I'd trust the 'competent family friend' far more than putting the car into the Main Dealer...... Stolen / Gone: 2006MY Supercharged LPG Autobiography - Zambezi Silver with Sand/Jet/Jet Oxford Leather.....

ok, just ask them if they would normally replace the lock seal, or tap it back to relock etc. (either way would do for me, but not my car. ) but it looks like one is new!


On the arches story,. I do all my servicing and small repairs (I can do) myself. so I ground back the metal carefully, with a powerfile, to proper bright steel, near to the main body edge, and hand painted the bare metal with zinc primer, twice, then carefully rubbed them flat, blended, and grey primed them, feathered, and genuine aerosoled them to body colour, giving them a cushion of paint to hold them up against incoming grit. seem to be holding up well. it's the only area(s) of rust apart from a few flaky bits on the front subframe. . (2002 car)

So, the 'friend of the family' mechanic road tested and inspected the SC today. Verdict:

1. There is nothing wrong with this car and there is nothing wrong with the wheel bearings or hub nuts. I'm paranoid!

2. Only at 90mph on the Mway could he hear a faint noise which to him sounded like external wind buffering. No issues detected under braking or with the steering and the car pulls and stops straight and true. I'm paranoid!

3. Neither the front or rear calipers are binding, the discs have plenty life in them and only the front pads are just beyond the half way wear point, although the front pads might be an MOT advisory by a MD.


4. The car should sail through it's MOT.

5. It's a nice car.

6. I'm ordering the genuine Brembo front disc and pad set from A.Factors and said mechanic is going to fit them next weekend. Whilst I'd like to have a go at fitting them myself, the 'mates rates' he's working to mean I'd be a mug not to get him to do it in his clean workshop.

7. Maybe sometimes it's good to get the view of a good and 'qualified man' who isn't paranoid about the L322!

It's the forum, makes you paranoid

But good news  There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

..................and relax...

He did add the caveat that this was the first RR he'd ever looked at... he was being humble

To be fair, since the the end of last summer when the last of the MD issues were concluded, it's been a pleasure (the car and the forum... Thanks )

I'm learning that you will always find something wrong if you look.......

Best not to look! There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

@ NMJ, you're right.

He did make one negative observation about the car. It might be your tyres making the noise as they're 'budget tyres', what are you doing with them on a car like that! Nexen Rodian

Then I explained the main dealer actually fitted them before selling us the car, they swore by them when I'd queried it at the time and they actually get very good reviews by RR drivers. So given all of that, what are you going to do? 'Waste' money by whipping them off and spending hundreds of pounds needlessly replacing them just for the sake of having a premium brand name on the tyre wall or give them a chance and then decide what to order when they're done...

hmm, if you think that the tyres ARE noisy, but you think its coming from a particular wheel/corner, then maybe switch it to another corner of the car and give it a run. I had a tyre that wouldn't balance properly, and by switching it it went away. (to the back) just check that your tyres are not rotational, if so, just move same side from front to rear.....you might need your spare wheel out if you haven't got two jacks etc. -or just throw the spare on! got to be the easiest way of finding a tyre issue.
maybe, its not the tyre or the bearing, but a front driveshaft CV joint.
ohh-ohhh. . the more you read, the more you worry!

Told you at the beginning sir tyres tyres tyres

You did Sir... when the fronts discs and pads get replaced next Sat, providing the tyres are of a suitable type to do so, I'll get the front wheels swapped over to see if that makes any difference/ shifts the noise and then we'll know if it's the tyres or not.

I know ill be slammed for saying this but, think seriously about weather the stopping distances etc etc will be affected by the lesser brand Nexian tyres? Don't think id'e put them on mine!

All noted Craig and I'm not sure if I'd buy them as "my choice" but... They do get good all rounder reviews and main dealers are selling A.U RR shod with them.

In 7000 miles they've not put a foot wrong, pulling the car up nicely and holding the road well in all weathers, although the car is always carefully driven and not used off road nor to the SC capacity. They still look like new as well.

And don't forget, on the forum, I reported a near miss a few months back when someone else lost control oncoming in torrential rain on a bend and I had to emergency brake, steer away from the oncoming car, heavily mounting a kerb with the front nearside wheel whilst doing so and all to avoid a collision with the oncoming car... and the Nexen tyres performed brilliantly on that occasion, sustaining no damage.

These Nexen tyres have done nothing wrong to justify our binning them for now

quote: 'and I had to emergency brake, steer away from the oncoming car, heavily mounting a kerb with the front nearside wheel' unquote.

just put the spare on for now... could that wheel now be 'out of round'? difficult to see visually, but spin it on a balancer machine will show dented rim??? only gonna cost you £7 to know at mr kwik fit!