Star badge - monkey abuse

[EdmundIJones]

Hi,

I was thinking of taking the kids to Longleat Saffari park tomorrow for a day out....what a good idea.
Then it occured to me that the evil little monkeys may take a liking to the sticking up star and try to rip it off.

Does anyone know how strong the star mechanisum is... or is there any way to remove the star and replace it after quickly?

I don't want it broken and then having to pay a dealer for a new one.

Unfortuantly I have to take the benz as in theory it's out "family" car.

Any thoughts?
Ed

 

[whitenemesis]

Fake illness and don't go!!

 

[Sp!ke]

Open the hood, look under the star and you'll see a metal surround. Give it a half turn and then pull the start out.

Saying that, the blighters will have your aerial, your windscreen wipers and they'll also likely start removing the rubber seals along the roof rails and window surrounds.

Far better to take a car you feel less precious about.

 

[trapperjohn]

Longleat being a big old place. Perhaps they do "park and ride" Park up the Mercedes and go through on a tour bus?? Not the same I know but at least the Mercedes remains as is.

 

[EdmundIJones]

Thanks Spike, that sounds good, I'll take a look tomorrow.

I've been to Longleat a number of times in the past, never had any problems but it occured to me the Star would be an easy target.

I went about 4 years ago and there was a Citroen Picasso behind us in the Lion enclosure, the Lion saunters up to the Picasso rather slowly, looked like he was going to smell the rear tyre and within a second he moved back with the whole tyre in his jaws and the picasso had to limp down to the safety area on it's rim....


The lions are big but it put their power into perspective.

 

[EdmundIJones]

I've just checked and the Money section is actually closed so people can't drive though.

 

[whitenemesis]

I've just checked and the Money section is actually closed so people can't drive though.

A casualty of the credit crunch?

 

[EdmundIJones]

LOL, well put, that was our course supposed to be "Monkey"

 

[ringway]

LOL, well put, that was our course supposed to be "Monkey"

That'll be £500 then.

 

[abecketts]

Longleat runs a tour bus far better than wasting the car at the hands of monkeys, weather looks good for the visit too.

 

[ringway]

Around 6-7, years ago we went to Knowsley Safari Park.

On both occasions I used one of my older less valuable vehicles a LDV box van.

The first year we went through the monkey-run the damage was a wiper blade - well worth it for the entertainment value, especially for our children.

The second year in the old van again the monkey's were all over the van, we could hear them running along the box roof etc. People were gesticulating to us that something was amiss - we replied with windows closed "It's Okay".

When we later got out of the van we discovered that apart from the washer jets and pipework missing the buggers had dismantled, de-lensed, de-bulbed AND de-wired the lighting system from the front and rear of the box roof of the van. The repair bill this time was hundreds.



Here are some pictures from the expensive day.








OEM Part?

Ouch!

Smug!

The young Ringway's enjoyed the close proximity of the monkey's

Maybe not.

These guys want you to press the washer button. They love alcohol.

After a few pints of screenwash.

 

[jpskiller]

been there done that, not again, well not my car anyway

 

[ringway]

been there done that, not again, well not my car anyway

Is that because Jaguar's are not permitted in the monkey enclosure?

 

[HR17]

Take the wife's car, or get a cheap rental.

 

[EdmundIJones]

Well, I had a think about how to get out of this and how not to upset the kids and enrage the wife.... and came up with a great idea. I sat at breckfast and announced:

"As a special treat we're going to the Cotswolds wildlife park instead as you can get closer to the animals" - everyone was happy with this as we'd not been before.

My real motive was that it's not a drive through park, you HAVE to take a little train and the kids can run around. So, the car sat in the car park (next to a very nice new R class) so no monkey damage and the kids and wife had a good day out.

Alls well that ends well.

Ed

 

[trapperjohn]

Top Man

Excellent result for family and car.

Like my old teacher used to say. "The mind is like a parachute - Works best when its fully open"