Video Summary
Music: “Tolkien: The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings” – courtesy of The Brobdingnagian Bards
On either end of the driveshafts on most cars today, there are C.V. gaiters (”boots”) which keep the special grease in the C.V Joint and the dirt and grit out.
(* “C.V. Joint” : Constant Velocity Joint)
These are made of neoprene in the main.
When the c.v. gaiters split, (as shown in the above photo ) as they would do with general wear and tear, the grease runs out, leaving the c.v. joint vulnerable to becoming dry and the bearings inside the joint breaking up.
To prevent this expensive replacement, it is less expensive in the long term to replace c.v. gaiters and re-pack with fresh grease before the joints run dry.
Whilst flitting through various online motoring forums over the holidays, I came across www.evecars.com which describes itself as “Britain’s best motoring website for women”.
This is an off-shoot from the team at Eve magazine - “the award-winning glossy that’s a must-read for glamorous modern women. Stylish, intelligent and bursting with brilliant, fresh ideas”
Now, I happen to know my Naomi Wolf from my Germaine Greer and while I’m entirely in agreement with the article on the news and features page which promotes the need for garages which treat women seriously, it’s slightly confusing to see that this politically correct attitude doesn’t quite extend to the evecars.com car reviews which you can read if you access the (pink) drop down box…
Here are a few of the choice Audi and Volkswagen ratings and reviews…which look all the more odd when you contrast them, say, with the testosterone-fuelled rantings of Jeremy Clarkson:
Audi A3 Hatchback
“Super-stylish inside and out but you won’t have any money left over for those Manolos
Best for: making those motorway miles just melt away like warm cooking chocolate”
Audi A4 Cabriolet
“A seriously classy convertible: all you need now is dark glasses and a headscarf
Best for: feeling the wind on your face – without ruining your hair”
Audi A4 Estate
“All the sass of the saloon, with extra space for your entourage
Best for: ferrying your designer surfboard to the beach between board meetings”
Audi TT Coupe
**compare and contrast with Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Audi TT 2.0T in The Times “an affront, really, that a car named in honour of the 1905 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race and styled with a Bauhaus look should be as inert to drive as a bucket full of argon”
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback
“You can’t go wrong with the badge immortalised by the Beastie Boys
Best for: outclassing would-be Boy Racers and their souped-up chavmobiles”
Volkswagen Passat Saloon
**Compare and contrast with Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Passat in The Times: “It looks like it was styled by someone who was either in a big hurry to get the job done or who was having sex at the time. As a result, it is the motoring equivalent of Belgium: something you simply won’t notice.”
Volkswagen Touran MPV
I’m confused: what exactly is the message here ….?! Answers on a postcard please….
