Motoring questions you are afraid to ask.

[Conorw89]

Can someone remind me of the best time to go on the NCT site for cancellations?

[GeeTI]

Can someone remind me of the best time to go on the NCT site for cancellations?

It used to be after midnight...but it seems now that cancellations are distributed throughout the day. I was getting dates for the end of April 23 at my local test centre but managed to get one in the end for the 20th December. Best to just keep trying the website in the hope that they'll release dates that are more suitable for you.

[Conorw89]

It used to be after midnight...but it seems now that cancellations are distributed throughout the day. I was getting dates for the end of April 23 at my local test centre but managed to get one in the end for the 20th December. Best to just keep trying the website in the hope that they'll release dates that are more suitable for you.

Nice one!

[Chamade]

If someone was interested in restoring a car that needed a lot of welding would an arc welder be good enough (complete amateur) or would you need a MIG welder? Do you need a licence to purchase the gas for a MIG?

For reference here I'm looking a 2 different cars, 1993 MR2 and a 1972 MGB.

[Mark2]

If someone was interested in restoring a car that needed a lot of welding would an arc welder be good enough (complete amateur) or would you need a MIG welder? Do you need a licence to purchase the gas for a MIG?

For reference here I'm looking a 2 different cars, 1993 MR2 and a 1972 MGB.

nope you do need an account with BOC though and get rode on the rental charge unless you go for the smaller disposable ones

[Chamade]

nope you do need an account with BOC though and get rode on the rental charge unless you go for the smaller disposable ones

Is it hard/expensive to sign up for an account? Just playing around with an idea

[shaggy]

Stargas will be the better alternative to BOC for you. Stargas

[Mark2]

Is it hard/expensive to sign up for an account? Just playing around with an idea

no just go in and sign up. Theres no charge for the account, but the bottle rental is expensive. i got a bill in the other day just for the rental (not gas) for my bottles and it was extortionate. i think the small mig bottle the usual one thats about 6inch in diameter and 3ft high or so is about €100 a year maybe a bit more

[Chamade]

Stargas will be the better alternative to BOC for you. Stargas

And a location in town. Nice one.

I'll need to price up a MIG welder.

Would something like this be ok for working on cars? https://www.donedeal.ie/tools-for-sa...elder/30630906

[Zoom]

no just go in and sign up. Theres no charge for the account, but the bottle rental is expensive. i got a bill in the other day just for the rental (not gas) for my bottles and it was extortionate. i think the small mig bottle the usual one thats about 6inch in diameter and 3ft high or so is about €100 a year maybe a bit more

That sounds like the one I have. It's much closer to €30 a year, but I'll find out soon enough as it's due at the end of the month.

Edit: Just checked my last charge and it was €29.58. I think it must be a different bottle.

[Smythy411]

I get gas from Irish Oxygen down here in Cork. Used to rent a big bottle and is decent value if you use a lot of it. I swapped to a small bottle and bought it off them. Was a nice bit dearer for the quantity of gas, but I get 100quid back if I every want to return the bottle. That small bottle lasted me most of this year with with small amount of welding I was doing... whereas I went through 2 big bottles (11m*3) in a year when I was flat out welding my e30 and making a spit for it, and shelves for parts. The refill are much cheaper when renting, but obviously you have the yearly charge on top

[-alan-]

True or False: Lowering your sun-visors traps a volume of heated air, and thus helps the windscreen blower melt ice on the outside of the screen quicker ?

( I don't know the answer btw, just wondering if it is so, and why ..)

[Type17]

Not sure myself, but I presume that if you lower them halfway (pointing straight down or at the front seat-bases), they might act as a spoiler, thereby slowing down the air, and allowing more of its heat to act on the windscreen, rather than just flying away to end up warming the headlining.
However, I reckon that any spoiler effect/air-slowing would be minimal, and the defrosting rate would probably not be noticeably quicker to the casual observer.
It might also vary a lot with different shapes/types of vehicle with shallow/tall rooflines, and short or long windscreens, etc.

[-alan-]

Might be something in it alright. Had a quick look on YouTube and there's one vid where the visor is used like a scoop to redirect the hot air-flow back down towards the windscreen again to keep the air there hotter, rather than let it flow up across the roof and onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MOI9TJlMEI0

[GT_Cork]

Was setting the timing on my 924 a few weeks ago with a gun-the Haynes says that this must be done with the vac pipe off the dizzy (which I did) and sealing the inlet (which I forgot.)

Why?