| Author | Message | |||
     Jeffrey McCarthy Prolific User Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 264 Registered: 5-2007 |
For the second time in 2 years I have had to entrust SRH20280 to local contractors of the roadside assistance company. Last time as some of you might remember the guy didn't bother tying the car to the back of the truck (beacause it was 'only' 5 kms) and naturally her rear end smashed into his winch as soon as he braked. Alas, due to a crucial bit falling out of the ignition barrel the car needed another tow. SRH20280 has that pair of handy towing hooks attached to the rear bumber mountings which can be used instead of attaching the cable to the sub-frame - something I desperaterly need now to learn how to do. Woe however - our bright spark decided he could get away with using only one of the hooks not both (saved shifting his truck to a better angle)with predicatble results!! The centre piece of the bumper is now at a rakish angle to itself, the hook is broken, the mounting is twisted and there's a nasty gouge in the other side of the car where the wraparound end of the bumper was forced into the panel, as well as sundry other dings and scratches. The sight of a two tonne Shadow rolling off the back of a tow-truck whilst a high tension cable whiplashes through the (thankfully small and miraculously uninjured) crowd of helpers & onlookers was a once in a lifetime experience. Several 'intersting' phone calls, shots of Balvenie and doses of diazapam later the process of beginning the paperwork is underway. I, of course, won't be paying -- except in blood, sweat and tears. Does anyone have a handy tool for implanting brain matter into roadside assist personel? An electric drill? Peg and awl? Treppaning chisel? Donations of witty one-liners and references to correct Shadow towing technique threads on this forum appreciated. The igintion was repaired in Melbourne, whence I was travelling to see the Tutankhamum and Vienna exibitions (both fantastic - especially the Vienna secessionists) and I came across this rather wonderful and inventive use of spare parts....
| |||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Prolific User Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 265 Registered: 5-2007 |
Oops - forgot to convert the picture from bitmap to Jpeg. Here it is.  | |||
| Peter Talbot Frequent User Username: squerryes Post Number: 84 Registered: 7-2010 |
Jeffrey I've got no synpathy for you - if you use a crap, cheap, towing firm then you deserve everything you get. In the UK we have the RAC - my Spirit, parked ouside my house,failed to start - query flat battery - so called out RAC - 15 mins later RAC van at my door - 31 minutes later low loader arrived. Spirit very securely lashed down and taken to local garage of my choice: they look after all our cars. Cost to me : nil Subs: nil. It all comes as a freebee with one of my bank accounts (Sue uses The AA - that comes as a freebee with one of her bank accounts). In this life you get what you pay for - your lot must have been direct descendants of the original Botany Bay convicts with which Great Britain disposed of it's trash and populated a far off Colony. We "Poms" enjoy a joke at the expense of former Colonials !!! Peter | |||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Prolific User Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 266 Registered: 5-2007 |
Ah but Peter - I do have a 35 year Gold class membership in the premier (and oldest) national roadside assistance organisation (which I am avoiding naming for obvious reasons) -- it be they who get to choose their local contractors: which is the problem. I'm paying the highest premium available so I think in this case I'm not getting what I'm paying for. The only other roadside assisance actually offered in this state (if not this country) seems to come with new car warranties and is organised through the dealerships. And I know of only one of those, which is offered by BMW. Since the normal (and therin lies a clue) organisation was 'corporatised' in the '80s they seem to be contracting out to the lowest bidder. In any case in rural areas all the various state organisations use the same tow truck and drivers as part of their network. I appear to live in a particularly, shall we say, descendent incestuous, part of the country - I didn't check this particular driver for the scar on his neck but I suspect the second head wouldn't have contained any more grey matter than the first. Cheers, Jeff | |||
| Jan Forrest Prolific User Username: got_one Post Number: 265 Registered: 1-2008 |
Despite Peter's diatribe on the relative merits of 'good' and 'bad' breakdown service providers we have the same problem in Blighty as you do in the colonies in that it's very rare for the company's own vehicle to attend you, but rather that a local sub-contractor will wander up - eventually (sometimes hours later!). I've even been attended to on occasion by the self same contractor although I've changed breakdown cover in the meantime. By the way Peter: The RAC was sold to an American insurance company several years ago, lock, stock, barrel and Royal Appointment. In the same vein the appelation 'Royal Enfield' now belongs to Enfield India! However it just proves that you can't always trust the competence of the so-called experts when it comes to working anyhwere near your pride & joy whether it be a brand new RR Phantom Drop-Head Coupé or a 15 year old clone-mobile. I always supervise them and make sure that they don't trust to luck when winching, towing, etc. I can only suggest that all RR/B owners keep a pair of *nutcrackers/nun-chucks/knuckledusters* (*delete as appropriate*) in the glove compartment for twirling suggestively when unsure of the abilities of the next grease-monkey that you are forced to allow near your car. |
Chapman's Garage