Servicing complete.

[Jocko]

My son-in-law came along at lunchtime, and while my wife and my daughter had lunch and a good gossip John and I went down to complete my service. I had replaced the air filter and cabin filter, and he did the oil and oil filter then replaced the spark plugs.
I used the oil I purchased cheaply last year (SHELL Helix Ultra Professional AG 5W30 Fully Synthetic) and a Mann filter.
Replacing the plugs was easy. Like last time I used eight off NKG BKR6E-11 spark plugs.
John commented that one of the back plugs was a little oily but nothing to worry about on an engine of that mileage, however, he didn't explain how the front plug on the same cylinder was spotless.
I'll have to go for a run (Thursday) and see how it performs with the new plugs.

[FordPrefect8]

My son-in-law came along at lunchtime, and while my wife and my daughter had lunch and a good gossip John and I went down to complete my service. I had replaced the air filter and cabin filter, and he did the oil and oil filter then replaced the spark plugs.
I used the oil I purchased cheaply last year (SHELL Helix Ultra Professional AG 5W30 Fully Synthetic) and a Mann filter.
Replacing the plugs was easy. Like last time I used eight off NKG BKR6E-11 spark plugs.
John commented that one of the back plugs was a little oily but nothing to worry about on an engine of that mileage, however, he didn't explain how the front plug on the same cylinder was spotless.
I'll have to go for a run (Thursday) and see how it performs with the new plugs.

Do tell how the drive goes, I’d be tempted to try copper/nickel plugs maybe at next change. Did you ever use molyslip in engine oil?

[TnTkr]

The most likely cause to one spark plug being clean and another having residuals of oil is the asymmetrical turbulence of the air-petrol-mixture in the cylinder during intake and combustion strokes.

[Jocko]

Well, I went for a 78.8-mile trip today, and I don't know if it was smoother or not. I want to think so, but it may just be the placebo effect of knowing I had eight new spark plugs and fresh engine oil. My ScanGauge said 61.9 mpg, so that is okay.
On the outward leg, a tipper truck passed in the other direction, and there was a soft thump as if a clod of mud or earth had struck the car. I didn't give it a second thought. However, later I noticed two deep gouges on the bonnet with the paint lifted and the bonnet itself dented.
My wife asked how I will repair it, but I pointed out that getting it fixed would cost more than the value of the car. It doesn't stop it driving, and I cannot see it from inside the vehicle.

[FordPrefect8]

Well, I went for a 78.8-mile trip today, and I don't know if it was smoother or not. I want to think so, but it may just be the placebo effect of knowing I had eight new spark plugs and fresh engine oil. My ScanGauge said 61.9 mpg, so that is okay.
On the outward leg, a tipper truck passed in the other direction, and there was a soft thump as if a clod of mud or earth had struck the car. I didn't give it a second thought. However, later I noticed two deep gouges on the bonnet with the paint lifted and the bonnet itself dented.
My wife asked how I will repair it, but I pointed out that getting it fixed would cost more than the value of the car. It doesn't stop it driving, and I cannot see it from inside the vehicle.

Was the case of debris lifted by truck off the road or actually something falling off the truck?
If the latter, you could maybe claim it on the insurance with a cam footage as an evidence?

[culzean]

Well, I went for a 78.8-mile trip today, and I don't know if it was smoother or not. I want to think so, but it may just be the placebo effect of knowing I had eight new spark plugs and fresh engine oil. My ScanGauge said 61.9 mpg, so that is okay.
On the outward leg, a tipper truck passed in the other direction, and there was a soft thump as if a clod of mud or earth had struck the car. I didn't give it a second thought. However, later I noticed two deep gouges on the bonnet with the paint lifted and the bonnet itself dented.
My wife asked how I will repair it, but I pointed out that getting it fixed would cost more than the value of the car. It doesn't stop it driving, and I cannot see it from inside the vehicle.

Was the case of debris lifted by truck off the road or actually something falling off the truck?
If the latter, you could maybe claim it on the insurance with a cam footage as an evidence?

With the double rear wheels on lorries earth and big stones can get stuck in the gap between the tyres and only fly out when they are doing a decent speed - it doesn't bear thinking about a housebrick flying in your direction - I tend not to get too close to big lorries especially the ones carrying earth and aggregate etc. 

[Jocko]

Was the case of debris lifted by truck off the road or actually something falling off the truck?
If the latter, you could maybe claim it on the insurance with a cam footage as an evidence?

Neither myself nor my wife saw anything, either falling from the truck, being thrown up by the truck or striking the bonnet immediately in front of us. If the car were parked outside, I would have thought the damage happened while parked, but as the car is always garaged that is unlikely. Unless someone damaged it in the 10-minutes, I was parked at my mother-in-law's today. I suppose that is possible, but it is a quiet cul-de-sac with no traffic while I was there.

[Westy36]

Nasty thing to have happened, sorry to hear it. As you say though, its only cosmetic. Time to keep an eye out at the breakers for a bonnet in colour just in case one comes up really cheap.