Car Talk

[Baitrunner]

If nothing else They can race tune the beemer and get you faster times on the track. 

to be fair I have heard good things about them.  But you may as well get it chipped while your there. 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Don`t forget to tell the insurance company if you do . 

[Malanka]

Was driven in a 2 liter calibre by a rally driver years ago. He let me have a go when I had more sphericals than I do now. I learned then that unless you’re driving a lot of horsepower and sometimes even then the rapidity or lack of it is a lot more to do with the guy with the squeaky bottom behind the wheel than what’s under the bonnet.

Millie and I plus 1 have been on autobahn at 279kph. Years ago that would have been 315, but I just didn’t feel like I wanted to go any faster. Flat dry straight deserted two lane road no traffic and naaa just didn’t. Was way fast enough for me. I drove slower when by myself too. Must be an age thing..... lol passing the cops at 200kph was lots of fun though. They waved.... petrol heads....

M

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Many moons ago I was dating a lady who raced in Formula Vee, she would shave minutes off my time over a regular 20 mile route yet never break the speed limit.

[Malanka]

I know it’s amazing and a genuine tremendous skill. 

M

[OldBerkshireBoy]

PS

Given the chance I don`t drive slow lol. Done a few track days on both two wheels & four back in the day. 

[Malanka]

Never taken Millie to the track, can’t afford four new tyres. New pads ( non ceramic) and new disks. Especially can’t afford the replacement crumple zone which includes the supercharger at the front when the red hot brakes give up and die. 

 

M

 

M

[Boaters]

A birthday treat at Brands saw myself behind the wheel of Lotus Elise and then a Nissan GT-R  and going at 120 mph the fastest I have driven 😊was an awesome experience ,but satisfied a long standing desire to drive a race track.Thoughorly recommended.I surpose a bash round Oulton Broad. In a power boat would be an equivalent  water based experience!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

When I lived in Gravesend many years ago, a good friend of mine used to race sidecars, and I mechaniced for him. Brands hatch was our second home, having won many many times, I went on the lap of honour in the course car with them that was fun, and in the sun too.

[Seagypsy]

2 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

When I lived in Gravesend many years ago, a good friend of mine used to race sidecars, and I mechaniced for him. Brands hatch was our second home, having won many many times, I went on the lap of honour in the course car with them that was fun, and in the sun too.

I went to sea school in Gravesend many years ago

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

5 minutes ago, Seagypsy said:

I went to sea school in Gravesend many years ago

I used to belong to Gravesend swimming club, and we used to use the Seaschool indoor pool in winter months, that was back in the early 70s.

Then later on in life, we used to ride down to the old canal fishing, or just out cycling. 

[marshman]

I went to school too - in Broadland!!

[Seagypsy]

3 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

I used to belong to Gravesend swimming club, and we used to use the Seaschool indoor pool in winter months, that was back in the early 70s.

Then later on in life, we used to ride down to the old canal fishing, or just out cycling. 

That was obviously the new school I went to the oid one no swimming pool there only the Thames

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

1 minute ago, Seagypsy said:

That was obviously the new school I went to the oid one no swimming pool there only the Thames

Was that the old red brick building near the bottom of Harmer Street coming down from the clock tower, if so, i went to a judo club there, but only once, again in the very early 70s.

 

[BroadAmbition]

12 minutes ago, marshman said:

I went to school too - in Broadland!!

That explains a lot! 

Griff

[marshman]

Can't dispute that, Griff!!

[Seagypsy]

18 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Was that the old red brick building near the bottom of Harmer Street coming down from the clock tower, if so, i went to a judo club there, but only once, again in the very early 70s.

 

Don't know about the street name but thats the one looked like a prison I was there 1959

[MauriceMynah]

1 hour ago, Seagypsy said:

That was obviously the new school I went to the oid one no swimming pool there only the Thames

Hope you never had to swim two lengths !!

[Seagypsy]

33 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Hope you never had to swim two lengths !!

No but one or two went for a swim who hadn't found their sea legs getting in and out of the cutters. PS I wonder if Robin's beemer is still running. We seem to have gone way off course with this posting.

[marshman]

Way off course?  No further than usual methinks!

[Siddy]

On 01/03/2019 at 15:57, LondonRascal said:

For those who like old Fords, Rovers and Vauxhall's among others, search You Tube for ROVR (Retro OEM Video Repository) and has videos from adverts, reviews to many staff only training or behind the scene development stuff.

Here is a classic comparing the Sierra facelift to previous models, how simple cars were then:

 

 

Thanks for the listing the video, When I passed my test the boss had a black B reg and didn't like it much (new to driving) but then took to it and we had a few on fleet. Having swapped jobs the boss had a H red 1.8 GLX Sapphire which I'd use during the day and loved it.

