.e. "the official power to make legal decisions and judgements." Jurisdiction is EXACTLY the power to make compulsory laws and judge disobedience (prosecute).<<

That is exactly what I said. Please read this 'other than'.

Petty or what?

Pat
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - sooty123
Wouldn't /shouldn't wagon drivers who are from the continent have the height of their vehicle in feet and inches?
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero

>> Maybe we should start using Kilometers instead of miles too, That would at least mean
>> our road network is truly metric and not just where it suits.

No we dont, you can still keep mph as a speed, we just need to standardise dimension on SI. Everywhere else in our lives we have
>>
>> Hold on....we still drive on the left, that would have to change as well so
>> how do we go about that one in an effort to get some consistency?
No we wouldn't. nothing to do with SI - See now you are just using it as a "Brexit" type argument
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Pat
No Z, you're wrong, there are some on here who seem incapable of stringing a sentence together on any subject without involving Brexit.

The whole road sign/speedometer/distance thing needs standardising not just for visiting foreign drivers but for us too.

Lorry speedos are in KM's. The total days' mileage is in KM's.

Bridge heights should be in both but often when they are, the conversion is inaccurate.

Width limits are far more often in feet and inches than in metres unless it equates to a complete metre.

Slip roads on a motorway are given in metres, yet distance to the next town are given in miles.

Braking distances are given in metres, yet braking is still done with the feet:)

No wonder there is confusion.

Pat


 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - CGNorwich
Clearly in a logical world there should be standardisation and total adoption of the metric system to bring us in line with industry and most of the world is long overdue.

It won’t happen on the roads any time soon however because.

1 The cost. It will cost a fortune and we have more pressing needs

2 It would be politically difficult. There are still many people who react negatively to anything they see as “foreign”. It woud be a vote loser.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 09:31
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Bromptonaut
>> VOSA/Traffic Commissioners have no jurisdiction over foreign drivers other than to prosecute when they have
>> done wrong.

I was thinking about foreign drivers of British trucks and VOSA's interest in the operators.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Pat
I see Bromp, I read that as foreign trucks, not just drivers!

Foreign drivers working for Employers in the UK are treated exactly the same by VOSA, but it is called DVSA now, and as such are expected to be able to read every road sign just as they can read a delivery address or check their wages are correct:)

From my experience most of them can but this bridge was correctly signed with both imperial and metric, just about a foot too low!

Driver error whatever his/her nationality, I'm afraid.

Pat
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Runfer D'Hills
Reminded of the apocryphal story that the Irish, having embraced metric speed limits, and being committed to staying in the EU, are now allegedly looking at switching to driving on the right.

It is said that it'll be a phased process, and that they'll just apply the rule to the trucks first to see how it goes...
;-)
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
>> Yes, I always smile when I'm being sarcastic too:) But like many bad jokes it
>> get's tedious when repeated everywhere.

Look Pat, I have tended to avoid the personal sniping that occurs on the Brexit threads and when I do post there, they are my honest findings or views.

If we can't have a laugh or jape at NO-ONEs expense then this really is really going to be a dour place.

Re Brexit....

I was up until 4AM again, trying to find ways of supporting a business who's bankers have literally walked away because they are nearly a 100% exporter. Overdraft removed with 1 weeks notice (generous, some firms have been given no notice). I don't get paid overtime.

Yes it's the business's owners fault for not being knowledgeable enough about the way banks work and their rights re overdraft lending, but he is a sales guy and the firm wasn't yet big enough for a smart FD and his employed financial advisors (local accountants used for years) just weren't up to scratch. Hey its only half a dozen jobs at his firm but his subcontracted logistics company could lose a couple of employees as will the subcontracted warehouse.

This is the same week in and out for me at the moment with both big and small companies. Banks are hunkering down and awaiting the storm. Their actions may well be seeding said storm.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Bromptonaut
>> Incidentally, as Brexit is such a contentious subject wouldn't it be a good idea to
>> keep it all in one thread and cut out the sarcasm?

Metrication started not long after De Gaulle said Non and was well underway before Heath opened next set of EU negotiations. We were using SI measurements at school by 1969 and exclusively so in GCE science 74-76 (with a possible excursion in British Thermal Units and cubic feet when doing practical stuff around domestic fuel).

The difference between feet and metres is enough that no-one has any business being confused between them. If companies are not briefing foreign drivers on this stuff then I'd suggest VOSA/Traffic Commissioners should take an interest.

Yards and metres are another kettle of fish; almost interchangeable. But bridge heights were never measured in yards.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
>>The difference between feet and metres is enough that...

