Finding information on car repairs on driveway and oil in drains

marmaladebadger

blue_haddock wrote: »

...They are not mini-stilts they're called axle stands and they are what pretty much every home mechanic uses when working on cars.

PMSL at that comment!

My 1p:

Bet there's a thread on mig performance vaxuhalls (or something similar depending on the car) about this lad's engine transplant: he's probably been saving and working hard to do it, and he's probably just posted a sob story about how he's just been ticked off by environmental health wondering who reported him, I'm guessing the OP hasn't had the presence of mind to actually ask him how long it's going to be on AXLE STANDS and politely mention the oil to his face?


Just to echo what everyone else has said, you've made yourself sound like everyone's worst interfering neighbour. Poor guy is probably just trying to fix the transport he loves and has worked hard for, something which you probably don't have to worry about.

Keith

My neighbours had the same issue



A year later the grass still hasn't grown back :rotfl:

custardy

pampas grass out front,thats a sign of wife swapping
dunno about a 205 on stands though

goldspanners

Keith wrote: »

My neighbours had the same issue



A year later the grass still hasn't grown back :rotfl:

openly admitting on a public forum that your low life scum with a project in the drive. i cant beleive my eyes.:eek:

steveo3002

nice stilts

i'll send the enviro round later , i can see gallons of oil heading towards a drain and im worried about your saftey

Hintza

I think a lot of you are being harsh on the OP.

It really depends on how long it has been lying there, if the guy is cracking on and getting is sorted I don't think can really complain but if it's one of those failed projects then they really can be a blight on the neighbourhood.

jaydeeuk1

Our neighbour stripped an old cavalier and transplanted an engine across. Other than the noise at 9.00am on a sunday, with a cracking hangover, I didn't have a problem. My wife though didn't like the fact there was half a car next door, but then she's a snob who doesn't appreciate the DIY mechanic

Throbbe

Keith - Mi16 transplant?

Speaking personally, I would do what i can to safely catch and dispose of oil, and consider letting it run into the drain unacceptable. However, using Keiths picture as an example I suspect a lot of that staining would be just from cleaning the engine bay, and there's no sensible way for a DIYer to contain that.

I don't have a project car on the drive now, but I have had. Certainly I have a few bags of sand and ballast and some blocks for work I'm doing in the back garden.

Am I a bad neighbour? I hope not. Certainly neither neighbour has complained, and we chat regularly, and they are well aware of what I'm doing. They're probably bored of hearing about it! Similarly I know what time one neighbours children go to bed, so I don't make noise after that time, and I knew how long the other neighbours building work was going to take, and allowed them to put a skip on our drive for a few weeks.

Basically I'm echoing what others have said, why not just talk to them? Yes, it would have been polite for them to tell you how long things were going to take, but since neither of you appear to have taken the time to get to know the person you live next door too I'd say you both have to share a bit of blame there.

Throbbe

Sorry, to answer the original post, yes this type of work is allowed on a private drive, and no I wouldn't be worried, as surface water drainage gullies will trap the oil minimising the amount getting into the drains.

pogofish

The oil is the main issue here IMO.

That should simply not be going down the drain and there are provisions to dispose of it properly at almost every council recycling centre. His current method is quite illegal. You talk to your local environmental health about that.

Otherwise if this is just his hobby and he is not doing it against any specific local planning restrictions or for trade, then there is not a lot you can do, so long as he respects the regs on antisocial working/noise etc.