Took my D out of it's carcoon today - bit late in the season I know. Despite being in there all winter it started first time :) I said to my son, Simon, "If was Mark Bourne, I'd probably do all the right things now like check the fluids, tyre pressures and everything. But I'm not so let's just drive it". Everything seemed okay, except the car seemed a bit sluggish and pulled increasingly to the right. Then my old overheating problem came back. Not the one where I overheat in traffic, but the one where I overheat when going fast - think I need to flush the cooling system and maybe even need a new cooling pump. Then the pull to the right got worse and the brakes starting squeaking - think the front brake is seized on. Sure enough the wheel was hot. So we limped home and the brakes got worse and worse. I have to do an emergency stop to just, er, stop. As a result, I'm going to ask my mate who has a garage down the road to do a full service. I think it would be nice if I could provide him with the following: Brake replacement part numbers, pads, callipers etc. or equiv Oil filter part number or equiv Air filter part number or equiv Plugs, points part numbers or equiv Cooling pump part numbers or equiv Best oil to use in an oil change Any other bits I have forgotten or despite my obvious encyclopaedic (sic) knowledge of cars did not know existed, then please let me know.
I'm sure that all this info is in some back issue or old email but if anyone knows of the top of their head then I'd be grateful for a reply. Please remember that I only discovered that the engine was in the rear after the first time I broke down so don't get technical!