том
Posted a lot
"If in doubt, flat out!"
Posts: 2,707
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Mar 17, 2006 17:44:08 GMT
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Simple question. Been thinkin about joinin one for a while, now with the folks fleeing the country, i think i better.
I've never had any experience with any, are they much of a muchness?
Anyone found one better or worse than the other?
Cheers
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1988 V8 Rangey Bobtail :: 1968 Volvo Amazon 133 Ratrod :: 1977 Land Rover 88 :: 1985 Opel Monza GSE :: 1983 MKII Fiesta
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Mar 17, 2006 17:47:04 GMT
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aa helped me through some tough times when i came off the drink. group therapy and will power for the win. ;D only ever dealt with the aa, and theyve been fine.
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Mar 17, 2006 17:52:23 GMT
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Broken your diff on the strip at C.A.R.S? Get a tow a couple of miles down the road and call the AA!
"Dunno what happened, mate...Was just pulling away from the junction and it went pop."
"Get me home? Certainly...I live in Newcastle."
*n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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Mar 17, 2006 17:53:53 GMT
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Both the RAC and AA are getting wise to owners of, shall we say, less well maintained older cars, and have started sending out snotty letters and charging for callouts after a certain limit. I know a friend of mine got a nasty letter from the AA on her 5th call in a year, saying that they'd start charging her. Depends how much you think you'd use it, is it just for piece of mind or do you break down on a regular basis? I'd look into the alternatives such as if you have classic insurance, the service they offer. i'd suspect they're more likely to by sympathetic to multiple calls than the AA and RAC - they seem to prefer just to be towing 6-month-old repmobiles to the nearest dealer all day. If you have to go for one of the big ones, i've found the RAC to be much faster to turn up, and much more determined to fix faults than the AA, having been in both. We once waited 14 hours for an AA towtruck after the mechanic had been and gone, because we were within walking distance of home they insisted we call them back in the morning to re-arrange. and lo and behold, another mechanic turned up and decided it needed towing. WE KNOW! compare that to the RAC who visited my poorly 1303, and proceeded to dismantle half the intake side of the engine, and strip the carb down on my driveway. he wasn't even phased when a litre of petrol suddenly shot out of one of the tailpipes and into his shoe. he was really knowledgable. edit - oh, and an RAC guy was actually impressed that my G40 had splintered a driveshaft doing drag-starts at the traffic lights
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Last Edit: Mar 17, 2006 17:55:10 GMT by Pillock
Never trust a man Who names himself Trevor. Or one day you might find He's not a real drug dealer.
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том
Posted a lot
"If in doubt, flat out!"
Posts: 2,707
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Mar 17, 2006 18:00:01 GMT
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So hang on, you pay for a breakdown service, and they get curse word off if you break down?!?
I'd be wanting 'em for peace of mind, also if i do die somewhere, they'll take me home, where i can then sort it out.
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Last Edit: Mar 17, 2006 18:00:42 GMT by том
1988 V8 Rangey Bobtail :: 1968 Volvo Amazon 133 Ratrod :: 1977 Land Rover 88 :: 1985 Opel Monza GSE :: 1983 MKII Fiesta
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AA or RAC or OTHER?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Mar 17, 2006 18:06:45 GMT
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Both the RAC and AA are getting wise to owners of, shall we say, less well maintained older cars, and have started sending out snotty letters and charging for callouts after a certain limit. I know a friend of mine got a nasty letter from the AA on her 5th call in a year, saying that they'd start charging her. Same thing happend to my g/f. If it's not a case of replacing a 10A spade fuse in a Ford Mundano they get the ar$ehole with you (well they do with me anyway). I'm with the AA, and have had good and bad experiences. Best to have something though - the police don't like it if you attempt to fix your own motor on the hard shoulder and will charge you to get it on the back of a flatbed instead.
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Mar 17, 2006 18:09:43 GMT
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yeah - i called them out 4 times in a year to the polo, two of which needed a tow (Hall Effect sender and driveshaft) and two were fixed on the spot (dizzy cap both times) I got no hassle from them, i think they get p'ssed off if you are constantly calling them for the same fault. I suspect they monitor the type of breakdowns you have and will be ok for different faults, or everyday stuff like flat batteries etc.
The majority of people, who make sure their car has a fighting chance of finishing the journey they're about to embark upon, are fine. It's the people who use sheer luck who end up tarring all classic car owners with the same brush of unreliability.
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Never trust a man Who names himself Trevor. Or one day you might find He's not a real drug dealer.
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Mar 17, 2006 18:12:01 GMT
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Ha ha, I once broke down on the side of the M6 in my 205 chugga after the fuel filter blocked up. The coppers turned up and I sh@t a brick cos I had a scanned-in DIY laser printed tax disc in the windscreen! Luckily my father in law was en route to rescue me with his subaru truck, which seemed to keep the rozzers happy and they went on their way.
I've never been in the AA or the RAC or owt and have never needed em despite 13 years of driving total sh1tters, doubtless I am gonna run out of luck soon tho.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Mar 17, 2006 18:13:01 GMT
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the AA even come and save tractors.......in fields ;D
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once again rocking with 1117cc and 4 gears!
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Mar 17, 2006 18:14:16 GMT
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I have actually just joined the RAC. I have never been a member of any in the past but decided I would get a joint memebrship mainly in case our lass ever has a puncture or I need a tow home ;D. I think they are all pretty much the same the main reason I joined the RAC is they have a pretty good response time. A lot of them use local breakdown companies anyway so you never know who you will get. The majority of breakdowns they respond to are punctures and running out of fuel. My dads been in the RAC for about ten years and so far they have never been able to repair his car once ;D. Main reason is if it was something simple he would do it himself so they only get called if its a major problem.
