Your fleet running reports

[Matty]

There’s a kind of aerofoil thing in the rear diffuser that’s ideal for attaching a towing strap.

So you actually did tow with it??? I just assumed you used another car!

[Sundayjumper]

No, I'm just messing with y'all I wanted to see some outrage that I put a tow strap there !

I used the Disco, obvs.

[jamcg]

No outrage here, I thought the idea was quite cool. Now I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed

[integrale_evo]

One of our group at retrorides had an Aston Martin rapide, the most modern and fanciest car with us.

The owner was a bit worrried about it starting after a weekend parked up running a coolbox.

I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t so I could jumpstart it with my alfasud

[Matty]

I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t so I could jumpstart it with my alfasud

Talking of jumpstarting, anyone got one of those little battery jump packs? I was tempted to buy one in the Amazon Prime sale - when the battery on my QV went flat, a mate at work jumped it with one...I though there was no way it'd do it for a relatively large engine, but worked a treat.

Not that expensive either, and thought it was worthwhile to add to the emergency pack:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TREKURE-Starte ... B0DQ54YKH9

[Rich B]

A girl at my work had a dead car battery a few months back, she has an old c class auto, so no bump starting. No one had any jump cables, but we did find an old office floorbox with its electrical cables still attached in our store cupboard and a plan hatched.

the ripped out wiring from the floor box, bulldog clips from stationary and 3 idiots willing to give it a go and we did indeed get it started!

One of those little power packs probably would have been easier, yes.

[Sundayjumper]

@JonMad definitely has one - I was surprised how well they work too.

[Jobbo]

I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t so I could jumpstart it with my alfasud

Talking of jumpstarting, anyone got one of those little battery jump packs? I was tempted to buy one in the Amazon Prime sale - when the battery on my QV went flat, a mate at work jumped it with one...I though there was no way it'd do it for a relatively large engine, but worked a treat.

Not that expensive either, and thought it was worthwhile to add to the emergency pack:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TREKURE-Starte ... B0DQ54YKH9

That seems a bargain. Any lead acid versions I’ve had previously just died without being used much so I would be interested to know about its longevity.

[mik]

Legal numberplate day for the 360 and we have what I believe is called "flying colours". 377 miles since last year.

Good that you beat 360.

Could you go nuts and put more than 911 on the Porsche this year?

[jamcg]

If anyone has a decent collection of power tools, you can now get adaptors with jump leads coming off to use a power tool battery as a mini jump pack

About £25 on Amazon for ones with reduced voltage output and fancy lights, about £5 on AliExpress for one that’s just wires and clips straight from the battery

Amazon example clicky
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Starters-Adapt ... d_source=1

[integrale_evo]

Have wondered about those too, at least you can use a decent battery other than whatever random one they’ve got built in is, as that’s usually the main complaint, the battery stops holding charge after a while.

[Jimexpl]

I've got a couple of these -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BBV7KC7Z? ... title&th=1

They're good, but will only give you a couple of attempts at starting before dying (and the crocodile clips on one pack needed reassembling out of the box).

[Jobbo]

I think I’ll stick to Cteks and normal jump leads but interesting idea to use power tool batteries.

[speedingfine]

I killed one jump starting my Caterham, the little bag containing the battery split all the sides of the plastic it was housed in It was a cheap one though.

[Mito Man]

I haven’t had much luck with the small lithium jump starters and tend to use my sole survivor now just as a massive powerbank. First one didn’t have enough power to jump the 6 series even though it claimed to do an 8 litre engine. Then I left it in the boot and forgot about it for a few months and it discharged to death.

In other news my extended journey in back of the 7 series yesterday fucked my back. At some point after a very long period of traffic it suggested that I revitalise. Stupidly I listened to it thinking it would massage me but nope. At first it wanted to calibrate my shoulder strength and asked that I push my shoulders independently into the seat back and it actually measured the strength of my shoulders. I could just about get it to go green pushing off the carpet with my feet and I’m a pretty big guy!
Then the fucker wanted me to keep doing this exercise but holding for various time periods. It’s ridiculously full on and consider the fact that you’ve been sitting down for hours, have had no warm up like before you usually exercise and …CRACK. Backs had it. Couldn’t even finish the program and then it had the audacity to give me 1 star.

I don’t think even Doug knows about this quirk and feature!
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news ... mber-2015/

BMW - the ultimate crippling machine.

[Rich B]

If they can’t just be left in the boot charged “forever” then they’re kind of pointless. If your car needs jump starting enough that you remember to keep the battery pack charged weekly/monthly, then you probably need to fix your car.

[Jobbo]

I haven’t had much luck with the small lithium jump starters and tend to use my sole survivor now just as a massive powerbank. First one didn’t have enough power to jump the 6 series even though it claimed to do an 8 litre engine. Then I left it in the boot and forgot about it for a few months and it discharged to death.

In other news my extended journey in back of the 7 series yesterday fucked my back. At some point after a very long period of traffic it suggested that I revitalise. Stupidly I listened to it thinking it would massage me but nope. At first it wanted to calibrate my shoulder strength and asked that I push my shoulders independently into the seat back and it actually measured the strength of my shoulders. I could just about get it to go green pushing off the carpet with my feet and I’m a pretty big guy!
Then the fucker wanted me to keep doing this exercise but holding for various time periods. It’s ridiculously full on and consider the fact that you’ve been sitting down for hours, have had no warm up like before you usually exercise and …CRACK. Backs had it. Couldn’t even finish the program and then it had the audacity to give me 1 star.

I don’t think even Doug knows about this quirk and feature!
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news ... mber-2015/

BMW - the ultimate crippling machine.

Fuck me, that’s mad but funny.
I felt like I was in an 80s vision of the future using my laptop in the back of my Audi in the ferry queue yesterday. No built in fax machine though.

[Sundayjumper]

Legal numberplate day for the 360 and we have what I believe is called "flying colours". 377 miles since last year.

Good that you beat 360.

Could you go nuts and put more than 911 on the Porsche this year?

Oooh I didn’t think of that. I wonder if I can put exactly 360 / 911 miles on them this year.

[jamcg]

Try for the exact displacement of the engines so you can do some decent miles please

[V8Granite]

If they can’t just be left in the boot charged “forever” then they’re kind of pointless. If your car needs jump starting enough that you remember to keep the battery pack charged weekly/monthly, then you probably need to fix your car.

Or if you are a sad fuck with a grab bag containing jump starter, 4 hi viz vests, charge leads for different phones, amalgamating tape, 4 led strobe pucks, a leatherman, fuses, flashlight etc then you simply charge a phone off it once a month to keep it healthy and recharge in the car on your next suitable journey.

Don’t forget your good quality first aid kit either which obviously is connected to your grab bag.

I have this one, it started my Defender when I disconnected the main battery, make sure you get one with a boost function as some won’t work without seeing a few volts.

Dave!