Exactly... see a sign and it says 30 feet and then crash into a bridge. Surely you didn't think the clearance was 30 metres looking at the bridge.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - R.P.
We were told in school in the 70s that we were the first generation to be taught in Metric. Seems to have lingered a bit. It's common sense that a modern European country (nothing to do with being in or out of the EU) should have an ancient measurement convention completely at odds with the rest of the world (apart from the US)
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
>>We were using SI measurements at school by 1969

As far as I can pin it down in my mind, I changed schools, I think in 68 or 69 and the school I left was doggedly feet & inches and the school I went to was mostly metric. Thereafter I think it was only woodwork and metalwork that stayed in imperial.

On the roads anybody who needs to know measurements exactly should also be aware of what they are looking at, surely.

Otherwise m/km at "half plus 20%" and yards/metres at -10% is surely close enough for normal use?
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 03:10
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
>> You're reading things which aren't there Rob - damage usually has a value but that doesn't mean it's fixable.

The point is if it's not fixable, the cost is a new car. These were not £10k each.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Duncan

>> The point is if it's not fixable, the cost is a new car. These were
>> not £10k each.

What is your estimate of the cost to the manufacturer?

I bet a lot less than £10k.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Manatee
>> What is your estimate of the cost to the manufacturer?
>>
>> I bet a lot less than £10k.

Interesting question that. Many years ago a friend who worked for Ford told me that the direct cost of making a Fiesta was c. 20% of the selling price. But car making is largely a fixed-cost business.

And chargeable options are massively profitable at the margin, often costing tens of pennies rather than tens of pounds, and adding tens or hundreds of pounds to the price.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
>> And chargeable options are massively profitable at the margin, often costing tens of pennies rather
>> than tens of pounds, and adding tens or hundreds of pounds to the price.

I have mentioned elsewhere on here ages ago about an ex-client that made alloy wheels here before cost (price) down policy from the car manufacturers send them to South Africa.

Wheels sold as an option for £500 to £1000's cost between £25 to £50 each. On top of that they had to rent stillages, pay for transport, pay fines for late delivery, pay fines for faulty returns, design the wheels for the manufacturer, test (ultrasonic and x-ray) etc. etc.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 02:01
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Bill Payer
>> Interesting question that. Many years ago a friend who worked for Ford told me that
>> the direct cost of making a Fiesta was c. 20% of the selling price.

That's a bit on the low side but might be close due to the scale with which Fiestas are made.

A more typical figure is 45% of the pre-tax list price.

I saw a comment from transporter driver who used to ship Peugeot 106s and they had to pay £3000 if they were damaged - he said even back then the cars were scrapped for anything more than the most minor damage.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
>>A more typical figure is 45% of the pre-tax list price.

Depending on what you include in the costs, even that is a bit low.

Do you mean the cost in parts, materials and labour to make a single car?
Because you'd figure that might be around 20 - 30%

Including it's allocation of capital and operational expenditure; R&D, Tooling, Factory, Depreciation, S&M, transportation, warranty, insurance and so many other overheads? With full cost allocation then probably the cost is around 80% - 90% of the car purchase price.

 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Manatee

>> Do you mean the cost in parts, materials and labour to make a single car?
>>
>> Because you'd figure that might be around 20 - 30%
>>
>> Including it's allocation of capital and operational expenditure; R&D, Tooling, Factory, Depreciation, S&M, transportation, warranty,
>> insurance and so many other overheads? With full cost allocation then probably the cost is
>> around 80% - 90% of the car purchase price.

Sounds reasonable. Hence my reference to direct cost. And what ever it is, it is necessarily some sort of estimate because it's very difficult to come up with a definitive marginal cost for most things.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero
Its ludicrous that any size restrictions displayed on our roads are in imperial, its a dead standard. I have no idea how wide my car is in feet and inches, so telling me a gap is 6'6" is useless
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
Ditto
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
I know my car is about 1.9m wide and 4.9m long. But I'd use my eyes to assess spaces.

Having a car that is quite wide I opted for park assist (also would have gone for front parking sensors as an option) but it means I have parking sensors down each side. Very useful. It can also park itself and I use it more often than I should admit because it's better than I thought it would be (especially for parking in a space to the right).
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
>> I know my car is about 1.9m wide and 4.9m long. But I'd use my
>> eyes to assess spaces.

That's pretty big. I think mine is about 2.0m x 6.0m without the door mirrors. Ish.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
Yep... I think it's actually 1864mm without the wing mirrors. With the wing mirrors it's 2031mm.

So the side sensors are useful at times and only added a bit over the optional front sensors. Folding door mirrors too. And I know they are door mirrors :-)

It's a big car.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
Sorry, I know you've said before, but I can't remember; what is your car?
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - rtj70
Skoda Superb MkIII Hatchback (about 5mm longer than the estate variant). A very good car IMHO and a petrol small turbo too. More space inside than Humph's car.... the estate even better.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 02:01
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero
I have fixed in my mind that mine is 5m long, 2m wide, 1.5 high. Its a near enough measurement for my eye & road use.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 08:51
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - sooty123
I can't say I know how long, wide etc my car is in cms or inches. Never thought to look it up.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - tyrednemotional
>> I think mine is about 2.0m x 6.0m without the door mirrors.
>> Ish.
>>

...Runfer's wife been visiting.....?
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - commerdriver
>>I think mine is about 2.0m x 6.0m without the door mirrors.