So time had come to get my own car at 25 (reach that insurance bracket) i'd always had a car from work or my dads company. So looking round I didn't want a Ford or a boot and not red = yes I bought the bosses red booted sierra from the company at a price I couldn't get the escort/astra for and didn't have NCD to help the insurance so didn't lose anything there.

I had that car 15 years before giving it to my mate as a run around at his pub. 20 years that car was on the road and was barbi pink in the end.

 

[BroadAmbition]

I've done a couple of track days, both in cars and on the Tiger.  Best fun was at Cadwell Park on the Tiger.  Most dangerous was the Nurburgring again on the Tiger - Won't be doing that again in a hurry.

In tin boxes did somewhere in t Midlands, first time in STi' Subura with an instructor - Awesome, I set fastest lap of the day, got awarded top driver too.  Then a couple of years later in an Aston Martin - Huge disappointment, Lady instructor wouldn't let me give it any beans, I could have gone round faster in the Wife's 1:6d Focus.  Wrote a letter of complaint on that one, turned out I wasn't the only one and I later heard that she had been removed from the program, didn't get my brass refunded or a complimentary pass though so won't be going there again anytime soon

Griff

[Siddy]

Only done Oulton Pk on a Vauxhall drive weekend which were a good day out all the stuuf they laid on. The main person on the invite got to drive run Oulton track on a Vectra Sport doing 3 laps at max 70mph then a instructor lap.

Out the pits I went following the cones for braking etc then 2nd lap give me 100 mph max then I hit 115 on the 3rd and back in the pits for a run round the car a go which was unreal before I landed in the seat we were off got the belt on and he floored it we hit one bend and took it on 3 wheels. We walked round the track to this corner to watch them come round, a normal days work for them guys.

I keep going to book to drive a arctic or move reserving one into a bay.

[LondonRascal]

Just an update to those who might be in the area about my experience with STR Services in Norwich.

I duly arrived at the allotted time of 8:15am and having left the car, signed a form and confirmed my details headed off knowing they would have the car for the day.  It had a full service, transmission fluid and brake fluid change, all new brake pads and tracking carried out.

Around 4:30pm I had a call to say they were almost done and could I come to collect. Nothing was found to be wrong with the car, the discs all within their wear tolerances, the only issue I may have is a control module failing that runs the daytime running lights. They work, but every now and then it will throw a warning that there is a problem with them - even though they are illuminated. Later that issue will go.  Coopers BMW were unable to shed any light on this warning, despite £100.00 being charged to investigate.

Now, I found them really genuine, helpful and easy to deal with but the customer ahead of me had understood the tracking on his car to have cost £80.00 - so he said he was told on the phone, but it is £89.99 plus VAT and he was most unhappy. When I went up the emailed quote I had been given was indeed the price I paid, the car was clean with no 'greasy fingerprints' inside it and I was impressed with the big list of items they inspected, and not to forget this was over £300.00 less than the main dealer's estimate for the same work.

While I have to be gentle for the next few hundred miles braking, after the initial rubbing off of the surface, I can already tell the new pads are very sharp and the peddle feel is firmer too. Next oil change now is not for 19,000 miles - though to be honest I'll have one done well before then since the cost of that is not excessive.  So I think I will be taking the car to STR in the future as I was not left feeling like they were trying to up sell anything or tell me 'oh you need to have such and such done' when perhaps it is not actually required.  I am also pleased to see the car is in good overall order with nothing on the horizon to worry about.

As an aside when I got the car I had to change the wipers, and opted for the now very common ''aeroblade' style, which has no metal linkages to help spread the blade on the screen. I was not that impressed to be honest, the passenger side did not seem to have enough 'pressure' on the last inch of the blade and so always missed a little at speed, they were not cheap and Bosch made but I got so fed up with this I opted for some Hybrid versions. These have a more traditional style blade assembly but are covered with an aerodynamic plastic outer. They weight about twice as much as the aeroblade ones they replaced, and the difference is remarkable. Super silent, streak free, even pressure. They did not cost as much as the Bosch ones and were easier to fit too so just something to consider if your wipers are up for change - not available in most shops but if you do a Google or Amazon search for Hybrid Windscreen Wipers you should find suppliers.

 

[Paul]

32 minutes ago, LondonRascal said:

As an aside when I got the car I had to change the wipers, and opted for the now very common ''aeroblade' style, which has no metal linkages to help spread the blade on the screen. I was not that impressed to be honest, the passenger side did not seem to have enough 'pressure' on the last inch of the blade and so always missed a little at speed, they were not cheap and Bosch made

Bosch wipers are pathetic. PIAA Silicon are the best, they will ocst about the same as Bosch Aerotwin's full rrp (though you can usually find Bosch on sale somewhere) but will last twice as long as a standard rubber wiper and dont degrade in cold weather, useful when you are on the motorway in freezing fog