Your fleet running reports

[_andy]

Winter tyres are da bomb, nothing else to be said about it.

Some one backed into the Smart car the other day and knocked a lump out of the front bumper, luckily they left a note and are being ok about it. So I'm currently on the hunt for a red front bumper of which there are precisely zero about, as per. The body panels are plastic so you need to get one the right colour, rather than get any old thing and have it sprayed.

The MSX hasn't been riden in a while and the battery had gone flat, only problem is it's a LiPo which I don't have a charger for, and the bloody things are £100 so wasn't about to buy one. In the end I bump started it and rode it around until it charged up. During this ride out I almost ended up riding into the Star Lane non-travelling traveller camp (as featured in the Hither Green buglar stabbing incident last year) so I peaced the fuck out of there as fast as 9.6bhp would allow me. I've also put the original exhaust back on and the bike feels faster

Nothing else to report from the rest of the fleet at this time.

[V8Granite]

Supermarket diesel ?

Tesco.

But I mainly blame the fact the car gets used almost exclusively for short distances nowadays, 2-3 miles at a time. Would posh diesel stop it happening, or just make it happen more slowly ?

The diesel guy at Parkinsons hates the stuff and you would think he would promote it considering he refurbishes mechanical pumps and injectors for a living.

All I know is my Defender runs on gear oil, lots of other gloop but always smoked on Morrisons diesel. I do notice a difference on BP Ultimate Diesel, especially when cold and in the summer but I don't know what the actual difference in regular branded diesel and supermarket diesel could be.

Dave!

[Coaster1]

What happened at the first one in the chicane - did you lift off? (I watched without sound so can't tell)

I was too eager to chase the Civic, braked a fraction too late at the chicane, then I opened up the throttle as I started turning (the long left).

Too much throttle too soon, the backend snapped.

[Foz]

Today’s offer of 13k under the asking price was turned down on a local new family bus, next

[DeskJockey]

Also, another mate wants to do some track days this year and I’ve said i’ll tag along. He’s got a McLaren and Caterham, so we think the Seven would be a good starting point. I’ve done Thruxton and Goodwood before; any other SE tracks that you gents would recommend for a bunch of amateurs? I’d love to get the keys for Longcross, but they don’t seem to let anyone on it bar the car mags..

Quite a few choices down south....

Bedford - safe, but low drive by noise limit (87dB), I couldn’t use full revs in mine
Brands Hatch Indy - a bit too crowded for me due to short track, drive by noise limit can be an issue
Brands Hatch GP - not done it yet, expansive
Silverstone GP - not done it yet
Donington - nice track, National layout better than GP
Castle Combe - 100 dB static, been ther twice but a couple of corners still scare me
Snetterton - relax noise limit, bit far?
Abingdon - airfield
Rockingham - too late

Since you chaps have Ferrari / Caterham / Mclaren, take a look at Lotus-on-track. Good etiquette and don’t over subscribe so plenty of track space for everyone.

Let me know if you're heading to Brands. It's 15 mins from me.

[Coaster1]

Let me know if you're heading to Brands. It's 15 mins from me.

[JLv3.0]

I have to ask, and I know exactly how intertard/interturd this sounds - have you had a good geo down on the GT3? It really does seem very snappy and aggressive! I just can't sleep at night knowing a GT3 spins out while chasing a Civic

[V8Granite]

A noise that has manifested itself for the last 25,000 miles in the ML has been found after driving at 95mph for hour upon hour with a roofbox and fully loaded.

Its a rear wheel bearing. It's only a slight nise but when fully loaded and at speed it obviously took its last breath. That's being done today so the wife can pick it up tomorrow!!

Full fluid and spark plug change when I get home, its done 110,000 miles now but still runs great, does the job and keeps me interested. There are other cars I want but nothing i'm willing to spend money on.

The Audi has gone through a set of front tyres in 6000 miles, 1mm more wear on the outer than the inner and no feathering, that's a surprise as they are Eagle AS3 XL which lasted 25000 miles in the ML, odd.

Dave!

[JLv3.0]

Mate of mine staying with me has dropped the Audi off at the paint shop for me, and confirmed that I'm a "fucking idiot" for spending the money and effort on getting it resprayed - always good to hear

When I get back to Dubai I can crack on with getting the boat registered - I still haven't been able to use it once since I bought it!

I think that's about it - just need to get stuff used and crack on with life.