2 metres long by 6 metres wide - a Jeremy Clarkson model I assume, mainly driven sideways
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 10:31
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - CGNorwich
That was the reason they decided to change to metric. They then decided on dual signage, I guess for political reasons, They are changing all the imperial only signs but it will take years before they ar all changed. As with most things it come down to money. Meanwhile keep a calculator handy.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Manatee
>> >> You're reading things which aren't there Rob - damage usually has a value but
>> that doesn't mean it's fixable.
>>
>> The point is if it's not fixable, the cost is a new car. These were
>> not £10k each.

Good thing the article didn't say they were then.

"tens of thousands of pounds of damage"

Shirley the damage to a couple of Range Rovers can be fairly measured in tens of thousands? And if we are being pedantic, what about the salvage?

 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Falkirk Bairn
One day we will probably be 100% metric.

That will be same say the USA decides to move!

Last year's severe Texas flooding coverage highlighted Feet & Inches on bridges, flood depths were in feet, Temps in fahrenheit - I could appreciate it better than any dimensions in metres / cms/ centigrade etc.

Given sizes/weights/volumes in metric, I do a bit of mental arithmetic & convert to ft & ins, cwt & lbs, gallons - a lot easier to get my 72 year mind around it.

We buy petrol in litres & talk about mpg.

Babies on average weigh 7lb 8 oz.

I bought a carpet, for the stair, it was 3 feet wide but was described as 91cm!
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - sooty123
Tyres sold in a mixture of metric and imperial, the last load of timber i bought was the same.

Then there's tvs, still sold in imperial sizes.


Using both never bothered me, I've always had to use both at work and still do.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 06:52
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero
Tyres are weird, rims are in inches even in Europe.

the last load of timber i
>> bought was the same.

Its not, it may be described in some locations as say 4x2 but its actually sawn and planed to metric sizes 100mmx50mm. (actually its rarely sawn and planed accurately by anyones ,measurement yardstick) Last lot of timber I bought was 30x50 batons, which is what I asked for
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 25 Oct 18 at 09:03
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - sooty123
Like i said that's how it's sold, I didn't take a tape measure to it.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - henry k
the last load of timber i
>> bought was the same.

The last lengths of timber I wanted were to replace some gravel boards.
The longest available were a couple of inches short. " Gorn metric mate !"
I had to add some 4 x 2 to the base of the posts. I was not amused.
The base of the posts were past their prime ( 40 + years old) so the extended repairs then had to be notched around the lowest arris rail.
Fortunately I will not have to repeat the process.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - helicopter
Timber is sold in battens Z....

Batons are used by orchestra conductors or twirled by majorettes.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero
>> Timber is sold in battens Z....
>>
>> Batons are used by orchestra conductors or twirled by majorettes.

Fantastic, I'm sure that makes you feel a whole lot more superior.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - helicopter
Oh dear , have I upset you?

Why so touchy Z old chap....? Do not attribute feelings of superiority or inferiority to me...you have no idea of my feelings.

It is purely and simply that common spelling mistakes irritate me.The most common on here...
....'break' instead of 'brake'

 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - Zero
>> Oh dear , have I upset you?
>>
>> Do not attribute feelings of superiority or inferiority to
>> me...you have no idea of my feelings.

Oh dear, Have I upset you?
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - henry k
>>Batons are used by orchestra conductors or twirled by majorettes.

I buy my batons in Waitrose and have one for lunch :-)
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - No FM2R
I like the red ones they have in Louisiana.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - CGNorwich
Commercially sawn timber is sold by “sawn”or “nominal size”. This may very from the actual size due to moisture content.

Planed timber is also described by nominal size ao will actually be around 5mm less that the sizes quoted.


 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - zippy
>> Commercially sawn timber is sold by “sawn”or “nominal size”. This may very from the actual
>> size due to moisture content.
>>
>> Planed timber is also described by nominal size ao will actually be around 5mm less
>> that the sizes quoted.
>>

Up the line, wood is sold per cubic meter. Prior to that, some timber merchants will visit forests and mark up whole trees that they want and tag them and pay for each tree, priced per cubic meter.
 Land Rover - "convertible" - not quite but roofless - VxFan
>> That'll buff out with some T-Cut

I'm sure that Russian bloke on YouTube (Arthur Tussik - look him up) would repair them. He's a wizard with car bodywork.

youtu.be/wR2f-q4WPfs

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