But I know a mate of mine called me the week before xmas, he had a puncture on a 53 reg Corsa and he couldnt get the locking wheel nut off(the garage who`d changed his tyres had put all the locking nuts on with a windy gun and badly damaged them). He had called the AA out, the bloke came out spent one hour trying to get it off then gave up and towed him home and told him he would have to take it to a garage this was on a Saturday afternoon. His girlfriend was pregnant and due any time so that left him without any means of getting to hospital if they had to. He asked me if there was anything I could do. I went through and in literally less than a minute I had the locking nut off. I decided then that if I was gonna join a breakdown organisation then there was no way it would be the AA.
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том
Posted a lot
"If in doubt, flat out!"
Posts: 2,707
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Mar 17, 2006 18:21:37 GMT
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cool, RAC it is then, cheers everyone ;D
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1988 V8 Rangey Bobtail :: 1968 Volvo Amazon 133 Ratrod :: 1977 Land Rover 88 :: 1985 Opel Monza GSE :: 1983 MKII Fiesta
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Mar 17, 2006 18:46:25 GMT
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luckily i don't pay for my AA membership,nor my RAC membership or my DAS membership.they come free with some schemes at work etc.if i was to choose it would be a toss up between green flag and the rac.i did call the aa out and was not impressed.the aa patrol man was insistant to the point of insulting my intelligence.kept trying to tell me my gti mk2 had a hydraulic clutch,even after i showed him the frayed cable and told him i worked for vw.told me point blank i did not know what i was talking about.never again.green flag were great when the dynamo packed up on my imp rally car,i told the controller what it was and that they wouldn't be able to fix it (collapsed bearings) so they just sent out a tow truck.the guy driving it told me they usually believe a classic car owners diagnosis,as we know our cars better than joe public and his mundano.
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Kris
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,631
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Mar 17, 2006 19:07:39 GMT
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I'm with the AA and have had good and bad experiences with them. Got my Mini clutch slave cylinder changed by the side of the road for me and changed the points when they fried themselves. Although when the clutch went on my G/Fs Seicento I had trouble convincing the AA guy that it wasn`t the "exhaust resonating" They were even a bit funny about towing it home as the cover had a limit of 10 miles and we we 10.5 miles from home
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Mar 17, 2006 19:14:34 GMT
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ive been in the rac for four years now - one of the advantages of the rac is that you don't register your car, you register your self - so if your a passenger in someone elses motor they will come out to you.
called them out 3 times in 4 years but each time i was at least 30 miles from home - once i had a mk3 escort 1300 loaded up to the roof with heavy stuff and blew the headgasket - called 'em out - they responded within 30 minutes and then took me and the car about 40 miles home - never used the AA but a friend of mine has had a lot of trouble with them as he keeps changing his car and his premium keeps rising
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room.
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Mar 17, 2006 19:15:01 GMT
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Family's been a member of RAC cover for 12 years, I joined a year back.
It expired, and of course, a week later I broke down ;D
D'oh!
Mind you, some glue and the corner of (I kid you not) the membership card had us going again. Ha!
;D
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GJM
Posted a lot
Alloy engines; like communism- great in theory.
Posts: 1,393
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Mar 17, 2006 19:16:57 GMT
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I'm AA, not had to use them YET Heard some great things about some insurance companys own services, especaily Footman James from various Impers. All the truck drivers etc seem to be classic fanatics.
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Mar 17, 2006 19:27:14 GMT
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I'm with the RAC, and have been ever since I started driving. Must have called them out about 6 times in the 5 years I had my Minor, 3 times with the Sprite - twice in the first 2 months (fanbelt & throttle cable), and the last time was when the engine died, and only once with the Amazon - fuel leak from carbs which they fixed in 5 mins (I was wearing a suit as I was on the way back from a job interview so wasn't in the mood for messing with it).
Some of the guys they've sent out have been complete fools (normally the contractors from a local garage rather than RAC themselves), but an equal number (mainly the actual RAC) have been excellent, especially the guy who came out to the Sprite when it died - he was brilliant even though he couldn't fix it - even gave me the details of a motorfactors who might be open on a Sunday so I could get the parts, and explained exactly what was wrong aand why without being patronising.
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Last Edit: Mar 17, 2006 19:28:19 GMT by Paul H
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,945
Club RR Member Number: 71
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AA or RAC or OTHER?bstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Mar 17, 2006 20:34:01 GMT
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AA for lot of years since 1984
Didn't join for myself but for peace of mind for the other half.......
The very few times I've need them (1 x Mazda 3 Monza and 1 Senator) they've been spot on
Of course on every occasion I've found out what the fault was and been unable to fix it myself due to parts being required
They've relayed me home no quibbles at all - they don't carry spares for every car either
never been in the RAC or Green flag I guess you find something you like and stick with it
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Mar 17, 2006 22:40:35 GMT
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I have been with the AA for years and always found them great. Once when my old Imp broke down the AA man who turned up was a Mini nut who hated Imps ;D We had a nice chat.
With the AA its you whos covered not the car. So you could be a passenger in someone elses car that brakes down and they will still come out.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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AA or RAC or OTHER?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Mar 17, 2006 23:29:46 GMT
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Crafty tip for those who break down and don't have cover - if you can limp it to a Tesco car park, they have free RAC assistance for their customers. Go buy a packet of chewing gum, then find the 15-year-old store manager and tell him your woes
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