[V8Granite]

Mate of mine staying with me has dropped the Audi off at the paint shop for me, and confirmed that I'm a "fucking idiot" for spending the money and effort on getting it resprayed - always good to hear

When I get back to Dubai I can crack on with getting the boat registered - I still haven't been able to use it once since I bought it!

I think that's about it - just need to get stuff used and crack on with life.

Who will point out that he just had a baby

Dave!

[Jimmy Choo]

Mate of mine staying with me has dropped the Audi off at the paint shop for me, and confirmed that I'm a "fucking idiot" for spending the money and effort on getting it resprayed - always good to hear

When I get back to Dubai I can crack on with getting the boat registered - I still haven't been able to use it once since I bought it!

I think that's about it - just need to get stuff used and crack on with life.

DO NOT SLEEP WITH THIS ONE!

[JLv3.0]

Mate of mine staying with me has dropped the Audi off at the paint shop for me, and confirmed that I'm a "fucking idiot" for spending the money and effort on getting it resprayed - always good to hear

When I get back to Dubai I can crack on with getting the boat registered - I still haven't been able to use it once since I bought it!

I think that's about it - just need to get stuff used and crack on with life.

Who will point out that he just had a baby

Dave!

I have a couple of months of normality before they arrive

JC - noted! He's a big lad anyway

[Coaster1]

I have to ask, and I know exactly how intertard/interturd this sounds - have you had a good geo down on the GT3? It really does seem very snappy and aggressive! I just can't sleep at night knowing a GT3 spins out while chasing a Civic

At the moment it’s fine to drive up to 8/10th (i.e. spirited driving) but at/over its limit it’s snappy. My old C2 was more benign.

I suspect it’s geo and old tyres (they’re from 2010/11/11/13). Some also suggested that I had the pressure too high, amongst other things.

I’m going to have new tyres fitted and also the geo checked when it’s in for a service next month. Just need to make sure I don’t crash it before then.

[JLv3.0]

Good god man get those new tyres fitted immediately! One of them is 9 years old! - you're asking Usain Bolt to run in flip-flops there mate!

What will you get fitted?

[Coaster1]

I knew the tyres were old when I bought to car, but they still had 4/5mm, so thought I would finish them off on a couple of track days. They’re down to 2/3mm now.

AD08R will be fitted.

[JLv3.0]

Know nothing about them but I'm sure they'll be just the job. Living in the heat, you get used to being proper paranoid about the age of tyres. The local test fails cars if the tyres are more than 5 years old, and you saw what happened to the Audi's tyres recently. They just disintegrate in the heat.

[ste]

Coaster, that GT3 sounds immense.

Part of the appeal of a GT3 is that it's less benign than a C2. It's got parts and a geo specifically to make it more interactive and quiicker. Yep change the tyres, of course, but also get some training to deal with the throttle on oversteer that caused both of those spins. It'll go faster around a circuit because it can rotate itself quicker than your C2. With some work with an instructor you'll be taking the lock off instinctively to deal with it wanting to catapult you round the corner and along the next straight.

Wishbones, castor etc aside even the transition from a car without to one with LSD will be causing some of the extra positivity from the rear axle.


...and there's nobody on the planet that couldn't benefit from more driver training.

[Coaster1]

Coaster, that GT3 sounds immense.

Part of the appeal of a GT3 is that it's less benign than a C2. It's got parts and a geo specifically to make it more interactive and quiicker. Yep change the tyres, of course, but also get some training to deal with the throttle on oversteer that caused both of those spins. It'll go faster around a circuit because it can rotate itself quicker than your C2. With some work with an instructor you'll be taking the lock off instinctively to deal with it wanting to catapult you round the corner and along the next straight.

Wishbones, castor etc aside even the transition from a car without to one with LSD will be causing some of the extra positivity from the rear axle.

...and there's nobody on the planet that couldn't benefit from more driver training.

Yeah I’ll be booking a day at North Weald at the end of this month. The instructor there used to teach at Porsche Silverstone.

It’s fair to say that my skills are still well short, and, especially on unfamiliar circuits, short of confidence as well. Long term goal is to be confident enough to steer the car with throttle.

I remember one of your old videos with your Honda Elise vs 996 RS at Donington, so I know how quick these cars can be with a competent driver. I’ve seen graphs / videos of 996.2 doing 1:54s at Oulton Park and 2:48 at Spa...... it’ll be a fun (and long) journey to get myself close to that level.

I’m going to Oulton Park in March..... let’s see how far I’m off the pace!

[JonMad]

remind me, when are you doing Car Limits?

[mik]

remind me, when are you doing Car Limits?

CLIKCz